What is hypnosis? It is a relaxed, focused state of concentration. It is very soothing, calming, recharging and energizing. The second, most beneficial aspect of this state of concentration is that it is a state of mind most optimal for reprogramming your beliefs and your subconscious mind. It is different than telling yourself in an awake state “I’m confident, I’m confident” because often somewhere in your mind where you’re not aware, there’s another belief going on that says, “No, you’re not confident, you don’t deserve this”. These two contrary beliefs are fighting each other. Hypnosis can get to those contrary beliefs and reprogram your mind. Hypnosis is not scary. It’s not much more than listening to some positive affirmations, when you’re in a heightened state and your mind is more receptive. You are still awake and aware. You still know what’s going on and you’re not going to do anything silly or embarrassing. You’re just opening up your subconscious mind to suggestion and to thought.
There is a specific state that the brain enters into when it is receptive to suggestion. Through using EEG measurements, research has discovered that when the brain is in an awake state it has a beta brainwave. As you drift off to sleep, your brain waves change to alpha and then to Delta and Theta in deep sleep. The alpha state is a very dreamy, pleasant state. During this time the mind is very open to visualizations and suggestions and to creating a rich sensory experience. The more real the experience becomes in the subconscious mind during the alpha state, the more effect it will have on your waking behaviour. In a hypnosis session with a therapist, you will re-create this alpha state of mind.
Hypnosis is a natural, zone focused state. The alpha state of mind can be used cut to improve your life. In the five or so minutes just before you fall asleep, your mind is in a highly receptive and responsive state. Instead of thinking about the day’s news or other distressing thoughts, create a habit and train yourself to think of what you want to happen in your life, and how you want to improve your life in specific ways. Just about anything you experience and want to change can be transformed by hypnosis.
Hypnosis happens all the time in other natural ways. For example, when we’re listening to a lecture or a podcast or watching a movie, our attention moves in and out in a natural rhythmic cycle. We go into a mild trance when an event in the show or a comment during the lecture will trigger a memory or make us think about something and we go into a daydream. For that brief moment, we are “off-line” in a mini trance state. We are in downtime rather than uptime. A great book can cause momentary trance as well. You get lost in the pages of the narrative and lose all sense of time and purpose while reading. We are constantly hypnotizing ourselves. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy when we call ourselves names or put ourselves down and reinforce fears and limitations. If you do it long enough it becomes a habit and you will develop a belief that will get you the results you have been asking for. For example, if you think you have a bad memory or believe that your memory gets worse as you get older, maybe it is at least partly due to your constant telling yourself “my memory is getting bad”, “I’m so bad at names”, or “my memory is really going”. These are suggestions you’re giving yourself. If you come to my office for a hypnosis session for a better memory, I am going to make suggestions such as, “your memory is getting sharper every day”, “it’s easy for you to instantly recall someone’s name”, “you will easily remember things that are important”, and “your mind is getting sharper and your memory is getting better every day”. Imagine what might happen if you changed the suggestions that you give yourself on a daily basis.
Hypnosis can be a most important tool to change the way your mind experiences your world. It can help you change anything about your life, your health or your behaviour. You can gently release blocks and fears and create new inner beliefs that will set the wheels in motion to make changes in the way you think, feel and behave.
Hypnosis can be an antistress activity. It helps you to achieve calmness in the midst of chaos by keeping your heart rate steady. It can be important for pain management for birth or stress management during pregnancy. If you have trouble with standing up to people in relationships or bullies in the workplace, hypnosis can be like a confidence switch that flips in your mind , releasing imposter syndrome and doubt. You can focus sessions on money mindset, business and entrepreneurship. Hypnosis can help you become better at things like public speaking. It can help you improve your golf game, your sex life, even heal and overcome health issues and bad habits, stop pain, improve your memory, become a powerful athlete and much more.
When you make self hypnosis a regular habit, in about two weeks you’ll find yourself being more confident, more inspired and motivated, hitting better grades and being more productive, getting a lot more work done a lot easier, quicker and faster. You could purchase some sessions for your kids who might be struggling with self-confidence, if they’re in a stage of awkwardness or limbo where the hormones are very confusing and frustrating.
The first step is to set an intention. What would you like to achieve or accomplish through hypnosis sessions? Imagine how good it will feel to feel good again.