What is it?
Hypnosis is a normal state of mind that occurs naturally many times in our everyday life. If you have ever gotten lost in thought while you were driving and “snapped out of it” several miles down the road, you were in a state of “environmental hypnosis”. Daydreaming is a form of “environmental hypnosis” as well. As your hypnotist, I guide you into a deep state of relaxation through a process called induction. In this relaxed state of awareness known as hypnosis, hypnotic state or hypnotic trance, the subconscious mind becomes open and suggestible. In this hypnotic state we are able to guide the mind to release old patterns of thought and introduce new, more productive thoughts and behaviors.
Why does it work?
Many people are under the mistaken impression that the conscious mind is the most powerful part of the human mind. It kind of makes sense because that is the part that we are most familiar with since that’s where our thoughts are. But the truth is, your subconscious mind is many, many, many times more powerful and it is actually where the real “you” is.
Your conscious mind is the rational and analytical reasoning part of the brain. Our will power and working memory are also a part of the conscious mind. The conscious mind uses only 12% of the brain. Considering that the brain is the most complex computer known to man, that is a very small percentage.
The subconscious mind and unconscious mind make up the remaining 88% of the brain. The subconscious mind is where all of our learned behaviors and habits (both good and bad and utilitarian), long-tem memory, emotions and even self-preservation reside. The unconscious mind controls bodily functions and the immune system. In order to effectively change ingrained habitual behavior and thoughts, hypnosis is used to bypass the part of your conscious mind known as the Critical Factor in order to work with the 88% of the brain that controls everyday thought patterns and actions.
The Critical Factor of the Conscious Mind is actually a function of the conscious mind that works to protect the powerful subconscious mind. When a client is in a state of hypnosis, we work directly with the subconscious mind to change old unwanted negative associations and patterns of behavior and replace them with positive beneficial ones. Change happens much more rapidly when working with the subconscious mind.
How well does it work?
There is of course a time and a place for every kind of therapy, but hypnotherapy is proven to be very effective compared to other types. The reason is because it positively changes the part of your mind that is the most powerful – your subconscious.
Consider the results of a study by American Health Magazine:
Psychoanalysis: 38% recovery after 600 sessions
Behavior Therapy: 72% recovery after 22 sessions
Hypnotherapy: 93% recovery after 6 sessions
Hypnosis Myths vs. Facts
Myth: “I can’t be hypnotized”
Fact: This is actually technically true! There is no such thing as being hypnotized by another person. Even though I am a very good hypnotist, all I can do is act as your guide. This is a very important distinction and one that most people don’t understand, which leads to more misconceptions. Just like if you really wanted to climb Mt. Everest, you could probably do it yourself but it would help tremendously if you had a guide who knew the way and could show you what to do! That’s really all a good hypnotist is – someone who gives you instruction and guides you – and if you follow their instructions and guidance you will reach the summit.
There is really only one form of hypnosis and that is self-hypnosis. ALL hypnosis is self-hypnosis. You don’t need a hypnotist do go into a beautiful, deep state of hypnosis all by yourself. You certainly don’t need a hypnotist to give you suggestions of positive change in any area of your life. You can do that all by yourself. What you do need is a hypnotist to teach you how to do it.
A hypnotist can show you how to place yourself into a beautiful state of hypnosis. Feeling the physical relaxation and mental alertness. If you allow the hypnotist to be your guide, he or she can show you how to stay in the state until the session is over. At any time, if you don’t want to be in this beautiful, relaxed state, you simply decide not to be, and it is over. You then return to your normal state of awareness. But, if you follow the hypnotist’s guidance, you will be shown how to stay there.
If using hypnosis for change, then the most important thing of all is allowing yourself to accept the suggestions given to you with the correct mental attitude. “I like it, I know it is going to work!” Knowing that if you have any other attitude, you will not accept the suggestions. A hypnotist can not force a suggestion into your mind. Only YOU can ALLOW it to happen.
Hypnosis is a 100% consent state… by you. You must allow things to happen. If you don’t want them to happen, you can stop them from happening with the slightest thought. Anyone with an IQ above 70 can go into a very deep level of hypnosis. As long as you want to be! Are you wondering how fast? As long as it takes to snap your fingers! The only thing that keeps a person from going into that beautiful state of physical relaxation and mental alertness is if they have any fears or misconceptions about what hypnosis really is.
Myth: “I won’t be aware of what’s going on”
Fact: Actually, you are acutely aware of what is going on around you and all your senses are heightened. You are not asleep at all! Hypnosis is simply the best state of mental and physical relaxation you have ever experienced.
Myth: “I may not wake up”
Fact: This is another one that is technically true and the reason is you are never asleep to begin with! When you come out of hypnosis you emerge and it is completely up to you when you want to emerge. Hypnosis is always by consent, so you can emerge any time you want.
Myth: “Hypnosis is mind control! I’ll be made to do things I don’t want to.
Fact: It’s not like you may have seen in movies or read in books. You are in control right from the start. In fact, it’s you who decides if you even want to be hypnotized. You cannot be hypnotized against your will and you can’t be made to do things you don’t want to. A good illustration of this is if people see a hypnotist to quit smoking, but it’s really not their idea – maybe a spouse or another family member convinced them to go and they really didn’t want to. Guaranteed, the hypnosis won’t work!
Myth: “I’ve seen people hypnotized on stage in a show. Those people are controlled by the hypnotist, right?”
Fact: Nope! The stage hypnotists are skilled at selecting people who are ready and willing to go into hypnosis. He is doing this in front of an audience and wants to put on a good show, so he picks people that are ready to have some fun and be in front of an audience. Just by the very fact that someone volunteers to come on stage and does well in some tests that the hypnotist administers, they are mentally aligning themselves with a very important aspect of hypnosis, which is “I want to!” It may look like they’re being controlled, but they are not (sometimes it’s part of the fun of the show for you to think they are).
Myth: “I will tell you my deepest secrets.”
Fact: No you won’t! Don’t forget, you are acutely aware of what is going on when you are in a hypnotic state and you are in complete control of what you say and do. If you don’t want to tell me something, you won’t. In fact, you are much more likely to tell someone something that you don’t want to when you are not in hypnosis.
Confidence & Mastery 