All About Hypnosis
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What Is Hypnosis ?
Contrary to what you have seen on TV or at stage shows, hypnosis is not supernatural, magical, brain washing, or mind control. In fact, hypnosis is psychology in action. Hypnosis is a naturally occurring State of Mind. Everyone has already experienced hypnosis, by accident or by design. Hypnosis is a communication process that bypasses the conscious mind and establishes new acceptable, selective thinking in the subconscious mind. While hypnotized, the subconscious mind is highly available and receptive to new suggestions, beliefs, and ideas. As long as the suggestions delivered are selective, acceptable and within a person’s moral beliefs, they will be accepted by the subconscious mind as a new truth or reality. Hypnosis is a process that allows both parts of the mind, the conscious and subconscious, to accept and believe the same message, which results in success. What we believe, we can achieve.
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How Will I Feel During Hypnosis ?
You will not feel strange during hypnosis. You will not be asleep or in a trance. When a person is hypnotized they are never unconscious, asleep, or unaware. Hypnosis is NOT sleeping, rather it’s more like a daydream state of mind. You are completely aware, and alert the entire time. That is why some may not believe they were hypnotized. Have you ever been driving from one point to another and wondered how you got there? Or been so engrossed in a book or a movie that you are not aware of others talking to you? If yes, then you have experienced a state of hypnosis. While you are hypnotized, you will be very relaxed, and will be able to hear everything going on around you. You may hear and remember everything the hypnotist says. You will also be aware of all the other sounds that occur throughout or outside the room. Hypnosis is an alerted state of consciousness that is very similar to the one you experience every night right before you fall asleep. It’s like those few minutes when you are not quite asleep, but you're not awake. You have experienced this state of mind everyday of your life and you can utilize it to improve your life
Can Anyone Be Hypnotized ?
Anyone of average intelligence and better can be hypnotized. As long as the person is comfortable with the process of hypnosis, and trusts the hypnotist, they can and will easily be hypnotized. The only people who are unable to be hypnotized are those with organic brain damage (lack the ability to concentrate and focus), and people who have a fear or resistance to hypnosis or the hypnotist. There is a myth that only weak willed, and unintelligent people can be hypnotized and this could not be farther from the truth. In fact, the more intelligent and strong willed the person is, the better the hypnotic client will be.
Does A Hypnotist Have Control Over Me ?
NO! This is very a prevalent myth that is completely wrong. In hypnosis it is actually the client who is always in control, not the hypnotist. A person in the hypnotic state determines their own level of participation in the process. Hypnosis can never be used to make you do something that you do not want to do. Under hypnosis you will not be able to do anything which goes against your personal values or beliefs. Hypnosis is not sleep. It is in fact a state of heightened awareness in which you are aware of everything that’s happening around you. If you are asked to do something unacceptable to your values, your mind will simply reject it and you will come out of hypnosis immediately. Hypnosis is used to strengthen positive messages and weaken or neutralize negative messages that are already in your subconscious mind. This makes it possible to effect a permanent change in you when you are ready to make the change. In fact, part of the first session at New Beginnings Hypnotherapy is used to determine if the client honestly WANTS the requested change. This determination is made before the client is ever put into hypnosis. For example, suppose a client tells me,“My wife wants me to stop smoking. Can you help?” The client's choice of words probably means that he is not yet personally committed to stop smoking. In this case, hypnosis will not help this client to stop smoking. In other words, hypnosis can be used to create change, but ...only when the client is genuinely ready for the change. You may wonder how stage hypnotists are able to make people to do the most ridiculous things. The truth is that every person chosen by the entertainer is a willing volunteer who agrees to take part in the entertainment, and is eager and willing to do these crazy things. The stage hypnotist selects only those volunteers who are most eager to perform as they are sure to provide the best entertainment for the audience.
To summarize, the hypnotist has no power over you at all and cannot make you do anything against your will.
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All the hypnotist does is guide you into a state. The hypnotist is not a master, but only a guide, and you are always in control and aware of what is happening.
Simply put, it is you, not the hypnotist, who makes hypnosis work or not work.
Can You Get Trapped In Hypnosis ?
Absolutely not. No one has ever gotten trapped in hypnosis in the history of the world and no one ever will. Hypnosis is very similar to a daydream, or getting lost in a good book. Could you ever get trapped in a daydream? As much as we might want too, it is impossible for a person to get stuck in a daydream, and the same applies to hypnosis. If something were to happen to the hypnotist or if they were to leave during the session, the hypnotized client would do one of two things, open their eyes because of boredom or fall asleep and wake up just like taking a nap. There is no way of getting stuck in hypnosis.
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Are There Different Levels of Hypnosis ?
A person’s ability to focus, concentrate, and respond to the hypnotist will determine the depth of hypnosis that a client will achieve. This is why intelligent people tend to be the best hypnotic clients. Statistically, 60% of the population will experience a medium to deep level of relaxation on their first session. 20% will experience profound depths of hypnosis, and the other 20% will enter a little to medium depth of hypnosis. Behavioral changes like quitting smoking, reducing weight, overcoming fear of flying, and so on, can occur even in the lightest depths of hypnosis with the proper motivation. If a person is not naturally receptive to hypnosis, they can improve with practice. In fact, each time a person is hypnotized either by a hypnotist, or through self-hypnosis, improvement will occur and it will get easier and easier for that person to enter deeper levels of hypnosis.
Will I Reveal All My Secrets When I am Hypnotized ?
Hypnosis is in no way related to a truth serum. No one can be made to reveal their secrets when they are hypnotized. You are aware and incontrol at all times while hypnotized and would never do or say anything you normally wouldn't. Someone can lie just as easy while hypnotized as they can while they are wide awake.
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Have I Ever Experienced Hypnosis Before?
Yes! Hypnosis is a state of mind that people are constantly slipping in and out of. You have been hypnotized thousands of times in your life you just never called it hypnosis before. For instance, each and every night right before you fall asleep, when you are not quite sleeping, but you are not awake either, you are in a state of light hypnosis. Hypnosis is in our advertising, on the television, in the movies. It occurs at home, at school, and at work. When you drive from one place to another and wonder how you got there, you were in a state of hypnosis, even when you read, when you are on the computer for 2 hours yet it feels like 20 minutes…these are all examples of being in the alpha state of consciousness, also known as the hypnotic level of consciousness.
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How Does Hypnosis Help People?
The ability to reprogram and recondition the mind is an ability in which every human being possesses. Hypnosis is one of the most functional and effective methods of achieving this. Through the use of hypnosis, a person can literally redesign their destiny, and correct old ways of behaving very rapidly by working with the subconscious mind, rather than struggle for years trying to change things that the conscious mind is unable to do. Hypnosis helps people because it provides a means for overcoming everyday problems, like smoking and weight reduction, at lightning like speed.
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What’s The Difference Between A Group Session and a Private 1-on-1 Session?
The major difference between a group and a private session is a group session is more generalized than a private session. In a private session, a hypnotist can zero in on the clients specific needs, and desires where as in a group session, the suggestions are more general so that it can apply to more people. The other major difference is the investment for the session. The investment for a group session is less than a private session. But, overall, both types of sessions are highly effective for re-programming the mind patterns.
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Will My Results Be Permanent ?
Hypnotic suggestions are embedded in the subconscious mind forever. However, the influence of hypnotic suggestion can stay with some people forever, while others need to have the suggestions reinforced. The results of hypnosis are cumulative in nature, and the more the post-hypnotic suggestions and techniques are practiced the more lasting, and permanent the results will be. To reinforce suggestions, the best way to do it is by performing self-hypnosis, or listening to audio reinforcement programs and having positive self talk. This will drive all the suggestions, and positive changes farther into the mind thus making a deeper and more lasting impression.
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What Will Happen At My First Appointment?
Your first appointment is usually the Discovery Consultation and though we usually do an introductory hypnosis, there may not be an Issue Specific Hypnosis Session during that time. When you arrive at the office, the very first objective is to make you feel completely comfortable, and at ease with the process of hypnosis. The process of the mind and hypnosis will be demystified and explained in great detail. All of your questions, concerns, or fears about hypnosis or getting hypnotized will be addressed. Once all of your questions have been answered and you feel at ease with the process, we will move on to the intake interview. During the intake interview, you will discuss the current problems that you have been experiencing in your life, and the changes that you would like to see happen. After the intake interview, we will move on to the hypnosis portion of the session. The first thing that will take place is the hypnotic induction. The induction will guide you into relaxation and into a hypnotic state. Once in a tranced state, you will then be administered hypnotic suggestions of well being. A first appointment MAY include hypnosis that is tailored and specific to the reason you came into the office. At the end of the session, you will be emerged from hypnosis. A brief post-session interview will take place after the hypnosis session is over to get feedback on the experience. After the post-session interview, the session is over and you are able to go about your day enjoying the benefits of your session.
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Why Do Some People NOT Succeed With Hypnosis ?
A hypnotized client has the ability to reject suggestions while hypnotized or even after hypnosis. For hypnotherapy to be effective, a client must want the specific change they are being hypnotized for. If a client really does NOT want to quit or isn't ready to quit smoking, a hypnotherapy session for smoking cessation will NOT work. A hypnotist and a client must also trust each other and work as a team. The hypnotist agrees to deliver the best hypnosis session they possibly can and the hypnotic client agrees to be hypnotized and accept the suggestions given by the hypnotist. And, the client needs to follow with the post hypnosis reinforcements. The hypnotist can lead a client to success and if the client agrees to follow, they will achieve what they set out to do. But, successfully hypnotized clients can fail to apply their hypnotic suggestions, therefore feeling as if they have NOT been hypnotized or that hypnosis doesn't work. You must work your hypnosis for hypnosis to work.
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