Hypnosis - Free hypnosis media, self-hypnosis, hypnotherapy, meditation

Self Hypnosis Cds - Self Confidence (part 2)

2009-03-08T00:23:00.000-08:00

There are a number of aspects to heavy self-confidence. One aspect that can undermine confidence can be stress and anxiety.

People who carry excessive stress or anxiety or who become stressed very quickly and easily are unlikely to feel confident during those moments. The person who has the ability to remain calm and relaxed will be in a better position to feel more confident. With calmness comes a feeling of being in control and on top of matters. Therefore an important part of the foundation of healthy self confidence is being able to remain calm and relaxed inappropriate situations.

Many people look after their physical body but do not give enough thought to mental and emotional relaxation.Self-hypnosis, a process you can drive yourself or experience whilst listening to self-hypnosis cd, can really help. Self-hypnosis helps to release stress and replace it with a sense of calm. A specifically focussed self hypnosis cd, such as for self confidence can then add to the specific area of your life that you would like to change or enhance.

As well as giving positive suggestions for change, any effective self hypnosis recording will ask encourage you to change how you may have recorded as memories, past experiences that can affect your thinking today. If you accept the idea that we are the sum of our past, then changing negatively charged memories can help us to feel better about today. There are always lessons to be learnt from past experiences, good and bad, but once the lesson is learnt there is no need to carry the burden of that past experience.

Above all, and let's face it with anything in life, taking responsibility for your 'self' is the number one aspect to grasp. For unless you take responsibility for what you do and how you are in this world, how can you change. Denial serves no one. Decide today to take responsibility for who and what you are. It is a powerful place to be and from it magic can happen.

About the author:Steven A. Harold Clinical Hypnotherapist Effective Self Hypnosis Cds

Hypnosis Cds - Adding To Their Power

2009-03-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

If you listen to self hypnosis cds on any subject you can add to the power of those hypnosis cds by implementing practical changes in your life.

You know that it only takes a small change to make a big difference. Just a small change in direction can over time lead to a big shift in many areas of a person's life. Let me explain by using a metaphor.

A modern oil tanker is an enormous ship. It can be bigger than10 tennis courts. A ship of that size cannot turn very quickly.The captain has to anticipate in advance a turning that the ship needs to make towards a port otherwise the ship will miss that port. So the captain calculates the direction, the heading if you like, that the ship needs to be steered. Now if that calculation is wrong by even 1 degree that ship, unless it is corrected, will miss the port but quite some distance. So even a small change in direction can make a big difference over a period of time.

Likewise in life, a small change can make a big difference overtime. The great news is that a small change generally equates to a manageable change because it is small. So it is important to accept and recognize that small changes do lead towards bigger changes particularly if you make a number of those small changes.

For instance do you realize that if you made one small change each week that by the end of the year you would have made 52changes in your life. That is quite some success and progress for any one in a year.

An example of how to put this in practice might be the person who wants to lose weight but has struggled with various diets.Rather than change everything overnight, consider the idea of changing one thing each week. The first week you might substitute a healthier and smaller meal for that unhealthy one.This change can be strengthened if you made that healthier meal always on a particular day. For example, Wednesday is your day for the healthier meal.

Then the following week you decide to go for a walk or even a run around your local park. So now you have made 2 changes in 2weeks and it also motivates you because these enable you to feel like you are doing something positive towards controlling your weight. Then if you listen to a self hypnosis cd on self confidence when in bed on a Friday night now you have made 3changes in 3 weeks.

The idea of all of this is that the positive changes get added gradually and not all at once. I think you would agree that 3 or4 or 5 changes in one week might seem overwhelming and too much to do at once. This piecemeal approach in effect keeps the ball rolling and because every week you add something new it also gives you choices.

What I mean by choices is that you can then decide to stop doing one of the new changes you have made if you find it is boring or unhelpful or just too inconvenient for your lifestyle. Is you do this then all you need to do is find a different change to implement in its place and your progress towards your goal is maintained.

There is an expression which sums up the above idea very well"If you keep doing the same thing you tend to end up with the same result. If you want to change you need to do something different".

About the author:Steven A. Harold Clinical Hypnotherapist Effective Self Hypnosis Cds

Beat The Fear Of Canines

2009-03-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

You need to realize that your fear is mostly in your mind. Dogs rarely attack unprovoked but this extreme fear usually begins in childhood from a small snap or being chased by what is often a small dog. Now that you are grown up this fear can be quite troublesome. As an adult the fear is caused by our perceptions which are filtered through our past experiences and the subconscious mind

Ever wonder why some people get rid of there phobias in a few hours or weeks and some face the problem for years without are solution. The stress and anxiety caused by these fears are a recipe for disaster in adult life. Some try to overcome these fears with little success; this is due to the fear coming from the subconscious mind.

Think of it this way, could that little tiny poodle really inflict much harm? The answer is no, it is your irrational fear that is causing all this stress which builds up much like spam builds up in your mailbox. Your mind wants to protect you from pain, such as a bite from a large dog, but is not able to sort out the size of dog, or the circumstances that are troubling you.

So what is the solution? The solution to overcoming a fear of canines is to let go of the fear. Easy to do? Yes, with the power of self hypnosis! By removing your rational mind from the picture you will be able to program it to behave as you want it to.

Since your fear is a deep fear, simply trying to overcome it on a conscious level can be very difficult and time consuming. This is the reason to choose self hypnosis. Simply listen to are cording and let your mind relax and let go, similar to taking a holiday or vacation by plane and letting your self completely relax. Forget about your credit cards, car loan, and mortgage,as well as any responsibilities you have for a while, and simply relax. The self hypnotic recordings will help you to override these fears and instruct your mind to begin to think correctly about any situations you encounter where you must confront such an animal

I know you can feel your emotions change in response to simply thinking about a dog, your heart is beating faster, you are sweating, you stomach is spinning, and it is hard to relax and realize that you are not in harms way. That is why hypnosis is so powerful; it eliminates not only the physical effects, but also the emotional baggage that you are carrying.

Have faith that you can beat this phobia, and you will, but ifyou really want to overcome it quickly and easily then there is no better way than though the power of self hypnosis

About the author:The author is a health writer with an interest in hypnosis and rehabilitation. For info about self hypnosis mp3 visithttp://www.self-hypnosis-mp3.com and for fear of dogs seehttp://www.fear-phobia.com/fear-of-dogs/ for more info

Top 5 Tips For Self Hypnosis

2009-03-08T00:06:00.000-08:00

Self hypnosis is a practice that essentially concentrates the mind on certain topics of your choice. It is regularly used to stop smoking, eat less and achieve personal goals. By concentrating our mind and imagining senses, thoughts and even images we can persuade our conscious and subconscious mind. By doing this we can easily tell ourselves that we do not need a cigarette or persuade ourselves that we don't need to eat as much as we do. Self hypnosis can be used for many different things including to conquer fears or to overcome self doubt. It can even be used to quit habits and generally improve our outlook on daily life.

1- The first and most vital step towards self hypnosis is research and learning. You should find out as much as you possibly can on the subject so that you know what it is and what to expect. Without this knowledge it is very unlikely you will be able to make it work in any way. The Internet is a vast resource on many topics and self hypnosis is in no way an exception to this rule.

2- As you improve at self hypnosis you will discover the exact method that works best for you but you need to be able to goin to self hypnosis. Doing this without any guidance can be difficult. First of all, when you are beginning, you should find a quiet and peaceful place to sit. You are best not trying it led down to begin with because you may fall asleep. Falling asleep isn't a bad thing but it isn't self hypnosis.

3- A mantra are personal words or sayings that you should quietly repeat to yourself while trying to self hypnotize. They will help you concentrate your mind. You should think about nothing but these words while you are saying them, this way you can relax your brain.

4- Tell each part of your body to relax. Start from your toes and work upwards. It is very important that you do this because you need to relax your entire body. Once you've done this you should 'walk' to your special place. Count each step and use the same amount of steps each time you self hypnotize. This will also help you concentrate your mind. Once you're there you can begin your self talk.

5- When you've finished you need to count yourself out of self hypnosis. You do this by telling yourself you have had a fantastic relaxation and you are going to count up from one to five. Tell yourself that when you reach five you will be relaxed and fresh.

About the author:John Mancini has been writing about hypnosis online and offline for a long time. Visit http://amazing-hypnosis-scripts.com or http://www.hypnosiscentral.info to read more about matters like self hypnosis and erotic hypnosis.

Learn Conversational Hypnosis Fast

2009-03-06T15:45:00.000-08:00

The Most Powerful Conversational Hypnosis Course In The World, Which Contains 18+ Hours Of Top Quality Hypnosis Secrets, Membership To The Vip Hypnosis Club, And A Special Bonus Collection Of Steve G. Jones Private Doctorate Level Hypnosis Recordings.

Conversational hypnosis is not as simple as it sounds. Rather, it is a series of well-choreographedstrategies and manipulations that may bring others around to your point of view.

The principles of conversational hypnosis were first conceived by the great hypnotist and psychotherapist Milton Erickson.

Erickson also theorized that directly trying to induce a trance state in someone. He preferred to use rapport, indirect suggestions, and confusion

Rapport

The first step in conversational hypnosis is creating a rapport with the subject. This means agreeing with what they have to say.

Confusion

The next step in conversational hypnosis is to confuse the issue.

Suggestion

The final step in conversational hypnosis is to make an indirect suggestion.

Needless to say, conversational hypnosis is not just a walk in the park

Click here to learn and become a professional in conversational hypnosis.

How to lose weight throught self hypnosis video part 5

2009-03-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

You can easily learn this, and once you master this technique, you open the door to great potential. It has been estimated that the average human being uses 3 to 7% of their mind’s capacity. By using self hypnosis for weight loss you can learn what your mind holds and the key to your health.

How to lose weight throught self hypnosis video part 4

2009-03-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

Here is part 4 of our lose weight through self hypnosis videos.

How to lose weight throught self hypnosis video part 3

2009-03-05T14:43:00.001-08:00

o lose weight with self-hypnosis, set aside ten to thirty minutes each day. Try to schedule your self-hypnosis session at the same time every day, and use the same place every day. It should be somewhere quiet where you can lie down and not be disturbed. Soon you'll be losing weight with self-hypnosis.

How to lose weight throught self hypnosis video part 2

2009-03-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

Self hypnosis can make weight control possible where all other methods have failed because it does not depend upon willpower. Self hypnosis changes the subconscious mind by bringing it into agreement with conscious desires. When you are subconsciously motivated to loss weight and keep it off, your cravings will dissipate.

How to lose weight throught self hypnosis video part 1

2009-03-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Learn how to lose weight using self hypnosis. Research proves people who use hypnosis lose 2 to 16.5 times more weight than those who don't. This FREE video series shows you how to use hypnosis to suppress your appetite. It's entertaining, and educational.

STOP THE CRAVINGS
Be in control, love to eat nutritious foods. Easily turn down the sweets and fats
It is all in your mind- hypnosis is the answer. Weight loss is achieved faster with hypnosis. Some people say it feels like magic because it is so easy to make powerful changes. Hypnotherapy allows you to access the resources you already have in your subconscious mind. Discover how good you can feel now, and for the rest of your life.

Hypnotherapy 101 [part 7]

2009-02-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

When you practice self-hypnosis, all the same rules apply, except you say the words in the first person. For example, "I feel calm. I feel relaxed. My mind is open to receive all the helpful and beneficial suggestions I am about to give myself." I truly believe that self-hypnosis is more effective than guided hypnosis in most circumstances. Self-hypnosis takes away the fear of being controlled by someone else or being made to do something against our will. As much as the hypnotherapist stresses the point that we can't be hypnotized to do something against our morals, some people will never accept that, so self-hypnosis is an excellent tool for them.

The great thing about hypnosis is that it is so easy to use. It is also extremely effective and can be used for just about any problem we have to conquer. Just a small example of what hypnosis can be used for:

Relaxation... Weight Loss... Smoking Cessation... Sleep Therapy... Pain Management... Fears/Phobias... Depression... Anxiety/Stress... Success/Self-Confidence... Past Life Regressions... Psychic Enhancement... Creativity... Memory Enhancement... Public Speaking... Sports Performance... Better Study/Learning Abilities... Inner Child Therapy... Meditation... Creative Imagery for Healing... Dreams... Balancing Chakras... Re-energizing the Aura... Communicating With Our Guides... Astral Travel... Motivation... Laughter/Stage Performance... Addictions/Habits

Hypnosis is a powerful tool! There's nothing you can't accomplish using the power of your own mind. Hopefully, this article will not only teach you how to use hypnosis effectively, but will also alleviate some of the fears some people have regarding hypnosis. As you can see, there is no mystic mumbo-jumbo, spell casting, or conjuring of evil spirits involved in the practice of hypnosis. Actually, it is so completely natural that most of us are in a light state of hypnosis several times during our daily life.

If we've daydreamed, if our mind has wandered, if we've gone to sleep, we've been in hypnosis. Our favorite music or author or artist can easily take us into a state of hypnosis. Singing at church or praying can bring about a hypnotic state. I know we've all been lost in hypnotic trance while sitting on a beach watching the waves roll in as the moon glows above and the stars twinkle brightly. Who hasn't been mesmerized by the beautiful face of a newborn child or the look in the eyes of the person you love? Those new at experimenting with hypnosis may think they know little about the subject, but we're all actually experts at reaching the level of hypnotic trance.

Hypnotherapy 101 [part 6]

2009-02-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

You'll notice that this first example of suggestion focuses on the self-esteem, positive energy, and positive thinking. This is the first step to help someone heal. The reason we think we can't accomplish things by ourselves is because of those little messages in our mind that tell us we're going to fail. That's why the word "try" is never used in hypnosis. The word in itself denotes failure.

Our subconscious mind strives for success for whatever task we wish to accomplish. Its job is not to distinguish what is real from what is imagined. To prove this point, close your eyes and picture a beautiful bright yellow. Now, see this yellow form itself into a lemon. Imagine that you're holding a slice of the lemon in your hand, and see yourself taking a big bite. Did you wince and puck your lips? If you've ever been in a wreck, did you cringe every time you heard tires squeal for a couple of weeks or more afterwards? The trick is, our subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between what we picture in our heads and reality. That's why it's so important to keep a positive attitude. If we think negatively, see negative images in our head, etc., our body, mind, emotions, everything, will respond to the negative stimuli. The same goes for positive thinking!

Now for AWAKENING:

In a moment, I will count from one to five, and at the count of five, and only at the count of five, you will be fully awake. Your mind will be clear and alert, just as if you were waking up from a wonderful night's sleep. You will feel wonderful in every way.

One... You're starting to slowly emerge from hypnosis

Two... Feeling total confidence

Three... Your mind is clear and alert

Four... Feeling total positive energy in your body and mind

Five... Eyes wide open, fully awake and feeling wonderful in every way.

(Then say:) "Feels wonderful, doesn't it?" (End)

Again, even with your awakening procedure, you're still giving hypnotic suggestions. Coming out of hypnosis too fast can leave a client feeling nauseous or even give them a headache. The suggestions of coming out slowly and feeling wonderful, positive and alert, are working on the subconscious to actually make the client, or yourself, actually feel wonderful. For approximately two minutes after coming out of the hypnotic trance, the client is still susceptible to suggestion. So, even after awakening, it is important to remain positive.

Hypnotherapy 101 [part 5]

2009-02-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

An Example of SUGGESTION:

(Start Script) Now, just allow your body to continue to relax as you begin to focus on the number seven. See the number seven with a background behind the number. As you look at the number seven, all the stress, all the tension, all the anxiety, all the strains, and all the bad feelings leave your body, now. As you focus on the number seven, it will begin to slowly fade away. As the number seven fades away, all the stress, all the tension, all the anxiety, all the strains, all the bad feelings, leave your body. As the number seven disappears, you know that all the stress, all the anxiety, all the tension, all the strains, all the bad feelings have left your body, and you feel good. You feel wonderful in every way.

You find that you now have more energy than you have ever had before. You find that by thinking positive thoughts and functioning with positive emotions, things in your life start opening up. Things in your life start becoming very clear, now. Every day, you have more and more confidence in your ability, more and more confidence about who you are. Your self-esteem is now so strong that you find you are now able to focus and accomplish things that you have been meaning to do. Every day, you feel more and more internally balanced, able to experience life directly, fully in touch with your feelings.

I'd also like you to know that any time in the future that you would like to feel as relaxed as you are right at this very moment, only more so, all you have to do is take a deep breath, count one, two, three, and touch your thumb, forefinger, and middle finger together forming a little circle, and you will begin to drift into a wonderful state of relaxation where you are able to give yourself positive suggestions that will improve your life. (End Script)

You will notice in the above script that not only are the suggestions repeated several times, but they are repeated in past, present, and future tense. Your mind takes this as a clue to not only help in the present and future, but also to help the root cause of your problems heal. The suggestions are always positive and said with a voice of authority, whereas the rest of the script is said in a very quiet, dull, monotone voice. A trick of the trade to enforce the suggestion and make it sound like a command without putting yourself or a client in the defense mode is to use the word "now" at the end of a sentence while lowering your voice and deepening your tone. All hypnotists do, however, develop their own style. Some use more inflection than others, while some speak slower or faster depending on their particular dialect.

hypnotherapy 101 [part 4]

2009-02-28T11:43:00.001-08:00

Control

(When the client closes their eyes, take over by saying...) Keep them closed now, and go deep into hypnosis.

At this point, we would begin to add positive suggestions to our session. It's absolutely necessary to state everything as a positive suggestion such as "You are now a non-smoker" instead of a negative such as "Never smoke again." If we face this problem we're trying to heal in a negative manner, our subconscious will take over and become defensive rather than cooperative. Some hypnotists use an aversion technique where the client can become physically ill if they attempt to smoke a cigarette or eat something sweet, for example. I do not recommend this technique.

Feel free to practice the Flowers' Induction on yourself or with friends or family. This series of articles is written to give you a better understanding of what hypnosis is, how it works, what this technique can help you accomplish, and to hopefully alleviate any fears some of you may have regarding hypnosis. It is not so that you can go right out tomorrow and open a hypnotherapy practice. There are laws in many states that govern hypnosis practices. You also want to remember that a client respects and feels safe with a hypnotherapist who is actually certified and has taken the time and effort to take the required training. Someone who is unqualified can do damage to the client's mental or emotional state, and we definitely don't want to do that. Stick with relaxation techniques until you have the knowledge and experience to move forward.

Hypnosis is a powerful and wonderful healing experience that can work on the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Practiced by an ethical person with a loving heart, it's power is immense. I hope to see you all next week for the continuation of this series. As always, be sure to join in a discussion and ask questions if you have any, and you're always free to email me privately by clicking on the little envelope at the top of the page.

Hypnotherapy 101 [part 3]

2009-02-28T11:42:00.002-08:00

# Body Temperature ~ The body usually cools down once it's relaxed.

# Fluttering Eyelids ~ Known as REM in the dreamstate

# Increased Tearing ~ As they eyes become tired, they may tear

# Eyes roll back into the head ~ You can actually see the whites of the eyes in a lot of clients.

# The whites of the eyes are reddened ~ Just like the person has just woke from a nap.

These hypnotic signs cannot be faked. For myself, I usually begin to feel my eyes flutter as I imagine a relaxing scene. I've learned that this is very natural, but if you are hypnotizing someone else, it helps to tell them that it is perfectly okay if their eyelids flutter or if they feel the need to swallow, it's okay to do so. Even reaching up to scratch your head will not take you out of trance.

Once you've reached this point, there are three steps left to the hypnosis session: a) Induction, b) Suggestion, c) Awakening. I want to end this week by giving you a very easy induction, and we'll finish up next week with the power of suggestion and some tricks of the trade.

Dr. Flowers' Hypnotic Induction Method

You'll want to demonstrate this technique by reading it aloud to the client for the first two steps. When you reach the words in ALL CAPS, you will start back at the beginning and read all the way through to the end, performing the induction.

Introduction

Look at the wall in front of you as though you are looking through the wall at a very pleasant scene. Look at the scene in a vague, dreamy way.

Future Tense

Soon you'll find all the muscle groups in your body will relax... your facial muscles will relax... your arms will relax... your legs will relax... your whole body will let go, and soon you'll close your eyes and go into a sound, peaceful, hypnotic rest.

In a moment, I'm going to count from one to twenty... on each count, you'll close your eyes. In between counts, you'll open your eyes. Sometime before I reach the count of twenty, maybe at fifteen, maybe at five, you'll close your eyes and go into a deep, sound, hypnotic rest. (DEMONSTRATE TO A COUNT OF THREE THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF YOUR EYES. RETURN TO THE INTRODUCTION AND READ STRAIGHT THROUGH TO THE END.)

Present Tense

Now your muscles groups are relaxed... your face relaxes... your arms relax... your legs... your whole body has let go and relaxes completely... one... two... three... (count all the way to twenty).

Hypnotherapy 101 [part 2]

2009-02-28T11:42:00.001-08:00

In other words, you must talk the language of the client. This also leads into the next category of rapport. You're thinking, "Okay, if I'm hypnotizing myself, I already know whether I'm creative or analytical, and I already have rapport with myself." True for the first part of that sentence, but not necessarily on the second part. I'd guess that 99% of the people who are seeking hypnosis to help them in their life have low self-esteem. When you have low self-esteem, you don't necessarily have the confidence and trust in yourself to know that you can accomplish anything. This lack of confidence in yourself diminishes rapport. If you have difficulty going into trance for self-hypnosis, work first on your self-esteem. We'll discuss this subject more later on.

To develop rapport with another person you're hypnotizing, you want to perceive things from their perspective. Basically, the idea is for that person to like you, trust you and have faith that you know what you're doing. Now that you know what type of technique to use with this person, analytical or creative, you also know what language to talk to them in. As you go through the initial interview, you are actually beginning the relaxation process. As the client begins to relax, they will let go and maybe even start to daydream or have a far-away look when you talk to them if you've set the scene for your session.

I like nature sounds or a soft rhythmic music to play in the background, and I have it playing as soon as the client arrives at my door. I also have the lights lowered just a little bit, as I welcome the client into my office and point them to the paperwork they need to fill out. While they're filling out paperwork, I'm getting to know them. I ask why they're here and if they have any questions or fears. I tell them a little about myself, and I laugh a lot with them. When we've established an easy flow of conversation, I then ask them to move into the recliner, and I check to see whether they're hot or cold or comfortable. It's a good idea to keep a throw pillow, a light blanket, tissues, and something cold to drink within reach of your session area.

The next step is to take the client, or yourself, into a very relaxed state and then focus the attention on the purpose of the session. When you start to relax, there are five signs to check for that tell you whether the client or yourself is in a state of trance.

Hypnotherapy 101 [part 1]

2009-02-28T11:39:00.001-08:00

We've covered lots of things that hypnosis can help heal. Some of you have even made your own hypnosis tapes to listen to at home with great results. Now, I'm going to teach you the fine tuning techniques. What type of words and phrases do people respond more easily to? What voice tones and music increase the hypnotic effect? Do the same techniques work for everyone? Be sure to ask your own questions if I don't cover them here, and we'll all learn together.

There is one book that I can recommend to help you get started. Hypnosis for Beginners by William W. Hewitt is excellent for those interested in learning self-hypnosis techniques. It has a series of scripts that can be labeled and put on index cards for easy script changes. I had a lot of fun with this book when I first started out, and I still refer to it on many occasions.

We will be using the term hypnosis to refer to all types of hypnosis, whether you are interested in self-hypnosis or hypnotizing other people. Why use the one term? Because all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. That's why I'm constantly saying no one can hypnotize you against your will or make you do something against your ethics and morals. If the subject does not cooperate in the session, they cannot be hypnotized. Even though the client may have a certified hypnotherapist guiding the session, the client is still hypnotizing himself by following the suggestions of the therapist.

We're not going to go into the full depth of the human brain, but we will discuss some of the details that make hypnosis work so that we can better understand what is happening to us while we're in trance. We all know that different people think with different sides of their brain, i.e., left - conscious, right - subconscious. The left brain is very analytical, discriminating and deductive in its thinking. The right-brained thinker is emotional, noncritical, creative. The right side of the brain also controls the physical body and the memory and is inductive in its thinking. So, when we explore what type of techniques to use to get a person, even ourselves, into hypnotic trance, we must get to know them enough to analyze whether they're a right-brainer or a left-brainer. A person who is very creative would not respond well to blackboard and alphabet imagery because they would be bored and not follow the directions of the therapist. A person who is very analytical would not pay attention to the therapist describing beautiful fields of flowers. The hypnosis session must be tailored to suit the individual.

What REALLY is hypnosis? [part 2]

2009-02-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

On my lunch break, I take a walk in the park across from the office, sit down under a tree and meditate quietly for a few minutes. Is meditation a form of hypnosis? Absolutely!

On my drive home from work, I'm exhausted from the day, and my mind drifts in and out. Before I know it, I almost miss my exit, and I can't even remember driving the last 2 miles! This is a common occurence called road hypnosis. It occurs so often that there are safety guidelines to keep it from happening.

I finally arrive home, prepare dinner, get the kids all tucked in to bed, and settle down with a book I've been anxious to read. My husband taps me on the arm and says he's asked me the same question three times, but I didn't hear him. Yes, I was lost in a light state of hypnosis and lost track of time and my surroundings again. Now it's time for bed.

As I lie in bed waiting to fall asleep, I think about what I've got planned for tomorrow, look forward to the upcoming weekend. I can hear the frogs chirping out by the pond, but I'm so relaxed that I just don't want to budge an inch. My mind starts to drift, and I can hear all the sounds of the house settling in for the night. This wonderful state of hypnosis will guide me off to sleep.

You can see that hypnosis is certainly a natural part of all our lives. So natural that we don't recognize it or even acknowledge its presence sometimes, but it's there all the same. We can, however, learn to harness this natural ability and use it to guide our subconscious mind in the directions we need it to go.

What REALLY hypnosis is? [part 1]

2009-02-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

We use hypnosis naturally in many of the things we do in our every day lives, though we may not realize it because we call it something different. For example, how many of you pray or meditate? Is there something you focus or concentrate deeply on, like learning to play an instrument or studying for a course? Do you daydream? Do you imagine what it would feel like to be at your goal weight?

All of these things involve a light state of hypnosis. Hypnosis is simply an altered state of consciousness, a lowering of our brain's frequency. Whenever we are in a relaxed state for any reason, whether our eyes are opened or closed, we are in a state of hypnosis.

As you can see, hypnosis occurs naturally during different times of each day while we are carrying on our every day tasks. I think most of us who have never experienced a guided hypnosis session expect it to be a really deep trance where we don't remember anything and are under complete control of the hypnotist. In actuality, we all experience hypnosis every single day under many different circumstances. Let's take a look at a typical day...

I wake in the morning and sit looking out the window, watching the birds fly back and forth from the tree to the feeder while my coffee brews. I am not quite awake yet, and my brain is still functioning at a lower frequency. I find myself staring out the window, my mind wandering. This is a state of hypnosis.

I drink my coffee, glance through the newspaper, though nothing really sinks in, and then I go get my shower. I seem to be behind schedule already - how did that shower stretch into 30 minutes without me realizing it? Loss of time signals that I was in a light state of hypnosis.

As I'm driving to work, I notice that I'm singing the words to the soap commercial. Catchy tune, but why is that stuck in my head? Commercial ads are specially designed using positive suggestions to make their message stick in your head. Yes, a hypnotic suggestion!

Now I'm working at my desk, focused, concentrating on the project I've been working on. I'm making plans, visualizing how the presentation will look, and a spark of creativity hits! Yes, brought on by a light state of hypnosis, which opened up those old pathways to the subconscious mind.

The Secrets Of Self Hypnosis Revealed

2009-02-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

I am going to reveal to you the secrets of how to hypnotise yourself. You don’t think us clinical hypnotherapists pay each other for therapy do you?! Well sometimes we swap therapy, but most hypnotherapists will regularly hypnotise themselves in order to stay happy and healthy. You do not need to be a trained clinical hypnotherapist in order to effectively hypnotise yourself - it just takes a bit of practice.

You can save money, and gain independence by using self hypnosis. While hypnotherapy is rapidly gaining popularity for being a safe, yet powerful tool for change, many people are put off for a variety of reasons. It may be that they cannot find a reputable clinical hypnotherapist; do not wish to spend so much money; or don’t wish to discuss their personal issues with a stranger. Self hypnosis is very useful to learn, since you can do it whenever you wish, and in the comfort of your own home.

To begin with, you will need to make sure that you will not be disturbed for at least half and hour, preferably an hour. Turn off phones, and tell family not to bother you for a while. Find a comfortable place. Somewhere that is neat and tidy, and of a comfortable temperature. Subdue the lighting. If you wish, you could light some candles and burn some incense. You can be seated, or lie down – whichever is most comfortable for you. Importantly make sure that your legs are not crossed, as you could end up going numb after half an hour!

Close your eyes and take 10 slow deep breaths – in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Say to yourself the word ‘Relax’ on each out breath.

Now imagine yourself at the top of 10 steps, with a door at the bottom. With every slow step you take down, feel yourself getting deeper and deeper relaxed.

When you get to the bottom open the door to your ideal place of relaxation. It could be a beach, a garden, anywhere. It could be somewhere real, or imagined.

Try to use as many senses as you can. Take a good look around. Pause and listen to any sounds. Perhaps you can hear birds chirping, or the breeze gently blowing. Perhaps you can smell the sweet scent of flowers, or the salt in the sea? Touch objects, and make it as real as you possibly can.

Explore your relaxing haven, and enjoy it.

This is a great technique to help relaxation. Most of us do not relax anywhere near enough, and it damages our health in many ways. Stress weakens our immune systems, causes irritability, anxiety, and unhappiness amongst many other things. Even if you just do relaxation work, you will massively improve your overall health in almost every area. If you are struggling with this technique, then persevere. Getting into a hypnotic state is a skill that will improve over time. Don’t expect too much, you will probably still be aware of what is going on around you. It may be worthwhile visiting a clinical hypnotherpist, or buying a recording at least once, in order to experience the feeling of a trance. When you have experienced it once or twice, you will be more informed as to what state of mind you are seeking.

You can also take this self hypnosis a little further if you wish. You can learn to give yourself specific therapy the more you practice. Here are a few techniques you can use after you have reached level 5 shown above.

What the mind imagines, it believes has really happened. If you imagine something bad happening to you, you will feel the emotions as if it is really happening. Success breeds success, so if you visualise yourself achieving something, then it will help you do just that. You may wish to visualise yourself slimmer, healthier or wealthier for example. Or you may wish to visualise yourself having achieved something, such as a promotion or a new job. Make the image as real as you can, use all of your senses, and do this as often as you can.

You are only limited by your imagination. In fact you should notice that your creative powers should increase the more that you use self hypnosis, and your overall health and happiness will increase. Stick with it. What I sometimes find is that people will stop using hypnosis once they have made the necessary improvements that they wished to make. However that will only deny the overall benefits of the increased relaxation, and things can slowly slip back to where they started. Set a specific time to do it, even if it is only once a week. If you have specific issues that you wish to deal with, then increase this accordingly.

I hope me sharing this technique with you will help some of you to improve your mental and physical wellbeing, and realise what a useful tool for change hypnosis is. I hope this contributes in some way. Please feel free to contact me to share your success stories, or for further advice.

Lose Weight and Stop Smoking Through Hypnosis Video

2009-02-20T04:20:00.000-08:00

As an ex three pack-a-day smoker with two collapsed lungs, I'll show you the real problems smokers normally go through and then, I'll show you how to offset them...
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Human nature will only allow them to work for a short period of time. Losing weight was never really the problem. We could all lose weight when..
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Natural Hair Growth

2009-02-20T04:04:00.000-08:00

Most hair loss is NOT genetic. The reason most of you reading this are losing hair is because your hair follicles are trapped and blocked off from vital blood supplies that are needed to nourish their development. Your hair is literally being starved to death.

Solve that and most...

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Affirmation, Goal Setting, Motivation and Personal Growth

2009-02-20T03:52:00.001-08:00

Affirmations have long been recognized as a powerful tool in manifesting desires. That's because the subconscious mind cannot differentiate between actual reality and suggestions.
For this reason, people from all walks of life promote...
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Be Fearless Now

2009-02-20T00:36:00.000-08:00

We brought together the greatest line up of NLP Master Trainers to ever have come together on one NLP product. We quizzed them on some of the most fundemtal aspects of mastering NLP. Our list of Master Trainers include

Dr. Richard Bandler – Genius and Co-founder of NLP
John La Valle – Persuasion Engineer Extraordinaire
Michael Breen – Found of the NLP Business Practitioner
Michael Neill – Success Coach to Celebrities
Dr. Joseph Riggio – Architect of the Mythoself Process

And 5 More Expert NLP Master Trainers

They shared with us hours and hours worth of top insights on many fundemental aspects of NLP.

Do you want to find out what they revealed to us? Click here

New Important Hypnosis Links

2009-02-19T23:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some important hypnosis links you can use to widen and broaden your hypnosis knowledge and experience.

Underground Hypnosis Course

Conversational Hypnosis

Hypnosis exercise for life

2009-02-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

Click here to watch hypnosis exercise on youtube

Hypnosis Is The Key To Your Mind And Your Health

2009-02-19T10:39:00.002-08:00

By Zoilita Grant MS CHT

Hypnosis... the very word conveys dramatic images. We either imagine a strange character waving a pendulum or a group of silly people on a stage acting like ducks or chickens. Both of these images imply that hypnosis can be used to control your mind. Nothing could be further from the truth. No one can ever use hypnosis to control you. You give your permission when you are being hypnotized. In fact all hypnosis is self - hypnosis and it is an incredible tool for managing your mind.

The human mind and its processes have always seemed as mysterious and fascinating as the universe itself, but the investigation of the nature of the mind has become the province of experimental science only during relatively recent times. The scientific approach has paid rich dividends in knowledge. During the last century, we have discovered that mental processes connect to emotional experiences and affect the patterns of health and disease.

More and more as the 20th century draws to a close, we have become aware that there is a tremendous connection between what happens in our minds and how it affects our bodies. Most of our serious diseases are thought to have mental and emotional factors. Some of the latest research on creating wellness talks about beginning with our minds and visualization techniques are being widely used to fight disease.

Our mind is the center of a very complex nervous system. Networks of nerve cells, run throughout the body, connecting every tissue to our brain. Electrical impulses travel along these pathways at high speeds, leaping across narrow gaps between cells, relaying information to and from our mind. Our mind itself has two parts, a conscious and subconscious. Most of us are pretty familiar with the conscious mind. It organizes and runs our outer life. But many of our decisions that affect our life actually come from our subconscious. The subconscious is very powerful and has many functions.

Serves as a Memory Bank - Here in the brain with the help of billions of tiny inter- connected nerve cells, everything that we have ever experienced is stored. The subconscious is actually the very cells of the body storing a maze of memory patterns which, when activated will feed information to the conscious mind. Nothing is ever erased unless the computer in the subconscious mind gives that command.
Controls and Regulates the Involuntary Functions of the Body- These are breathing, circulation, metabolism, digestion, hormone balance etc.. Hypnosis is used to affect these areas.
The Subconscious in the Seat of our Emotions- Since our emotions govern the strength of our desires, and these affect our behavior, many behavior issues have a very strong emotional content. Hypnosis is used to release stored emotions.
It is the Home of the Imagination - Even when not used, each of us has a strong and active imagination that can be used in a positive way to create our goals. Creative visualization done in trance is one of the greatest secrets of success.
It Carries out Habitual Conduct - Through the use of direct & indirect suggestion in hypnosis we can create a system of habits that support and create our goals.
The Subconscious is the Dynamo that Directs our Energy, and Drives us Towards our Goals - It generates and releases energy, and if it's not consciously directed, it is directed by circumstances and chance. Through positive reprogramming the subconscious is directed towards creating our goals. Hypnosis is the most practical and effective way to enter the subconscious mind, which is very suggestible when you talk to it in the right way. Hypnotherapists are people who are trained to work with hypnosis to help people create positive changes in their lives. The field of hypnotherapy stretches from traditional work with weight, smoking and stress to clinical (medical) uses of hypnosis. In the clinical field, hypnosis has been very effective in working with head injuries, pain management, and life threatening diseases.

Self Hypnosis is a wonderful way to start creating positive changes in your life. The best way to learn is actually in trance. Go into trance using the following formula: “Close your eyes, take in three deep breaths, count backwards from ten to one, relax your body, relax your mind... you will be in a deep state of hypnosis.” anchor “each and every time you want to practice your self hypnosis close your eyes, take in three deep breaths, count backwards from ten to one, relax your mind and you will be in a deep state of hypnosis.” Begin your suggestions and your visualization.

Guidelines for Suggestions: 1. Motivation and desire must be strong, before you use a suggestion think about why you want it to happen. 2. Always be positive and enthusiastic.
3. Always use the present tense, imagine yourself achieving the goal now. 4. Suggest action, see yourself in the act of doing what you want. 5. Be specific. 6. Keep language simple and direct. 7. Fuel visualizations and suggestions with positive emotions. 8. Use repetition especially of key words and phrases. 9. Bring yourself back to waking consciousness.

You can easily learn this, and once you master this technique, you open the door to great potential. It has been estimated that the average human being uses 3 to 7% of their mind’s capacity. By using hypnosis you can learn to operate your wonderful bio computer. Your mind holds the key to your health.

Zoilita Grant MS CHT is the Director of the Colorado School of Counseling and Hypnotherapy Training. For information, please call
303-776-6103 or visit www.selfhealing.com

Mind - Body Communication

2009-02-19T10:39:00.001-08:00

Using Unconscious Learning to promote Health and Well being
By Jaime V. Pitner, MICP, RHC

Your mind is much like a computer, what you experience shows up on the monitor of your consciousness, without a thought of where it came from. But, like your computer, much work happens behind the scenes, processes, programs, electrical pathways of information and direction, and the vast storage of memory.

You may think that you have one mind, but you actually have two, or perhaps better put, you have two parts of one mind: the conscious and the unconscious. The conscious mind, like the computer monitor, allows you to experience what’s going on, gives you choices, and brings awareness, allows you to interact.

When you use your computer, occasionally you get automatic messages that pop-up on the screen. Most of these messages are routine prompts from the computer to perform a routine action, and others come with immediate warning, and may bring a sense of confusion and frustration. These messages come from the computer program or processor, from behind the scenes, just like the thoughts and feelings which appear in your mind, seemingly out of nowhere.

Ever wonder where your thoughts come from? Some are directed by the conscious process of concentration, initiated by a focus of directed thought. But, most thoughts throughout the day seem to just pop into your mind. If you're like most people, you then feel the obligation to begin pondering on those thoughts, sometimes right out to the bitter end.

The conscious mind is your monitor for the world, it gives you information for your consideration and action. Before you take action you must choose, using your critical thinking, will power, and judgement… all, important facets of your conscious mind.

Your unconscious mind, however, is void of judgement. Like the computer processor, it performs its functions dutifully and without question. A computer will run a bad program, just as well as it does a good program. It does what it believes you want by the direction it is given.

Unwittingly, you give direction to your unconscious mind every day. Each time you repeat an action, each time you use a common word or phrase, and even the emotions you feel most often become direction for your unconscious mind. This direction we can also call learning. As a computer is programmed, so to is your unconscious mind through all of your life's experiences. The unconscious mind, running all body systems and automatic functions, takes in all of your experiences, all sensory input from sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, and so on. It also records events, images, thoughts, and feelings over your entire life span, and stores them in the form of memory. It has been estimated that the human memory can store billions of bits of information each second, and by the time you're eighty or ninety you still will have only used about two-thirds of its capacity. Your memory seems virtually limitless.

The problem is, you don't need all that information. It would be system overload if all of your life's experiences came flooding through. When you're on your computer looking for a file or searching the web for information, you don't want all the data your computer has stored, you just want the information you need at this moment.

Therefore, the unconscious mind must have a way to process information, and to prioritize and retrieve what it believes you need, when you need it. It must learn. In fact, one of the prime directives of the unconscious is to gain learning. As the unconscious has no judgement, it regards everything as learning.

Your learned behaviors can be good or bad for you. We all possess both good habits and bad habits, but you may not be aware that they are formed by the same process of unconscious learning.

Consciously you can determine, or choose what is desired and not desired. But your conscious mind isn't always given the choice before the unconscious has acted upon it. The unconscious mind provides a short cut to all of your inner resources; memory, recall, creativity, and body functions.

Everything you are good at, every talent, skill, and ability follows this same path of learning. This unconscious learning occurs in three primary ways: repetition, association, and emotion.

Repetition - the more you repeat a behavior, the more you are likely to repeat the behavior, as your unconscious mind develops an easy pathway for it. Your mind believes you want this frequently used behavior by the very fact that you keep on doing it. Actions sometimes speak louder than words. Look at the smoking habit, what more than smoking does a smoker do each day. A pack a day smoker repeats this behavior 20 times a day, every day. There's a lot of repetition there. That's why “practice makes perfect”. Even things you start out doing bad, in time become easier as you master the behavior, talent or skill.

Because your unconscious runs all your body systems, it can help you develop in the repeated behavior. Every smoker will tell you that in the beginning cigarette taste terrible. But, in time, with practice and diligence, repeating smoking over and over, an amazing thing happens. The cigarette that tasted terrible now becomes enjoyable. The unconscious mind, taking in all the information from your body and all the senses, makes it easier for you by adjusting the sensory information to make it more enjoyable. This is how you acquire tastes for things. The unconscious mind helps you do what it believes you want, without judgment, even if its bad for you.

This is a good example of the difference in conscious and unconscious processing. The conscious mind knows all of the dangers and problems of smoking, yet, the unconscious mind, connected to the body, drives the smoking habit.

Even if you don't smoke there are plenty of examples in your life of this process. Have you ever worked at a place for several years, driving your car the same route every day? Then, one morning you drive to work, park your car, and as you close the door think…”how did I get here?” While your conscious mind was wandering in dream, worry, or thought, your unconscious mind and your body were driving the car. They know the route well. Or, have you ever been anxious to get home, and suddenly look down to find that you are speeding. Your foot has unconsciously pressed down further on the pedal. Just the thought made your body react, without any guidance from your conscious mind.

Association – the unconscious mind works primarily by association. As one behavior is associate with another, there is a double bind. That's why even the aroma of coffee can bring about an urge to smoke a cigarette. Have you every noticed that when you turn on the TV you suddenly feel a bit hungry? When you are with friends telling jokes, does that trigger you to suddenly think of some funny things yourself? Since your unconscious mind and your body are in constant communication, your body reacts to these triggers.

Emotion - emotion is the most powerful form of communication from the unconscious mind. Isn't it true that your strongest and most vivid memories are those linked with strong emotion. Emotion drives the most fundamental programs for your survival, the “fight or flight” response. Think about what emotion is helpful for a fight – anger. Anger can mobilize powerful resources in your body to help you fight with power and fury. An emotion that is helpful to flee from a threat is – fear. Fear will put an extra skip in your step, allowing you sprint like an Olympic athlete. You can run pretty fast without fear, but with it your body springs into action automatically, you don't even have to think about it. Emotion helps the mind distinguish between events and information from your life's experiences, which it thinks is important for you and your survival. Those things without emotional value are lost to conscious recall.

The unconscious minds ultimate priority is to assure your survival. Keeping automatic functions like your heart beating and respiration going is a job it takes seriously. Since the unconscious lacks judgement, it interprets any negative emotion as communication to mobilize the body for action. That's why when you're anxious, stressed, worried, or depressed, you feel that unconscious muscle tension in your neck, shoulders, or back, your heart race, and that pit in your stomach.

These sensations are your body speaking to you. This communication is important for you to be aware of as your body can be used to communicate messages back as well. A tense muscle calls for more support and energy from the unconscious mind. The unconscious responds with the release of stress hormones, sympathetic nervous system response and quickened pulse. It all happens automatically, but, if a tense muscle calls for the stress response, then a relaxed muscle will reverse the request and call for relaxation.

Breathing is another powerful mind-body communication method. Breathing is important because it is an automatic system run by the unconscious mind, yet it can also be consciously controlled. Breathing provides a valuable and effective bridge of communication between conscious and unconscious mind. During stress you breathe shallow and rapidly, sometimes even holding your breath. But, when you're relaxed you breathe deep and slowly, like when you sleep. When you consciously change the rate of your breathing, a chemical change occurs in your body. Stress hormones begin to stem their flow, and the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged with all of its calming effects.

You communicate direction to your body and mind with the words you use.
What words do you use in that running commentary of your inner thoughts? Are those words supportive or punishing? Words are electric, you must choose them for the emotional voltage that they carry.

Remember that emotions are the most powerful driver of unconscious processing. Words stimulate emotion, and emotion is the source of all motivation. Begin to think of your thoughts as magnetic. Whatever you hold in your predominant conscious view, will simply attract more of the same. Worry and self-doubt will come as easily as confidence and focus. The unconscious mind will give you what it believes you're asking for by association. You get what you ask for, so choose only good things.

Certified in Holistic Living, from Lourdes Institute of Wholistic Studies, Board Certified in Hypnotherapy and Hypno-Anesthesia, a Shiatsu Practioner, and Martial Arts Instructor. Associate Director of a Mobile Intensive Care Unit Program providing Advanced Life Support Services to the largest regional health network in New Jersey. A practicing MICU Paramedic for nearly 20 years, President of the NJ Association of MICU's for two terms, and the first elected Chairperson of the New Jersey State Emergency Medical Services Council. Holistic Health coordinator for Virtua Health, Former Associate Director of the Mobile Intensive Care Unit. A nationally accomplished speaker and published author of EMS and Stress Management topics, Jamie Pitner also provides instruction on Wellness, and Workplace Violence & the Management of Assaultive Behavior, Tai Chi, and Self Defense. jpitner@virtua.org

Motivated Weight Control

2009-02-19T10:38:00.001-08:00

By Jaime V. Pitner, MICP, RHC

You know that saying "you are what you eat", It could also be said, "you eat what you are". What are you? You are your lifelong collective experiences, how you've grown, experienced, and learned everything in your life.

Your collective experiences are kept in the vast storehouse of your memory. Deep in the in the depths of your unconscious mind everything about you is recorded. Scientists have calculated that your memory has the capacity to store billions of bits of information every second of your life. This virtually limitless memory collects your life's experiences with all the sensory data of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, and emotion, back to your birth, and perhaps prior to birth.

There’s so much information there that your unconscious mind must have a process to determine what you need. Everything you've learned in life lies in your unconscious waiting for you until you may have a use for it. With certain cues it can be accessed to automatically engage your body, or given to your conscious mind for you to act upon. Your unconscious mind has ways to access information that it believes you need, but lacking judgment it may also be accessing unwanted behaviors. This process is called unconscious learning. In fact, all learning occurs in your unconscious.

There are three primary pathways to unconscious learning; repetition, association, and emotion. This is how the unconscious mind sorts out needed information and initiates certain behaviors, or habits.

The more you repeat a behavior, the more likely you will repeat it, as the unconscious mind makes a easy pathway to it. Think about the repetition in eating, something you must do everyday, and several times a day. Like many often-repeated behaviors you don't have to be consciously active in the behavior. Your unconscious mind and body do all the work for you like when you eat while watching TV, reading, talking, or working at your computer.

When the behavior is associated with other events, or sensory cues, those events or cues can become triggers for the behavior. Association links them. That's why when most people sit down and turn on the TV, they automatically feel like snacking.

The third primary pathway of unconscious learning is emotion. Emotions can access dynamic and powerful mind-body resources. Isn't it true that your most distant memories are brought forth by emotion. The experiences in your life that have no emotional value are long forgotten. Behaviors tied to strong emotions are the one's most engrained. That’s why many people describe their unhealthy eating as “emotional eating”.

The behavior of eating goes back to the day your were born. Your unconscious mind learns as you are held close to your mother's warm body. No words are needed; the powerful communication of this sensory experience is understood. Your mother holds you, as you feel her unconditional love and acceptance while being fed. The emotions and sensations during nursing form powerful associations that may affect your eating behavior later in life. There’s a lot of meaning behind the familiar phrase “comfort food”.

Soon your parents begin to introduce solid food. They guide you as you learn to eat. Parents offer praise to motivate you: "that's a good boy… that's a good girl". You now learn the ability to gain praise and make your parents happy just by eating.

As a toddler you enjoy your birthday celebrations. And what is a birthday, but the mere acknowledgment of your existence. A profound experience of your own self worth. Birthdays are celebrated with sweet and high caloric foods. Associating sensory cues to the event. On your birthday you don't even have to eat a proper dinner, you can dig right in to the cake and ice cream. With a confident feeling that you can do no wrong, you get to smear it all over your face while loved one's clap and take pictures.

As you get older you find that every significant event in your life is celebrated and acknowledged with food. Eating is there at all the happy times. And it’s there when everyone else has abandoned you. Is it any wonder that your unconscious mind now associates food with comfort, love, acceptance, self worth, confidence, happiness, and being in control. Yet food doesn't really do any of these things.

There are many sensory associations that trigger certain eating behavior. Perhaps it's that feeling after dinner that you just got to have some ice cream or chocolate. You feel full, maybe even very full, but you have a strong compulsion to have something sweet. It may be that after you eat something savory, that that taste on your palette triggers an association for something sweet. You may have unwittingly connected these sensory cues every time you followed eating savory food with a sweet food. That's why when you’re full you have that urge to complete the unconscious pairing of sensory information.

When most people think about food it brings about certain thoughts and feelings. Most of those thoughts and feelings could be summed-up in one word; pleasure. But you know that food is really fuel for your body. Sure food should taste good, but that's only part of it. The top priority for food is to fuel your body.

When your car needs fuel you take it to the gas station. If you want your car to run optimally you fill it up with “super.” Conveniently your car has a fuel gauge which tells you when you need fuel and when your tank is full. You’d never let it run past full into the trunk or back seat. Just because gas may be cheap or available, doesn’t mean you should stop at the station more often, or take any more than your tank is designed to hold.

If you own a pet you know how to feed it. Dogs eat dog food, cats eat cat food, and birds eat bird food. You’d never feed your parakeet dog food. Intelligently you know that every animal has it’s own type of food to keep it healthy and sustain long life. You even know that if you have a dog that’s a little older you may need to feed it that special “fit and trim” dog food.

Isn’t it a fact that most people take better care of their cars and pets than they do themselves? These examples provide the mind with powerful metaphors for your life. When you associate the same feelings of how necessary, important, and wonderful it is to take care of you car and pet, with how you take care of yourself, this is a powerful learning for your unconscious mind.

Isn’t it true that you only do what you’re motivated to do? Anything done begrudgingly doesn’t last long. Just using will power doesn’t work either. That’s because when you start a diet, the unspoken truth is that you know it’s only temporary. By will power you can follow just about any diet no matter how difficult or strange, because deep in your unconscious mind you know it won’t last long. That’s why “dieting” doesn’t work.

There are many things you do in your life in which you have great motivation. You have certain standards that you’ve set for yourself, lines that you will not cross, and strong feelings on important areas of your life and the world. When you think of those things you hold dear to you, that are the driving force in your character, you will find a feeling behind those thoughts. That feeling in your heart and mind is emotion. Emotion is what creates motivation. It is the origin of motivation, and it is lasting.

You have positive and negative emotions, and they both have great power. Negative emotions drive the stress response, and can be linked to bad habits and unhealthy behavior. No one ever finds the answers they need in the height of anxiety or the depths of depression. But positive emotions bring that feeling of accomplishment, comfort, energy, and happiness.

The fact is that any sound nutrition and fitness plan will work to lose weight. The key to getting started and sticking to it is…motivation. The question is how do you become motivated to eat healthy?

I believe that knowledge is power. Once you have all the facts you can make the right decisions. The knowledge you gain leads to forming opinions. Opinions bring forth the way you feel about something. That feeling is emotion. So as you can see, knowledge has the power to initiate emotion.

Sources of knowledge can be from empirical data and facts, or from your belief. When you believe something strongly it has the power of fact. To establish belief you must think that it is possible. So ask yourself, is it possible for me to lose weight and maintain my desirable weight? Now begin building a case for why it is possible. Your unconscious mind will help you with its power of association. Think of your thoughts and emotions as "magnetic" whatever you hold in your predominant conscious thinking will simply attract more of the same. Your unconscious mind regulates your bodily systems, it will access resources to help you.

The next thing is to list why it is necessary to control your weight and be healthy. Develop a clear understanding of why you must do this. Your unconscious mind will establish priorities, because it is responsible for all your automatic functions of survival. Once it understands that something is necessary it will devote more resources to make it happen. It doesn't waste time and resources on things that have little importance.

Understand that it’s in you. You have all the resources as a human being to make it happen. Your power of mind over body is available to you for your benefit.

Know that at times it will be challenging. These times of decision will form your destiny. Overcoming old patterns of behavior and moving through difficult times can be hard. But the things that come easy in life aren’t really worth much. It's those things for which you work hard that make a difference in your life. You know it’s worth it to overcome challenges. That feeling you have when you know it’s worth it, is the feeling that keeps you motivated.

Here are some steps to employ your power of mind over body for Motivated Weight Control:

Know what you’re eating. Keep a food diary and write down everything that you eat each day for one week. Remember knowledge is power; this will make your conscious mind aware of what you are eating. You want to eliminate unconscious eating. Also, do research, read food labels, articles, books, and information about the content of food. Know what you’re eating and why it’s good for you. Discover all the delicious and nutritious foods available to you. The unconscious mind is the center of all learning, when it knows what’s good for you it will pull forth resource to help you achieve your goal.
Eat regularly, starting with a good breakfast. This communicates to your body that food is plentiful and there’s no need to slow your metabolism to conserve energy. Breakfast is particularly important. Living in the wild, humans would have to begin each day searching for food. The body tries to conserve energy until food becomes plentiful. The body understands that food is plentiful when you eat early in the day, which means you’ve gathered enough perhaps for several days and it’s readily available first thing in the morning.
Eat five meals a day. This keeps your metabolism in high gear all day. Your metabolic rate will improve to allow your body to burn more calories. Eating one or two big meals later in the day tells the body that it took awhile for you to find food, so it better hold onto the calories to protect from potential famine.
Eat fruits vegetables, grains, and fish, but limit red meat. Hunters are at the mercy of available game, but when humans cultivate food they have it in greater quantities and for longer period of time. “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish and he east for a lifetime.”
Retrain your palette. Ever have the feeling that you just have to eat that chocolate, cake, or ice cream, even when you’re full from dinner. It may be that your unconscious mind has linked certain flavors and sensory data to initiate this behavior. Sometimes when you eat something with a savory or spicy taste, it can be a trigger to eat something sweet. You can retrain your palette to eliminate this unconscious association by breaking the link. Interject other behaviors instead of eating the sweet, like drinking water, brushing teeth, eating a bite of something savory or spicy, or engage in a desirable activity. After a few weeks your palette will be retrained and the old unconscious link will be eliminated.
Use your emotion. Eliminate any old unconscious negative emotions that may be associated with eating. You only do what your motivated to do, anything done begrudgingly doesn’t last long. There are some things you’ve prejudged with a negative emotion. Let them go and be open to allow your mind and body to adjust to new healthy foods. You’re retraining your palette and acquiring new tastes. For lasting results, attach positive emotion to foods that you know will achieve your goals and long-term health. Consciously chose the emotions you want, and soon you will begin to feel them. You are programming your unconscious mind the way you want.
Visualize. Build a case for what you can do. Think, imagine, and visualize the foods that are nutritious, and meet your goals for health and weight control. There are many foods you currently enjoy that are good for you, start with these first. Let the memory fade for those old foods that you know are no good for you. If you longingly linger on old desires for unhealthy food, that’s the direction you’ll be sending to your mind. Remember your thoughts are magnetic. Visualize all the good things happening to your body as you eat what it needs for energy and optimal health. See yourself getting slimmer and stronger, buying the clothes in the size you’ve imagined, and doing all the things your doing as you achieve your goals. And most importantly, attach the positive emotion you desire to your visualization.

Here are two words to help and guide you on your path of success in motivated weight control: Delicious and Nutritious. By word-association your unconscious mind will use these words to access all its resources to help you while shopping, preparing, and eating food. All things nutritious are delicious to your body. They’re the perfect fuel and energy source for your optimal health and weight. And all things delicious must be nutritious, for why would you eat anything else?

Treating Compulsive Shopping with Hypnotherapy

2009-02-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

By Ellen Hecht, CHt

Many lay people, therapists and even physicians are unaware of the scope of physical and psychological ailments which hypnotherapy can successfully cure. Although it is well known that hypnosis is used commonly to help with weight loss and remove nail biting and smoking habits, positive results can also be achieved in the building of self-esteem, in motivation, depression, stress, chronic pain, jaw clenching (TMJ) and a variety of compulsive behaviors. In particular, with respect to compulsive behavior, hypnosis can give rapid and even immediate relief.

In 1995, The Menninger Letter published more than one article on compulsive shopping by Dr. Donald W. Black, M.D., a professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. He recommended including the use of the prescription medication Luvox, in the treatment of patients presenting with a compulsive shopping disorder.

I believe hypnotherapy is an effective alternative treatment of habitual and compulsive shopping without the use of drugs. Here are my notes on a client I will call Elise Hansen (not her real name).

Elise was a single, attractive, slim and financially successful woman who was 37 at the time she came to see me. She had called to ask for the help to get control over her compulsive shopping habit which had gradually created an enormous credit card debt.

She confided to me that it was no longer the pleasure of owning attractive clothes and accessories that drove her, but the need to purchase them. She admitted that she frequently justified her purchases by shopping on sale, yet she rarely saved money doing this, as she charged everything on credit cards with high interest rates. This would result in a cost per item of the same or even more than if she had bought the item at the regular price and paid cash.

Moreover, Elise frequently returned the items afterwards, and expressed an awareness that the real emotional benefit was from the purchase and not the actual owning of the item.

CLINICAL TREATMENT – SCRIPT

After hypnotic induction the session went as follows:

THERAPIST: Elise, I want you to imagine that you have entered your favorite store.

CLIENT: (Smiling) Nordstrom!

THERAPIST: All right. Now you are strolling around the store. You browse until you see something you would like to buy.

CLIENT: There are these great shoes.

THERAPIST: What do they look like?

CLIENT: They're green suede. Oh, they're great!

THERAPIST: All right. Now you've tried them on and they fit. What do you do next?

CLIENT: I go to the clerk at the counter.

THERAPIST: Okay. Now you give her your credit card.

CLIENT: Oh, I don't need to.

THERAPIST: Why is that?

CLIENT: I know the number by heart.

THERAPIST: And what does the clerk do?

CLIENT: She's smiling.

THERAPIST: Do you know her?

CLIENT: Yes. She likes me.

THERAPIST: Elise. The clerk is not a friend of yours. She's a clerk at the store.

She gets paid a commission from your purchases. She is smiling

because it is her job to be friendly. Would she be your friend if she

didn't work there? [taking some of the pleasure away from the shopping

experience].

CLIENT: No.

THERAPIST: What happens next?

CLIENT: She puts the shoes in a bag. I take it and I walk out.

THERAPIST: How do you feel?

CLIENT: Happy.

THERAPIST: Happy?

CLIENT: No. I feel sad. I feel depressed.

THERAPIST: You feel sad and depressed?

CLIENT: And guilty.

THERAPIST: Okay Elise. You walk out of the store with the bag.

What is in the bag?

CLIENT: What is in the bag? Shoes.

THERAPIST: No. What is in the bag is sadness, depression and guilt.

Do you want to take that home?

CLIENT: No.

THERAPIST: Good. You don't ever want to take that home with you. And you realize now that you will never buy anything that you don't really need, since the purchase of it will not give you what you really want. In the future, you will get better at identifying activities that bring you real satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment and pride.

The client was brought out of hypnosis with affirmations that she felt very good about herself and her future. Suggestions were made that she would find a better use of her time by occasionally volunteering with a non-profit organization of her choice and would get the satisfaction she was looking for by helping people, (the satisfaction that was lacking in her attempts to find happiness by obtaining “things.”)

RESULTS

After only one session, Elise reported having stopped her compulsive shopping, and re-confirmed this a year later with the therapist. She had began volunteering at a home for developmentally handicapped children, something she would have never considered in the past, having previously been strongly focused on herself.

Ellen Hecht is a clinical hypnotherapist registered with the American Board of Hypnotherapy. She has a private practice in Central California and teaches workshops in meditation and stress management.
She can be reached by e-mail at: CalmingU@aol.com .
If you write to her, please put the word 'hypnosis' in the subject line.

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and Depth Hypnosis

2009-02-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

by Isa Gucciardi, PhD

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is a surprisingly pervasive disorder suffered by hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone. Formerly referred to as shell shock in WWI and WWII soldiers and later named Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Vietnam veterans coming home from the war, it is now recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a legitimate psychological disorder, affecting many people, military and otherwise. The causes of PTSD vary, but the common factor is usually a traumatizing event. Any long or short-term event, such as an accident or physical abuse, can permanently affect a person and cause PTSD.

Modern psychology has been helpful in describing and categorizing the ways in which PTSD presents itself in the form of panic, dissociation, hallucinations and other phenomena. However, the attempts of the APA and others to understand the disorder have yet to provide any substantial long-term alleviation of it. In most cases, medications are prescribed to address the symptoms of panic and lack of sleep, but they do not offer definitive ways of resolving the underlying causes.

Depth Hypnosis is a therapeutic model that does offer an effective method for working with PTSD type symptoms. The alleviation of these symptoms depends upon identifying the traumatizing event and then integrating the emotions that were not processed at the time of the event. Depth Hypnosis provides the practitioner with techniques for identifying these symptoms related to PTSD, and for integrating the event and its severe effects within the client's psyche. In order for this to happen, the practitioner must create a safe space that enables the client to enter the time and place where the trauma occurred, allow abreaction to the extent that the client feels safe to do so, help the client transform their relationship to the trauma, and integrate the experience into the client's being.

I have worked with numerous clients suffering from PTSD type symptoms and Depth Hypnosis has been effective in improving or entirely alleviating symptoms in most of them. One of my clients described her experience with physical childhood abuse as "beaten dog syndrome". She explained how, as an adult, she still involuntarily flinches when someone yells or moves towards her too quickly, much like an abused dog will flinch when you raise a hand to it. The more debilitating affects of this abuse manifest in my client's lack of confidence, fear of confrontation, depression, Attention Deficit Disorder, and suicidal thoughts.

When my client first started seeing me for counseling, it was to address a problem she had with confrontation and depression. Whenever she experienced confrontation, she shut down and was sometimes debilitated for days. I began by questioning her about her childhood and using a Depth Hypnosis technique called Insight Inquiry, I discovered that she had been abused by both parents as a child. During this process, it took some time for my client to see and acknowledge the abuse. She had been under the impression that her childhood had been good and that the punishments she endured, including beatings with belts and being locked alone in a room for hours at a time, were normal and that she deserved the punishment.

It took many months to reach the core traumatizing event, a severe beating with a belt by her father, which took place when my client was four years old. This was not a new memory for my client, although her recollection of the event had always been void of emotion. After doing light trance work for several sessions however, my client was able to get in touch with the full emotion of the event and gain even more of the memories surrounding it. In the trance she recalled the shock of betrayal as her father, a person she loved so much, turned on her. She was bewildered because she felt responsible and did not understand what she had done to cause this event to happen. She also realized that a memory that she thought was unrelated, was actually part of the same event.

It is interesting to note that my client was so overwhelmed by the fear and pain caused by this particular beating that her mind actually compartmentalized the memory, breaking it down into manageable segments. When my client was finally able to go back and relive the event in a hypnotic state and see more clearly what had happened, she was able to integrate the separate parts back into one whole memory of the traumatizing event. The following are the words of my client, reprinted by permission:

"What I remember is my father dragging me down the hall. I was crying "No Daddy. Please Daddy.' I had done something wrong, though I don't know what and he was pissed. He made me pull down my pants and lay face down on the bed. I think I checked out then, because I can't remember the physical pain or how long it lasted. It seemed like a pretty long time. My next memory is of me sitting on my bed looking out the window and thinking that the whole world was over. I can only describe it as something in me had left. It had died. I then recall sitting in front of my dresser with my baby clothes trying to put them on. I think I must have been left alone in my room for a pretty long time because during the beating it was light outside and when I was trying on the clothes it was dark."

Using Depth Hypnosis techniques, I worked with this client to transform her relationship to the traumatic event and dismantle the defenses she has built-up in reaction to it. As a result, she is now better able to handle confrontation and she reports that her depression has lessened and her suicidal thoughts have dissipated. We also spent many more sessions integrating her memory of the traumatizing event by going deeply into her anger and fear while she was in a safe space. She also did the important work of connecting with the part of her that she described as “having died” at the time of the event, and we integrated the powerful emotional content contained there. It is important to note that Depth Hypnosis techniques do not involve simple suggestion hypnosis or rescripting of the traumatic event. Instead, it provides an in-depth exploration into the psyche, and the places where the psyche stores memory and trauma. It is a process in which the client always actively participates.

While Depth Hypnosis is not the only means of alleviating symptoms of PTSD and other psychological disorders, it does seem to help clients on a long-term basis. There is a great deal that we do not understand about the psyche and trauma related disorders, but through work of this kind, we can learn about more PTSD and ourselves in general. In the end, it is the courage and hard work of the clients who make healing possible.

Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., holds degrees and certificates in transpersonal psychology, cultural anthropology, comparative religion, hypnotherapy, and
transformational healing. She has spent over 25 years studying spiritual, therapeutic, and meditative techniques from around the world. She has
worked with master teachers of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Sufism, as well as expert shamanic practitioners from the traditions of Hawaii, indigenous North and South America, Siberia, and Nepal. A few of her teachers include Joseph Campbell, Michael Harner, Marie Louise Von Franz, and currently she is a senior student of the honorable Tulku Lama Lobsang Damchoe Nima.

Dr. Gucciardi is the creator of Depth Hypnosis, a groundbreaking therapeutic model that has won rave reviews from psychotherapeutic and
spiritual counselors alike. She has published numerous articles, been featured in several documentaries, and has written two books which will be
published later this year. Dr. Gucciardi is also the founding director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, formerly Anam Cara Foundation, a
non-profit organization and resource center where she offers trainings in Depth Hypnosis, Applied Shamanism, and Integrated Energy Medicine.

Dr. Gucciardi speaks five languages, and has lived in 11 countries. She has two grown children and lives in San Francisco with her partner. In
addition to teaching, she maintains an active hypnotherapy and shamanic healing practice.

A PROBLEM & SOLUTION-FINDING PROCESS

2009-02-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

By Del Hunter Morrill, M.S., C.C.H

I use this script, after an induction, to seek out imprints that are causing a problem or hindering its solution. It doesn't require that the client or therapist know the source of the problem at a conscious level, or that they have to actively participate in regression or dialogue about the problem. Many times, this is all that's needed to deal with the initiating imprint of an issue. After using it, the therapist can determine, whether actual regression or parts therapy is required for further healing.

Now, without falling asleep…

you're letting your own mind easily put you into

this wonderful, relaxed and receptive state,,,

You're doing this by being willing to respond to just a few of my suggestions,,,

And, so, just as easily,

your own mind will find solutions to the problem, for which you've come to me…

All of the levels and various aspects of your deeper mind

will continue to cooperate powerfully with everything I suggest to you,,,

making true everything I say…

You can be assured that your mind will accept what's right for you,,,

and will reject anything that seems inappropriate for you…

And, most importantly, it will solve your problem …

You've come to me because _____ (the presenting problem) _____,,,

You no doubt realize that this (these) is (are) merely a symptom(s)

of something else that's going on…

It is this deeper problem that your Higher Consciousness, the Wise One,

the unconscious mind, the subconscious self,

or any other aspects of your mind,

can locate,,,

and can solve …

It should, therefore, give you a wonderful feeling of satisfaction

to realize that the various levels and facets of your own mind

are capable of working out a solution to your problem,

in ways that will be very pleasing to you…

And, even after you emerge from this hypnotic state,

you'll find that the subconscious levels of your mind

will continue to bring about very pleasant changes,,,

resolving that problem in easy ways…

For your deeper mind can handle that task quite easily,

without any conscious effort on your part…

So, while you're in this trance-like state, today,,,

and after the session, if it's necessary,,,

I'd like to have your mind become interested

in everything you can do to use

your own body knowledge,,,

your own mental knowledge,,,

your own psychic knowledge,,,

or any other kind of knowledge you have,,,

to locate either what's causing that basic problem,,,

or is blocking it from being resolved…

And then, its task will be to work out a solution to that problem...

So we'll allow your deeper self, that wise part of you,

to take whatever time it needs

to get the problem resolved perfectly,,,

and permanently…

And, as your mind begins to do that searching and resolving task,,,

I'd like you to feel comfortable enough

to move into an even deeper state of hypnotic relaxation,

becoming totally focused, and entranced, without going to sleep,,,

in order that our task can be done as quickly and thoroughly, as possible…

Just continue to go into whatever level of hypnotic trance is necessary

for us to do our job together,,,

in order for you to (attain your goal of/desire to) (be released from) (become)________,,,

And to be able to do so easily, pleasantly and quickly…

Pause for a while. Don't be afraid of silence.

Your mind is so amazingly capable,

that it's impossible to mention all of the abilities you use, continuously…

the ability to breathe, without conscious effort,,,

the ability to keep your blood circulating, throughout your entire system,,,

the ability to digest food easily, feeding all of your cells

with the nutrients they need for good health…

All of the many amazing activities your body carries on, daily,

to function properly, so that you stay alive,,,

are carried on by your subconscious self…

Yet, if, for any reason, your body isn't doing the best for you,,,

your deeper mind has the capacity to change that,,,

if it's necessary…

It can assist your body to do a better job,

in order for you to (attain your goal of) (be released from) (become) _______…

For, your body's natural state is to be healthy…

It's your right to have a healthy body…

Pause...

Also, there's your ability to walk and talk, automatically,,,

and to do millions of other things you've learned to do since you were born…

All of the things you had to learn, first, at a conscious level,

are now being taken care of, automatically,

by various layers, levels, aspects or dimensions

of your own subconscious mind…

Your deeper self handles all of this, without conscious effort…

In the same way, your subconscious mind

has accepted all of the habits that you've learned, as well,,,

and your reasons for developing them…

Yet, your deeper mind knows how to change any habit,

any reason, or any response,

if it's necessary…

It can assist you to (attain your goal of) (be released from)(become ______________...

For your mind's natural state is to be healthy…

It's your right to have a healthy mind…

Pause...

Your deeper Self ( your Guide, your Higher Consciousness, the Holy Spirit),

the wise part of you,

whatever you prefer to call it,

nurtures you, cares for you and educates you

at every level of your existence

during this incredible life journey you're experiencing…

Your subconscious self has accepted the attitudes and beliefs

that you've developed about yourself, the world and others,

consciously or unconsciously,,,

And those attitudes and beliefs have helped

to create the person that you've become…

Yet, your deeper mind knows how any of those beliefs and attitudes

can be changed,

if it's necessary…

It can assist you to (attain your goal of) (be released from) (become) _______…

F or your spirit's natural state is to be healthy…

It's your right to be a healthy spirit…

Pause...

It's the truth that your subconscious mind,

or its higher consciousness,

knows everything about you,

from the time you first came into existence…

It knows everything that's ever happened to you,,,

or that you've heard, or seen, or learned…

Every belief you've taken as your own,,,

Everything your parents wanted you to know,,,

and believe…

Everything your relatives, community and culture wanted you to know,,,

and believe…

Everything your teachers felt you should know,,,

and believe…

Everything your peers felt you should know,,,

and believe…

Everything said, or implied, by parents, siblings, relatives, teachers and peers

all through your growing up,,,

and anything that you've experienced in your existence,,,

has formed imprints on your mind,,,

And these imprints, or impressions, remain as they are

unless you decide they should be, and can be, changed…

Imprints of this life, and of any previous existence,

are there in your subconscious self,,,

And these influence you, even today…

(Add any you are aware of as dominating the client's life.)

Some imprints are still helpful to you,,,

Some of them are no longer helpful to you,,,

You and I don't have to know what they are, consciously,,,

Your deeper mind, that wise part of you, knows the difference…

And that deeper self can make any changes that will be helpful to you,,,

in (obtaining your goal of) (releasing you from) (becoming)_________…

(Add any of client's specific goals, dreams, or healing requirements.)

Now, just as regularly and powerfully

as the unconscious, subconscious, higher self,

or any other aspects of your inner being,

are able to run all of the activities of your body and mind,,,

some level, aspect or dimension of your deeper self

understands just where your real problem lies,,,

and can solve it …

For once you give your inner mind the opportunity

to seek out where your problem is,

it uses its own ways of working out the solution to that problem,,,

getting it resolved,,,

perfectly,,,

and permanently,,,

in ways that will please you…

And, the great thing about it is,

that the various levels and aspects of your mind can do that, right now,

without any conscious effort from you…

Your own deeper mind can resolve the problem…

For, whether or not you realize it at a conscious level,

the Higher Consciousness, that wise part of your mind, understands it…

And it understands it from a more mature point of view,

or a more courageous point of view,

or a more confident point of view,

than you might have had when that imprint, or group of imprints,

first was made upon your mind

by whatever you saw, experienced, received, understood and believed,,,

no matter what lifetime it was in…

And whatever imprints, or impressions, have been made upon your mind,

which caused the problem that resulted in ( the presenting problem ),, ,

they can be reinterpreted for the more adult you,,,

who is now in this time,,,

and in this particular phase of your life journey,,,

in which you now want _________ client's goal _________…

Your deeper mind, that subconscious self, that wise part of you,

has access to a lot of information

that, at a conscious level, you may be unaware of…

And your mind can review it all,,,

completely…

And it can release you from that problem,,,

totally,,,

and forever…

If this is so, a finger of your right/left hand will rise,

to indicate your mind's agreement with this…

(Don't rush the time here; wait a couple of minutes, and be watchful. Sometimes the client may be so deep that they don't want to move any part of their body; or they may move a different finger, or even a foot, because it seems easier to do. They may move a part of a limb very slightly, or signal later, so be observant. If there is no response , then consider going into a regression script; or do Parts Therapy. For instance, when working with smokers, stop and talk with the Smoker Self to check how seriously that part wants to quit, and what it needs in order to quit. Make a contract for when the last cigarette will be smoked. If time is an issue , then simply complete this script, using the lack of response as a clue to how you will conduct your next session with the client.)

Very good…

Now, whether or not you're aware of it, at a conscious level,

your mind is cooperating,,,

and it's working out the solution to that problem

in ways that will be pleasing to you…

For your own mind is able to sift through the imprints

of secrets, feelings, experiences, impressions, thoughts, habits,

beliefs, ideas, and emotions

from your entire existence…

And it can examine them,,,

looking at them from a different perspective,

than when you first received and recorded them…

Also, your mind is fully capable

of releasing any blocks to you changing, and (attaining/becoming) ___ goal _____…

And it will work out a pleasant solution to your problem,,,

permanently…

Now, a truly amazing thing about all of this is that

the deeper, various aspects of your mind

can continue to review, examine and explore

all of the information in your mind and body…

And your deeper self can work out solutions to problems,

even after you emerge from the hypnotic state…

So, if there's still work to do by the time this session is over,

your subconscious self will continue with it, until the solution is found…

And, by the time you come back to me for your next appointment,

your mind already can have a pleasant solution all worked out,

in a way that easily enables you to eliminate that problem,,,

and to (meet your goal of) (release you from) (become) _________,

in an easy, pleasant way…

You're learning wonderful things about yourself…

because you've become a mature person,,,

You're an adult, who is able to have problems solved in a mature way…

This is happening now…

Your confidence level is rising,,,

You're feeling more powerful,,,

And, as a result, it makes you very happy…

If you haven't used it before, go to the post-hypnotic signal of GREEN (in this volume).

If there is time, within the session, an excellent script for following this is, “Empowerment at the Center” or “Loving Yourself”.
( GREAT ESCAPES Vol. II)

I'd like to make a note here of appreciation for the work of one of my teachers, Dr. Arthur Winkler, of St. John's University, (now deceased ) for his exceptional ability in scripting, and his success in encouraging the subconscious/unconscious self to go to the problem and resolve it without the necessity of regression work. As a result of continually seeking the most powerful and positive wording of suggestions, I am an eternal editor. This revision is a result of that penchant.

The original of this script can be found in GREAT ESCAPES, Volume II,
by Del Hunter Morrlll, published in 2000. Edited 2001, Copyright © 1999, by Del Hunter Morrill

Del Hunter Morrill, M.S., Counseling Hypnotherapist Author of the GREAT ESCAPES script books and the NEW BEGINNINGS recording series

TRANSITIONS, a Center for Counseling & Hypnosis and home of New Beginnings Publishing Located in Tacoma, Washington USA
(253) 383-5757; (888) 663-5757 (toll free)
delmorrill@hypnocenter.com , http://www.hypnocenter.com

Are you Hypnotized by the Vampire?

2009-02-19T10:33:00.000-08:00

by Doreen C. Cohanim C.Ht

How Does It Work! A Good Hypnotherapist start building a report with the client, getting to know them better in order to assist on the specific request that the client came in initially and that is what the hypnotherapist start working on.

No Hypnotherapist will guarantee healing or number of sessions to clients, just because in some case's clients will need only one session and others maybe three, six or even more but no one can tell you how many sessions you will need. Except with medical referrals we recommend at least six sessions.

In case of medical referral after the six sessions the hypnotherapist will do an evaluation together with the client and a follow up with the physician to decide if farther hypnotherapy is needed or not.

Of course it is possible that the client will come back again in the future for other issues, but that will be only when the client decides the needs for hypnotherapy help in different areas of his life, some clients may need years of therapy, No Hypnoptherapist should design a map to continue future hypnotherapy up front on the first visit or so by telling the client "OHH GEE We will need a lot of work done with you or you will never get better". Is that a negative suggestion? Yes It is . . . and do we need it? No, we don't need it.

The reason I am writing this article is because I heard it many times from clients that have paid for a long list of sessions up to $5000 and more and after they paid they end up coming to me for help. So I decided to check that out... I went to one of the Body, Mind & Spirit Expo's... where there are many types of beautiful holistic approaches. I tried many FREE Classes, and one of them happened to be that FREE Class that I was told about by my clients. The class was informative and very convincing. At the Body, Mind & Spirit Expo while I was walking between the booths something caught my eye that said...

** ATTENTION HYPNOTHERAPIST! ** That's Right not only a client can become a victim but a Hypnotherapy students too. It said: 'Get Greater Value to Your Clients and Make $$$ By Selling Hypnosis Sessions in Blocs! Sounds Good Right? Who wouldn't want to make lots of Money? Especially when the Offerseems good as the price - $350.00

Hearing how my clients fear using other hypnotherapists was very disturbing to me, so I took on a mission to investigate and protect millions of victims from the 'Vampire Hypnotherapists' out there. First I have paid a fee to: 'Learn How to Get Paid for Doing Those Consultations I Used to Give Free'.

And this is what I learned!

*On my credit card slip was written "Final Sell" Just after I signed the credit card, No previous warning. ( When I realized the hypnotherapist doing that I backed away and didn't want to be part of it, but the Hypnotherapist refused to refund me the money, since it said "Final Sale" ) OUCH...

* I was promised Sixty (60) Hypnosis Scripts and twenty-five (25) client leads per week . . . Nice isn't it? Do not allow others to fool you by those leads that are from FREE Classes. Of course a FREE Gift was offered when they filled out their personal information?

* Then after you pay for the seminar you get a flyer that tells a completely different story, It says after the seminar you have to join the company to get those leads and if you do get a client, the hypnotherapist will still get additional percentage from you, something like 20% or so. Sounds to me like a Good Sales Person but not a Good Hypnotherapist though.

* That means there are no guarantees that you will actually get a client.

* When you fell for this good offer, you learn that you are becoming a suggestible victim, very dizzy from this wonderful offer and before you know it, you get sucked into a road map and to other contracts that were initially hidden to you. Now you get a road map that says you need HELP! And if you don't sign up with us as a client you will not get better, then a list is given to you, here is some of mine that I did take a note of: Twelve sessions for Success and Self Hypnosis cost $1800. Two sessions for goal setting and NLP cost $600.00. Four sessions for Financial Freedom $600.00. Four sessions for Memory enchantment $750.00. Three sessions for spiritual healing $450.00. Nine sessions for relationship $1,350.00. Basically mine came out to 81 sessions, and I didn't even write down all the sessions. Oh Yes I have recorded all this on an audio tape telling the Hypnotherapist that I was recording the Phone Seminar Session only to find out that I was talking to a CD Player, Yes the training was listening to a CD when I thought someone was actually talking to me. Since later I found out she went on to calculate how many sessions I needed to start making money... So mine came to something around $13,000.00, would you say it sounds like a scam? You bet it is, and of course payment was available.

Should You pay a Vampire to teach you what you learned over the years at your school?

This is what the Vampire was telling me: what you learned wasn't good enough to make money... I will teach you to make good money and fast... Because your school didn't teach you about sales. (I guess what she was telling me, is that my school didnt teach me to scam good people)

WOW - I tell you: that scared me to even think that I could be a victim like my clients.

WARNING SIGNS FOR A SALES PITCH:

If you buy a Hypnotherapy CD or a live session and you hear the Hypnotherapist saying NOW you are suggestible to me or under my control, do not listen to the CD or this Hypnotherapist Anymore, Just say Cancel, Cancel and open your eyes.

* No Hypnotherapist is a Licence Doctor and If they call themselves a PhD in clinical Hypnotherapy from some University, they better be a real Doctors that has taken Hypnosis as addition to their practice and Not a Hypnotherapy PhD, Because there is NO PhD in Hypnotherapy as a single subject. It is not a licenced doctor, that is why we work with doctors and with referrals only when needed, since some Issues may require licensed psychotherapists or medical doctor referral.

Hypnotherapists are not licensed by the state of California as healing arts practitioners.

Client or Hypnotherapist, please make sure you don't become a victim like some of my clients, Believe it or not I have seen Students and new Hypnotherapist that are being a victim to this 'Vampire Hypnotherapy' success offer. I have graduated with honors from one of the best schools, the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, the nation's leading accredited hypnotherapy college. So Guys, if you take your class's at HMI You don't need other places to waste your money in order to learn how to get clients, we get all the tools for advertizing during our schooling, You get the best education and it 's to become a good Hypnotherapist, not a gold digger or a Vampire. This is not what Hypnotherapy is about, we study at HMI to respect and educate our client with the best tools that is available to us, If you need help working on some issues to become a better hypnotherapist or a happy client please contact me or talk to your mentor or your hypnotherapist because they are they're to help you. ** How many time your heard from a hypnotherapoist or other businesses - well you got what you paid for? And they leave you at that? Or IF YOU Letting some clients go you doing him a DIS SERVICE. I know that this message gets you to wonder, Hmm They must be right, I pay less and I get the worst. Well it isn't exactly like that, and I don't suggest that you shouldn't pay, all I suggest is to protect your self by becoming more educated. So no one will take advantage of you, you decide what is good for you. It's an advantage to our clients to come and go when they are ready and not when we dictate how many sessions they need.

A good therapist will never put you in that position that if you don't choose them as your Hypnotherapist then you will never get better or you are procrastinating by not choosing them...

Remember My mission is to help you. So you won't become a victim to a vampire. Trust and comfort with your personal Hypnotherapist is one of the most successful tools to better you.

Doreen Cohamin, C.Ht. is an Honors Graduate of HMI Hypnosis Motivation Institute, the nation's leading accredited hypnotherapy college. Graduated: 2004

Also a Certified Practitioner / Facilitator of The Melchizedek Method™ (incorporating the Hologram of Love Merkaba). Energy Healer since August 1999, she was healed from a car accident preventing back surgery and being able to eliminate her back pain with hypnotherapy and energy healing.

HYPNOTIC APPROACHES TO ANXIETY FEAR & PANIC ATTACKS

2009-02-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

by Del Hunter Morrill, M.S., C.C.H.

If there was ever an “age of anxiety,” ours would be it. All of us experience mild anxiety, regularly, but for some anxiety escalates to forebodings of disaster and even into full-blown, debilitating panic attacks. There are some for whom anxiety develops progressively over time; for others, it attacks suddenly. The discomfort is often compounded by fear of the anxiety or panic, itself.

Surprisingly, very little has been written about this important subject in books about hypnosis. Many hypnotherapists won¹t even touch the problems of anxiety and panic attacks. This is an important and regrettable omission, because hypnotherapy can be a powerful ally in helping people developing a sense of power and confidence in spite of the normal anxieties that are a normal part of daily living.

Causes of anxiety and panic

Extreme anxiety and full-fledged panic attacks can be triggered by single events or a series of events. They can arise out of one's own experience or from the experience of others. Some years ago I experienced a sudden onset of panic that made it impossible for me to travel to and from work in New York City . This lasted for about two weeks. At the time I was bewildered as to what in the world could have caused this panic. Later on, I discovered that my panic came from a combination of my own experience and experiences reported in the news. I knew someone, personally, who had been raped right outside a workshop I was involved in, without any of us being aware of it. When a series of rape incidents was reported in the newspapers, these distant, impersonal events suddenly became very personal, triggering my terror. In my case, after two weeks, my panic left as quickly as it had come.

Anxiety and panic can be triggered by accidents, illnesses or the deaths of friends or family members - incidents that suddenly thrust people before their own contingency. I still vividly recall the image of my own mother on her deathbed. I looked at her and saw myself; I knew that my own life would have its end as well. I was aware, suddenly, that there was no way I could be sure of just long my life would be, or how it would end.

For some individuals anxiety attacks, such as the ones I suffered, have a sudden onset and may leave as mysteriously as they began. In severe cases of anxiety or panic - those that don't go away - symptoms are readily apparent, while the true causes remain unknown. There appears to be no particular incident or condition to cause the panic attacks; therefore, the cause, hidden from the person in their panic, remains a threat because it is unresolved. The fear response occurs when there is, seemingly, nothing to fear; in fact, soon, one's panic is over the fear of the panic returning.

Some panic attacks are triggered by seemingly innocuous incidents that symbolize some event or condition earlier in the person's life. A carpenter became anxious and even panicked whenever he had to go near a roof - a very limiting experience for a homebuilder. Regressing him to the source, he recalled that he had been working on a roof a few years earlier and had slipped. Although he quickly caught himself and his conscious mind shrugged off the incident as unimportant, the “unconscious“ imprint remained, leading to his fear of falling. Once he was aware that his anxiety came from such a simple incident, his panic disappeared, altogether.

The Benefits of Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is effective in helping people with either mild or severe cases of anxiety. In mild cases, simple reprogramming can give people relief. In more severe cases, it is necessary to discover the source of the anxiety before any reprogramming can be fully effective.

Hypnotic suggestions replace catastrophic thoughts or over-anxiousness with truthful statements about the nature of the symptoms and the realization that physical sensations can cause no harm. Hypnosis can slow the heartbeat, create a sense of balance and relaxation through deep breathing, free the throat to swallow, overcome sensations of temperature changes and stomach upsets, and promote clear-headedness.

Hypnotherapy is frequently an important adjunct to counseling. Some counseling techniques use de-sensitization procedures to help the client eliminate anxiety by gradually helping them face and deal with experiences without apprehension. Using hypnosis at the subconscious / unconscious levels of the mind from which the anxiety is arising can accelerate this process, considerably. The client most often experiences their anxiety leaving them, and doing so naturally, without much conscious effort on his or her part.

Whether in the recent past or in the distant past, some events leave negative psychological imprints. Sometimes they are forgotten or unrecognized for the detrimental effect they produce. Such negative imprints can be left by traumatic incidents, or by minor events that were misunderstood when they occurred. Hypnotic, or altered state procedures can seek out these causal events involved in the initial development or onset of the problem. Age regression is one of the most beneficial techniques available to people who suffer anxiety because it can be so effective in uncovering causes. Hypnotic procedures using age regression simply help the client to go back in their memory to the time and place where a problem originated. In the case of anxiety or panic attacks, this can be something that occurred only a few weeks prior to coming for assistance or it can be in childhood. . For some, it can go back even further in their existence.

A woman was becoming increasingly anxious whenever one of her family members left the house. When she came to me for therapy, we used age regression to help her recall an incident when she very young. Her mother had died after a long illness and was being carried out of the house. Well-meaning adults, trying to explain the concept of death, told her that when her mother was taken out through the door, she would not return. Once my client remembered this scene, her anxiety was released by understanding the connection between her own experiences as an adult, and her experiences as a child, when loved ones go out the door.

In this instance, a simple understanding of the situation was all that was necessary. Sometimes, however, hypnotic suggestions that alleviate a client's presenting symptom or change a long-term habit is enough for the client to feel truly relieved. In other cases, additional techniques, used at the unconscious level, may be needed to help release the hold such a memory has on the client. When suggestions to “reprogram” don't bring about the desired results, it is as though a rejection from deep within the subconscious self is giving signals that more must be done. This is why regression to the cause is such an invaluable tool for permanent healing of an issue.

A Case Study of Releasing Anxiety

A client came to me filled with such acute anxiety, including panic attacks, that she was having trouble functioning in her work and relationships. This condition had been troubling her for some years, but was increasing in intensity and constancy. She had no idea what had triggered this, only that it had come upon her quite suddenly. She had been told by doctors that she would have to “live with it” and was given medication to alleviate the symptoms. She had friends who had either experienced panic or had acquaintances who were experiencing it; they told her, “You will have it all your life.” This, of course, added to her terror. Without intending harm, her friends and acquaintances had unwittingly communicated powerful messages that she had taken seriously - Thus, a “hypnotic spell” had been impressed on her. These messages stayed with her in the form of images on her mind - images that created the expectation of a hopeless situation and of continuing torment. Comments that had been made innocently had become expectations that limited her possibilities for balance and calm.

After a comprehensive intake interview, it became clear that one of my first responsibilities was to relieve her of the “hypnotic spells” which she had received from others, including the “spell” of the fear of anxiety itself. During the first session I saw her, she did not respond to traditional approaches, including counseling and direct hypnotic suggestions. I had not used anything else up to that point, because her anxiety level was quite high. I didn't wish to exacerbate it by using methods of investigation. By the time we'd had a few sessions, her trust was such that I decided to pursue the deeper causes of her anxiety. She needed help to enter into a state where she could reach the more subconscious aspects of her mind. However, due to her anxiety level, whenever we approached the deeper issues, her panic would begin to rise, rapidly. Therefore, I felt that the best way to proceed this was to speak to some aspect of her personality - that is, to the part of her that was so anxious. At the same time, I hoped we would uncover a past event that had caused the anxiety, or was exacerbating it. It was important, I felt, to do this as quickly as possible, before her anxiety experiences took over the session again.

In her imagination, I had her create a safe place of comfort and peace. The place she chose was a meadow surrounded by trees, to which she could return at any time. Using this setting, I suggested that she take a path through the woods until she found a wall blocking the pathway. She was to open a gate set in the wall; and when she went through that gate, she would meet the “Anxious One.”

Here is the dialogue that took place:

She goes through the gate to the other side. I ask her to tell me what she IMMEDIATELY sees. “It's the Devil!” she replies.

My instinct is to tell her that the devil is wearing a mask, and that, without thinking, she is to tear the mask off. She does so and sees her father.

“He¹s scary,” she says. “He seems overpowering, and I feel helpless.”

I ask her to look around; she will see someone or something in that place that is as powerful, or even more powerful, than her father is.

“It's Mom,” she says.

“How does it feel to have your Mom there beside you right now?” I ask.

“I feel her love and I feel more safe.”

I ask Mom to speak to the father (the devil). Mom says, “It is enough! It is over!”

“What is happening now?” I ask.

“He's leaving. Mom is a strong person, like I want to be.”

“Would you like to receive your Mom's STRENGTH and POWER?” She says “Yes.”

Believing that it is just as important for the transference to be agreed upon in both directions, I ask, “Is she willing to give it to you?”

She answers, “Yes.”

I ask Mom if she is willing. She says, “Yes.”

I have them take hands, with Mom looking into her daughter¹s eyes, and suggest that she begin to merge her mom's strength and power into her own. When the merging is completed, I ask my client what she is feeling.

“I feel stronger.”

I ask, now, where she feels that strength. She says it is in her heart. I remind her that the heart is where COURAGE lies. She is pleased to hear this.

I have her take that strong feeling and let it spread out from the heart down over the belly, because, I tell her, “that is where her POWER lies.” She does so, and is very pleased with the results.

I remind her, “You now have your mother¹s strength, courage and power as a part of you. You can use these all the time now. Your father's negative spirit is no longer with you. Anything he has said and done is merely thoughts, now, just memories, and they cannot hurt you anymore. They have no hold over you. Are you in agreement with this?”

She agrees.

I bring her forward to this time. Just before coming out of the hypnotic trance I invite her to talk more about her father and why he has had this hold on her. She says that during her younger years she was never able to do anything right around him and was always terrified of him. She felt she had a voice to speak back to him.

I use this information to “command” that the old hypnotic spell, put on her by her father, is broken! The “spirit” that had hold of her was her father, even though he was still alive. She had allowed him to “hypnotize” her into believing that he still had a hold on her. Also, any other “spells” that we might not be aware of, which have caused or increased her anxiety, are broken. I follow this with a meditation in which healing light cleanses her, fully, surrounds her and protects her.

In our next sessions, we pursued the past by going to the 'Land of Memories' . We entered the Hall of Records, locating the room holding her own past. Although I will not be writing in detail about those sessions within this article, they proved to be highly beneficial in continuing her healing. My client continued to benefit from the use of several hypnotic techniques that helped her explore her past and the causes of her present anxiety and panic. Her anxiety was dramatically alleviated and, much to her relief, she has been able to return to her work and personal relationships with confidence.

Del Hunter Morrill, M.S., Counseling Hypnotherapist Author of the GREAT ESCAPES script books and the NEW BEGINNINGS recording series.

TRANSITIONS, a Center for Counseling & Hypnosis and home of New Beginnings Publishing Located in Tacoma, Washington USA
(253) 383-5757; (888) 663-5757 (toll free)
delmorrill@hypnocenter.com , http://www.hypnocenter.com

A case study involving the use of Hypnotherapy for Anxiety

2009-02-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

by Paul Howard

Introduction

Simon came to see me with a presenting issue of anxiety and panic attacks. He said he was unable to eat in front of anybody but his family. He was unable to go out with his mates anymore, even to the pub for a drink. The anxiety increased ten fold if any women were in the group. He had been unable to have a relationship with women for the past 5 years. He noticed anxiety in situations with women from around the age of 11. He also had to start presenting a course in the near future, as part of his job, and it was this that had filled him with dread and prompted him to seek help.

Background

Simon was a 23-year old man who, although a little withdrawn, seemed very friendly and likeable. He works at a local company as a computer technician. In his job he did not have to interact with too many people and used to feel safe, until these new responsibilities had been laid at his door. He had created all the usual avoidance techniques.

His anxiety manifested itself by making him physically sick or at the very least retching. Understandably this had proved very embarrassing in passed times, and now the fight or flight response in many situations had been installed.

The client's goal of therapy - expectation

He said that he wanted to be mentally stronger, to be able to enjoy other people's company in unfamiliar places, and to stop his irrational thinking.

My aims as the Therapist

My aim was obviously to find and remove any underlying fears that were causing the anxiety, and then to move the client forward to have a few convincers those things were changing; then to build on those successes and allow the client to realise that its okay to feel comfortable in all situations, where appropriate.

The Technique

I used rapid and progressive relaxation inductions, and during the therapy I used hypno-analysis, gestalt, suggestion, metaphor, timeline and NLP.

Treatment: session 1

During the initial interview we established that he had a very good and stable home life. He has two sisters, one 4 years older and one 6 years older than him. He has a very loving relationship with all his family.

We established that he became very anxious in new situations, especially where he would be required to eat. For example, if he were invited to the pub for lunch he would decline because he was afraid that he might be sick in front of his work colleagues.

During these feelings of panic, he would get a wave of anxiety rushing up from his stomach to his throat. Using an NLP technique, I anchored the feeling of a wave travelling in the opposite direction to him, by pressing his thumb and finger together. In future anytime he felt this feeling of panic, he could destroy the wave using this “finger tool”. We future paced this and he found it to be very effective.

As the session was drawing to an end I simply induced hypnosis using a modified Elman technique. I then used a metaphor about feeling really good in public and how it was possible for him to be calm and relaxed any time he needed to be, reinforcing the “finger tool”.

Session 2

During the pre-hypnosis interview, we discovered that he had an overwhelming fear of loss of control and a fear of criticism. He also reported that the “finger tool” was working very well, and he had quelled several panic attacks that week. He felt as though he had a greater measure of control.

During the hypnosis I regressed Simon back to the first time he felt these feelings of panic and loss of control. He went straight back to a time aged 11, when he joined a new school. He had felt very overwhelmed and scared as it was very formal and he felt lost. During this time he had tried to make himself as small and insignificant as possible in the hope that nobody would notice him. Unfortunately this did not work and he was bullied for quite a time when he first started at this school. He always tried to make sure everything was perfect so as not to draw attention to himself. After doing integration and allowing him to realise that this could well be the reason for his fear of criticism, I went on to do some direct suggestion work on his perfectionism.

Session 3

During this session Simon explained he felt that his control was still increasing, and he had not had a panic attack all week. In fact he reported that he had felt increasingly calm.

Simon asked me if we could concentrate on his anxiety over eating in front of people as he had a function coming up at work soon. I did some direct suggestion work based on his anxiety regarding eating, as well as future pacing him out with some friends, eating calmly and really enjoying himself. Upon termination of the hypnosis Simon reported that he felt really excited when he had seen himself eating calmly in front of his friends. However there was a certain amount of doubt as to whether he would really feel that way. I asked him to try it and to give me feedback on how it went the following week, which he said he would.

Session 4

At the start of this session Simon explained that he had had limited success with regards to the eating. He had been able to eat in front of his mates i.e. male friends, but still felt extremely self-conscious in front of women.

In the hypnosis session I instigated a regression back to the first time he really felt self-conscious in front of women. Again it was when he was 11. His sisters and their friends were there taking the micky out of him because his voice was breaking. I had him review this event and did the integration work.

The second event was much more recent. It was a failed relationship that occurred when he was 18. It transpired that he had really trusted her but she had an affair and they had split up. It would appear that this event really seemed to knock his self-confidence with regard to women. We did some gestalt work with this woman and he told her how he really felt about the affair, and the consequential breakdown of the relationship. There seemed to be some very intense feelings still in evidence. After doing the integration work I terminated the trance.

Session 6 (Final Session)

In this session Simon reported that he had thought long and hard about the relationship we had worked on last week, and had come to the conclusion that this was part of his reticence with regard to being around women. He explained that during this week he had been out to the pub for lunch with two of the girls at work, where he had had a sandwich and a pint. Although he thought this was only a small step, he was really pleased as his anxiety levels, although somewhat high at the start, dropped to zero after about 10 minutes. He felt confident that he would be fine the next time.

I did some suggestion work for rebuilding trust in relationships and brought the session to a close. Simon felt that he had come a long way since the start so I suggested a break where he could try out these new patterns of behaviour.

Post Treatment

Simon called me four weeks later to report on his successes. He told me that he felt so much better about himself since his sessions. He could now go out in a social environment in a calm and confident way. He had also started a relationship with a girl he had known for sometime but always kept at arm's length. His fear of criticism had reduced and in fact he has now taken on the job of doing in-house IT training for the staff in his company. This filled him with dread before our sessions.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Simon was a very good hypnotic subject. He was very easy to work with, given his abilities to visualise. He seemed willing to take things on board very quickly and he was always willing to work to make things right for himself.

During our sessions I could almost watch him grow. The changes were so profound that it almost seemed to make his head spin.

After we had finished working together, I saw Simon 3 months later in a local pub. He was with a group of friends and he seemed to be having a good time. He was interacting well with both the men and the women. Although I didn't make my presence known to him he did notice me later in the evening - and sent a huge smile my way!

Paul Howard
The Surrey Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy http://www.sich.co.uk/
PaulH@sich.co.uk

Altering the Pain Experience: Hypnotherapy for Pain Management

2009-02-19T10:30:00.002-08:00

By Cynthia Lindner, MS

INTRODUCTION:

Hypnotherapy is a recommended treatment for chronic pain patients. Strong evidence has been gathered by a 1995 panel of physicians of the National Institutes of Health that show hypnotic interventions are beneficial in the management of cancer pain, temporal-mandibular disorders, tension headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome. Relaxation techniques are also shown to be very useful for reducing chronic pain. A review of more recent literature also reveals that hypnosis is being successfully used for management of acute pain associated with invasive procedures, treatments such as burn dressing changes, labor and childbirth, and some surgical procedures.

Chronic pain affects over 34 million Americans. Most are significantly disabled by it, and some are permanently disabled. Over $40 billion is spent annually in the U.S. on treatments and over 25% of all sick days are taken to deal with pain. Indeed, chronic pain is a global issue, and the World Health Organization supports efforts to relive pain for all of humanity. Pain patients may experience an increase in stress, metabolic rate, blood clotting, and water retention. Pain patients can have delayed healing, hormonal imbalances, impaired immune systems and gastro-intestinal functioning, mobility difficulties, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, suffering, low self-esteem, and depression. (Bedard, 1997)

As a participant in an integrated medicine approach, therapists can help patients to understand the physiological processes of the body while taking into consideration the patient's belief system, perspective and response to pain.

The goal of hypnotherapy for pain management is to produce deep relaxation for the reduction or amelioration of fear, tension and anxiety that is concomitant with pain. (Longacre, 1997) Suggestions for comfort and suggestions that aid with cognitive restructuring can help the patient to modify their experience of the pain and thus diminish or end the suffering. Imagery can provide distraction and relief from pain. There is evidence for a change in brain activity which apparently mitigates pain sensations. Recent research provides us with substantial evidence that hypnosis is an effective pain management tool. The advantages of incorporating hypnotic strategies into a management plan for unremitting acute or chronic pain are the following: Firstly, the patient can begin to regain a sense of control over their well-being. Secondly, patients may require less medication, and therefore avoid or limit undesirable side effects. Thirdly, patients successfully learn to do self-hypnosis can independently alleviate their pain. Thereby gaining a stronger sense of well-being by being able to “take charge” of their comfort and reduce medical office visits.

PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN:

Cognitive Restructuring—

Evaluate the impact of negative self-talk.
2. Develop self-soothing, and calming inner dialog.

Relaxation Training:

Progressive muscle relaxation.
2. Visualization and breath work.
3. Teach self-hypnosis.
3. Meditation / Yoga.
5. Self-Regulation. (Biofeedback)

Stress Management:

Proper nutrition, exercise, and rest.
2. Time management / prioritizing.
3. Relaxation training.
4. Participation in pleasurable activities.

Address Issues of Control:

Facilitate identification of choices.

Explore Body Image Issues:

Encourage grieving for any losses related to changes in functioning.
2. Encourage self-acceptance.
3. Provide positive feedback for efforts and accomplishments in self-care.

THE PROBLEM OF DEPRESSION:

Several studies have shown a significant rate of depression in chronic pain patients. Some research finding between 31% and 100% of chronic pain patients have a diagnosis of depression (Romano & Turner, 1985), with ranges of 50% - 65% being more typical (Kramlinger et al., 1983). There are several possible explanations for the pain/depression relationship. These possibilities include: Chronic pain causes depression; depressed patients are more likely to experience depression; chronic pain and depression are mediated by other variables (Averill, Novy, Nelson & Berry, 1996) Regardless of the reason for this relationship, it is accepted that the co-occurrence of depression with chronic pain effects treatment outcomes. Research has shown that non-depressed pain patients tend to benefit from treatment more than depressed patients, and that back pain patients free from depression do more activities than their depressed counterparts who tend to avoid more activities.

While major depression during the circumstances of personal loss and serious physical illness is considered normal and is expected, it should be treated by a qualified mental health professional. Whenever a deep depression is present suicide prevention is a concern. In this author's opinion, depression must also be addressed when depression interferes with physical and vocational rehabilitation.

APPROACHES:

As in any situation where hypnosis is used, care should be taken to utilize the attributes, likes and dislikes that the client brings into the session. A client centered permissive approach is how this author typically works, however a classical authoritarian approach which can also be delivered in respectful manner, is also effective with some clients. A self-assessment of pain (Discomfort Survey) can be completed by the patient during the initial comprehensive visit, rating the pain on a 1-10 scale, mapping the location and type of pain they are experiencing, and selecting descriptive words for the pain from a list of adverbs. Teaching a progressive muscle relaxation is useful, however tensing and clenching muscles then releasing is a relaxation technique which can aggravate certain types of musculoskeletal pain, and should be avoided.

Suggestibility testing and eliciting hypnotic phenomena are useful to the client and enhance treatment outcomes. In several studies, patients scoring high on tests of hypnotic suggestibility often showed more improvement with non-hypnotic psychological measures such as autogenic training, relaxation, and cognitive-behavioral treatment. It appears the association between clinical effect and suggestibility exists for a range of psychological treatments. ( Kessler, 2004)

CONCLUSION:

Various techniques in self-regulation are helpful in reducing pain and suffering in patients. Hypnosis is useful in mitigating chronic and acute pain, and can be effective for children and adults. The literature supports both hypnotic and relaxation interventions for reduction of pain with hypnosis appearing to be the stronger intervention having a positive effect for both chronic and acute pain. (Kessler, 2004)

While hypnosis has not consistently been shown to be more effective for pain than other treatment options, there are other benefits to consider such as fewer medical visits, less medication may be needed and by managing pain through self-hypnosis medication side effects are reduced because less medication is consumed. It is psychologically pleasing for many patients who use hypnotic intervention to take charge of their sense of well-being and be an active participant in their treatment.

REFERENCES:

Averill, Novy, Nelson, & Berry , Correlates of depression in chronic pain patients: A comprehensive examination, Pain , 65 (1996) 93-100

Bedard, Marcia E., PhD (1997, July) Fact Sheet on Chronic Nonmalignant Pain [Online] Available: http://waevecom.net/Irandal/bedard.html [1997 , July 15

The Guilord Press

Kessler, Rodger S., Is It Time to Propose a Continuum of Self-Regulation Treatments for the Control of Pain? Evidence for Effectiveness of Hypnosis and Relaxation, Pain Bulletin March/April 2004 • Vol 14, Number 2, American Pain Society

Kramlinger KG, Swanson DW, Maruta T. Are patients with chronic pain depressed? Am J Psychiatry. 1983;140:747-750.

Romano, J. & Turner, J. (1985) Chronic pain and depression: does the evidence support a relationship? Psychology Bulletin , 97 , 18-32.

Cynthia Lindner, MS is a certified hypnotherapist (1985) and hypnoanaesthesia therapist (1993) with many years of experience working in the mental health professions. She has specific expertise in applying the complementary modalities of guided imagery, hypnosis, and biofeedback for the purpose of attaining wellness, self-improvement, and with Doctor's referral, relief of pain and symptoms. Cynthia has taught hypnotherapy workshops at international conferences, has authored several published articles, and is a Past President of the American Psychotherapy & Medical Hypnosis Association. She is a highly skilled professional in private practice on Long Island , NY with a talent for using mind-body techniques as an enhancement to the standard therapeutic process. Website: http://www.clinicalhypnotism.com/

Anger Management

2009-02-19T10:30:00.001-08:00

by Merv. Secker, Dip. C.H, CMAHA

Anger management is, I know, a diverse process. Anger has many causes and there are many different methods of dealing with these issues to bring about a resolution. This is a process which, whilst it does not of itself resolve anger completely, does provide a useful tool in working with a client and enabling a reduction in the clients reaction to an anger producing situation. It utilizes Spontaneous Trance and Interspersal Hypnotic Techniques

I have noticed as I worked with clients with anger issues (as well as with self-esteem and depression) that it appeared as if the client was “taking on board” the perceived “slight” or “comment” and in consequence were reacting to what they felt was a putdown directed at them.

This process is designed to increase their awareness of their actions and to enable them to recognize that they can take a different course of action which will reduce their perceived need to feel angry or depressed.

Visualize, if you can, a normal therapy session:

You are discussing the issues with the client and finding where their perceived problems lay. The client has reached the point where they have explained that they are having anger management or depression problems and in discussing the issues have indicated/or inferred that they are taking “on board” the issues put up by the other parties in the process.

I look at the client and pick up the Teddy bear and, not saying anything, throw it at them, then sit and wait while they catch the teddy bear and watch what they do, still without saying anything. Invariably they will catch it and look at it and continue to hang onto it with a rather confused look on their face . I give them a little while, still not making any comment, then ask for it back. They throw it back (or pass it) to me. I catch it. Look at it. (Often a spontaneous trance is invoked by the client about now, if not, then very shortly)

Then put it down on the side table. I look back at the client, pause, and have the following conversation (or something similar depending on the client response).

Merv, “What just happened?”

Client, ” You just threw the teddy at me.”

Merv, ”And?”

Client,” I threw it back.”

Merv, ” No. Something else happened.”

Client, ” I caught it”

Merv, ” And?”

At this point the client is usually totally confused (and has accessed a spontaneous trance state) so I then take the lead .

Merv, ”You caught it, and you held on to it, and you continued to hold it until I asked for it back, and you threw it back to me, and I caught it and I looked at it, and I decided I did not want to hold on to it, and I PUT THE BEAR DOWN”

Merv, ”Tell me, when anybody throws anything at you do you always catch it and hold it? When are you going to give yourself permission to PUT THE BEAR DOWN. If you catch hold of something you don't have to hang on to it if it causes you distress. You can just PUT THE BEAR DOWN and get rid of it. Of course you may choose to not catch it in the first place, that would work well too wouldn't it?”

I then continue with discussing the clients issues and where applicable insert the comment “PUT THE BEAR DOWN” or pick up the bear and put it down with no comment. Later I give the client a small key chain with a teddy bear on it “to remind them TO PUT THE BEAR DOWN” when they need to.

I have used this process for some time now with very positive results.

The bear I use is a small (about 15cm), very soft and pleasantly tactile bear ( so that I can throw it around without injuring the client or breaking any thing in the office) You do not have to use a bear, a soft ball (foam) would work as well. However I believe that the subconscious associations of most people with Teddy Bears assists in making the process more effective.

I have in the above description Capitalized “PUT THE BEAR DOWN” this is to indicate that this phrase utilizes the Interspersal Hypnotic Technique and its repetition reinforces the suggestion.

Appetite Control Success Through Hypnosis

2009-02-19T10:29:00.001-08:00

By Alan B. Densky CH

Medical research has proven that all diets work. But research teams have also proven that there are secrets to making those diets work efficiently. In this article we will reveal the secrets of quick, easy, and permanent weight loss.

Medical science research at Tufts-New England Medical Center has provided irrefutable evidence that all popular diets work when you stick to them. Atkins - low carb; The Zone - low glycemic index; Ornish - low fat; Weight Watchers - low calorie.

But research has provided convincing evidence that almost no one can stick to any diet because of his or her appetite. So to be successful with a diet, weight loss hypnosis can be very effective.

Webster's Dictionary defines "Appetite" as: "The desire for gratification of some want, craving, or passion." So "appetite" is eating and drinking for relaxation and pleasure.

Many people confuse hunger with appetite. Hunger is defined as "The body's call for nourishment." In other words, when the body needs fuel, that's when you feel factual hunger. By that differentiation, it is practically impossible for anyone to "be hungry" if they are overweight.

However, it is possible for you to have feelings that you interpret as "hunger." And the stomach contracting in expectation of being fed causes those feelings.

When you were a tot and you became cranky, your mother would put a nipple into your mouth to distract you from that upset. You would get distracted, become calmer and often go to sleep. That sequence of events was repeated dozens of times so that your unconscious mind was programmed: When something goes into your mouth, you get relaxation and pleasure from it.

Now that you are all grownup, if you feel tense or anxious, you crave something in your mouth for relaxation and pleasure - food!

People Also Get Cravings and Urges Because Of Conditioning.

When you connect consuming food with any other activity, the other activity will trigger cravings for food and an urge to eat. This is called a conditioned response. For example: If you eat when you drive your car, you will automatically get an urge to eat each time you drive your car.

What About Compulsive Overeaters Who Eat Because Of Emotional Reasons?

A compulsion is defined as an "irresistible impulse." NLP (neuro-linguistic programming has a presupposition: All behaviors are driven by a positive intention. In other words, our subconscious mind will only motivate us into behaviors that benefit or protect us in some way. So in NLP terms, being fat is a behavior when it provides a positive outcome for us.

You may be wondering what the positive outcomes of being fat could possibly be. The list of possible positive outcomes is as long as the list of people who are grossly overweight. But I'll give you a classic example: A person gets their heart broken in a relationship. So to protect the self from getting the heart broken again, the unconscious motivates the self to become overweight to keep the self out of relationships and prevent another broken heart.

A big secret to suppressing your appetite is called an NLP six-step reframe. With an NLP reframe, we respect the fact that the subconscious is pushing us to consume our food for relaxation and pleasure. And if we are eating compulsively because being fat is protecting us, we respect that also.

In a neuro-linguistic programming six-step reframe we compromise with our subconscious mind. In the scenario of eating for relaxation and pleasure, we ask our subconscious mind to assume the responsibility for making us automatically substitute other behaviors. The alternate behaviors must be as effective and available at providing the same relaxation and pleasure. But they must also be more consciously acceptable to us. When the mind is motivating us into alternate behaviors that provide the relaxation and pleasure that we require - we lose our appetite on this score.

If you are a compulsive overeater we do an additional reframe. We ask your subconscious to assume the responsibility for substituting new behaviors in place of being fat. These new behaviors must be as effective and available at providing the same positive outcomes. But they must be activities that are more consciously acceptable to you as an individual. When your subconscious is motivating you into alternate behaviors that provide the same outcomes that you require, you lose the urges to overeat.

As far as feeling cravings because of conditioning (conditioned responses), we utilize various hypnotic and NLP techniques that "extinguish" those conditioned responses. That breaks the connection between the behaviors, and eliminates the urges and feelings of compulsion.

When your appetite has been eliminated and any compulsion to overeat has been dealt with, you can easily stick to any type of healthful diet indefinitely so that it becomes a permanent lifestyle change.

Compulsive eating and appetite suppression is a complex topic. I can only scratch the surface of it in this article. You can locate additional articles on this topic on my website.

Alan B. Densky, CH is NGH certified. He specializes in the use of http://www.neuro-vision.us/Products/OrderAudioAppetiteControlHypnosisTapes.html NLP CD's for appetite control and http://www.neuro-vision.us/Products/NeuroVISIONAppetiteDvd.htm Video weight loss hypnosis. He also provides a broad range of NLP & hypnosis CD's & DVD's for a broad range of other topics and can be reached through his http://www.neuro-vision.us Neuro-VISION Video Hypnosis website.

© 2007 By Alan B. Densky.

DEALING WITH TRAUMA

2009-02-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

by Dr. Maurice Kouguell

In an article, Antidote for the Psychological Effects of Terrorism: A Rapid, Biological Technique for Clearing Trauma from Mind and Body, Judith Swack, Ph.D. writes:
“Since September 11, 2001, have you noticed any of the following symptoms:

When you think of the terrorist attacks you can't believe it; it seems like a bad movie
You can't bear to think about it or you can't stop watching the news on TV
You can't believe that anybody could do such evil (particularly in the name of God) and you've lost your faith mankind
You feel betrayed by God, the President, or the US government for not protecting us
You feel guilty that we were attacked for something we did or did not do. The world seems dark and sinister even on sunny days
You feel that life will never be the same again; the world as we know it has come to an end
You are scared about anthrax or what might come next
You have trouble sleeping or you have nightmares
You feel numb
You cry more easily or you cry all the time
You feel like crying when you hear the national anthem or other patriotic songs
You feel crabbier than usual or you feel extraordinarily angry
You are afraid to fly
You are frightened by airplanes flying overhead
You don't want to leave home
You don't want to go anywhere on vacation
You don't want your relatives and friends to go out of town
You don't want to go out to restaurants or other entertainment
You are afraid to spend money
You feel lethargic. Your life feels meaningless, put on hold, or derailed
You find it more difficult to deal with your already stressful life
You feel isolated
Previous loss or violence traumas now feel worse or reactivated
You find yourself worrying about a disaster plan for your family

If you have any of these symptoms then you have been traumatized to some degree by the terrorist attack on our country. In addition to the direct attack on our country, many people have been traumatized by additional shocks caused by the ripple effect on our economy such as the loss of jobs and investment money or continued terrorist activity such as the anthrax scare. In one way or another this attack has affected most of us personally.”

Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary defines trauma as “an injury or wound violently produced” and “as an emotional experience or shock which has a lasting psychic effect.” The psychiatric definition as described in the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition includes “the person experienced, witnessed or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others (and) the person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness or horror.” We observe that although the trauma, the event itself has ended, the reaction has not. The memory of the precipitating incident leaves the individual with an imprint, a feeling of being stuck, frozen.

Environmental factors will then easily trigger the memory of the incident with its full impact. The incident, the memory resurfaces and frequently takes such proportions that it becomes real to the victim. Those can become subject to flashbacks, nightmares and may continue to struggle with emotional unrest, fears, and anxiety, very similar in intensity to their initial reaction to the precipitating event.

It is not possible to estimate how many people have been affected as a result of the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York. The numbers of victims go beyond the astronomical numbers of persons whose family members, friends and co-workers died on that day, traumatized people who were in the area, people who saw the event live or on television. But the number does not stop there. There is and will continue to be a ripple effect which will trigger in so many post traumatic stress reactions. Traumatic stress encompasses the emotional, cognitive behavioral and psychological experience of individuals who have witnessed or have been direct victims of overwhelming events.

Some react to stress by expressing their fears openly. However, it is reported that the vast majority of traumatized people ''act in.'' They will turn the terror, the rage, the shame and the guilt inwards. All those bottled up feelings will in time begin to undermine their emotional and physical health as well as their sense of well-being. Although those feelings are translated into physical manifestation, physicians report that they can find nothing medically wrong with at least eighty percent of patients who seek their help. A significant portion of these people are probably suffering from undiagnosed symptoms related to trauma and stress.

According to Brown and Fromm,(1) “events that typically cause PTSD fall into two classes: natural disasters (tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms, floods, fires and animal attacks); and human aggression (assault, rape, burglary, kidnapping, high jacking, political incarceration, torture and holocaust) These situations are so removed from ordinary everyday experience that even the healthiest of people are ill equipped to cope with them.”

No two people react to trauma in similar ways. The same event which can be harmful to one individual can be exhilarating to another. During my tour of duty with the U.S. Army, my entire company was shipped to Korea except for three of us. I was assigned to the Mental Health Unit and the Neuro-Psychiatric Service. I saw several of my “buddies”, after their experience in Korea, return to our camp. Some where severely traumatized, experiencing shell shock, some continued to experience flash backs and some felt great about their experience during “that police action”.

Although symptoms of trauma may appear shortly after the precipitating event, others develop over time. The end of a war or a terrorist attack or liberation from a concentration camp does not mean the end of the internal or psychological liberation. So even if one has physical security, one looses emotional security. One may have lost a sense of security, a sense of trust. Sometimes repeated nightmares are reported; at times one may experience startled reactions such as flashbacks.

In an interview dated 8/27/97, Dr Yael Danieli (3), states that “every one is affected for the rest of their lives. 15 to 35 percent of people are affected seriously… at one point or another they could be chronically affected for the rest of their lives. They may be seemingly non affected for a long time but then some reminder will happen or a change, such as change in life style or aging, can become very traumatic for survivors of past trauma, as a result of the trauma. It is important to realize that trauma is not a sickness or a disease. It is a dis-ease. Some loose the ability to sleep through the night. Should signs of trauma go on unattended, they could cause pathology.

The following is a list of symptoms as described by Peter A. Levine, author of 'Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma'. It should be noted that not all of the following symptoms can be caused only by trauma. The evaluation has to take into account that the dis-ease is not going away or getting better.

Hyperarousal: Manifested by physical signs such as difficulty in breathing, increased heart rate, cold sweats, tingling, muscular tension, racing thoughts, worry.
Constrictions: The nervous system reacts by constricting both the body and one’s perceptions. This affects the breathing, the body posture and the muscle tone.
Dissociation: During a life threatening event one experiences a separation of awareness from physical realities which protects one (act of escalating arousal). If the precipitating event continues it protects the individual from the pain of death and allows him to endure the experience beyond expectation.
Denial: a form of dissociation. Thus one may react as though the event was insignificant.
Feeling of helplessness, or immobility or freezing. This can be described as being completely immobilized, paralyzed.

Other symptoms that surface shortly after trauma, although they can surface later, include:

Hypervigilance: being on guard all the time.
Intrusive imagery such as flashbacks.
Extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
Hyperactivity, restlessness.
Exaggerated emotional and startled reaction to noise, quick movements, etc.
Nightmares and night terrors.
Abrupt mood swings such as rage reaction, temper tantrums, shame.
Reduced ability to deal with stress (easily stressed out).
Difficulty sleeping
Fear of going crazy
Other symptoms include: panic attacks, phobias, anxiety
Mental blankness, or spaciness
Avoiding circumstances which remind one of the previous experience
Attraction to dangerous situations
Frequent anger or crying
Mood swings
Exaggerated or diminished sexual activity
Amnesia and forgetfulness
Inability to love, nurture or bond with other individuals
Fear of dying or having a shortened life

The following are symptoms which take longer to develop:

Excessive shyness
Diminished emotional response to make commitments
Chronic fatigue or low physical energy
Immune system and certain endocrine problems such as thyroid dysfunction or psychosomatic illnesses - particularly headaches, neck and back problems, asthma, digestive distress, spastic colon, severe premenstrual syndrome and eating disorders
Depression, feeling of impending doom
Feeling like the “living dead”: detached, alienated and isolated
Reduced ability to formulate plans and carry them through.

The symptoms of the trauma can be present at all times or come and go. Usually they often grow increasingly complex over time, becoming less and less connected with the original trauma experience.

How Do People Respond During Traumatic Exposure?

The following emotional, cognitive, behavioral and physiological reactions are often experienced by people during a traumatic event. It is important to recognize that these reactions do not necessarily represent an unhealthy or maladaptive response. Rather, they may be viewed as normal responses to an abnormal event. When these reactions are experienced in the future (i.e. weeks, months or even years after the event), they can be joined by other symptoms (e.g., recurrent distressing dreams, “flashbacks,” avoidance behaviors, etc.), and interfere with social, occupational or other important areas of functioning, a psychiatric disorder may be in evidence. These individuals should pursue help with a mental health professional.

Emotional Responses during a traumatic event may include shock, in which the individual may present a highly anxious, active response or perhaps a seemingly stunned, emotionally-numb response. He may describe feeling as though he is “in a fog.” He may exhibit denial, in which there is an inability to acknowledge the impact of the situation or perhaps, that the situation has occurred. He may evidence dissociation, in which he may seem dazed and apathetic, and he may express feelings of unreality. Other frequently observed acute emotional responses may include panic, fear, intense feelings of aloneness, hopelessness, helplessness, emptiness, uncertainty, horror, terror, anger, hostility, irritability, depression, grief and feelings of guilt.

Cognitive Responses to traumatic exposure are often reflected in impaired concentration, confusion, disorientation, difficulty in making a decision, a short attention span, suggestibility, vulnerability, forgetfulness, self-blame, blaming others, lowered self-efficacy, thoughts of losing control, hypervigilance, and perseverative thoughts of the traumatic event. For example, upon extrication of a survivor from an automobile accident, he may cognitively still “be in” the automobile “playing the tape” of the accident over and over in his mind.

Behavioral Responses in the face of a traumatic event may include withdrawal, “spacing-out,” non-communication changes in speech patterns, regressive behaviors, erratic movements, impulsivity, a reluctance to abandon property, seemingly aimless walking, pacing, an inability to sit still, an exaggerated startle response and antisocial behaviors.

Physiological Responses may include rapid heart beat, elevated blood pressure, difficulty breathing*, shock symptoms*, chest pains*, cardiac palpitations*, muscle tension and pains, fatigue, fainting, flushed face, pale appearance, chills, cold clammy skin, increased sweating, thirst, dizziness, vertigo, hyperventilation, headaches, grinding of teeth, twitches and gastrointestinal upset.
* Require immediate medical evaluation

Reprinted from Acute Traumatic Stress Management ™
by Mark D. Lerner, Ph.D. and Raymond D. Shelton, Ph.D.
© 2001 by The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, Inc.

How Can Emergency Responders Manage their Own Response to a Traumatic Event?

Addressing the emergent psychological needs of others during a traumatic event can be a draining experience.
Working with individuals who are in acute emotional distress requires an intensity that, for the provider, is both mental and physical. It is imperative that you consider your own state of mind prior to engaging in the provision of ATSM. If you are currently experiencing a time of emotional distress in your life, it would be wise to have another responder assist the victim. In this way, you lessen your chance of becoming victimized yourself by the event.

As an emergency responder, you will likely be exposed to the very events that you are called upon to help others. For example, after arriving at an automobile accident, a police officer had the responsibility of preserving the scene. While holding back bystanders, he provided psychological support. Yet he too had seen a gruesome dismembered body on the roadway. As an emergency responder, you will be exposed to seemingly overwhelming physical events as well as the psychological impact that these events have on others.

There will be times when you will identify personally or “link with” an individual with whom you are working—or perhaps with some aspect of the situation. For example, a young detective was called upon to deliver a death notification to the parents of a 10 year-old girl. After sharing the news, she and her partner offered support for the grieving parents. Her feelings of discomfort shifted very quickly to feelings of being overwhelmed when she saw a photograph of the deceased child - the girl looked very much like her own daughter.
Despite drawing upon a specific strategy that will help you to remain “professionally detached” (e.g., empathic communication—as described in the upcoming section, “Provide Support”), powerful thoughts and feelings have a way of piercing professional detachment. This is a normal response to an abnormal situation.
If you find yourself feeling emotionally overwhelmed during the provision of ATSM, try the following:

• Maintain an awareness of your state of mind, as well as your physical reactions. Consider the effect the person is having on you. Acknowledge to yourself that your involvement with the individual is creating various physical and psychological reactions.
• If you find that the discussion is causing you to react physically (i.e., rapid heart rate, breathing increase, sweating, etc.) take a slow deep breath and tell yourself to relax—take a second deep breath and relax. If possible, separate from the event, grab a cup of decaffeinated coffee, and share your feelings with a peer.

“High-risk” indicators for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• prior exposure to severe adverse life events (e.g., combat)
• prior victimization (e.g., childhood sexual and physical abuse)
• significant losses
• close proximity to the event
• extended exposure to danger
• pre-trauma anxiety and depression
• chronic medical condition
• substance involvement
• history of trouble with authority (e.g., stealing, vandalism, etc.)
• mental illness
• lack of familial/social support
• having no opportunity to vent (i.e., unable to tell one’s story)
• strong emotional reactions upon exposure to the event
• physically injured by event, etc.

Reprinted from Acute Traumatic Stress Management ™
by Mark D. Lerner, Ph.D. and Raymond D. Shelton, Ph.D.

References:

Hypnotherapy and Hypnoanalysis by Brown and Fromm; Laurence Erlbaum Associates, publishers, page 262-264
Waking The Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine and Ann Frederick; North Atlantic Books publishers (page 147-148)
Healing War’s Trauma From an interview with Dr. Daniely, director, group project for Holocaust survivors and Their children aired 8/27/96.

Dr. Kouguell is a diplomate of The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. He offers free consultations to individuals and groups related to the September incident.
His website www.brooksidecenter.com. features extensive resources and self help techniques for individuals affected by PTSD

The Truth about Quitting Smoking and Hypnosis

2009-02-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

by Roger Elliott

If your husband, wife, or other relative smokes, you know how frustrating it is to try to get them help. If you're someone who has been smoking for a good portion of your life, you know how hard it is to quit smoking. You've read the pamphlets that tell you about how horrible smoking is for your body, and, logically, you know that smoking is likely to cause cancer and to kill you, but you simply can't stop. Why not? Why is it so hard to quit smoking once you've started?

Understanding Addictions

Many believe that they are simply addicted to nicotine, which is why they're unable to stop smoking the way they want to. “I go into nicotine withdrawals,” they say, as if to explain why they can't quit smoking. The truth is that much focus has been done on people who are addicted to things, and it's not so much the physical addiction that is difficult to overcome, but the mental addiction.

If you'd like to understand how it is difficult for a smoker to simply quit, try a little experiment. Every time you have your morning or afternoon break at work, do something similar. For instance, you could clap three times, or untie and retie your shoe. Continue to do this every single day for three months. Then, on the fourth month, stop. You'll suddenly feel strange that you're not doing that action again. You will suddenly have the urge to do what you've been doing for three months, no matter whether you necessarily need to or not. The needs may manifest themselves physically, making your fingers twitch or your mouth go dry, or they may simply be mental, leaving you with a feeling of uneasiness that may last throughout most of the day. Are you physically addicted to doing the action that you've been doing for those three months, or is the addiction a mental one?

Often, when it comes to smoking, the mental withdrawal is much more difficult and painful than the physical one. There is not much of a physical withdrawal from quitting nicotine, but there is a mental one. A person who has been smoking a cigarette every morning with their coffee and who suddenly gives it up will feel very antsy and uncomfortable, and will like have a cigarette just to stop from feeling as though they are a stranger in their own body.

A Different Kind of Hypnosis

“But,” many people say, “hypnosis can't help me to quit smoking.” Actually, you probably began smoking because of hypnosis, so it can certainly help you to end it. Do you remember your first drag of a cigarette? What did you do? Cough? Sputter? No one inhales the first time and actually enjoys it. What they enjoy is the feeling of being “cool” or of being one of the in crowd. They continue smoking because, eventually, it calms their mind. It isn't the nicotine that calms their mind, but rather the repetitious act, or the addiction. They may like having something in their hands, or in their mouth, and smoking fills that void. Doing the same thing over and over, and zoning out while you do it, is a form of hypnosis. If you've used hypnosis to become addicted to cigarettes, why can't you use hypnosis to stop smoking as well?

Using Hypnosis to Quit Smoking

How many cigarettes do you smoke in one day? If you ask a smoker this, they often can't answer the number accurately. They may say they only smoke three or four when, in fact, they're actually smoking a pack or more. Why is their count so off? Do they just not realize how much they're smoking? In reality, they often do not. It is only those few cigarettes that they count which they realize they're smoking. Most of the time, a smoker will pull out a cigarette and will start smoking it without even realizing what they're doing. It becomes habit! Fortunately hypnosis has long been able to help break habits.

Hypnosis works by stopping the mind from doing what it has been doing for so long. It works to break the link between cigarettes and your hands or your mouth. It reminds your brain that you don't need to have a cigarette in your hand or in your mouth to be calm, helping to ease the symptoms that most people have when they quit smoking. Many who quit smoking find that they are able to first cut out the unremembered cigarettes, and are able to get down to three or four cigarettes a day relatively quickly. It is then simple work to convince your brain to remember a time when you didn't need cigarettes, allowing you to quit smoking without having to suffer, and making the drive to smoke disappear from your mind entirely.

How to meditate videos

2009-02-17T01:29:00.001-08:00

Here are some videos I uploaded on youtube teaching you how to meditate and perfect the practice and the art of meditation. click on the links below: (other lesson will be posted soon on our new facebook hypnosis and meditation group).

How to meditate video (part 1)
How to meditate video (part 2)
How to meditate video (part 3)
How to meditate video (part 4)
How to meditate video (part 5)

Meditation vs Hypnosis

2009-02-17T00:35:00.001-08:00

Meditation is undoubtedly similar to hypnosis. Both are used to attain deep states of relaxation, but they rest on slightly different levels and tend to have separate purposes.

As far as I understand, the way that people meditate is to concentrate on something intently. They might choose to focus their eyes on a candle or some other object, just as you might use eye fixation to bring on hypnosis. People also tend to use a mantra in meditation, a word or phrase repeated over and over again until they are relaxed. I’d call these mantras suggestions, and the relaxed state hypnosis.

In fact, there are such similarities that if you sat two people side by side, one in hypnosis and one in meditation, it would be hard to say which person was in hypnosis and which one was meditating. It’s just two different belief systems wrapped around the same sort of state. In my opinion, meditation is just another means of entering the hypnotic state.

The act of meditation is often linked with a certain set spiritual beliefs. While this differs greatly from hypnosis, they both invoke altered states through concentration and are actually quite similar. Hypnosis and meditation can each be used to eliminate physical discomfort, bring about balance to the system, and reduce mental and emotional stress. In fact, deep relaxation in any form can provide these benefits.

However, the belief in the spiritual aspect of meditation and the deepening of that connection is a benefit that lies solely in the realm of meditation. I wouldn’t suggest hypnosis as a great way of strengthening your spirituality or embarking on a spiritual journey.

In this same sense, hypnotherapy and our own self hypnosis CDs and downloads are geared toward benefiting specific issues and bringing about behavioural change, such as stopping smoking. Meditation might not be the best way to resolve emotional conflicts or stop unwanted behaviours. So while there is certainly some common ground, the purpose and personal use of each can be quite unique.

If relaxation is what you seek, then both hypnosis and meditation will suffice. We know the benefits of relaxation alone are innumerable. Yet if you seek solutions to emotional issues or desire to bring about changes in your behaviour, then I believe hypnosis is the best option and will provide you with a direct path towards resolution.

Free Meditation Techniques

2009-02-17T00:19:00.000-08:00

Meditation is an ancient, time-proven way to calm the mind, experience inner peace, and enhance awareness. It also develops greater concentration, allowing deeper, more creative thinking and problem solving.

There are many different ways to meditate, and different methods. We offer free meditation techniques that represent a broad spectrum of different "types" of meditation, including breathing, chanting, concentration, contemplation, sub-conscious integration, energy, transcendental, zen meditation, etc.. Some are unique ancient meditations, some techniques are more recent. The meditations are also from different cultures and spiritual paths, including Zen, Buddhism, yoga, etc..

Some traditions/religions insist that they have a certain meditation technique that is "it", the one and only, or the greatest. In our opinion, that isn't true. Some techniques work better for some people, and not for others. Everyone is different.

Our opinion is based on personal experience, both in traveling the world and studying many different spiritual paths and traditions, and from doing scientific research on the mental and physical effects of every imaginable meditation.

We offer instruction in what we've found to be the best of the best. Most or all of the meditation techniques should work well for you, and perhaps one will work particularly well. Everyone has their own "best meditation technique" that works best for themselves. You just need to find it. It's best to stick to a variety of techniques to start with, even ones that don't seem to work well for you. Sometimes what will eventually be the most effective meditation technique for you, will be one that doesn't seem to work that well, or is difficult for you, at first.

THE NECESSITY OF, AND REWARDS OF, PATIENCE

During beginning meditation practice, you will find that your mind will wanders and thoughts will "pop in" to your head. Those thoughts will try to distract you. Your mind "chattering" with thoughts is a common occurrence when learning mediation. At first, your mind is like an undisciplined child and the "monkey mind" (as we sometimes call it) will hamper your training IF you let it bother you. So what can you do about it?

Don't get frustrated! That is vital. As soon as you notice a lapse in attention or concentration, simply re-focus. Immediately redirect your mind back, and continue or begin again. Be patient with your self rather than falling into the trap of blaming or getting angry with yourself, or getting frustrated - which can lead to giving up.

SUMMARY

Unlike drugs, devices, or possessions of any kind, once learned, the wonderful peace and mind control meditation techniques give you, can never be taken away. Also, the ability to meditate can never be lost, never break, and never let you down.

Whether it's free or not, how long it takes to dramatically notice that meditation is really working or "doing something", varies with every individual. It can be partially effective relatively soon but it takes time and practice to reap the full benefits and become a master of meditation techniques. Once learned, however, the rewards are far more than worth the effort of your quick and easy meditation techniques.

Video of conversational hypnosis

2009-02-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

Click here to see how conversational hypnosis works. It's amazing!

Conversational (Covert) Hypnosis - What It Can Do For You?

2009-02-15T23:11:00.000-08:00

Conversational hypnosis is the ability to covertly hypnotize other people by conversing with them. This is done by using certain words, phrases, tone of voice, and intonation which weave together into a complete suggestive message. This can be a powerful tool to influence other people and even achieve a form of mind control. You may not be able to get someone to jump out of the nearest window (And why should you ever want to do that?), but you will, if you control the techniques of Conversational Hypnosis, be able to manipulate the mind and actions of the people around you. How can your life improve if you discover how to control the powers of conversational hypnosis?

1. You will be able to earn more money by getting more customers to come to you and also by being able to get better deals.

2. You'll be able to sell more. If you're a salesperson, hypnosis will be allow you to turn leads into customers in droves.

3. You'll be able to convince other people to agree with you. You'll be seen as charismatic and powerful.

4. You'll improve your sex life as people who you wish to be in relationship with will fall under your influence. And you'll also be able to determine the type of relationship you want and to convince your partner to go with it.

5. Get people to say "yes" to things you suggest and want.

There are many more things which can improve if you control this powerful tool. But be aware that Conversational Hypnosis isn't easy to control. You'll need some guidance and some time in training. But once you do achieve the kind of control you're looking for, the changes in your life may be overwhelming. Click here to start learning covert hypnosis!!!

Covert hypnosis

2009-02-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

Covert hypnosis or sometimes called (Conversational Hypnosis) is the practice of inducing hypnosis during normal conversation. Unlike typical hypnosis, the subject does not fall asleep or lose control of their conscious mind. Instead they become open to suggestion which allows the hypnotist to change their feelings, opinions or behaviors. Covert hypnosis is often referred to as conversational hypnosis, for this reason. The Basics Covert hypnosis was developed from a combination of Milton's
techniques and Neuro Linguistic Programming. Basically, covert hypnosis uses language patterns and the technique of suggestion. Covert hypnosis is different from other hypnosis because it stems upon the conversation and relationship between the hypnotist and the subject. Without that hypnosis is not covert. The subject remains
conscious, but the hypnotist is able to get deep into their sub conscious just through conversation. Many times the subject will not even be aware that they are being hypnotized. The Techniques Covert hypnosis is done by following a simple pattern. The conversation begins and the hypnotist must pace and lead the subject.
The pacing part is done by repeating back to the person what they are saying. This allows the person to begin agreeing and build the rapport between the two. After pacing the hypnotist then supplies the leading statement, which is what they are trying to get the person to believe or think. It is very important that the pacing and leading sounds casual and natural. It should not sound any different then normal
conversation or else the person may pick up on what is happening.

Self hypnosis video

2009-02-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hypnotherapy Audio Tracks and mp3's

2009-02-15T21:20:00.001-08:00

The Gift of Relaxation
A soothing induction, employing a progressive relaxation hypnosis technique. Very relaxing and excellent for both those experienced in self-hypnosis, and those wishing to learn self-hypnosis.

Releasing Your Hold On Cigarettes
Cigarettes do only three things: They make you sicker. They make you poorer. They make someone else rich – someone who doesn't care if you get sick, or poor, or even die. If they did care, they would stop manufacturing and selling these poisonous things. This 15 minute track combines soothing and uplifting guitar music with self-hypnosis/guided imagery to help you release your hold on cigarettes.

Hypnosis for Weight Control
Gentle, natural weight loss through heightened hunger/satiation awareness, improved relationship with food, creating new and healthier eating habits, and enhanced motivation to maintain a healthy body weight.

MindFit's Hypnosis (Audio book)

2009-02-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

MindFit's Hypnosis - Dr Andrew Dobson - confidence.mp3
MindFit's Hypnosis - Dr Andrew Dobson - depression.mp3
MindFit's Hypnosis - Dr Andrew Dobson - motivation.mp3
MindFit's Hypnosis - Dr Andrew Dobson - self esteem.mp3
MindFit's Hypnosis - Dr Andrew Dobson - social phobia.mp3
MindFit's Hypnosis - Dr Andrew Dobson - social phobia.mp3
MindFit's Hypnosis - Dr Andrew Dobson - weight loss.mp3

click here to download

Altered States

2009-02-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hypnosis can help with problems from anxiety topain. How it works, and what it does in the brain

By David Noonan
Newsweek

Sept. 27 issue - At 27, Beth, an Indiana housewife, came down with chronic diarrhea that plagued her for the next three years. "I knew where every bathroom in town was," she says with a laugh. But it was no joke. "I didn't really want to go out at night because it's just not fun."... click here for more

The secret of self hypnosis...

2009-02-14T23:30:00.000-08:00

For me, there were no secrets you just keep experimenting with those techniques. Self hypnosis requires alot of discipline, you cannot just skip one day, you have to be determined, and you will notice that every you meditate you learn more and more about the process. It will become very easy for you to clear your mind and reach that state. So it's practice, practice and practice. Trust me you'll love it!

Simple ways to learn self hypnosis

2009-02-14T23:23:00.001-08:00

Go to a comfortable, private place and sit in any comfortable chair or couch. Although some people prefer to lie down, you are more susceptible to sleep than when sitting up. Whether you sit or lie, ensure you do not cross your legs or any part of your body. You may be in this position for a while and this could end up being uncomfortable.
Make sure you are not going to be disturbed for at least half an hour.
Close your eyes and work to rid your mind of any feelings of fear, stress, or anxiety. When you begin, you might find it difficult not to think. You may find that thoughts keep intruding. When this happens, don't try to force the thoughts out. Observe them impartially, and then let them slip away.
Recognize the tension in your body. Beginning with your toes, imagine the tension slowly falling away from your body and vanishing. Imagine it freeing each body part one at a time starting with your toes and working its way up your body. Visualize each part of your body becoming lighter and lighter as the tension is removed. relax your toes, then your feet. Continue with your calves, thighs, hips, stomach and so on, until you've relaxed each portion, including your face and head. Using imagery techniques of something you find comforting or soothing, such as water (feel the water rushing over your feet and ankles, cleansing them of tension) can be effective as well.
Take slow, deep breaths. When you exhale, see the tension and negativity leaving in a dark cloud. As you inhale, see the air returning as a bright force filled with life and energy.
Appreciate the fact that you are now extremely relaxed. Imagine you are at the top of a flight of 10 stairs which at the fifth step start to submerge into water. Picture every detail of this scene from the top to the bottom. Tell yourself that you are going to descend the stairs, counting each step down, starting at 10. Picture each number in your mind. Imagine that each number you count is further down and one step closer to the bottom. After each number, you will feel yourself drifting further and further into deep relaxation. As you take each step, imagine the feel of the step under your feet. Once you are at the fifth step imagine and truly feel the refreshing coolness of the water and tell yourself that you are stepping into an oasis of purity and cleanliness. As you begin to descend the last five steps, start to feel the water getting higher and higher up your body. You should now start to feel somewhat numb and your heart will start to race a bit, but notice it and let any qualms about the situation just drift away into the water.
At this point at the bottom of the water you shouldn't really feel anything just a floating sensation you may even feel like you're spinning. Once you have achieved this state you should proceed to address your problems and decide upon what it is you want from where you are. [Note: if you do not feel as stated above, try again, slower with a will to grasp what is happening]. Now start to narrate what your doing speak in the present and future tense quietly to yourself, or as if you are reading it from a page. Start to picture three boxes under the water that you have to swim to get to. Once you have found the boxes open them slowly one at a time and narrate to yourself what is happening when you open the box. For example 'As i open the box i feel a radiant light engulf me, i feel it becoming a part of me, this light is my new found confidence that i can not ever lose as it is now apart of me' and then proceed on to the next box. You should avoid using statements with negative connotation such as "I don't want to be tired and irritable." Instead, say, "I am becoming calm and relaxed." Examples of positive statements "I am strong and slender," "I am successful and positive," and, if you have pain, "My back is beginning to feel wonderful." (see warning on PAIN)
Repeat your statement(s) to yourself as many times as you wish. 2 or 3 times should be enough
Once you are satisfied with what you have done and embraced swim back to the stairs and feel with each step you take the water becoming lower and lower until you have once again reached that fifth step. Once you are out of the water and are on the sixth step you may start to feel heavy or as if there is a weight on your chest. Merely wait on the step until this passes, constantly repeating your aforementioned statements. Once it passes continue up the stairs visualizing each step by its number, feeling the steps under neath you, will yourself to carry on up the stairs.
Once you have ascended, give yourself a few moments before opening your eyes (you may want to visualise yourself opening a door to the outside world, do this slowly and imagine the light that poors in through the door way, this should make your eyes open)(also it sometimes help telling yourself that when you open your eyes you will be smiling, if you are indeed smiling when you open your eyes you will have some sort of proof that it has worked) and take your time getting up. Then outloud tell yourself "Wide awake, Wide awake" or something maybe that your mother used to say when she woke you up in the morning as a child. This will put your mind back in the conscious state.You will be totaly relaxed and a feel refreshed.

Learn self-hypnosis: Lesson 3

2009-02-14T23:11:00.002-08:00

Lesson one on our series of how to learn self hypnosis covered the various aspects of the mind and the way that it interprets suggestions. If you have not read it yet, it is recommended you do so before proceeding any further with this lesson.

Lesson two covered more about the self hypnotic process, along with what goes on in our mind during hypnosis. It also covered the various stages of depth, including somnambulism, and explained how one can experience amnesia, or temporal memory loss when in a deep state of hypnosis.

For this lesson, being our third and final one, we shall be discussing some of the many misconceptions surrounding self hypnosis. We’ll also be discussing some of the ways you can go about self hypnosis, including the use of audio programs or cd’s, and what their benefits and uses are. If you plan on hypnotizing yourself, then knowing how hypnosis works and what the best methods are to conduct self hypnosis will help you greatly. As they say, the better understanding you have about a subject, the better you’ll be able to use it to your advantage.

The many misconceptions of hypnosis

Hypnosis, what is it exactly? By now you know, but this is a question that people who know nothing about the field frequently ask. People have many misconceptions and preconceptions about what hypnosis is and what it does. First of all, we can’t be outright hypnotized to do bad things that we’d normally find immoral. Some people have visions of some form of evil hypnotist, hypnotizing the masses in order to do his or her bidding. Whilst it is possible to hypnotize mass amounts of people (indeed an entire subject within itself known as ‘mass hypnosis’), making these people do things that they’d find fundamentally immoral isn’t quite possible, since even the subconscious rejects suggestions that it doesn’t agree with.

Another common misconception is that hypnosis is a relatively new field that hasn’t been properly, nor scientifically, analyzed yet. The truth is is that hynposis in its most primitive form has been around for thousands of years, just under different names. In the eastern world, mantras contain many similarities to self hypnosis. Hypnosis is quite simply making the mind believe in things by changing the way it views certain situations. In the strictest sense, hypnosis may even be considered placebo in many ways. We make our mind believe in certain things, and therefore those things come to fruition. Even if hypnosis is placebo, the fact still remains that if we’re able to trick our subconscious into thinking and believing in certain things, and those things help us, then the process works. How it works, or why it works, is of course open to a lot of speculation, and the scientific community doesn’t have definite answers to explain how every aspect of hypnosis is triggered, but one thing is for sure is that it does work, and it works if a hypnotherapist is able to utilize the art effectively.

It wasn’t until recent times, since back in the 1700’s in the time of Anton Mesmer, that hypnosis was more or less ‘discovered’ in the western sense. Anton coined hypnosis with the term ‘mesmerism’. Whilst Anton believed that mesmerism was as a result of animal magnetism (various poles and their energies affecting the polarization of our body), and whilst he was in fact incorrect in his explanation of the observed phenomena at the time, the processes he used to induce hypnosis were in fact quite real. When people came under the influence of hypnosis, it was as a result of that placebo effect, as a result of them believing that they’d somehow had their energies charged or discharged or whatnot.

Later hypnosis was recognised for what it really was, the ability for us, or another person, to influence the way our subconscious mind views things and therefore subsequently behaves. James Braid coined the modern term of ‘hypnosis’ and realised that a lot of Mesmer’s beliefs weren’t based on animal magnetism at all, but were rather derived from the process of suggestion. By suggesting to people that something was happening to them, even if the basis of that suggestion was false, the suggestion could still come into play, which is effectively the foundation of hypnosis.

Self Hypnosis Audio Tapes and other Software

Self hypnosis doesn’t necessarily have to involve just ourselves. Hetero hypnosis is basically utilizing another person in order to guide oneself into a hypnotic state. There exist a number of self hypnosis tapes and cds that people use to induce themselves into a trance, and subsequently use said material in order to experience hypnotic suggestion. The use of such materials of course isn’t essential, but many people find the materials to be useful, and find that they help them to a large degree.

With experience and practice, you’ll find yourself being able to enter into a hypnotic induction quite easily and rapidly. You see when we’re in a state of hypnosis, especially in the somnambulist stage, we’re highly vulnerable to suggestion, as you already know. What we can do when we’re in this suggestible state is give ourselves what’s called a “post hypnotic suggestion to re-hypnosis”. This basically involves anchoring some form of keyword or action that will cause us to become instantly induced within a trance, without the need of having to slowly go through all the required hypnotic depths as we normally would.

An example of such a suggestion would be “every time that the word ‘deep sleep’ is mentioned, you’ll be able to instantly return to this deep state of hypnosis”. When you awaken yourself and begin functioning as you normally would once more, and you subsequently suggest to yourself the phrase ‘deep sleep’, you’ll find that you’ll much more readily enter into this state of hypnosis. With practice, this state becomes easier to enter. The use of a self hypnosis cd will obviously induce us into this state a lot easier. The reason being is because whenever we enter into hypnosis based upon the voice of any form of authority figure (such as a hypnotist) we become more susceptible to that person’s suggestions in the future. With time and practice, you’ll be able to re-enter this level of hypnoidal depth quite readily.

So remember, whilst hypnosis may seem like an odd craft to some, it is in fact a useful art that many people use each and every day to overcome a number of ailments. You can use to help treat stress, anxiety, depression, phobias, bad habits, just about anything that relates to your subconscious. If you practice once a day, you’ll soon be using hypnosis to overcome your fears within no time. Hopefully by now you’ve fulfilled your desire to learn self hypnosis, and this concludes the first series of this site. We highly recommend that you continue to research the field of hypnosis further by navigating to further links which you’ll find located on the right hand menu. We also encourage you to find out more about covert hypnosis, particularly if you’re interested in hypnotizing other people.

Learn self-hypnosis: Lesson 2

2009-02-14T23:11:00.001-08:00

The first lesson covered the principles of hypnosis, what self hypnosis is, the theory of the mind, the critical mind, and the subconscious mind and how they all interrelate with one another.

By now you should hopefully have an understanding of just what hypnosis is and the basic functions involved in how it works, including how we enter into a trance in order to order to receive suggestions.

This lesson we’re going to be covering the different stages of hypnosis, how self hypnosis can be used to overcome stress and also how it can be used in almost any aspect of our lives in order to enter a more positive and productive mindset.

First of all, just what are the different stages of hypnosis that we enter into? Hypnosis itself can send us into varying states of depth, and for our first topic we shall analyze each of these stages.

The Stages of Hypnotic Induction

The first stage of hypnosis that we enter into is known as the hypnoidal stage. The hypnoidal stage is characterized by the eyes moving vertically, up and down. It’s in this stage that we’re starting to deepen our mind into a trance, as our critical mind starts to weaken itself, allowing our subconscious to take over and become vulnerable to external suggestions. Within the hypnoidal stage we will still be aware of what’s happening, we’ll still be able to reject suggestions that we want, but we start to become more relaxed and become aware that we’re entering into hypnosis. As this stage becomes deeper we enter into what’s known as the cataleptic stage. Now catalepsy is what is commonly known to be a form of rigidity within the limbs of the body and muscles, and indeed this is essentially what it is in hypnosis, however unlike the medical term, in hypnosis we simply use it to mean a state where someone becomes more rigid.

Now in the cataleptic stage of hypnosis, this rigidity is normally characterized by our inability to move certain parts of our body. If someone were to say to you, or even if you were to say to yourself, that you were unable to move your arms or legs, and you were unable to do so, then you’d need to usually be at least in the cataleptic stage in order for this to happen. If you were listening to a hypnosis tape for example, and the tape said to make your arm stiff and rigid, and you moved your arm but it moved in a stiff and rigid manner, this would be cataleptic. Cataleptic is a deeper stage of hypnosis as opposed to hypnoidal, and one who is in the cataleptic stage of hypnosis can be identified by their eyes moving from horizontally, from left to right over and over again.

Once you fall into an even deeper state of trance, you’ll finally reach the deepest stage known as somnambulism. Many people know of a somnambulist as being someone that sleepwalks, and whilst sleepwalking may have some similarities with a person who’s in a state of somnambulism in hypnosis, the two terms are actually different, depending upon the context.

In hypnosis, somnambulism refers to the deepest level of trance that we enter into. It’s when we’re open to suggestions that we normally would reject. This isn’t to say that we’re open to suggestions that we find wrong or immoral, because as you learnt last lesson, you cannot accept suggestions that you find unethical since your subconscious will naturally reject them. There are however ways that one can circumvent this natural rejection through the use of subtle suggestion, however this involves covert hypnosis, which is not within the scope of this topic.

So when we’re in a state of somnambulism, we become more likely to forget what happens to us in hypnosis altogether. Suggestions that we’d normally remember, our conscious might can’t recall. This is because the deeper we are in a somnambulist state, the more our subconscious is doing the thinking and receiving suggestions, as opposed to our consciousness.

So now you understand the various stages of hypnosis. We first enter into the hypnoidal state, then the cataleptic stage and finally we reach somnambulism at the very last stage of self hypnosis. Putting all these steps together essentially explains the process of being induced into hypnosis.

Self Hypnosis And Stress

During the course of day to day life we suffer a lot of stress due to our experiences. Life is becoming an ever more complex things as humanity evolves, both socially and monetarily. Finance is becoming a more critical area of life as fuel and oil prices go high, and the average commodity that you purchase from the supermarket, the price of a car, and places to live, now cost more than ever before. At the same time we’re going paid less and less from work. Things which once upon a time didn’t cost as much at all, now cost us a lot of money. All this adds undue strain and stress to our subconscious. Although sometimes we might not think or realise that we’re stressed, more often than not we are, especially if we’re going through a period of our life where something is worrying us.

Thankfully self hypnosis can be used to overcome these psychological issues. Stress, like anything, can be alleviated if you know how. Whilst changing your lifestyle might be the easiest answer of all, such a thing is not possible for most of us, especially if financial demands place a burden on your life. Therefore we have no other choice other than to deal with our stress and the problems at hand, and what better way to do that other than through hypnosis?

First, let’s go into a little bit of history and see what causes us stress. In the primeval times, man had two basic instincts before he mentally evolved to the state he’s in today. These two instincts were, as you probably already know, ‘fight’ and ‘flight’. These two responses were all that humanity needed to trigger in order to survive. If man was out hunting a wild antelope or mammoth of some odd form, and man had the means at his disposal (such as spears and whatnot) in order to defeat that mammoth, then man would enter a fight response and attempt to kill the mammoth so to that it could be eaten. If however man was by himself in a cave and he saw a wild hungry lion venture inside, and had no means at his disposal of defending himself against the lion, then he would enter into a flight response. He would attempt to run away, perhaps into a hole of some form that the lion could not get into, in order to avoid this confrontation.

You see back then, things were quite simple. If man wanted to overcome a problem, he’d fight it. If he didn’t want to overcome it, or had had enough with it, then he would simply run away. This same basic instinct is still with us today, our bodies are always trying to tell us “leave it, run away” if we find something stressful, or if we’re doing something that we don’t really want to do, but know that it’s necessary. Unfortunately, it quite simply isn’t practicable in modern society to run away from our problems, such things aren’t possible. Whilst we would all enjoy the thought of simply storming out of the office and running outside if our boss tells us something that we don’t want to hear, doing such a thing would mean that we don’t get paid, and without money, we face further hardships. Such is the price of our mental developments as humans.

Now when we choose to ignore our primitive response of “flight”, this causes us mental stress and anxiety. Both of these problems most likely did not exist before man evolved into proper societies, and if it did, nowhere near to the same degree that it exists today. That’s because today we’re forced to stay and fight our problems, even though deep down we really want to flight. Ignoring our most basic of instincts can become hard, but with training we get used to it. The consequences this has on our subconscious however cannot be ignored, and when we’re stressed and start to notice behaviours that we’re not comfortable with, it’s most likely as a prolonged result of us neglecting what our body is trying to tell us.

Since we can’t run away from our problems, we have to deal with them. This inevitably means that no matter what we do, we’ll experience stress. It’s quite simply just become a natural part of our life that we’ve come to expect, and realise that there’s not too much we can do to circumvent it. This is where self hypnosis comes in handy, as it allows us to guide ourselves into deep hypnotic states and make changes to our subconscious. We can relax ourselves, release lots of built up tension and stress within our bodies that has been there for perhaps years on end, and once again enter into a calm state of mind, a state of mind where things don’t seem as bad as they once did. Releasing stress can also allow us to become more optimistic in life, and view things more warmly. We can become less argumentative, more rational with our decisions, and can have a clearer head to think of new ideas when we’re not stressed or anxious.

So as you can see, learning self hypnosis to overcome stress can be a most beneficial thing for your health indeed. As was explained in the previous lesson, all you need to worry about with self hypnosis is entering into that deeply relaxed, trance-like state, and then making the necessary changes to your behaviour whilst you’re in the state. You may affirm to yourself positive suggestions such as “I will feel peaceful and care free in my life” and “I feel relaxed and happy”. When you plant suggestions such as the ones above, you want to use positive suggestions only, you don’t want to include negative words in the suggestion. For example, don’t say to yourself “I won’t feel worried or stressed”. Your subconscious doesn’t analyze things as well as your conscious does and therefore will only picked up certain keywords such as “worried” and “stressed”. The last thing you’d want to do would be to flood your subconscious with more bad things, so try to include positive words only such as “peaceful, relaxed, happy, calm, tranquil”. Words such as these will be remembered by your subconscious and will be more likely to cause your conscious mind to act upon them in a positive sense.

Don’t feel as if you’re somehow a unique individual in a bad sense. We’re of course all unique in our own ways, but we all experience common problems, negative thoughts and frustrations as well as quarrels. It’s a natural part of being human, we quite simply can’t have everything we want, and live in a perfect world, for life is structured in such a way that prevent those sorts of things from being possible for everyone. We can however make our world almost perfect in our own eyes by changing the way we look at it. By shaping the way our subconscious thinks, we can use hypnosis to view things that we’d normally find bad, as being something good. You’re basically turning a negative into a positive, as the saying goes.

Eventually, once you relax your mind through hypnosis, you’ll start to enjoy things such as work and life more than you normally would. Things which were once stressful you may even look at it in a new light as not being stressful at all. With time and practice, you too can learn self hypnosis in order to overcome your stress. Keep at it, and stick with the techniques taught, and try and understand how it all works, and you’ll notice positive differences in your life, however subtle they might be to begin with.

Learn self-hypnosis: Lesson 1

2009-02-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

When we think about to trying to learn self hypnosis, some of us don’t know where to start. We may think hypnosis as being some ancient ritual practice linked to mantras and Indian mythology (which it does have something in common with).

The funny thing about hypnosis however is that it’s nowhere near as complicated to conduct as some people may think. There are obviously many forms of hypnosis, from self hypnosis right through to covert hypnosis, mass hypnosis and a variety of other forms.

The question that often plagues peoples mind, especially new hypnotists, is “just what are all these different forms of hypnosis?” Hopefully in the scope of this article I shall attempt to answer this question.

Hypnosis isn’t some rare science that has yet to be discovered by the greater community. Believe it or not hypnosis has been used for thousands of years to help treat a number of ailments and conditions. During the wars of the 1800’s hypnosis was used to help alleviate pain, long before forms of modern pain prevention methods and medication were developed. Hypnosis was used in many circumstances, to help women during child birth, to help people quit smoking and break a number of their habits, the possibilities it was used for both back in the past, and to this day, really are quite limitless.

The funny thing with modern forms of hypnosis however is that people still seem to believe that these techniques are somehow new age, or that they’re still being researched extensively by science. A lot of people miss the fact that doctors and surgeons have been, and still do to this very day, use hypnosis to help treat pain, and many psychologists use it to help overcome a number of psychological conditions.

So of course when one speaks of trying to learn hypnosis, they rarely think of past histories and past times, they’re much more used to thinking about modern preambles stating that hypnosis has many untested areas. Of course experimentation within this field is going on each day, but just how much it works and just how much it doesn’t is still left open to a lot of debate.

Now when it comes to learning self hypnosis, we thankfully don’t need to worry about all the complexities about trying to hypnotize another person. You see with self hypnosis, our subjects, being ourselves, are obviously voluntary. One of the requirements in hypnosis is that a subject be vulnerable and willing to accept suggestions from the hypnotist. If the subject doesn’t wish to be placed in hypnosis, then doing so may be quite difficult. No doubt if you’re practising self hypnosis on yourself however, then you don’t need to worry about this involuntary side to things as effecting you at all.

The state of hypnosis is achieved by entering into what’s called a ‘trance’. When we’re in a state of trance, we become quite vulnerable to external suggestions and are more likely to act upon them. These external suggestions are normally stopped by a part of our mind known as the critical layer. This critical layer is the part of our mind that analyzes suggestions and determines whether or not they should enter into a part of our mind known as the subconscious. You see the subconscious layer of our mind is the part that rejects or accepts external suggestions. If our subconscious takes a suggestion on board, then it essential becomes a part of our fundamental way of thinking. What we’re consciously we’re of, we’re able to critique, dismiss and judge with a critical mindset. However what seeps deeply into our subconscious is not so easy to see and judge, hence why with hypnosis we like to plant suggestions at the subconscious level.

For anyone wanting to learn self hypnosis the important thing to try and understand is that you must apply what works best for you in the field of hypnotherapy. What this means, is that if you want to enter into a state of trance, then you’re going to need to find out what works best for you in self hypnosis. One of the fundamental techniques that many people utilize is what is referred to as the self hypnotic concept of autosuggestion. Autosuggestion basically involves telling yourself that you want to enter into a deeply relaxed and hypnotic state. Eventually your body will feel relaxed and succumb to your mind’s thinking power, and you’ll literally ‘automatically suggest’ (autosuggest) certain thoughts which will seep deeply into your subconscious. These thoughts, when acted upon, will seem automatic and not as if they had any form of pre-hypnotic disposition.

So then, the process of self hypnosis works as follows -

First, we must enter into a state of trance. Once we’re in a state of trance we can then give our subconscious certain thoughts through the process known as autosuggestion. These thoughts can range from anything that relates to something such as a bad habit, right through to thoughts to change certain outlooks we have towards life, to make ourselves more positive for example. Once these thoughts have been placed, we then come out of this state of hypnosis and are then once again able to become conscious of our surroundings.

One method many people use to enter into a hypnotic state is imagining themselves walking down a staircase. Let’s say the staircase has 20 or so steps, and as each step comes closer to the bottom of the suitcase, the person becomes more more deeply relaxed and shuts their critical mind off more and more. One would begin by telling themselves that the staircase is right there in their very minds, and that they can imagine themselves walking down it. As the person imagines themselves taking more and more steps down, from 10, until 9, and so forth, the person begins to enter into hypnosis. Eventually when the person reaches zero, they’re able to imagine themselves stepping into a void of nothingness, a void which offers complete and utter detachment from reality and the problems that might be facing the person. When a person is in this relaxed state of mind, they may begin giving themselves certain thoughts and suggestions which get rid of their fears.

Let’s say for example that you had an addiction to smoking, or online gaming, and you wanted to break that addiction. You could tell yourself ‘whenever I see a cigarette, I’m not going to want to smoke it, I’m going to put it completely outside of my mind’. Any suggestion can be planted depending upon how you want your subconscious mind to change the way it views situations.

Once the suggestions have been planted, all that then remains is to bring yourself out of hypnosis. Now you don’t want to do this too quickly, you still want to be as relaxed as possible, so try and make it a gradual process. Coming out of hypnosis can take as long as putting yourself into hypnosis, and should not necessarily be rushed. So we’d imagine the staircase once more, which you’d be at the bottom of. You’d then suggest to yourself ‘when I reach the top of this stair case again, I’ll be fully alert and wide awake’. So you start by taking your initial step, and feel yourself ever so slightly coming out of this deep state of self hypnosis. With each step you take you begin to become more aware of your surroundings and the room you’re in, until finally you take your last step and become fully alert and wide awake, aware of the room you’re in, aware of the noises you’re hearing, totally out of this state of hypnosis.

It can be useful to tell yourself as you’re approaching your last few steps ‘17, 18, 19 and… 20, wide awake’. This gives your mind the subtle suggestion that once you reach the top step, being 20, you will wake up in your entirety.

This is essentially all self hypnosis is. It quite simply just involves telling your body to enter into a deeply relaxed state where you’re not too concerned by the world around you, a state where you can ignore usual every day repetitive and negative thoughts, and ignore the sounds that are coming in. It’s in this state you make the changes, and then afterwards you simply bring yourself out of it.

So as you can see, self hypnosis isn’t some rare, ancient or mystical practice as some people might make you want to believe. There are no inherent dangers in self hypnosis, despite what some sceptics may think from time to time. Did you know that your subconscious will reject negative suggestions? By negative suggestions I mean any form of suggestion which you’d normally find immoral or wrong. You see our beliefs are usually so ingrained in our mind, right down to such an intricate subconscious level, that even when we’re hypnotized we can’t do things that we normally wouldn’t. But hang on you’re thinking, what about all those people are stage hypnosis shows? Believe it or not, those people willingly do almost everything that they do, to some degree. There is of course always the skill of the hypnotist in trying to word things in such away that make people believe that what they’re doing is right, even though it might not be, but that relates to an entirely different form of hypnosis which won’t be discussed in this article.

So whatever your thoughts and beliefs are about hypnosis, try not to be too critical of the art until you’ve at least practised it yourself for a little bet. You can practice hypnosis right from the very comfort of your own home, without having to worry about attending any clinic, or being interfered with by other people. If you can find a nice relaxing and quiet period to learn hypnosis, and practice it, then you’ll be well on your way to discovering one of the best ways to get rid of your psychological problems, and stress.

If you don’t feel comfortable in trying to attempt self hypnosis by yourself, then you could always seek out the services of a hypnotherapist who is trained in the field of hypnotherapy appropriately. Hypnotherapists vary greatly in their skills levels and competence, so make sure to pick one that you feel is right for you. Once you’ve experienced hypnosis once, re-entering the state becomes much easier and more self explanatory. Eventually you’ll be able to enter hypnosis at just the mere suggestion of a keyword, however we’ll be covering this concept in more detail in Lesson 2.

I hope you have found this lesson to be of use. Remember that with hypnosis the trick is not to expect magical and miraculous things to happen instantly. Whilst in many causes, and quite possibly you will notice changes instantly, such a thing cannot be guaranteed. Go into practising hypnosis with the mindset that it’s more of an exercise that you enjoy, a technique that you want to learn and that with practice you will get better with, and eventually you’ll start noticing the positives associated with this field. It isn’t an over night step, whilst you may enter into hypnosis quite quickly the first time you experience it, don’t expect instant wonders. Allow time for your mind to absorb what its learnt and to change your lifestyle.

I do encourage you to check out the next lesson, where I’ll be explaining more concepts relating to self hypnosis, including somnambulism, posthypnotic suggestions as well as ways that you can use hypnosis to help alleviate stress. If you’ve made it this far, then I do encourage you to stick along with the series. As you can see, trying to learn self hypnosis isn’t as difficult as you might think, and with appropriate practice is a task that you’ll be able to pull off with ease, once you get the hang of it. Give yourself time, don’t give up, and most importantly, don’t slacken off. All things in life take time and dedication, and this field is no exception.

Hypnosis is king!

2009-02-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

I love hypnosis! I didn't even used to believe in those kind of stuff but for some weird reason I got into it without even knowing or being aware of it. I was desperate, lonely and I knew I could achieve so much more, whether its physical or mental, I just needed this little push, and after I found it my life changed. I would just love to share what I know about hypnosis, because when you master it, you are GOD!

"Hypnosis is a scientifically verified and effective technique that can promote accelerated human change. With Hypnosis we can create desired changes in behavior and encourage mental and physical well-being." According to hypnosis.com

Learn how to guide yourself to do ANYTHING YOU WANNA DO!!!

Self Hypnosis Recordings How Do They Help?

2009-02-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

The next best thing to a hypnosis session with an experienced hypnotherapist may be listening to a cd, tape, or other recording medium.

Although the practice of self-guided (without a hypnotherapist or cd) can be very powerful it still requires you to think of what to do next and which way to turn.

Self guided hypnosis you might say is similar to driving a car. The driver of the car can enjoy the views but he/she must make the decisions about the direction and speed and where to go next.

On the other hand listening to a self hypnosis cd can be like the experience of the passenger in the car. The passenger can enjoy much more of the view and not have to concentrate on anything particular. The passenger can go with the view from the car window or choose to drift away with his/her own thoughts.

Although it can be argued that the suggestions and therapeutuc processes in a cd remain fixed, it is also a fact that the

listener will not remember everything in the recording consciously. So on subsequent playings the listener becomes aware of parts of the recording that they do not hear consciously before.

Also the repitition of beneficial suggestions which is then heard over and over again, consciously or unconsciously helps with their acceptance. Let's face it, if we hear something often enough we begin to believe it. A cd makes use of this fact and something else...

If, like the passenger of a car, the conscious mind wanders off, it is less likely to reject positive suggestions. This being the case those positive suggestions are more easily accepted as true in the stronger part of the mind, the unconscious mind.

All in all, self hypnosis cds are a great way of dealing with and releasing patterns, urges and other unwanted or unhelpful behaviours.

Steven A. HaroldA Clinical Hypnotherapist based in London

Self Hypnosis Cd Recordings

2009-02-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this article is not to offer an opinion about the efficacy of hypnosis as used by any hypnotherapist. The BMA has long since acknowledged its place as a useful psychological intervention method.

Furthermore, is being taught to expectant mothers with amazing results to help reduce any discomfort during childbirth. Dentists may use it to either help with a patient's dental phobia or to help reduce the use of chemical anaesthesia.

It seems that the issues, problems and ailments that hypnosis help with is endless.

Duncan McColl, an experienced hypnoanalyst has captured the full potential of in a series of amazing recordings. I say, series but this is really an understatement. He has over 600 different recordings aimed

at specific problems.

Judging by the testimonials he receives, he has developed an almost miraculous knack of knowing (maybe I should say insight) of how to release people from the most stubborn and debilitating psychological and physiological burdens.

Duncan has a way with words you might say and has the most comforting and yet encouraging of voices too. He has used his hypnoanalytical skills and experience to create recordings that also include principles from behavioural science, Zen, Sufism, and esotoric Christianity.

Duncan refers to his recordings as "Conscious Self Hypnosis" and some of these will be the subject of articles to come.

Clinical Hypnotherapist
Self Hypnosis Cds

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Hypnosis Cds Relief From Stress

2009-02-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

The number one most popular issue that users of a cd or clients of a hypnotherapist seek help with is stress. Even if their presenting issue appears different, such as a phobia or lack of confidence, somewhere in the mix will be a stress issue. So helping anyone to reduce their stress can be a great and effective way of reducing the symptoms and often the cause of any issue.

Self hypnosis either with the use of a cd or without any aid whatsoever is a technique that can not only assist stress reduction and encourage more and longer lasting feelings of relaxation it can also help alleviate the cause of the problem or issue.

Most often the causes of any issue whether physical, mental or emotional is incorrect thinking about life's events. There is no doubt that we are different from each other for many reasons. One of the main differences is being to perceive an identical and often the same event than someone who experiences that event at the same time.

A well-known example is what I refer to as the "2 Half Pints of Beer Scenario". This is the story of two men in a bar who have been drinking beer. They both have the same amount of beer left to drink: a half of a pint. One the men thinks to himself "oh no, my glass is half empty". The other man thinks, "Great, my glass is still half full".

Now both these chaps are in the same situation and have the same physical stimulus in front of them. Yet one is obviously having a better time of it than the other. Most often

these to chaps are referred to as the pessimist and the optimist.

So it is not necessarily what happens on our world that causes us to have an issue or stress, most often it can be the way we perceive a situation and ultimately how we process that situation and store it away as a memory.

As you know, some memories just give us a neutral feeling, or no feeling at all when we think about them. An example would be writing a note or driving to the shops for most people. When you think about that memory of driving to the shops or writing that note, it does not bring up any strong feelings.

Thinking about a memory of being laughed at by your whole class when in senior school can bring with it a decidedly uncomfortable feeling. On the other hand, the memory winning that egg and spoon race when you were only 3 years old can bring happy and carefree feelings.

Changing the way we think about past and what appear to be negative events can give us a sense of release and prevent us subconsciously sabotaging future opportunities. Coupled with a relaxation regime such as listening regularly to a self-hypnosis cd can really pay dividends. After all once you have learnt the lesson of the past event (which might be to make sure you prepare for a speech) why do you have to carry the unhelpful feelings around. There really is no need to be burdened anymore is there not?

Steven Harold
Hypnosis Cd - Relief from Stress

We strive to provide only quality articles, so if there is a specific topic related to self hypnosis that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time.

And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our self hypnosis cds website.

What Is Your Relationship To Time?

2009-02-13T16:40:00.000-08:00

Below, you'll find extensive information on leading self hypnosis articles and products to help you on your way to success.

Have you ever thought about how your orientation to time profoundly affects the way you are in the world? Each culture has its own unique way of relating to the concept of "time". Some cultures perceive time as a room that is lived in. The "room" of time is a constant that stays the same, as we change during the course of our lives. American culture seems to more and more think of time as a commodity there is never enough of. When time is "wasted" a person misses out on an opportunity that may never present itself again. Still other cultures experience time as being circular, without a beginning or an end, and with no clear markers as to past, present, and future. No matter how we think about it, our relationship to time has a profound impact on what we believe is possible. Here is a story to illustrate what I mean.

Years ago I belonged to a healing community in the States. A women who was a member of the group had an infant who was born with a serious condition which was meant to limit the young child's life span to only three or four years maximum. The woman was totally committed to the health and well being of her infant, and she spent every waking moment praying for her baby. Her prayer went something like this: "Dear Lord, please heal my baby and help him to be fully healthy." She offered up this prayer countless times a day.

After some months of praying, and with the child's condition not improving, the mother spontaneously had an important "truth" present itself to her. She realized that in praying for her child to be healed, in a deeper sense she was acknowledging the "fact" that indeed her child was not well at this time. In effect she was saying/praying "Lord, my child is currently ill, and I am asking that you heal him and make him healthy in the future." She realized that if she was praying a similar prayer for herself, it would be difficult for her to feel good about her chances of being healed if she was continually reminding herself that she was currently not healthy. She realized that even though her child was way too young to understand the words of her prayer, that somehow her words would not be fully supporting

her child in feeling and being healthy now as well as in the future. With her new understanding of how her concept of time was deeply affecting her prayer, she revised her concept and began praying the following: "Lord thank you for the health and well being of my child. I am eternally grateful." Rather than praying for how she wanted her child to be different in the future, she prayed "from the future" and brought her prayer into the present. She prayed from an understanding that her child was "already" healthy, and that he was simply in a rebalancing stage that if allowed to run its course, would naturally bring about a continuation of his healthy state as time went on.

After many months of praying her new prayer the condition of her child slowly began to change. The doctors were surprised and confounded. Little by little the child blossomed into full health, like a flower that is awakened to life by the warm inviting rays of spring sunlight. He eventually entered school along with all of his buddies, and wound up being a shining example of the power of love, gratitude, and an empowering understanding of time.

Please give yourself the gift of believing that you are already everything that you always wanted to be. Breathe into this radical concept, and then simply allow and encourage yourself to grow into your new sense of self.

Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, an Aikido instructor, NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. Benefit from his thought-provoking ideas and a new self-help Practice every two weeks, by subscribing to his complimentary newsletter for individuals and professionals.
Charlie's Self Hypnosis and Mindfulness Practices can help you to dramatically slow down and experience your life from a heartfelt timeless perspective. Familiarize yourself with the Seishindo approach to Self Hypnosis or try the Somatic Self Hypnosis Practice right now!

We strive to provide only quality articles, so if there is a specific topic related to self hypnosis that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time.

And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our self hypnosis website.

Your Cutting-Edge self hypnosis Resource

2009-02-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to — your comprehensive self hypnosis resource. Our mission is to give you the facts you need about self hypnosis — fast — so you can get on the road to taking action right away`.

The website provides a ton of information about self hypnosis. In addition, you will find extensive information on leading self hypnosis to help you on your way to success.

Please have a look at our self hypnosis articles, products, resources, and additional information located throughout .

We strive to provide only quality articles, so if there is a specific topic related to self hypnosis that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time.

And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our self hypnosis website.