Hypnotic Myths
By Rita Ballard, Fri Dec 9th
Even though hypnosis has been around officially since the 1700s(Franz Anton Mesmer), there are still questions as to itsvalidity and benefits. For the most part, these questions stemfrom fear and ignorance. Regarding this subject, it is generallyassumed that what you don’t know can hurt you. People’sviewpoints on hypnosis vary according to what their experienceshave been and what they’ve heard.
I am a stable, responsible, levelheaded, intelligent person. Iam also a licensed hypnotherapist. One of the requirements forfinishing training was to go out and practice whatyou’ve learned; my obvious targets in this endeavor wereprimarily my family and friends.
My oldest child staunchly refuses to have anything to do withhypnosis, even now (I’ve been a hypnotherapist for 6 years.).She is not a child; she is in her early 30s and is a successfulvideo producer. Still, she says that she’s not going to dosomething that might get her “lost somewhere and unable toreturn.”
My second child has volunteered to be hypnotized by me numeroustimes. He loves the experience. He enjoys how relaxed it makeshim feel, and he believes that he derives great benefit from it.
My third child is aloof about the whole subject. He doesn’tvalidate or discount it one way or another. He’s just ‘to busy’to give it a try.
I am curious about people who draw conclusions about hypnosiswhen they haven’t actually experienced it in some way. Itbaffles me how a person can discount it when hypnosis has notnegatively impacted them or someone they know.
I’ve had people tell me that hypnosis is “the devil’s work”, yetI know of pastors who practice in their counselingpractices. I’ve had professionals say to me, “Yes, but does itactually work?” Well, does dieting actually work? Does imageryactually work? In order for something to “actually work” theuser has to have a certain amount of belief in it. So, whetheror not hypnosis actually works depends on the belief of thesubject and to some degree, the skill of the hypnotherapist.
§You
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cannot “get lost” while hypnotized. There is no place to“get lost” to. You do not leave your body or your mind behindand go off somewhere.
§No one can “put thoughts into your head” or make you do thingsthat you would not ordinarily do. Your own core values cannot beviolated by another; if, under certain circumstances, you couldbe moved to bark like a dog or cluck like a chicken, then ahypnotic suggestion to do so would not violate your core values.
§Others cannot take over or control your mind. Your mind has 2components: the conscious mind, which is the objective part,assists you in making daily decisions and analyzing data. Thesubconscious part is subjective, and this is where yourcreativity and abstract thinking lie. The subconscious isinclined to believe what you tell it. For instance, if you thinksomething, then to your subconscious mind, that is so. It doesnot analyze facts; if you think it, then it accepts it as fact.If you think that others can control your mind, then for you,that is true. But only because you allow the idea to be a factfor you.
§Anyone can be hypnotized. What happens when you’re watchingtelevision and someone tries to get your attention? Have youever been driving down the road, only to look around and seethat you’ve gone much further than you thought? When you focusyour concentration to the point where everything else isscreened out, then you are in a state of hypnosis. Hypnosisnarrows your focus and concentration. You do that when you areintent in a conversation, or performing any activity thatdecreases your awareness of things outside of yourself.
Hypnosis is not a mystery. It is not evil, and it is not mindcontrol. It is simply a way to temporarily bypass the rationalmind in order to facilitate desired changes. Many, many peoplehave successfully undergone hypnosis and achieved their goals.
About the author:Rita Ballard, GVA, C.Ht. is a licensed hypnotherapist and theowner of Healer's Helper, a virtual assistance businessproviding administrative support services to healthcareprofessionals. For more information, please visitwww.healershelper.com Virtually Restoring Balance, One Task At ATime!
Learn hypnosis by reviewing these other articles on hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis:
