I am writing this article as a practicing hypnotist focusing mostly on personal improvement matters. I am not recommending the use of hypnosis to diagnose, prescribe or treat any medical condition. This is the purview of physicians and mental health professionals and it is a good idea to consult with one to identify the root cause of the problem. There is minimal risk with hypnosis, this does not mean there in zero risk.
Many people think of hypnosis as an escapee from a comedy club used to make people look
silly and foolish. Others see it as a sinister plot device in B grade movies to be used by some evil person to control others as part of some nefarious scheme. However, in reality is a powerful tool to help people deal with all kinds of issues to improve their lives. It was approved by the American Medical Association as a form of treatment back in 1958 (later rescinded) and by the American Psychological Association in 1960.
What is Hypnosis – The Society of Psychological Hypnosis, Division 30 of the American Psychological Association defines hypnosis as: A state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness characterized by an enhanced capacity for
response to suggestion. Hypnosis in some ways is like a group of Rabbis discussing some text. They all have opinions but nobody agrees. There are many theories of what is happening when somebody is hypnotized. As there is no such thing as a hypnosis meter to tell if or when a person is in hypnosis, it is hard to verify what exactly is happening to the individual. My preferred way to look at hypnosis is to break the mind down into two parts – the Conscious and the Unconscious/Subconscious. The Conscious Mind handles the duties of looking, listening, learning, reasoning, judging, analyzing, criticizing and accepting or rejecting information from your surroundings. The Unconscious/Subconscious Mind
runs all bodily functions, stores all memory and will act out any image, idea or concept that you allow to be put into it. In other words, your Conscious Mind takes in what it is being presented with (like reading this article) and decides if this makes sense before acting on it. The Unconscious Mind is kind of like a computer running programs in the background. You do not consciously deal with the mechanics of walking (lift the right foot, move it forward, put it down, repeat with the left foot, etc.) You just decide consciously where you want to walk. Going into a hypnotic state is to turn off some of the Conscious Mind. The more of the Conscious Mind that is turned off, the “deeper” into hypnosis they
go. With the Conscious Mind not screening the input, it is easier for the individual along with the hypnotist to “reprogram” the Unconscious Mind to change habits, thought processes or behaviors.
Hypnosis Fact and Fiction – Many people have opinions of what hypnosis is or is not. Hypnosis is not mind control. A hypnotized person does not blindly do whatever their hypnotist tells them to do. A hypnotized person knows exactly what is going on and will accept or reject suggestions given to them as they feel is appropriate. A hypnotized person will not do anything to violate their moral or ethical principles. For example, you cannot hypnotize an honest person to rob a
bank. During a stage show, where the hypnotized person knows the purpose of the show is for entertainment, and barking like a dog does not violate their moral principles, they will probably do it. While stage hypnosis can be entertaining, it tends to show hypnosis in a rather sketchy manner and overshadow in the general public’s mind of its benefits in helping improve the lives of individuals. Another misconception is that you can be made to tell secrets when in hypnosis, which is not true. Yet another misconception is that you can get stuck in hypnosis. This too is incorrect. Many people love the feeling of complete relaxation that comes with hypnosis that they don’t want to return to normal
consciousness but they cannot get stuck there.
Hypnosis & Meditation - Hypnosis and mediation overlap each other. Meditation is an altered state in which the goal is to typically obtain a state of near complete mental relaxation. Hypnosis on the other hand, is an altered state where the goal is to modify behaviors/thoughts in the awakened state by changing thought processes while in this altered mental state. What does it feel like to be in hypnosis – Generally, when in hypnosis a person is very relaxed physically and mentally. The most common reference point of mental relaxation is falling asleep. When you try to
fall asleep, you try to let you mind slow way down. Hypnosis is much like that except you stop short of actually falling asleep. When you are in hypnosis you are awake and aware of your surroundings but may not care to interact with your surroundings. Have you ever been watching a show or listening to music so intently that you do not hear somebody calling your name? That is essentially the same feeling as being in hypnosis.
What can hypnosis do for you? – The list of issues that hypnosis can help people with is very long. I will touch on a few of them that are identified in health literature. Diagnosing or treating a medical condition should be, overseen or administered by a
physician or mental health professional. Hypnosis may be recommended by them. - Habit control – modifying habits like overeating, making poor diet choices, smoking, nail biting, addictions
- Pain management – migraines, child birth, surgical or dental procedures
- Stress management – releasing stress, insomnia
- Fears and phobias – overcoming all types of fear related issues, stage fright
- Improve athletic performance – sports performance for individuals or teams
- Increase self-esteem or self-confidence – improve self-image, sales person’s attitudes, image projection
- Improve sexual issues – male or female performance issues
- Memory and academic performance
–recall lost memories although false memories could also be recalled, improve study habits and test taking skills, improve concentration
- And many more.
Seeing a hypnotist or hypnotherapist is often the last resort of many individuals. “I have tried everything and nothing works so I am desperate enough to consider hypnosis” is a commonly seen attitude. In reality, hypnosis is one of the first things that should be tried both for non-medical conditions and for medical conditions under the oversight of a medical or mental health professional. It is safe and involves no drugs yet helps a large number of people with a wide range of issues. One of the reasons to involve a
medical professional is that the underlying cause of the issue may not be recognized as soon as desirable for necessary medical intervention. In future articles, we will examine in more detail how hypnosis can help people deal with the various issues identified above.
Sandy Victor
Sandy is a Certified Hypnotist/Hypnotherapist by the National Guild of Hypnotists in a private practice. He is located in Buffalo Grove, IL, and have been doing hypnosis for over 40 years mainly for personal improvement matters. For more information, contact him at - sandy_victor@hotmail.com, www.SandyVictorHypnosis.com and (847) 634-1376.
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