Monday, April 20, 2009

Who's Hypnotizing Who?

There is such an intense interest in hypnosis, even after all these years. When someone asks me what I do for a living, I tell them, "I help people become hypnotized." The reactions I get are usually of fascinated curiosity. Many people say "Hypnotize me, hypnotize me!". And some say "I don't think I can be hypnotized". Then there are those who think I'm practicing the devil's work. Hmmm...

I am going to expose you to some in-your-face truths about hypnosis. Things you may not have read before. If you have a few minutes, I'd like you to keep an open mind and read on.

We are ALL hypnotists. Every infant, child, adult and senior citizen already has what it takes to be a hypnotist. Even inanimate objects are hypnotists! I'll give you examples for all of the above in a moment.

When many people think of being hypnotized, they envision relaxing and listening to someone guide them into a deeper state of relaxation. While this certainly works, you can also be hypnotized riding on a rollercoaster, or driving a race car, or even doing your laundry. The best definition I've heard of hypnosis comes from the book by Heller and Steele titled:
Monsters and Magical Sticks: There is No Such Thing As Hypnosis.
They define hypnosis as, "any transaction and communication that causes an individual to go into their own experiences and call upon their own imagination in order to respond." I couldn't have said it better myself. But what exactly does it mean?

When you 'go into your own experiences', you are essentially recalling the past. You are bringing up memories, or references, to identify with your current situation. For example, I had a client tell me about a beloved pet she lost a few years ago. She recalled his precious face, the spots around his nose, his floppy ears, and the unconditional love he gave. He was 'adorable' and she missed him terribly. She was sad about the loss and I certainly understand why. Her loss however can become someone else's loss too! She can tell this story to a complete stranger, and that person will start to recall what it was like to lose their own pet. A storyteller shares, a listener relates, and it becomes listener's experience too. This is hypnosis. It's not the only definition for hypnosis, but it is a good example how we are all being hypnotized all the time.

In the above example, the person who lost their pet felt sad. The listener then goes into his or her own references about losing an animal they cared for and suddenly, he or she is sad too. Some might say that the listener was involuntarily hypnotized by the story and became sad. However, was it involuntary? Actually, no. This is where most people get confused. No one can directly hypnotize you. You actually hypnotize yourself by going inward and having the experience. You will see this over and over again on many hypnotherapist's website:

All hypnosis is self-hypnosis

In order for the listener mentioned above to have that experience, he or she chose to remember their own animal and their own experiences with death. This put them into that trance-like state you always hear about. She was in her own trance, thinking of her own 'stuff.'

So, the real question is: What state do you choose to be in?

When someone is griping and complaining about the service they got at a restaurant, do you join in? Do you commiserate? Do you suddenly feel a bond when you are both complaining about the same thing? Or how about when you watch a commercial about how thirsty someone is while they're reaching for a cold drink, do you 'go into your own experience' to find out if you're thirsty too? Even better, do you suddenly want the drink shown in the commercial? Or, perhaps you want that drink months later when something reminds you of when you were watching that commercial.

We are all being hypnotized, all the time. It's the natural process of learning. Some professionals like myself know and have studied this process well and can use our learnings to help you make the changes you want to make in life, instead of the ones that you don't know you are making. This information is golden. Advertisers will never share this with you. Most hypnotists won't even share this with you. I however believe that everyone has a right to make an informed decision. If you are considering hypnotherapy as a method of change for the better, do your research. Search the pros and cons. Read about the myths. Read about the science. The more you know, the more you will be empowered to come to your own conclusion about what's right for you. You are going to find every angle out there. And, you will find people vehemently against hypnosis.

Do you want to be hypnotized? Just 15 seconds of your time please...

When you close your eyes and think of green, what comes up for you? Is it just the color? Or, is it grass... money... a car...? If you answered the question, congratulations! You have successfully entered a state of hypnosis.

My own definition for hypnosis says that we internalize our external experience. In other words, what we see, hear, feel, taste or smell, we bring into our minds to experience and relate to it. Usually relating it to something we already know. If we don't internalize something, we may not really experience it at all. If you chose not to go inward and think of green, then you simply didn't want to play. And that's ok too! There are many people who don't go inside their own minds to experience things. Some people really don't like what they see in there and choose not to go. Or, they don't trust who's leading them there, which is a safety mechanism (and a good one at that!). Otherwise, those who 'tried it on', got to have the experience. It may have been a simple example, but it shows how the process can work.

Obviously, there are many other components to hypnosis. But what I've explained to you above is really the foundation for how it all comes about. Something comes into one of our five senses, we relate to it somehow, then we have an internal experience which leads to a thought and typically, an emotion. A professional hypnotist/hypnotherapist knows how to utilize everything you know and help you make the changes you want to make. Now you are more informed.

If you have any questions on this article or on hypnosis, feel free to comment below or send me an email

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