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 De-Mystifying Hypnosis
by Marianne Hill, CHt & Mike Allen, CHt
When you think of hypnosis what are the first things that come to mind? People on stage barking like dogs or clucking like chickens? Or perhaps your first reaction is "no one is going to control me." Or you might be one of the "I can't be hypnotized" personalities. Hypnosis conjures up a myriad of issues in our minds, but you may be surprised to discover that hypnotic techniques have been practiced for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks conducted healing therapies in their temples that greatly resembled hypnosis. Most people today credit an Austrian physician, Franz Mesmer, who practiced medicine in the 18th century, with the discovery of what is considered to be modern day hypnosis. Mesmer healed people throughout Europe with what he called "animal magnetism" but which we now refer to as "Mesmerism." Have you ever been "mesmerized" by anything or anyone?…well, this is where the term came from.
Many of us don't realize that we are hypnotized everyday by activities like reading a book, watching television, or even driving a car. Being in an "altered" or self-hypnotic state is not a mysterious condition.
Hypnosis occurs naturally when our body is relaxed and our mind is focused on some thought or activity. When we sit outside and watch the clouds roll-by on a nice spring day, when we listen to the waves lap upon the shore or listen to the wind blow through the trees, or even when we sit and unwind by watching television, we can enter into a state of hypnosis.
What do each of these everyday events have in common? They all capture our attention, and they cause us to relax and focus. That is when our inner critic, which analyzes information and makes judgments, is quiet and our subconscious mind is open to the power of suggestion.
Being receptive to suggestions still does not mean we can be controlled. We each have power over our own thoughts and actions at all times. So often we do not monitor the thoughts we allow to enter our minds.
How many times for example, do we engage in negative self-talk that does nothing but makes us feel fearful and powerless?
Thoughts are just another form of energy, food for the mind so to speak. We can think of our thoughts as seeds and our subconscious mind as a garden. It is very empowering to realize we are each the gardener's of our own garden. We create our own reality at all times simply by what we believe. By monitoring the thoughts we allow to take root and grow in our minds, we can either grow beautiful plants, or we can grow weeds. As we learn to identify and let go of the weeds, or negative thoughts, that have been holding us back we can change our lives forever.
That is where hypnosis comes in. When we enter this relaxed, focused state either through hypnosis or even by meditation, we can erase limiting beliefs we have held in the past and replace them with positive beliefs that will move us toward whatever goal we want to achieve. We can apply these techniques to any area of our lives to affect change and growth.
Since all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, we are responsible for the degree to which hypnosis will be successful in changing our behavior. If we are highly motivated to make a change, we are more apt to be receptive to hypnosis, allowing the suggestions to take root and the change to occur.
Hypnosis is a very powerful tool for relaxing, for going within and for getting in touch with our inner wisdom. With awareness comes knowledge and with knowledge, we can begin to make the changes in our lives that will help us become the person that we want to be.
Marianne Hill & Mike Allen are Certified Hypnotherapists and owners of Subconscious Solutions. For more information on private sessions, workshops or audio tapes call (702) 396-6448, e-mail
info@subconscious-solutions.com
or visit their website at www.subconscious-solutions.com
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