The Power of Hypnosis

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us”
Oliver Wendell Holmes

What is Hypnosis? It’s important to first demystify hypnosis, so that it can be utilized practically and be accessible for everyone. Hypnosis is a normal state that all people have throughout the day, for example, when driving a car, reading a book, watching television or waking up in the morning. A simple definition of hypnosis is: a deeply relaxed state of increased suggestibility & concentration, when positive changes occur at the subconscious level. Additionally, it describes athletes or artists when they refer to as “being in the zone.” Hypnosis involves getting into the state of mind, often associated with Alpha or Theta brain waves, with the intention of using it for a pre-selected purpose.

The American Medical Association, American Psychological Association & American Dental Association have all formally recognized the therapeutic benefits of hypnotherapy. The Mayo Clinic utilizes it for pain control. Hypnosis often succeeds where conventional medicine fails. Beyond medicine, it can be used as a tool for self-improvement relating to absolutely anything involving the mind. This empowers you to be a magnet for success, tapping into the Law of Attraction, allowing you to live your life purpose and full potential!

What is NOT Hypnosis? There are many misconceptions about hypnosis, that it is essential to clarify, in order to fully benefit from Hypnosis. Here are 5 common misconceptions:

1) Do not expect to fall asleep or lose touch with reality. Many people are surprised to find out that they can hear the hypnotist in the session. If fact, listening and allowing the hypnotist to guide you as a client throughout the process is imperative for a successful treatment.

2) Hypnosis is not new. It has existed in one form or another since the dawn of time. It has gone under many names in many cultures. The ancient Greeks & Egyptians had sleep temples, where they would be placed in deep sleep-like states and emerge sometimes days later, completely healed of their illness.

3) It is impossible to get stuck in hypnosis. Some may take longer or resist coming out for certain reasons but they cannot and will not ever become stuck.

4) Hypnosis is not about controlling someone else’s mind or “brain-washing.” It is impossible to make someone do something that is against their will or ethics.

5) Hypnosis is not a long, drawn-out process with monotone communication. The modern techniques, for example, the Elman process, induces hypnosis in less than 5 minutes for most people. Additionally, in hypnosis one communicates with the subconscious mind, which is the emotional part of our brains. Thus, emotionally charged stimuli are often utilized in the sessions.

Subconscious Mind as the Seed for Change

The mind is an amalgamation of literally billions of thought patterns and beliefs that are submerged in the subconscious mind. In a way we are like subliminal robots, following the command of our subconscious minds, living our lives unconsciously. Have you ever caught yourself saying things like, “I’ve become my mother or father.” or “I keep attracting the same type of partner.” Interestingly, the conscious mind is estimated to be only 12% of our mind. The subconscious is estimated to be 88%, holding memories, beliefs, personality & even controlling autonomic bodily functions.

Here are 8 interesting facts about the Subconscious Mind: 1) It is the emotional and protective mind. Thus, it is the seat of emotions, habits, & self preservation. 2) It is like our inner child and estimated to be at the maturity of 7-10 years old. 3) The subconscious holds our permanent memory, so it never forgets anything. (In contrast, the conscious mind holds our short-term memory.) 4) Like a child, the subconscious mind does not judge and is only concerned with the present. In fact, it has no sense of time and feels as though everything is happening now. 5) It cannot tell the difference between something being imagined or actually happening. 6) The subconscious mind is lazy. When faced with a dangerous or unfamiliar situation, it will refer to what it knows from the past and will not generate a new solution. 7) The subconscious mind drops all negative words, such as, no, not or never in suggestions. So, if you suggest, “I will not allow myself to be nervous.” The subconscious will drop the not and perceive the suggestion as, “I will allow myself to be nervous.” This is called pharsing and essential to understand when working with suggestions. 8) The subconscious mind is estimated to be approximately 88% of our mind, with conscious mind being approximately 12%.

With all this being said, it is easily understood how the subconscious mind is the seed for change. To transform the subconscious one needs to cross the conscious mind’s analysis, judgment & critical factor. This is a delicate process achieved through such powerful techniques as Hypnosis, NLP & meditation. The subconscious mind resides in the Theta or Alpha brain wave state, so it only makes sense that one needs to go into these brain wave states for permanent change of the subconscious mind.

Eight Hypnotic Rules of the Mind

1. Every Thought or Idea Has a Physical Consequence on the Body.

2. What the Mind Expects to Happen Tends to Be Realized.

3. Imagination is More Powerful than Knowledge When Dealing with Your Own Mind or the Mind of Another.

4. Once an Idea has Been Accepted by the Subconscious Mind It will Remain There Until It is Replaced by Another Idea.

5. The Longer an Idea Remains Lodged in the Subconscious Mind the More Opposition There is to Replacing It with a New Idea.

6. Each Suggestion that is Acted Upon Creates Less and Less Opposition to Successive Suggestions.

7. An Emotionally Induced Symptom Tends to Create Organic Change If It Persists for a Long Enough Period of Time.

8. The Greater the Level of Conscious Effort; the Less the Subconscious Response!

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