By Barrie St John - HypnoShop.com
Much of society’s resistance to hypnosis is based on false beliefs perpetuated by a fear of the unknown. I’ve compiled and addressed some of my favorite myths to help clarify exactly what hypnosis is, and more to point, what it is not.
Myth #1 - Hypnotists have some kind of special power:
Entertainment media plays a significant role in sensationalizing the word hypnosis. At the risk of demystifying the term, I submit that there is no trickery involved whatsoever. Skilled hypnotists operate from a basic understanding of humans and human experiences. The hypnotic state can be achieved alone, which refutes the point that hypnotists are somehow magical. It also suggests that anyone can induce hypnosis, either on themselves or on someone else. The real skill lies in how we use hypnosis to influence people.
Myth #2 – Only weak minded people can be hypnotized:
Interestingly, concentration is the basis for achieving hypnosis, and the ability to concentrate requires a strong intellect. The greater your ability to concentrate, the better a hypnotic subject you will be. Suggestibility is unrelated to intelligence, and our susceptibility to suggestion is not indicative of weakness or gullibility. The decision to accept a treatment or service that you feel will benefit you is a conscious, calculated decision, not an act of weak mindedness.
Myth #3 - Hypnosis can only work on certain people:
To this, I say, sure... if you really don’t want to be hypnotized, you can certainly impeach the process. Certain people will benefit more from hypnosis than others, because they are motivated to get more out of it. Your level of suggestibility cannot be altered, but your commitment and the degree of concentration that you invest can and will influence how much you get out of hypnotherapy. Hypnosis works for everyone. It’s the degree that varies, and this variable is entirely up to you.
Myth #4 – You will be able to recall everything that has ever happened to you:
If there is any benefit to you whatsoever in recalling certain specific times or events in your life, then a good hypnotist can help you do that. But typically, there is no real need to go back and remember the past. Hypnosis is a natural state of total relaxation. Regression is a different thing.
Myth #5 - You can be made to say or do something against your will:
Hypnosis is a natural state of complete relaxation, not a state of sleep. In this relaxed state, you become highly susceptible to suggestion, but you don’t become a different person. Achieving a state of heightened suggestion does not compromise your faculties, morals, ethics, or beliefs. Being hypnotized won’t lead you to say or do things against your will. If you’re asked to do something you don’t want to do, you will simply refuse.
Myth #6 – People who are hypnotized become dependent on the hypnotist:
Hypnosis when used as a form of therapy and carries no greater risk of dependency than any other form of therapy. While in hypnosis, you’re in full control of what happens to you. Hypnotherapy is a means of empowerment, achieved with the assistance of an outside entity. It’s not submissiveness, and it’s not a surrender of control. You have the ability to pull yourself out spontaneously, at any moment.
Myth #7 – Hypnosis is bad for your health:
The irony here is that the very essence of hypnosis is regularly recommended by physicians and psychotherapists. These trusted health professionals invariably advise us that we need to relax more, yet they seldom state how. When you are hypnotized, you are quite simply in a deep, natural state of relaxation.
Myth #8 – When in hypnosis you could get stuck and be unable to wake up:
Hypnosis is a natural state which we all reach from time to time on our own, without prompting of any kind. There is absolutely no danger of getting stuck in this state. It’s about as likely as getting stuck completely asleep, really. The worst that can possibly happen is that you drift off into deep sleep for a few minutes, because you are in that bridged state between awake and asleep.
Myth #9 - You’re asleep or unconscious when in hypnosis:
If people were asleep or unconscious when in hypnosis, they would not be able to report on what they were feeling. In fact, you are fully aware of what’s happening, and you are able to recall your state of hypnosis. Some describe it as feeling heavy, some light, others just very relaxed. Typically, the body will feel as though it’s gone to sleep, but the mind remains alert and receptive to the suggestion.
Myth #10 - Hypnosis is the devils work and is dangerous:
In the past I’ve heard some religious people refer to hypnosis as the ‘devils work’. Like anything else, hypnosis can be used for good or for bad, but it is left to us to find a trusted hypnotist. Hypnosis is a natural occurring state, widely used by respected health care professionals. There are lots of doctors who practice hypnotherapy. I doubt very much that they are in league with the devil.
As with other unknowns, we quite readily make assumptions or suppositions about things that we aren’t sure of, and usually when we explore more closely, we find the reality is in fact quite different than the impression we had formed.
I hope I’ve managed to dispel some of the untruths about hypnosis, as it would be shame to deny oneself the benefits of hypnotherapy because of unfounded doubt or false impressions.
About the Author
Barrie St John is a leading figure in the field of hypnotherapy and personal change. He is the author behind the best selling self hypnosis CDs and downloads at www.HypnoShop.com
Showing posts with label Does Hypnosis Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Does Hypnosis Work. Show all posts
Can You Be Hypnotized?
A person’s susceptibility to hypnosis is dependent on several factors. Whether these factors work together or oppose each other is entirely in the hands of the individual.
There are factors that are outside of anyone’s control. They come down to the individual makeup of each person. For instance, if someone is naturally susceptible to suggestion in their everyday life, they likely will carry along that susceptibility in the hypnosis process as well. Everyone is susceptible to some degree, but this is one of the variable that will contribute to a person’s likelihood of achieving hypnosis easily.
But there are varying degrees of depth of hypnosis, and hypnotherapy doesn’t require a deep state of hypnosis. It can be beneficial at varying levels of depth. The self hypnosis CDs and downloads that I have produced are designed to take someone from a completely awake state into some degree of hypnosis.
Susceptibility to suggestion is also impacted by repetition. The more you hear a message, the more likely you will be to able accept is as fact, to buy into it, whether consciously or not. This is also true in everyday life.
Some people take to hypnosis quite effortlessly, while others need a bit more practice. Their degree of susceptibility might be influenced by other conditions around them, and they may find they need just exactly the right circumstances to achieve hypnosis.
But the most important contributor to someone’s susceptibility to hypnosis is really their attitude. If someone tries it and has immediate success, that’s terrific. But if the first time you listen to a hypnosis CD and you do not achieve hypnosis, some people will stop at that and conclude that it doesn’t work. That’s unfortunate, because if people are willing to commit to listening to the recordings regularly, and to finding the ideal conditions for themselves, they will achieve some degree of hypnosis, which will benefit them.
Hypnosis is about suggestion, and there is a degree of suggestion to all forms of therapy. If there are any prerequisites to qualify someone as a candidate for hypnosis, it’s attitude first and foremost. Sure other intellectual variances may factor in, like concentration and imagination, but they would likely affect the level of hypnosis, rather than the ability to achieve it in the first place.
About the Author
Barrie St John is a leading figure in the field of hypnotherapy and personal change. He is the author behind the best selling self hypnosis CDs and downloads at www.HypnoShop.com
Hypnosis Recordings vs. the Real Thing
I’m often asked the question:
"Are self hypnosis recordings really as effective as hypnotherapy with a real live person?"
My answer is yes, absolutely.
Certainly, there are significant differences to be found when comparing self hypnosis downloads or CDs to one on one therapy, but they are just that, differences.
What one individual considers a benefit may be seen as a drawback to the next person. It really comes down to each person’s natural makeup, which determines what works for them.
For instance, in the case of live one to one hypnotherapy, a session can be concentrated on a particular problem, which may be a priority to you at a given moment, especially if you’re easily hypnotized. With recorded self hypnosis sessions, you do not have the benefit of focalized subject matter. There is no doubt that for specific problems, particular deep rooted problems, live one to one hypnotherapy is the best option.
On the other hand, to someone else, successful hypnotherapy may be dependant on the need to hear the message repeatedly. The law of concentrated attention and the power of suggestion in hypnosis are proven and very real. In this case, a recorded self hypnosis session is really the best option. You have complete control over when and how often to hear the recording. With live hypnotherapy, you do not have the benefit of repeated play, or the convenience of selective timing.
There is nothing preventing you from trying combined therapy, wherein you see a hypnotherapist in person, and also benefit from self hypnosis recordings in your own time. There is no system to conform to; it’s really whatever works for each individual person. Each of us has to answer this for ourselves.
After several face to face hypnotherapy sessions, you may want to try a CD or a download, and see how it works for you. On the other hand, you may start with self hypnosis recordings, and after experiencing some degree of success, you may wish to have one or more face to face sessions.
From a cost standpoint, it’s certainly worth trying self hypnosis recordings first. It’s far more economical than face to face, and if successful, you can save a lot of time and money by directing your own therapy. I always give my clients one of my own self hypnosis CDs to use in between therapy sessions, so that they get the best of both worlds.
There is also the added advantage that by repeated listening of a recording you’ll have experienced the hypnotic state many times, which means you’ll no what to expect from hypnosis in general. Some people find it hard to enter a state of creative relaxation on the first few attempts. Since you’ll have experienced this many times from listening to a self hypnosis recording, it could save you both time and money should you wish to visit a hypnotherapist for live one to one sessions.
I’ve heard of a few hypnotherapists who question the effectiveness of self hypnosis recordings and I often get asked the question "do recorded hypnosis sessions actually work?" I say yes they do, without question. It’s like anything else; it may not work for everyone, but for those who are willing to listen regularly, it can be extremely successful. Hypnosis is about suggestion, the more you hear something, the more it penetrates. This is precisely why recorded self hypnosis sessions are so effective. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
About the Author
Barrie St John is a leading figure in the field of hypnotherapy and personal change. He is the author behind the best selling self hypnosis CDs and downloads at www.HypnoShop.com
Does Hypnosis Work?
If you ever wonder does hypnosis work, you need to read about this very useful and well-informed article about the possibilities in hypnosis from The New York Times.
It usefully points out a few case studies and explained why many people believed that "hypnosis didn’t work on them" or "why they weren't hypnotized" - and yet hypnosis did work - and the patients' problems were resolved permanently!
The Times article states:
...Hypnosis is the epitome of mind-body medicine. It can enable the mind to tell the body how to react, and modify the messages that the body sends to the mind. It has been used to counter the nausea of pregnancy and chemotherapy; dental and test-taking anxiety; pain associated with surgery, root canal treatment and childbirth; fear of flying and public speaking; compulsive hair-pulling; and intractable hiccups, among many other troublesome health problems
Read the complete New York Times article here...
So what about self hypnosis? Can I change myself through self hypnosis too?
You certainly can.
In the same article, Dr. Temes said hypnosis could be helpful even if done with a cassette tape or CD...
If you’d like some help to begin with, there are many good (powerful) self hypnosis downloads available on the homepage of this site that can help you achieve dramatic positive changes in your life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
