Hypnosis

When under hypnosis our minds are in a trance-like state that is open to suggestion, it is like accessing our dream selves while still awake, the suggestions are directed at our subconscious, which takes them at face value and accepts them without questioning. Our mind is more alert and aware of what is going on during hypnosis than at any other time, the physical body is in a state of total relaxation. We hypnotize ourselves many times each day during our routine activities, in this way our body learns to relax while we undertake mundane repetitive tasks so that we don’t perish from stress before we reach old age.

There are quite a few common misconceptions about being hypnotized; the most widely spread myth is that we can be duped into giving away our closely guarded secrets and be taken advantage of in several ways. As already mentioned, during hypnosis we are more aware of what is happening than at any other time and will not simply give out information that we feel we’d like to keep secret. Furthermore, one cannot be led to do things under hypnosis that they wouldn’t want to do; at any time an individual is quite capable of bringing themselves out of the trance state if they do not like the suggestions that are being given to them.

Some people even fear that once they are under hypnosis there is a danger of never coming out of it again; no one has ever fallen unconscious during hypnosis, some people take longer to come out of it because they are enjoying the feelings of total relaxation. They come out in their own time, of their own free will when they feel like it.

Because the subconscious mind takes things head-on as they are without prejudice, reaching it through hypnosis is a perfect way to achieve many positive results for ourselves and others, such as:

1. curing psychosomatic illnesses
2. giving up addictions and unwanted habits
3. overcoming feelings of low self-esteem and inferiority complexes
4. vanquishing pain
5. improving your sex life and relationship
6. losing weight
7. tackling emotional problems and depression
8. removing phobias and fears
9. increasing your vitality and stamina
10. alleviating allergies and ailments
11. to regress through your life and even to a past life
12. stop stammering and stuttering
13. developing a positive attitude
14. or even for entertainment purposes

Stages of Hypnosis

There are three main stages of hypnosis; the first is a light or lethargic hypnotic sleep, here you experience a light sleepiness and dullness and you feel very relaxed and comfortable. You are told to visualize events; past events can be remembered and suggestions given.

The second stage is a medium or hallucinatory state where the hypnotist can give further suggestion, where past events become more clear and you can be asked to forget past traumas, give up addictions or to cancel them from the memory.

The third state is a deep or somnambulistic state, somnambulism means sleepwalking and this state is very similar to the experience of a sleepwalker. This is the state often seen on TV that is not usually used for therapeutic purposes but is more often used for entertainment. The hypnotist can make suggestions to your subconscious; telling you that you are a chicken will make you act like you are a chicken (or what your subconscious thinks a chicken acts like) until the hypnotist ends the command. Past life regression can also be done in this state.

Complete amnesia and anaesthesia, control of bodily functions, positive and negative tricking of the five senses, time distortion and the ability to open your eyes without being awake are all possible in the third stage. There is an even deeper state of hypnosis called plenary trance but that takes several hours to achieve and it is not possible to do on your own.