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Hypnosis is a state of consciousness
one enters and leaves naturally all the time during your
day-to day experiences. It feels very much like day dreaming
i.e., the state between sleeping and waking. Hypnosis is
a guided fantasy. In this state of relaxation you are more
open to suggestions. In this state (also called alpha) your
brain wave vibration rate slows down, giving you access
to your Subconscious Mind. While your Conscious Mind is
still completely aware of what is going on the whole time,
in this relaxed state of mind, your subconscious mind has
the ability to accept information given to it by the hypnotist.
Hypnosis is a valuable tool for self-empowerment and continuous
personal growth.
Hypnosis is a state of heightened suggestibility. We are
all influenced by suggestions. Hypnosis uses this natural
human process to change negative patterns into positive
patterns of behavior.
There is nothing mysterious about hypnosis.
There are five components necessary to induce hypnosis.
- Motivation - You must want to be Hypnotized
Relaxation - Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation.
- Concentration - You will use your ability to concentrate.
- Imagination - You will use your vivid imagination.
- Suggestion - You will hear and respond to suggestions.
Its application is based solely on the relationship between
the conscious mind and the subconscious mind.
The subconscious mind, having no power to reason, accepts
and acts upon any fact or suggestion given to it by the
conscious mind.
As long as there have been human beings, there has been
hypnosis. We use this commonly occurring, and natural state
of mind, unknowingly, all the time. It is just natural for
us. For example, if you have ever watched a television program
or a movie and became really absorbed into the program,
you were probably in a trance.
Advertisers understand this. They use television programs
to induce a hypnotic trance and then provide you hypnotic
suggestions, called commercials!
Everyone has already experienced hypnosis, by accident or
intentionally.
Another common example of this naturally occurring state
of mind is when you are driving down the road, with your
mind focused on some other task (a day dream perhaps), and
next thing you know, you have passed your next turn.
So now you know you can be hypnotized.
You have done it literally thousands of times. You did it
yourself when you were daydreaming and missed that turn,
you have been hypnotized when you enjoyed a television program,
and you have followed hypnotic and posthypnotic suggestions
when you preferred some brand name that you saw repeatedly
on television.
How hypnosis works
The hypnotic state is an optimum state for making changes
in your life.
During hypnosis you can set aside limiting beliefs that
may have been preventing you from moving toward a more healthy,
and happier you.
In order for you to understand how hypnosis works, it is
very important for you to understand the relationship between
your conscious mind and your subconscious mind.
The Conscious Mind
The conscious mind, which accounts for 10% of our
mind, is working right now as you are reading this.
It is that part of you that is aware of what is going
on right now. Choices and decisions are made by the
conscious mind.
The conscious mind is logical and analytical and it
is where we spend most of our time. It basically performs
four functions.
1. The conscious mind analyzes and it a problem-solver
by evaluating whatever concern, situation or issue
has its attention.
2. The conscious mind makes decisions that we often
think are automatic, but in reality, engage a part
of our conscious mind.
3. The conscious mind exercises what we call will
power. Will Power seldom lasts, does it? You mean
well, but conscious intent fails and the old behavior
reoccurs.
4. The conscious mind also is the place of working
memory. It is the memory we use every day to function.
Where we all live, however, is in the level below
this level of awareness, the subconscious mind. The
subconscious mind accounts for the other 90%.
Conscious decisions are influenced by the data stored
in our subconscious mind. |
The Subconscious Mind
The subconscious mind, which accounts for 90% of our
mind, can be compared to a computer in that it stores
the data for all the experiences we have ever had.
One of the most important functions of the subconscious
mind is that it automatically controls our bodily
functions; breathing, heart beating, eyes blinking,
the immune system and organs, muscles, bones and tissues
from the cellular level to its inter-relatedness as
a whole body functioning.
The subconscious mind is creative, intuitive, irrational,
and emotional.
Being irrational can work for you or against you.
Because it's illogical it can make you into anything
you want to be, i.e., rich, famous, slender, happy.
It can also keep you stuck in negative behavior. It
contains your values, your core beliefs about your
self, every thought you have ever had, every word
that has ever been said to you, and every experience
you have ever had.
Just like a computer operates only on it's programming,
so does your subconscious mind. Also like a computer,
your subconscious mind can be reprogrammed.
We are constantly reprogramming our subconscious mind
through our experiences and self-talk. If our internal
dialogue is saying we are fat, a smoker, a success,
a failure; then that is what we become.
This programming has been placed in there from many
sources and it must operate on this programming. |
How do we get suggestions into the subconscious mind?
There is a part of the Conscious Mind called the critical
factor. It's kind of like a guard at the gate between the
Conscious Mind and the Subconscious Mind. It has the power
to accept or reject suggestions from entering the Subconscious
Mind. It has very good intentions. Its job is to protect
us. Because change is viewed as a threat to our nervous
system, any suggestion that does not match the existing
programming automatically gets rejected. That is how it
accomplishes its goal of protecting us.
The only way a real change can take place is to get the
new programming into our subconscious mind.
The only way to get to the subconscious mind and bypass
the critical factor is through our memories, habits, and
emotions.
- Memories are only created through experience and you
may need many positive experiences to diminish the effects
the negative experience. This could take a long time
to create.
- Habits require willpower and time in order to become
habits.
- Emotions either happen randomly or require changing
the way you think about a situation and that can be
enormously difficult to do and also take time.
There is another, much easier way bypass the critical factor,
and that is through hypnosis.
Through the induction of relaxation, the critical factor
goes to sleep for a while. The Conscious Mind stays awake,
and can still make decisions. But now you're in control
while your subconscious is receptive to any suggestion that
your conscious mind wants to let in.
How does Hypnosis feel?
Since everyone has experienced light levels of hypnosis
at different times, don't be surprised if you don't feel
hypnotized. All that is required to be hypnotized is a motivation
to be hypnotized, concentration, imagination, relaxation,
and the willingness to respond to suggestion. There are
ways to check for the depth level of hypnosis, usually in
a one-on-one session.
During hypnosis, you will remain conscious of your surroundings.
Some of the sensations you may experience are:
- Tingling in your fingertips or limbs
- A sense of numbness or limb distortion
- A sense of being light and floating away from your
body
- A heavy feeling like your are sinking
- A sense of energy moving through your body
- Feelings of emotions
- Fluttering eyelids
- An increase or decrease in salivation.
When you notice that you are noticing these sensations,
do not become alarmed or you may shock yourself right out
of your trance. Just expect the trance to occur gradually
and it will. Suggestions stay with some individuals indefinitely,
others need reinforcement. The effects of hypnosis are cumulative:
The more the techniques are practiced and posthypnotic suggestions
are brought into play, the more permanent the results become.
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