Demystifying Hypnosis - and why it just might help you

As people generally have certain things on their mind when they first think of “hypnosis” I thought it might be good to give you the low down on what it is and what it isn’t!

Simply stated, “hypnosis” or “trance” is a state of narrow and focused attention where you are focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all else. It’s like day dreaming or being engrossed in a film or that state you are in when neither asleep nor awake.

The real benefit is that you can give your self-suggestions, start to relax and feel and see yourself differently if you let yourself get into a lower brainwave frequency (which is what happens in trance). You body and brain literally slow down what is known as a theta brainwave state.

Everyone…and I mean everyone has natural body rhythms that mean they start to slow down and drift off every 90 minutes. These cycles happen when asleep or awake, but people often choose to override their own biological programming and have a coffee or force themselves on, rather than a break! The net result is that we see so much more stress and anxiety today. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? The more I consider it, the majority of people’s problems, even weight gain, are linked strongly to “stress.” You might call it “anxiety,” or feel you are a “worrier” but unless you learn something like meditation (a close cousin of hypnosis) or a form of trance, then chances are that it will get worse over time.

That’s where a skill hypnotherapist comes in. He or she can help put you at ease, assist you to relax quickly and start to help you focus your mind on what you actually want - automatically. I have seen people in my own practice scared since childhood of talking in front of groups suddenly start smiling at the prospect after just minutes of focusing the mind like this in trance. I’ve seen clients stop biting their nails in seconds and stop blushing in minutes. I’ve seen them quit smoking in minutes (which is normal as I estimate it takes the average client about 20 minutes to stop – when they are motivated and focus their mind appropriately)

You see you mind is very powerful. You may have heard, “as you think, so you are.” It is so true. A friend of mine told me a story recently about the force of expectation – and that is what hypnosis is – it’s the “induction of conviction.” Years and years ago, a highly unethical and ad hoc study or rather a set of random observations was done. Criminals were told they were going to be beheaded, but actually at the crucial moment, they had a bucket of water thrown over them. They still died.

Now think about that. I know it might seem “far out” to believe, but there are many such well-documented stories such as the Haitian Voodoo Men pointing at believing villagers and “cursing “them – and healthy individuals dying within 24 hours.

Now, I know that you probably don’t believe in that stuff and you might be thinking, “that’s terrible.” And it is. But that is the force of expectation and we all get what we expect to get.

When you feel uncomfortable or out of control, your mind may well be creating things you don’t want – like persistent old habits or weight gain. But I guarantee you that the results you are getting now be they financial, health or relationships boil down to how you feel and what you expect. Hypnosis is a really easy and non-intrusive way to change old patterns that have frustrated the hell out of you – and start to focus your mind on what you do want - and when combined with NLP (which will be covered in a future post) can help to quickly release old patterns.

As a client who had suffered terrible fears for years told me recently after just one session of hypnosis: “I now feel so much more happy, restful and full of optimism. Thank you Richard”

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