What is Hypnosis?

     Hypnosis is a natural state of mind. It is best described as an internal selective focus by which you bypass the critical factor of the conscious mind and establish selective thinking. You enter some form of hypnosis several times a day. When you a reviewing any sequence of events you are in a hypnotic trance state. Anyone can be guided into hypnosis providing they want to be and have no fears or misconceptions about it.

Hypnosis is a 100% Consent State

     At any time you want to emerge from hypnosis – for any reason – you will immediately open your eyes and be fully alert. No one can keep you in hypnosis against your will. You only accept suggestions that your subconscious is comfortable with.

How Does Hypnosis Feel?

     While you are experiencing hypnosis, you may feel deeply relaxed physically and mentally very alert like that in-between state of being awake and sleep that you may experience when you are falling asleep. You hear sounds around you, and you are an active participant in the process. While in a trance state, you may experience a feeling of multiple awareness; your conscious and subconscious offering feedback as observer and participant at the same time.

What is a Hypnosis Session Like?

     We will discuss your goals for the session and providing you feel comfortable with the idea of hypnosis – and feel good about your professional relationship with me as your hypnotherapist – we will begin the actual session. If you allow me, I will guide you into a very comfortable state of physical and mental relaxation. You will feel physically relaxed and mentally alert. You will hear and be aware of the sounds around you. We may talk, and when we speak it will not interrupt the hypnotic trance. Then you will accept the suggestions you wish for the changes you desire. I cannot force a suggestion into your mind; only you can make it happen. Those suggestions you accept will become part of your subconscious and direct you action from then on. The old behaviors that kept you from achieving your goals are changed to meet your positive intentions allowing you to accomplish what you desire, i.e. weight loss, smoking cessation, etc. You will ten emerge from hypnosis with strong suggestions of a positive mental attitude. Hypnosis can be used as a tool in the treatment of anything in which your attitude is a factor. The final part of your session consists of a brief discussion of your experience, making sure the desired change is felt within you.

How Does Hypnosis Work?

     The conscious mind allows you to be aware of things. It is logical, rational, and analytical. It solves problems and makes decisions. The conscious mind is our ‘will power’. It reviews incoming data and rejects that which does not match with our beliefs and conditioning. The critical factor of the conscious mind can stop the positive changes we want. When this happens we try to change by will power alone which requires so much effort that we usually wear down and give up. Hypnosis is one of the best ways to accomplish our goals because it bypasses the critical factor of the conscious mind and accesses the subconscious mind, the reservoir of all your perceived lifetime experiences. It stores learning and automatic behavior functions we call habits. It takes care of basic bodily functions like breathing and the beating of your heart. It controls your emotions and protects us from real or imagined dangers. Our subconscious mind is like a computer. We come into this world un-programmed and as we grow, we add programming to our subconscious and become the type of person based on the programmed information and beliefs systems we have come in contact with. The subconscious mind has stored everything you have ever seen, heard, smelled, touched or tasted… it never forgets. In fact, during an age regression session, you can experience an event as if you were there; you taste, smell, hear, touch, and see everything clearly – even if you consciously thing you can’t remember! You are what your subconscious mind perceives you to be.

Common Misconceptions

Hypnosis is caused by the “power” of the hypnotherapist.
     All hypnosis is a 100% consent state. The hypnotist only acts as a guide with the subject’s permission.

Only certain types of people can be hypnotized.
     Except for children too young to understand, and the severely mentally retarded, everyone can be hypnotized.

Anyone who can be hypnotized must be weak-minded.
     Since we all enter informal, spontaneous trance states regularly, the ability to be hypnotized cannot be correlated to a personality trait. This misconception is based on the hypnotist being in control of the subject.

Once you have experienced hypnosis you can’t resist it.
     Hypnosis is always a consent state. You can learn self-hypnosis and enjoy it anytime you choose.

You can be hypnotized to do or say something against your will.
     The capacity to influence people in the sense of “brain-washing” does exist however; those conditions involve sensory deprivation for extended periods of time.

Being hypnotized is hazardous to your health.
     Studies have shown a reduction in stress, an increase in activity of the immune system, and a general feeling of well-being with the use of hypnosis.

You will become dependent on the hypnotherapist.
     On the contrary, the goal is to establish self-reliance through self-hypnosis.

You will be stuck in trance.
     If a client chooses to stay in trance, they are either very comfortable or working to complete an internal experience. In neither case will they stay hypnotized. They will either sleep it off or the suggestion can be made to quickly emerge.

You are asleep or unconscious while in trance.
     From a physical standpoint hypnosis resembles sleep but from a mental standpoint the client is relaxed yet alert. You continue to hear and can speak easily and clearly.

Hypnosis always involves a monotonous ritual of induction.
     Trance state occurs whenever someone turns their attention inward. If I say, “Don’t think of how your right hand feels,” you unconsciously make some meaning out of those words, and for as long as your attention is directed inward by ‘not thinking how your right hand feels’, you are in trance.

Hypnosis is therapy.
     Hypnosis can be a therapeutic tool; however, it is also useful in relaxation, stress reduction, and pain control.

You will tell all your secrets in hypnosis.
     Remember, hypnosis is a 100% consent state. You remain aware, yet relaxed. You are in control.

How Can Hypnosis Help?

     Hypnosis allows us to access negative programming of our subconscious mind. It allows us to change the programming and be however we want to be. It allows us to change the source of our problems. The strength and depth of the negative programming will determine the number of sessions you will need to correct (re-program) your behavior. Most often, no more than one session is needed.

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