What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is beyond a doubt one of the most powerful methods of creating change in a person.

Interestingly, there does not seem to be a universally accepted definition of Hypnosis – or at least one that may serve as a satisfactory anchor point for the purposes of either practitior, or indeed client.

One rather wordy and somewhat technical definition may be that:

“Hypnosis is a naturally occurring altered state of consciousness experienced by an individual where there exists a sufficient difference in subjective experience and psychological processes from that of their normal waking or alert state. During this altered state, the conscious part of the mind, which normally acts as an individual’s logic and experience-based set of filters, does not play a dominant role in his perception. This presents the opportunity for utilisation in the form of communication with the unconscious mind through the use of suggestion.”

Definitions however, can be infinitely more difficult to construct than examples. Although the example of the stage between wakefulness and natural sleep is often offered an example of this naturally occurring state, this is often difficult to ratify through ones own experience because of the very nature of the state itself. Watching an engrossing movie, the “thousand yard stare”, the relaxed face of someone lost in distant thought, or watching someone in a depressed state

The above examples and many more share some common elements; not least of which is an inward focus of attention. From a physiological point of view, it is also important to understand what is happening in the brain during a transition to this state. A large body of evidence suggests that during an alert waking state, the left hemisphere of the brain plays the dominant role in a person’s consciousness. It contains an individual’s own personal logic; a set of rules or a map which allows a constant and subjective process of reality checking. Activity in the right hemisphere of the brain tends to involve the ability to distort reality and may be characterised by daydreaming, time distortion, partial amnesia and a certain passivity and increased acceptance to suggestions. It is also widely believed that the right hemisphere of the brain is where our learned behaviors, values and beliefs are created and stored.

What is hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a process, which involves the induction and utilization of this natural state in order to access the clients own subconscious resources to effect the desired therapeutic changes. Generally this is achieved by relaxing the conscious mind, accessing subconscious thought and then presenting it with new ideas, suggestions and strategies to support intended goals. Think of a hypnotherapist as a tour guide, gently drawing your attention to interesting or even surprising destinations in your mind, which you may visit if you choose.

How can hypnosis help create change?

When in a hypnotic state one of the things that occurs is an increase in the suggestibility of a person.  There are many theories to explain why this (and other hypnotic phenomenon occur) - however despite all the theory's, the results of effective change is the same.  When in this state of mind, the subconscious mind (the part of us that creates automatic behavior) moves closer to the front of our perception and tends to accept the suggestions that are given.  In addition the subconscious is considered the place where your imagination and emotions are experienced.  Therefore you experience the suggestions given to you more intensely - which in turn makes them more believable and allows the subconscious mind to begin creating your reality based on the suggestions.

It is often said that the subconscious is like a computer.  It does not know right or wrong,  good or bad - it just runs programs.  The programs (behaviors/beliefs/attitudes) come from many sources but perhaps the most common source is by what you 'think'. It is generally accepted by Subconscious Mind therapists that subconscious wants to give you what you want. It knows what you want by the kinds and types of thoughts you have. HOWEVER, most of the time our thoughts are random and negative, often we think about what we don't want - rather than what we do want. The subconscious then goes about creating our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes, based on our automatic and often unconscious thinking. (Remember you are thinking ALL the time, but we seldom pay attention to what we are thinking)

Hypnosis allows for quick change by focusing our minds on what we want, and communicating that to the subconscious in a way that it understands AND in a way that is accessible to the unconscious mind. Thinking of your subconscious like a computer again. The mind will only run the programs that you have. You may want to adopt a different belief attitude or behavior but until you actually install a new program you will often fail. It is exactly like you wanting to use the computer to create a database, but you only have software for a word processor. You have great intentions, you know what you want, but the computer won't do it for you. Hypnosis is a lot like installing new programs that you want to have rather than the ones that have been put in there but accident, society, experience or other people.

What does hypnosis feel like?

Everyone experiences trance uniquely. You will have awareness; you don’t become unconscious and will hear everything said to you. Remember that trance is a natural state, so it will feel familiar to you. Most people experience a profound sense of comfort and relaxation.

Can you experience a hypnotic trance?

An overwhelming majority of people are able to be hypnotized. Remember that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis; your active participation is essential.

How is hypnotherapy different from stage hypnosis?

There are many misconceptions regarding hypnosis; the magical pendulum watch, or stage hypnotists making you go in to a DEEP SLEEP and making you do something ridiculous or funny like clucking like a chook. But hypnosis is being more and more accepted in the medical world of today with both Britain and America having officially accepted clinical hypnosis as a valid therapeutic modality since the 1950’s.

It's a fact that you can only do things that your willing to do and you would soon dismiss suggestions which are harmful and you unconscious mind prime directive is to keep you safe, and would once again reject any harmful suggestions.

Everyone has an unconscious mind and it does many things for you for example:

• The unconscious serves as a memory bank similar to a computer: With the help of billions of tiny inter-connecting nerve cells, everything we have ever seen, heard, smelled, tasted, felt or experienced in any way is permanently stored in the brain, which when activated feed back information back into the conscious mind,
• The unconscious controls and regulates the involuntary functions of the body such as breathing, circulation, fight or flight.
• The unconscious carries out our habitual conduct: It manages and controls the activity we have reduced to habit. After you have learned such customary activities as driving, walking or dressing yourself, you no longer have to direct them with your conscious mind, as it lets you unconscious mind take over.
• The unconscious is the dynamo that directs our energy, that energy that drives us to fulfill our goals in life.
• The unconscious is the seat of our emotions and imagination
  

Some people still fear that being hypnotized will make them lose control, surrender their will, and result in their being dominated, but a hypnotic state is not the same thing as gullibility or weakness. Many people base their assumptions about hypnotism on stage acts but fail to take into account that stage hypnotists screen their volunteers to select those who are cooperative, with possible exhibitionist tendencies, as well as responsive to hypnosis. Stage acts help create a myth about hypnosis which has in the past discouraged people from seeking legitimate hypnotherapy.

Another myth about hypnosis is that people lose consciousness and have amnesia. A small percentage of subjects, who go into very deep levels of trance will fit this stereotype and have spontaneous amnesia. The majority of people remember everything that occurs in hypnosis. This is beneficial, because the most of what we want to accomplish in hypnosis may be done in a medium depth trance, where people tend to remember everything, so you know what you've learnt.