What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a state of consciousness one enters and leaves naturally all the time during your day-to day experiences. It feels very much like day dreaming i.e. the state between sleeping and waking. Hypnosis is a guided fantasy. Its a state of relaxation in which you are more open to suggestions. Under hypnosis your brain waves vibration rate slows down, giving you access to your Subconscious Mind.

Under hypnosis the Conscious Mind is completely aware of what is going on the whole time & the subconscious mind is able to accept information given to it by the hypnotherapist.

Components necessary to induce hypnosis.

• Motivation - You must want to be Hypnotized
• Relaxation - Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation.
• Concentration - You will use your ability to concentrate.
• Imagination - You will use your vivid imagination.
• Suggestion - You will hear and respond to suggestions.

Its application is based solely on the relationship between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind, having no power to reason, accepts and acts upon any fact or suggestion given to it by the conscious mind.

As long as there have been human beings, there has been hypnosis. We use this commonly occurring, and natural state of mind, unknowingly, all the time. It is just natural for us. For example, if you have ever watched a television program or a movie and became really absorbed into the program, you were probably in a trance.

Another common example of this naturally occurring state of mind is when you are driving down the road, with your mind focused on some other task (a day dream perhaps), and next thing you know, you have passed your next turn.

Which shows everyone can be hypnotized.

How hypnosis works?

Hypnosis is a state of heightened suggestibility. We are all influenced by suggestions. Hypnosis uses this natural human process to change negative patterns into positive patterns of behavior. Thus hypnotic state is an optimum state for making changes in your life. During hypnosis you can set aside limiting beliefs that may have been preventing you from moving toward a more healthy, and happier you.

In order for you to understand how hypnosis works, it is very important for you to understand the relationship between your conscious mind and your subconscious mind.

How do we get suggestions into the subconscious mind?

There is a part of the Conscious Mind called the critical filter. It's kind of like a guard at the gate between the Conscious Mind and the Subconscious Mind. It has the power to accept or reject suggestions from entering the Subconscious Mind. It has very good intentions. Its job is to protect us. Because change is viewed as a threat to our nervous system, any suggestion that does not match the existing programming automatically gets rejected. That is how it accomplishes its goal of protecting us.

The only way a real change can take place is to get the new programming into our subconscious mind.

The way to get to the subconscious mind and bypass the critical filter is:

1. Through our memories, habits, and emotions.
   • Memories are only created through experience and you may need many positive experiences to diminish the effects the negative experience. This could take a long time to create.
   • Habits require willpower and time in order to become habits.
   • Emotions either happen randomly or require changing the way you think about a situation and that can be enormously difficult to do and also take time.
2. Through hypnosis.

This is a much easier way to bypass the critical filter. Under hypnosis, the critical filter goes to sleep for a while. The Conscious Mind stays awake, and can still make decisions. But now you're in control while your subconscious is receptive to any suggestion that your conscious mind wants to let in.

How does Hypnosis feel?

Since everyone has experienced light levels of hypnosis at different times, don't be surprised if you don't feel hypnotized. All that is required to be hypnotized is a motivation to be hypnotized, concentration, imagination, relaxation, and the willingness to respond to suggestion. There are ways to check for the depth level of hypnosis, usually in a one-on-one session. During hypnosis, you will remain conscious of your surroundings.

Some of the sensations you may experience are:

• Tingling in your fingertips or limbs
• A sense of numbness or limb distortion
• A sense of being light and floating away from your body
• A heavy feeling like your are sinking
• A sense of energy moving through your body
• Feelings of emotions
• Fluttering eyelids
• An increase or decrease in salivation.

When you notice that you are noticing these sensations, do not become alarmed or you may shock yourself right out of your trance. Just expect the trance to occur gradually and it will. Suggestions stay with some individuals indefinitely, others need reinforcement. The effects of hypnosis are cumulative: The more the techniques are practiced and posthypnotic suggestions are brought into play, the more permanent the results become.

Also Visit

• Basic course in clinical hypnosis
  
• Integrated Clinical Hypnoherapy