Hypnotherapy - The Fact and the Fiction

Often when people find out that I am a Hypnotherapist, they will make comments such as "you couldn´t hypnotise me" or "you don ´t make people behave like chickens do you?" Both comments are entirely understandable, but also completely inaccurate.

Firstly, anyone can be hypnotized provided that they want to be. It is absolutely impossible to hypnotize anyone against their will. It simply cannot happen. In fact as a hypnotherapist, I don´t actually hypnotize anyone, I merely help them to hypnotize themselves.

Secondly, it is impossible to make anybody do anything under hypnosis that they don´t want to do. Stage hypnotists always pick people out of the audience that they consider "up for it" and even then they cannot succeed without the active co-operation of those taking part.

The definition of hypnosis is "A stage of relaxation and heightened awareness". It is an entirely natural stage. After all, we go into hypnosis several times a day all through our lives. Just before you go to sleep at night, just before you wake up in the morning, you are in a hypnotic trance. You may have experienced driving and suddenly thinking I don´t remember getting to here, or reading a book and having to re-read a page because you have not taken in what is there, or watching TV and feeling that you have missed some of the plot. All these are natural hypnotic trances.

So what does it feel like to be in a hypnotic trance? The short answer is extremely pleasant. Even the most stressed out person can really relax. However, you are not asleep and you are acutely aware of everything going on. More aware than at any other time.

In that really relaxed stage, it is possible to introduce suggestions to the sub-conscious mind and provided those suggestions are acceptable to the recipient, they will be remembered and acted upon. The sub-conscious is a very important part of us. It stores all our memories, including ones that we cannot easily access. It keeps us safe by letting us know what it perceives as danger. However, the sub-conscious mind cannot make judgements, cannot have opinions and therefore will act upon whatever information it is given, even if that information is incorrect. (Why would anyone be afraid of spiders for instance when they know they cannot be hurt by anything so small.) It is a bit like a computer that is running a faulty programme. With the help of hypnosis, any faulty programme can be corrected and the sub-conscious mind then runs the updated version.

At all times during this procedure, the recipient is completely in control. You cannot possibly be made to do anything, or say anything that you are not completely comfortable with. You will only allow into your subconscious what is acceptable to you and although you will be gently brought out of your trance at the end of the session, you could in fact bring yourself out at any time. It is impossible to be "stuck" in a hypnotic trance, it simply cannot happen. It would be a little like saying you will never be able to dry your hair if you wash it.

Many conditions can be helped with hypnosis. It is a pleasant and risk free way to deal with all sorts of problems. The worst that can happen is that nothing will happen, surely a better option that pill popping, or worse, just putting up with a problem that can be easily dealt with.

Depression, stress, panic attacks, addictions (including smoking), fears and phobias, lack of self esteem, pain control, insomnia, weight control, all can be helped with hypnosis. It can also be used as a tool to recall childhood events, or even past lives. I suppose the jury is still out on whether or not any of us have past lives at all. All I can say is that during my time as a hypnotherapist, I have heard some pretty remarkable accounts of events that could not possibly be put down to imagination. In fact, there are some therapists who seek the answer to their clients current problems in what may have occurred in a previous life. I personally do not use it in that way but it is a fascinating journey of exploration for anyone wishing to experience it.

Hypnotherapy is a safe, pleasant and natural treatment that anyone can learn if they are shown how, and there are many aids available to help you relax and so be more "receptive".
If you do not wish to visit a hypnotherapist, why not learn yourself... you can treat yourself, and help others!