Thanks to media hype and cinematic sensationalism, many aspects of hypnosis have been exaggerated or completely misunderstood. One of those aspects is trance. In the movies, people in a trance are little more than brainless zombies who do whatever the hypnotist asks them to do, uttering “Yes, master” as they do so. The other perception of hypnosis is often the image of "stage show" antics with people doing all kinds of silly things to entertain others.
It is probably easier to describe what is not, so let’s start with that. What I do is not "stage show" antics, nor any of the following:
Loss of consciousness – far from the truth. You actually will be more focused in hypnosis than before
Surrender of will – no… you will always be capable of always making decisions.
Indication of “weak mindedness” – no again. Intelligent people make the best clients for hypnotism.
Revelation of secrets – once again, no… you are aware of everything when hypnotized, so this surely could not happen. People are able to talk, but can fib just as easily.
It is not taking control of you or over you. You are awake and fully aware of what is going on around you. You can hear others unless you choose to tune them out.
You will always be aware, in control, able to hear and speak, and able to make decisions. Hypnosis is simple a higher sense of focus and concentration.
We all know that we only have one brain… true? What we do not always recognize is that our mind is not just a single thing… the human mind is often explained in two parts: a conscious mind and an unconscious (sub-conscious) mind.
The Conscious Mind…
The conscious mind is easy to understand.
In fact, you’re using it right now.
It’s your “waking” mind. The awareness of things you can focus on.
It’s able to deal with between 5-9 ideas or experiences at a time.
It’s the “here and now” mind that makes choices, makes plans, and helps you enjoy life.
The Sup-Conscious Mind… is a different ball game…
Compared to the conscious, it’s enormous.
It holds all the memories, experiences, wisdom and insight you’ve gained over the years.
It runs everything that happens in your body (and mind). It can literally handle millions of things at one time.
And while the unconscious runs the show, it will take orders from the conscious mind, if they’re presented in the right way. Which is usually in the form of suggestions.
It’s a complicated subject, isn’t it? Consider this… to compare the two would be like comparing the world we live and all that is in it… the land, the seas, the people, the feelings, the cultures, the seasons, and all its history to you and me sitting her now having this conversation. Relatively speaking the conscious mind is very small in comparison.
That means that our best chance of creating success is to use the sub-conscious mind - a much larger zone.
Great, but why is it so essential that we access the unconscious mind anyway? Well, for lots of reasons. By tapping into the power of the unconscious mind, you can find answers to questions or situations that are causing you to feel “stuck” in life. Connecting with the unconscious mind also gives you the ability to heal from inside out – as it allows you to process buried and unresolved negative emotions that have/are causing you pain. The unconscious mind is also where your innate creativity lies and your ability to imagine those big, bold dreams of yours. It’s also where all your memories are stored. That’s how it’s possible to tap into memories and get rid of traumas from the past, or to resolve issues that are preventing you from moving forward.
But to do all of the above, the unconscious minds needs your absolute focus and attention. And this is where hypnosis comes into the picture – because it gives you this directed focus. So in a nutshell, hypnosis is a form of communication between two people. In order for someone to be hypnotized, they have to be willing to participate.
In its purest state, hypnosis exists to help people make positive changes in their lives, from breaking bad habits to managing pain to eliminating emotional trauma from the past.
During a hypnotic trance you’ll remain wide awake, able to hear and understand everything that’s happening.
You can even experience a trance with your eyes open, although it might be easier to relax and shut out the outside world if you close your eyes.
At the very least, trance is actually a relaxing state of mind where you’re able to forget about your worries for a short period of time.
In the hands of a competent hypnotist, it becomes a tool to help the person undergoing hypnosis deal with whatever issue they might want to address.
Change how you think about something… it changes the questions you ask… which changes the answers you get… which changes the actions you take… which changes the outcome.
Hypnosis can be an effective approach to the following (my focus areas):
Becoming a Non-Smoker
Recovering From Past Relationships
Confidence / Ego Strengthening
Phobias
Loss of a Loved One / Grief Management
Personal Coaching with Hypnosis as a Tool
o Overcoming Self-Imposed Limitations
o Eliminating Negative Thinking
Others (referred to associate hypnotherapist)
Pain Management
Non-Anesthetic Medical Procedures
Time Regression (memory recall)
Many Others