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Hypnosis – So what is this weird sounding word mean??

From Wikipedia

Hypnosis is a mental state (state theory) or set of attitudes (nonstate theory) usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a series of preliminary instructions and suggestions. Hypnotic suggestions may be delivered by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject (”hetero-suggestion”), or may be self-administered (”self-suggestion” or “autosuggestion”). The use of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes is referred to as “hypnotherapy”.

The words ‘hypnosis’ and ‘hypnotism’ both derive from the term “neuro-hypnotism” (nervous sleep) coined by the Scottish physician and surgeon James Braid around 1841 to distinguish his theory and practice from those developed by Franz Anton Mesmer and his followers (”Mesmerism” or “animal magnetism”).

Although a popular misconception is that hypnosis is a form of unconsciousness resembling sleep, contemporary research suggests that it is actually a wakeful state of focused attention[1] and heightened suggestibility, with diminished peripheral awareness.

If you’re thinking this:

Wrong! This is not hypnosis.

“You are getting veeeeery sleeeeepy.” While this is true that the hypnotic state is a very relaxing one, hypnosis is nothing like you see portrayed on TV and in the movies. While it IS possible to enter deeply into trance and fall asleep, far more often than not, you are wide awake and probably would question if it worked or not, because of this misconceptions of what it is and is not. The word “trance” alone conjurs up all sorts of mystical imagery in the head. It may be helpful and reassuring to know, we enter a trance state all by ourselves probably several times a day. If you think you have never been hypnotized or in a hypnotic state, think again!

Even though these examples are overused, they bear repeating for those who have never heard them.

• Have you ever been driving in your car and your mind wandered so far into your thoughts that you had no idea how you ended up at your destination?
• Have you ever been so engrossed in an activity, ie jogging, walking, doing dishes, etc, and your thoughts drift off?
• Have you ever been completely caught up in a movie or TV show, or even music that you don’t hear somebody speaking to you?
• Have you ever daydreamed to the point that the images just start to play in your mind without effort?
• Have you ever had a dream during sleep?

These are ALL examples of the hypnotic state, the subconscious mind saying “I’ll take over for a little bit” while your cognitive thinking takes a probably much needed break. Hypnosis is nothing to be frightened of, ever. Even if it’s complex in theory, it’s also simple at it’s very core.

You CANNOT be hypnotized into doing something against your morals or wishes!

Again: You, cannot, be, mind controlled or forced to do or think something you don’t want to.

It’s been tested and tested over the years. Our subconscious mind is not weak, it’s actually the strong one compared to our conscious element. This is also why hypnosis sometimes also fails. It’s not the hypnosis that failed but the fact that the person or subject in question really doesn’t want to change “insert habit or situation here.”

Now this doesn’t mean that people aren’t brainwashed. We’ve seen it happen, that type of mind control is very real but this is after a lonnng time of influenced thoughts, embedding beliefs into somebody’s head repeatedly. If you tell somebody long enough that they’re stupid or ugly, it won’t matter even if they are a rocket scientist or super model, they will eventually believe they are, or at least there would be some self doubt. Our computer like minds can definitely be programmed over time, but emphasis is on time. Tell a person they are stupid or ugly just once and if they are not accustomed to that belief about themselves, chances are the worst thing that will happen is they walk away offended.

If anything, you are never more IN control of your mind than when entered into state.

“So why did that stage hypnotist get those people to bark like dogs or cluck like chickens?”

Because they were open to the idea of being hypnotized. They were … suggestible.

Can everybody be hypnotized?

Sure if you want to. It’s been said in the past that the more intelligent the person, the least likely they can be hypnotized. This more and more is proving to be false. If anything, the MORE intellect the person has, the more in touch with his subconscious he or she already is and the more easily they will go into state. There are issues of people being scared of losing control and that very thought in itself will be enough to prevent access to the subconscious mind.

What’s Hypnotherapy?

This is where I tout my school, HMI. The founder Dr John Kappas is the reason the word exists.

Federal Dictionary of Occupational Titles

Following is the definition of the profession of Hypnotherapy as defined in The Dictionary of Occupational Titles, published by the United States Department of Labor. Authored by Dr. John Kappas 1977.

079.157.010 | Hypnotherapist
Alternate Title: Master Hypnotist | Alternate Title: Hypnotist

Hypnotherapist induces hypnotic state in client to increase motivation or alter behavior pattern through hypnosis. Consults with client to determine the nature of problem. Prepares client to enter hypnotic states by explaining how hypnosis works and what client will experience. Test subjects to determine degrees of physical and emotional suggestibility. Induces hypnotic techniques of hypnosis based on interpretation of test results and an analysis of clients problem. May train client in self-hypnosis conditioning.

Hypnotherapy is using hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. Be it for weight loss, smoking, other addictions, public speaking, phobias, relationship coping, physical pain and ailments, anger issues, sleeping problems, just about anything at all you can think of or struggle to overcome, hypnotherapy may be your answer.

Though this may be debated by some, the success rate of hypnosis clients compared to psychotherapy patients is rather significant. There’s a reason for this. We can tell ourselves to change this, make New Year’s resolutions, promise our friends and family we’ll be stopping this or that bad habit, vow to get out of a bad relationship and be able to cope. But the truth is, we’re addressing that part of our brain that isn’t receptive or sometimes strong enough to get the job done. What we store inside our subconscious minds though, is powerfully effective, once it’s accessed and suggestions are put deeply in place.

I still have a lot to learn on the subject but what I’ve discovered so far really has changed my entire perspective on life.