Just WHAT Is Hypnosis?

I can generally tell by the way people react when I tell them what I do whether they truly know something about hypnosis or whether they have a lot of misconceptions about it. People who actually know something about hypnosis ask me interested questions and we then have a great conversation. People who are holding a lot of misconceptions tend to get a glazed look, a frozen expression, and start sidling away as fast as they can, as if they have just discovered that I am some kind of evil sorceress! Because there are still so many misconceptions about hypnosis and hypnotherapy out there, I decided to write this series of posts, and hopefully clear up some of this stuff, if not once and for all (wouldn’t that be nice?), at least for you curious readers who have ventured thus far. So, here is WHAT hypnosis is:

• It is the best method for accessing into the alpha state of consciousness. The alpha state is simply an AWAKE, inwardly-focused, deeply relaxed state of awareness. It is one of the normal states of consciousness we all experience, and it is where the true relaxation response is generated. Generally, we tend to pass into and out of this state very quickly in our rushed and busy lives. Hypnosis is one way to access into this state deliberately with the intent of relaxing, harnessing our internal resources, and developing our focus. Since the alpha state is part of our original design blueprint, so to speak, and since it is the organism’s best ally in balancing our stress load, it is curious to me that so many people subvert the wisdom of the design (and the designer?) by deliberately avoiding the alpha state.
  
• Hypnosis is a healing modality that has been recognized by the American Medical Association since 1958. It is an incredibly powerful agent for relieving stress, managing pain, speeding healing and recover from surgery, releasing phobias and anxiety, lifting depression, facilitating healthful sleep, letting go of bad habits and instilling good habits, reducing blood pressure, addressing skin conditions that do not respond to standard therapies, bringing babies into the world in a peaceful and relaxed way, and so much more.
  
• Hypnosis is safe. Those in the alpha state retain control of their minds and only accept suggestions that they wish to accept. Mind control is one of the ‘fears’ many people have about hypnosis. The irony is that a consistent alpha practice will only strengthen your mind and your own control over your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It also provides insight, understanding, and protection against the insidious forms of ‘mass programming’ that happen to us culturally and societally, through advertising, propaganda, biased news reporting, faulty educational agendas and more. The kind of mind control that some few people mistakenly associate with hypnosis is only achievable through torture and extreme brainwashing techniques.
  
• Besides being the key to unlocking the relaxation response, hypnosis is also the best tool we have for effecting personal growth and achieving what we desire for ourselves in our health, our careers, our relationships, our spiritual development, and in all aspects of our lives.
  
• Among hypnotherapists, the saying goes: ‘ALL hypnosis is self-hypnosis.’ What this means is that you must be a willing subject in order to access into the alpha state. Someone cannot come up to you and put you into a trance unless you are willing at some level to allow that. I personally teach all my clients in their first session to access into this state on their own. This is YOUR birthright. It is YOUR best tool, best ally, and best defense in a stressful and demanding world. When my clients learn to get themselves into this state on their own, successive sessions can be spent doing targeted work on specific issues, and again, I teach my clients to use those tools for themselves as well.
  
• Hypnosis is something virtually anyone can learn. Some people will say “my mind is too strong, I am not a good subject.” This kind of statement reflects a poor understanding of what is going on with hypnosis. Actually, the poorest subjects are those who have mental impairments which make it difficult to understand and follow directions, and those people who are so fearful that they are unwilling to flow with the process. Intelligent people who are able to understand the value of learning this technique have no difficulty in doing so. Remember, it is a normal part of your consciousness range. You flow in and out of it whether you realize it or not. The process of learning self-hypnosis is simply to bring your intent to it and practice sustaining the state long enough to gain the benefits of it.
  

Hypnosis (remember: self-hypnosis) offers a direct path into the sub-conscious mind. When we are outwardly involved with the world around us we are in the beta brain wave state (where we experience the stress response) and in our conscious, analytical minds. When we utilize the pathway of hypnosis, we release the focus on the distractions of the outer world, and we bring our awareness to the inner spaces of our consciousness, into the subconscious field. The subconscious is not only a repository of past memories and programming, it is also a profound internal resource for shaping our present life and our future.

The brain wave state and the area of consciousness comprise the WHERE of the hypnosis issue. The HOW comprises the thousands of tools and techniques that can be utilized within this state to effect change. I will address the HOW, the WHO, and the WHEN of the hypnosis issue in future posts. For now, I just want to clarify some things that hypnosis is NOT:

• It is not woo-woo or voo-doo. (Remember, it is a NORMAL part of the consciousness spectrum built into our basic design, and we flow into and out of this state whether we are aware of it or not.)
  
• It is not NEW AGE. Although the term ‘hypnosis’ was not coined until the late 1890’s, accessing into the alpha state is as old as mankind itself.
  
• It is NOT what you see in stage hypnosis acts. REMEMBER: everyone participating in those stage shows on any level is there for one purpose and one purpose alone– entertainment. We all know that the entertainment value is in the wacko stuff some volunteers will be doing up on the stage. Those who volunteer wish to do such wacko stuff at some level or they would not raise their hands. Once up on the stage, the desire not to be the ‘killjoy,’ ‘party-pooper,’ or ‘wet blanket ‘ will be more than sufficient motivation to elicit the desired behavior whether they are ‘hypnotized’ or not.
  
• It is not ‘weird,’ ‘dangerous,’ ‘out there,’ ‘mind-control,’ for the ‘weak-minded,’ or ‘fake.’
  

Hypnosis is empowering, relaxing, safe, fun, simple, effective, and transformative! It is for people who want to have more control over their own minds, emotions, and behaviors. It is for intelligent and motivated people who want to improve their lives utilizing their own innate resources. It is the best way to access one’s inner wisdom, as well as the creative, imaginal, visionary, and intuitive aspects of consciousness. It is the best way to access into the neutral perspective where you can access multiple points of view so that you can be at CHOICE in your life, rather than at EFFECT. At its most basic, it is the most powerful tool for addressing stress in a normal and healthful way that is available to us. Since stress is the common denominator across every aspect of our lives, hypnosis is a tool that can bring us benefits regardless of what the issues are.

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