There is nothing mystical about Hypnosis. About 30 years ago, like many people, I was curious about how hypnosis worked, or indeed if it was actually real. I'd already seen stage hypnotists, Peter Zenner and Andrew Newton, 'perform'. Yet, the simple psychology behind all of it was still unknown to me at that point. So, I began to study the subject in detail.
I mastered self-hypnosis (auto hypnosis) quite quickly. At first, I found it quite unnnerving that I could numb my arm and become cataleptic just by the power of suggestion. However, in the middle of all of this, I was studying law and eventually that area took over my focus for the next 20 years.
Now let's come back to the present.
Amongst other sports, I do a bit of running. Recently, I became frustrated with my running performances, especially after coming back from injury and illness. Any sports person will tell you that it is so hard to train and reach optimum fitness, yet so easy to lose it, even after just a short period of non-training. Then I had a lightbulb moment - why don't I carry out a hypnotherapy session to see if I could make improvements that way? So I did, and I knocked 3 minutes off my 5km time in a matter of weeks. How did I do it? I simply gave myself anchors (a cue or action embedded within the subconcious mind) to run with a particular mindset and in a particular way, even when the going is getting tough. I decided it was time to refresh my certifications and do a bit of hypnotherapy practitioner continuing professional development.
So what is this hypnosis thing then?
Hypnosis is a focused state of consciousness, often described as a trance-like state, in which a person becomes highly responsive to suggestions and can concentrate intensely on specific thoughts, feelings, or memories. It is used in various contexts, including therapeutic, entertainment, and self-improvement settings.
Psychologists who used hypnosis include:
Sigmund Freud
Used hypnosis early in his career to help patients recover repressed memories. He later replaced hypnosis with free association, where patients talk freely and the clinician analyses their psychology.
Milton H. Erickson
An American psychiatrist and psychologist who is considered the father of modern clinical hypnosis. He was a master of using language creatively to communicate with patients' unconscious. His methods are known as Ericksonian hypnosis.
Key Features of Hypnosis:
Altered Awareness: The individual may feel deeply relaxed and detached from their surroundings, focusing inwardly.
Heightened Suggestibility: Under hypnosis, people are more open to suggestions that align with their values and goals. This can help change behaviours, habits, or thought patterns.
Focused Attention: The mind becomes singularly attentive, ignoring distractions more easily.
Changes in Perception and Sensation: Hypnosis can sometimes alter perceptions of time, physical sensations, or memory.
How Hypnosis Works:
Induction: A hypnotist or therapist guides the individual into a relaxed state through verbal cues, visualisation, or focused breathing.
Trance State: In this state, the conscious mind is less active, and the subconscious mind becomes more accessible.
Suggestion Phase: Positive suggestions, affirmations, or guided visualisations are introduced, aiming to modify behaviours, emotions, or thought patterns.
Emergence: The individual is guided out of the hypnotic state and back to full awareness.
Applications of Hypnosis:
Therapeutic (Hypnotherapy): Used to treat anxiety, phobias, addiction, pain management, sleep disorders, and more.
Self-Improvement: Assists with breaking habits (like smoking), weight-loss or enhancing relaxation, focus and confidence.
Entertainment (Stage Hypnosis): Performed for amusement, though its authenticity in such contexts is debated.
Misconceptions:
Loss of Control: People often think they'll lose control during hypnosis, but individuals retain awareness and will not act against their morals or values.
Mind Reading: Hypnosis doesn’t grant anyone access to "read minds"; it relies on the subject's cooperation.
Volunteers Required for Hypnotherapy Research
Now ask yourself, would you like to explore the benefits of hypnotherapy? For a limited time, to assist me with further research, I am offering free sessions. So, please have a look at the video below. Feel free to email me at enquiries@fraxbiz.com and leave comments either on here or the video. Please give it a like and press the subscription button too!
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