WHAT IS HYPNOSIS, AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

"The Mind is its own place, and it in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."
-Milton

Hypnosis is simply a form of deep relaxation combined with specialized techniques of inward mental focus. Creating this state of mind allows you to eliminate your negative subconscious habit patterns and retrain your mind to achieve successful results instead.

How Does Hypnosis Work?

Centuries ago, sailors who sailed the oceans wondered why it was possible that icebergs could be moving west while the wind was blowing their ships to the east, in the opposite direction. Why did the wind not also push the icebergs east?

These ancient sailors did not understand that 90% of the iceberg is under the surface of the water, and therefore ocean currents, and not the wind, move the icebergs.

The human mind is the same way. We control the upper 10% of our minds with our conscious desires, but the majority of our mindpower -- 90% -- is subconscious, below our direct awareness. Therefore, even if your conscious mind is "blowing the wind" at full force directing you to "lose weight," for example, if the more powerful subconscious currents are pushing 90% of you in any other direction, you won't lose weight.

Negative habits are simply the result of negative "programming" your mind received in the past. How does this happen? Think of your brain like a computer's hard-drive. From birth on, your brain takes in data from all of your experiences, and stores this data like "files" in its memory banks. Some of this data is good for you, and unfortunately some of it is bad for you. Your fears and phobias, insecurities, and self-defeating habits can always be traced back to negative input you received at some point in the past.

This is how the brain works: When the subconscious mind receives data input, it tends to classify this data based on other data it has already stored, and then it creates "associations" between the memory files. Whenever two bits of data become "paired" by being experienced at the same time, you can develop a "habitual response" to this type of data.

Mental associations don't have to make any sense "logically" in order to become subconscious beliefs. Here's a perfect example: Have you ever heard of "Pavlov's dogs?" A century ago, a Russian doctor named Ivan Pavlov became well-known for his work with behavior modification when he trained a group of dogs to salivate every time they heard a bell ring. How did he get the dogs to do this? Very simply: he rang a bell every time the dogs were given food. It wasn't long before an "association" was formed in the dogs' brains that "BELL= FOOD."

Any object or circumstance can create a conditioned response in your brain, merely by being paired with a stimulus that causes either a negative or a positive reaction. We're ALL "Pavlov's dogs" in a way, because each and every one of us has thousands of automatic, unconscious responses to various stimuli in our environments. We develop our habits and behaviors as a result of our past experiences -- therefore, ANY unpleasant or traumatic event can set up a negative belief pattern in your subconscious mind that can perpetuate itself for years and keep you from achieving your goals and dreams. Self-defeating habits are formed when past experiences create "associations" that become embedded as "emotional blocks" that get in the way of your ability to function. You may not even remember the "root incident" that set up a self-defeating pattern in your life. But because the subconscious mind is like a computer, it simply stores every bit of data it receives, whether it makes sense on a logical, rational level or not!

For example, perhaps a dog chased you when you were small, and therefore you developed a fear of animals. Makes perfect sense, right? Well, what about something more complicated: What if one day when you were five years old, you were riding a skateboard for the very first time, and at that exact moment your father came home from work in a bad mood and yelled at you because you left your toys all over the driveway. You were feeling very happy and having fun, but then your father's sudden angry yelling frightened you, and you lost your balance and fell off the skateboard, skinning your knee.

Later on in life, you don't consciously remember your father yelling at you that day, or anything else about this particular incident. But your subconscious mind remembers that when you tried to ride a skateboard, you had a very unpleasant experience. An irrational subconscious belief was formed in your mind that says, "Doing anything athletic will only lead to pain. AVOID THESE ACTIVITIES." And so on a conscious level, you grow up believing that you're a "klutz," and you shy away from even trying anything athletic because the very thought of it somehow just feels "threatening." Simply because your father happened to startle you in a negative way while you were skateboarding, your brain set up an irrational connection: Athletic activity is now associated with being "punished." So you go through life fearing that you will "suffer" if you try sports.

The good news is these types of conditioned responses can be changed, by creating new associations in your mind. Remember, your brain is just like a computer: It can ONLY run the programs that are downloaded into it. This is fine if the data you received was positive, because then you are "running programs" that lead to success, health and happiness in life. But what if negative data got input? If you got "downloaded" with too much negative programming, you may have recurring problems in various areas of your life. If you've ever had a virus on your computer, you know how destructive one negative command can be and how much it can interfere with your computer's ability to function. Corrupt computer files can slow your computer down, or even stop it from working altogether -- and you will continue to have problems until this virus is REMOVED! Your negative subconscious programs are the "viruses" that keep you from losing weight, that make you too shy in a social situation to talk to that attractive someone across the room, that cause you to break into a cold sweat when you have to ride in an elevator, and so on.

To get rid of any self-defeating pattern in your life, you simply need to "reprogram your computer." Hypnosis works by allowing you to delete the negative data -- all the "files" that make you think and act in ways that prevent you from reaching your goals -- and replace it with positive information. In hypnosis, your subconscious mind is "guided" to find the files that are causing your problems, and is then instructed to alter these files and create a new pattern. When you are in a state of deep mental and physical relaxation (the basic hypnotic state), new stimulus-response patterns can be set up. Things that caused you tension or even panic in the past can now become associated with feelings of calm, detachment, confidence, and well-being. The cycle of negative responses is broken, and replaced with positive actions instead!

In order to create real and lasting changes in your patterns, you must work on the mind at the subconscious level. Think about it: If consciously wanting something was effective, you'd already be a nonsmoker, weigh 120 pounds, have plenty of money, be in a happy relationship, and so forth -- right?? This is why hypnosis is such a valuable tool: It puts you in direct contact with your subconscious programming -- the root causes of all of your problems -- and allows you to create the changes you truly desire.

Scientific research shows that, after reinforcing a new pattern in the mind at the subconscious level for 28 days, the new pattern begins to become an automatic habit, "dissolving" your old pattern. Hypnosis can safely and quickly help you replace old, self-destructive habits with positive new ways of living that allow you to become the person you've always dreamed of being.

You have a great power within you - your MIND. It is the most powerful thing you possess, and it controls your reality. With this power, you can change undesirable patterns and CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT!

SOME COMMON MYTHS ABOUT HYPNOSIS:

Myth # 1: The hypnotist takes control of your mind. The truth is that ALL hypnosis is SELF-hypnosis. You absolutely cannot be hypnotized against your will. You must cooperate with the process in order for it to work at all, and you always have the power to accept or reject anything the hypnotist says. You can never be made to do anything against your will! You do not surrender control to anyone-the hypnotist is simply a guide who teaches you how to access and work with your own subconscious mind, putting you in control of your destiny.

"What about the hypnotists I've seen on TV, the ones who make people quack like ducks?"

These are stage hypnotists, not clinical hypnotists, and they deliberately select the most suggestible people in the audience to perform (about 5% of the population will do almost anything they're told to do-with or without hypnosis! -- and stage hypnotists are trained to spot these individuals). The audience members who volunteer to come up on stage are people who want the attention of being in the spotlight and are willing to go along with the hypnotist's instructions; otherwise, they wouldn't have said yes when the hypnotist asked for volunteers! These people are fully cooperating with the process -- yet they still cannot be made to do anything that goes against their moral and ethical codes even though they are highly "suggestible" subjects. ALL hypnosis is voluntary by nature, and the people you see on stage have subconsciously "agreed" to act silly in order to entertain the audience.

Myth # 2: Hypnosis involves some kind of "voodoo trance." There is absolutely nothing mystical about hypnosis. It is a very natural state of mind, one you go in and out of every day when you daydream, for example, or when you're staring into a fire, or when you're lost in thought as you're driving and you almost miss your exit. The truth is, you have already been in a hypnotic state thousands of times!

Clinical hypnosis simply helps you reach this state of mind on purpose. Hypnosis combines deep physical relaxation with specific techniques of inward mental focus, allowing you to access and retrain your subconscious mind to eliminate negative habits and patterns and replace them with the kinds of positive patterns you desire.

Myth # 3: You go to sleep when you are hypnotized. This is a very common myth, yet it's not the case. When you are hypnotized, you generally remain awake, alert, and aware of your surroundings. The hypnotic state is not the sleep state; it is a state of deep relaxation and focused concentration.

Well, what would happen if I did fall asleep while listening to a hypnosis tape?

Nothing. If you fell asleep during a session, you would simply wake up later -- just like you wake up every morning after sleeping.

What if the tape stopped in the middle of my session. Could I get "stuck" in hypnosis?

If your tape broke, or the power went out and your stereo stopped playing while you were in a hypnotic state, after awhile you would become aware that the tape was no longer playing, and you'd open your eyes and return to normal consciousness. Or, if you were very deeply relaxed at the time, you might drift off to sleep and then wake up later after a pleasant nap. Rest assured, you cannot get "stuck in a trance" for the rest of your life! Just like you wake up naturally after sleeping or snap out of a daydream naturally, your mind will always bring you back to normal everyday awareness regardless of what happens.

Myth # 4 : You have to go into a very deep trance or hypnosis won't work. People undergoing hypnosis reach varying levels of physical and mental relaxation. Some go very deep, and others simply achieve a nice feeling of calm and quiet. Suggestion and visualization are more important than the "depth" of your "trance." As long as you are cooperating with the process, your subconscious mind will receive the suggestions, and you will begin achieving results.

Myth # 5: You won't remember anything that happens during a hypnosis session. The truth is, it is very rare for a person to remember nothing at all from a session. The majority of clients are fully aware of every word being said to them -- as well as any other noises in their environment, like the sounds of traffic outside. In fact, many people are surprised to find that they remained so aware and in control of their thoughts and responses during hypnosis.

Some people become so deeply relaxed that their minds "wander off" from time to time, and therefore they may only consciously recall bits and pieces of their session. But if a person doesn't remember a single thing, it's probably because s/he fell asleep!

Myth # 6: Only weak-minded people can be hypnotized. No! In fact, the best subjects are very intelligent, motivated, and imaginative. People with vivid, active, and creative minds are the people who are best able to use hypnosis as a tool for self-empowerment.

Myth # 7: Hypnosis is only something used by "weirdos." Nothing could be further from the truth. Clinical hypnosis was approved for use by the American Medical Association fifty years ago, and is currently being used by thousands of mainstream doctors, dentists, psychiatrists, and therapists to treat a wide variety of physical illnesses and emotional problems.

The value of hypnosis is even becoming recognized by insurance companies -- in some countries, people who practice mind/body relaxation exercises on a regular basis receive discounts on their health insurance! The state of mind that hypnosis creates is extremely beneficial to mental and physical well-being, leading to reduced stress levels, a more positive attitude, greater inner peace, enhanced creativity, and improved health.

Hypnosis is safe, effective, and easy to learn. Many problems can be corrected in just a few short weeks. Hypnosis, when used properly, can quickly pinpoint the things that have been blocking you from success and offer solutions that bring you fast and lasting results!

How to Use Self-Hypnosis To Create Lasting Changes In Your Life

Catalog of Self-Hypnosis Tapes

Return To Self-Improvement