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
In Praise of Primal
Just added to Uncommon Knowledge - 'In Praise of the Primal Lifestyle', in which Mark Tyrrell takes a look at the movement towards 'paleo' living and how it might help us all be healthier and happier in a time when many of us have strayed far from our 'roots'.
How to create stories for therapy – Clear Thinking 85
3 story generating strategies to boost your therapeutic effectiveness
The right story at the right time can facilitate psychological and even physical healing. It?s possible that the ancient traditions of storytelling so rich and rife in all cultures may have been the earliest form of psychotherapy as well as vehicles for ...
Using the environment to influence people – Clear Thinking 84
Hypnosis Master Series: Learn how susceptible we are to environmental influence, and how you can use this to be a better therapist
Research has shown that a subtle background aroma of cleaning liquid in the air influences people to be perceptibly cleaner and tidier than they would otherwise be.
Another fascinating piece ...
How to use surprise in hypnosis inductions – Clear Thinking issue 83
3 clever ways to use subtle shock to create more effective hypnosis inductions
I once wanted to win a toy on the rifle range at the fair. To win, I had to fire wet sponge pellets at a cuckoo clock bird. If I fired when the doors were shut, the pellet ...
Setting goals in therapy – Clear Thinking issue 82
5 ways to maximize client motivation towards your therapy goals
Have you ever set a therapeutic goal for a client, had them agree to it, and then? find they?ve done nothing at all about it at their next session?
To escape from a problem state (whether a burning ...
How beliefs work – Clear Thinking 81
In this article I?m going to talk about some of the ways in which people come to believe the things they do; how brainwashing works and the distinction you can make between belief based on emotional conditioning and knowledge based on real experience. When you understand how belief systems operate ...
Uncommon Knowledge newsletter announcement
Sorry folks, but due to illness in the production team, there will be no Clear Thinking on Tues 3rd Nov. If you're dying to read something uncommon, why not take a look at the now-extensive Hypnosis Master Series
We very much hope to be back on track for the next issue ...
Why Ericksonian hypnosis is the best – Clear Thinking 80
3 smart ways to make your hypnosis work better
A teenage boy finds his burly father desperately failing to push a reluctant cow into a barn. The young lad, weak from a recent bout of polio, comes up behind the recalcitrant cow and firmly tugs on its tail. The cow immediately ...
How to treat depression the easy way – Clear Thinking 79
3 steps you MUST take when treating depression
Depression is a scary word. The prospect of treating depression without drugs feels daunting to many therapists. But we can really be optimistic when treating depressed people. Why?
Because antidepressant medication
doesn?t significantly outperform placebos (1); and
doesn?t work at all for two thirds of people ...
3 simple secrets of hypnotic language mastery – Clear Thinking 78
How can a few simple exercises supercharge your hypnosis language skills?
Have you ever heard someone use hypnotic language so masterfully that part of you just went, ?Wow! How on earth do you get to be that good???
Perhaps it was just a single phrase uttered by the hypnotist that completely flipped ...
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:
