Nurfika Osman

Hypnosis No Hocus-Pocus In Helping Smokers to Quit
A Jakarta-based psychiatrist claims that hypnosis can increase smokers’ chances of kicking the habit, and decrease their chances of kicking the bucket.

Tribowo Ginting, from the Smoking Cessation Clinic at the Persahabatan Pulmonary and Respiratory Hospital in East Jakarta, said on Monday that the alternative treatment could help some people quit smoking for whom willpower alone was not enough.

“Hypnosis and continued counseling will increase the chances of smokers giving up completely by as much as 30 percent,” Ginting claimed, adding that only about 5 percent of smokers were able to kick the habit without some form of help.

Ginting said that hypnosis was not the mind-control technique that was often depicted on television and in the media.

He said that hypnosis in medical treatment was about suggestion therapy.

“We are providing positive and negative suggestions to the patients so that they will enter the ‘undecided phase,’ ” Ginting said. “At this phase, we can help them stop smoking.”

Positive suggestions, he said, include the health benefits of stopping smoking, while negative suggestions cover the health risks of continuing the habit. Preaching the negative impacts alone, he said, is ineffective.

“We need to make them think, ‘Am I doing the right thing by smoking? Is it true that smoking is bad for my health? What do I get from smoking?’ ” he said.

Ginting said that due to the addictive nature of nicotine, which is up to 10 times stronger than morphine or cocaine, it could take between a month to a year or more for patients to fully stop smoking.

Besides regular counseling, Ginting said psychiatrists could also prescribe drugs to reduce patients’ cravings. He said that Varenicline was one of the safest drugs for reducing patients’ cravings.

According to data from the University of Indonesia’s Demographics Institute, in 2008 some 68 million Indonesians were active smokers and 427,948 people died nationwide from smoking-related illnesses, accounting for 22.5 percent of deaths in the country last year.

New Clues on How Hypnosis Works
Researchers Observe Changes in Brain Activity During Hypnosis
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

June 26, 2009 -- University of Geneva researchers say they found in a series of experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that brain activity is different under hypnosis.

Their study is published in journal Neuron.

The study concludes that hypnosis induces a disconnection of motor commands from normal voluntary processes under the influence of brain circuits involved in executive control and self-imagery, Yann Cojan, PhD, of the Neuroscience Center and Medical School at the University of Geneva, tells WebMD in an email.

The researchers used fMRI to scan brains of 12 people who were tested on hand movement before and after hypnosis for left hand paralysis.

Despite the paralysis, neurons in the motor cortex region were still firing away in preparation for the task, Cojan tells WebMD.

He says his team confirmed "subjective reports of hypnotic phenomenon" and also that "functional connectivity is a very important process in the brain" that hypnosis is capable of modifying.

What was surprising was that the cortex appeared to be ignoring parts of the brain with which it normally communicates in controlling movement, the researchers say.

Hypnosis produced changes in areas involved in attention, and also modified connections between the brain's motor cortex and other regions, Cojan tells WebMD.

Besides the 12 who were hypnotized, the researchers also scanned the brains of six people who had not been hypnotized but who had been told to feign hand paralysis for testing. They comprised the comparison group.

"These results suggest that hypnosis may enhance self-monitoring processes to allow internal representations generated by the suggestion to guide behavior but does not act through direct motor inhibition," Cojan says in a news release. "These findings make an important new step toward establishing neurobiological foundations for the striking impact of hypnosis on the brain and behavior."

In the study participants, messages weren't sent through normal brain channels, so when hypnotized subjects were told to move their left hands, they couldn't, Cojan says.

Hypnosis, the researchers found, induces a disconnect in normal voluntary processes involved in planning to move a body part. "Hypnosis is a very old tool in many medical domains but it is still unclear how it works," Cojan says.
4 Must-See Articles

Brain scans show how hypnosis can paralyze a limb
By MALCOLM RITTER – 1 day ago
NEW YORK (AP) — How can a hypnotist paralyze your hand just with words? By making a part of your brain butt in on the process that normally makes your hand move, a study says.
So the brain region that's ready to move your hand ignores its usual inputs and listens to this interloper, which says, "Don't even bother," the research concluded.
It's "a kind of reconnection between different brain regions," said Yann Cojan, a researcher at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
He's an author of the study in Thursday's issue of the journal Neuron. It used brain scans to show what happened when 12 volunteers tried to move a hand that had been paralyzed by hypnosis.
Results showed the right motor cortex prepared itself as usual to tell the left hand to move. But the cortex appeared to be ignoring the parts of the brain it normally communicates with in controlling movement. Instead, it acted more in sync than usual with a different brain region called the precuneus. That was a surprise, Cojan said.
The precuneus is involved in mental imagery and memory about oneself. Cojan suggests it was brimming with the metaphors the participants had heard from the hypnotist: Your hand is very heavy, it is stuck on the table, etc. So, he said, it might have been telling the motor cortex, "Oh, but your hand is too heavy, you can't move your hand."
It's as if the motor cortex "is connected to the idea that it cannot move (the hand) and so ... it doesn't send the message to move," Cojan said.
For the research, 12 participants had their brains scanned while doing a task that required them to push a button with one hand or the other. For some sessions, they were hypnotized and told their left hands were paralyzed. For other sessions, their mental status was normal. For comparison, six other participants simply pretended their left hands were paralyzed.
Dr. Richard Frackowiak, a brain expert at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland who didn't participate in the study, called the new work a "very valuable addition" to research into hypnotic paralysis.
Amir Raz, who studies hypnosis and the brain at McGill University in Montreal, said he found the work interesting. But he wondered if the results might partially reflect general effects of being under hypnosis, rather than the paralysis suggestion itself.
On the Net:
Neuron: http://www.cell.com/neuron/
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Anxiety Hypnotherapy - Get De Stressed Today

How Anxiety Hypnotherapy works and how YOU can use it to improve your life
By:Georgina Hoehmannzn

Why do people get stressed? By asking questions! Yes, as simple as this may sound, this is one of the key reasons that we get stressed. We ask ourselves what we are doing with our life, whether our current partner is the best for us and ultimately, what is the meaning of life. So is it as easy as stopping asking questions? This will not work either, if you stop asking questions then you risk becoming one of those people that simply cruises through life without considering why they are here, what they are doing and why they exist. While these sorts of people will not often get stressed, they will also miss out on enjoying the conversations that come about as a result of posing these questions to others. One of the great motivational speakers of our time, Anthony Robbins said this several years ago: "Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant seeds like love, courage, and appreciation instead of seeds like disappointment, anger, and fear." This quote illustrates how important it is to try and control the mind to achieve personal happiness. Stress is the most dangerous drug in a human's life. Your feelings determine your behavior. However, behavior does not equal the person. Behaviour is only a symptom of your environment and the way you live your life. However if you do not seek help, other symptoms like panic attacks, physical illness and even depression can be created. Anxiety hypnotherapy in combination with NLP and the Alpha technique is a very effective "medicine" to control the stress in such a way that you never have to go through the additional symptoms mentioned above. Stop the negativity in your life! Many people are skeptical of anxiety hypnotherapy but this is usually the case because they are scared about trying something different. But it makes sense to try something different because you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Using anxiety hypnotherapy on a regular basis has the potential to improve your life more than you ever dreamed. You will find it easier to make friends, you will look forward to waking up in the morning and you may never get stressed again. If you would like to address an anxiety disorder you should consult a hypnotherapist who is qualified in anxiety hypnosis. Once you begin treatment you will never look back!

Choosing a hypnotherapist to deal with your anxiety disorder

As soon as you decide that anxiety hypnotherapy is an option for you, you can be sure that you have made a good choice. It does take a bit of courage to begin treatment but after a few sessions with a hypnotherapist, the benefits will be plain to see. The most important decision you will make once you decide to undergo anxiety hypnosis is choosing a hypnotherapist. There are many ways you can choose a hypnotherapist but perhaps the easiest and most reliable is by talking to a friend who has previously seen a hypnotherapist. This way you can be sure that you are dealing with a quality organization that has the skills to transform your life from one of stress and negativity to a life where positive thinking is second nature and you relish every day. The other method of choosing a hypnotherapist is by using an online search such as Google or Yahoo. These search engines will produce a large number of results making it easy to see which practitioners you prefer. Some lists will also include prices and availability. However the most useful feature of an online search is to find reviews of individual hypnotherapists. By reading the opinion of someone else you can gain a valuable insight into what is being offered to you and how other people have rated the services provided.

Why you should not view general anxiety as an anxiety disorder

Everyone gets anxious about things. Some people worry about money, some people worry about the future and some people worry about where they are going to get their next meal! But are any of these concerns disorders or simply part of daily life. There is a big difference from an anxiety disorder and simply general anxiety. In most cases, an anxiety disorder will arise as a result of prolonged worries which don't go away. Every day you will wake up without knowing how to cope and you might turn to external substances such as alcohol and drugs in order to cope. So you should not worry about worrying. Worrying is normal and should in some cases be encouraged. It promotes a questioning mind which is crucial to survive in this world. Stop worrying about the little things and start asking yourself the following questions. Why am I here? What should I be doing? How does it all end? Anxiety hypnosis is a valuable tool designed to help you view life in perspective and ensure you remain in control of your emotions on a daily basis. Anxiety hypnotherapy is recommended for anyone who worries without reason and it has the potential to improve your life more than you ever dreamed.

What Is Conversational Hypnosis

23.06.2009 | Author: Maisy Jones | Posted in NLP Hypnosis

by Sylvie Cooper

Communication is indeed a tool that can be very powerful. This can be illustrated in the case of conversational hypnosis.

Conversational hypnosis is a process wherein a persons initial perception is altered with regards to the problem that is being faced. This will have to be done through the interaction of the hypnotist and the patient.

A session of conversational hypnosis usually starts with a stage called the affinity. Hypnosis only works if there is rapport that exists between the hypnotist and the patient. This rapport is fostered with the hypnotist expressing to the patient that he empathizes with the patient.

To drive home the point, lets say that a hypnotist is working with an agoraphobic person to address his fear of being in crowds. When the patient tells the hypnotist that it is very hard to be in his situation, the hypnotist should say in return that I do understand what youre going through. Yes, it is hard.

Once there is a kind of bond that is established between the patient and the hypnotist, the hypnotist can start going deeper into the conversational hypnosis. The second stage of the hypnosis is the distraction. During this stage, the hypnotist will attempt to sway the patients thinking into something which does not involve the problem.

The hypnotist usually asks several questions to successfully allow the patient to think of something else.

To follow through with the example I made before, in order for the hypnotist to distract the patient, he can ask something along the lines of what do you think it would be like if you lived all alone in this planet? The question does not have to literally make sense as long as it is effective in distracting the patient.

The final step is the proposition. Once the hypnotist successfully leads the patient to think of something else, then the hypnotist can introduce different suggestions to finally solve the problem.

Like the hypnotist can start telling the patient what life would be like if he started getting comfortable with people.

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Hypnosis Can Help You Lose Weight

y Tamara Rilley

A lot of people are amazed by the intensity of mind power when it comes to dealing with various obstacles in life. For the last few centuries, men and women have constantly been battling issues on their sizes and weight. Thanks to hypnosis, there is now an easier and more dependable way to lose weight without having to spend a lot of money or to cut down on your diet.

Weight loss is huge industry particularly here in the United States due to the current obesity problem which has spawned literally hundreds of different programs, diets and routines for shedding weight. Since most of these methodologies only work for a small percentage of the overweight population, people have sought their own mind to provide personal weight loss solutions.

A weight loss alternative that is often overlooked is the technique of hypnosis. It is important to understand that hypnotherapy, the process used in overcoming obesity must be done in utmost meditation and care for it to bring out the most optimum results.

Hypnotherapy carries out tasks that allow the body to manage pain and to also deal with different emotional and physical habits. Nowadays, a lot of medical professionals recommend their patients to undergo the treatment.

A hypnotherapist can help you to attain the right state of mind that will allow you to lose weight when you have failed in the past. The hypnotherapist will guide you through reaching a higher level of meditation through relaxation and stretches.

Lifestyle change will be the main result from hypnotherapy which ultimately leads to reaching the goals that have been set in relation to weight loss. Regrettably, you have to pay a hypnotherapist for their assistance.

In addition, you can perform hypnosis on yourself without the help from a hypnotherapist. Self-hypnosis is a process practiced by a lot of men and women in order to achieve different levels of mind power.

Depending on the specific person the results may vary whether self hypnosis or a hypnotherapist is utilized. It will drive you to several goals that will help you lose a lot of weight and at the same time, concentrate on how to keep a more balanced figure. Wellness is also an achievable goal in the process of self-hypnosis.

About the Author:

Now that you understand that you can use hypnosis for weight loss you should know that hypnosis is used for a wide variety of different issues. That why we have just released the “Hypnosis Ebook” which reveals the secrets of how to use hypnosis for your other conditions.

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The Most Effective Complementory Treatment For IBS

By: Roseanna Leaton

IBS is an uncomfortable and debilitating condition. It is also unpredictable. You never know when it is going to be at its most vigorous or when it is going to calm down. The symptoms of IBS vary from person to person and from day to day. There is no single IBS cure which can be handed out by your GP and will work for the majority. Not everyone agrees as to its cause, let alone its cure. This is extremely frustrating for the medical profession whose job it is to cure such symptoms; but it is 1000 times more frustrating, uncomfortable, embarrassing and aggravating for the sufferer. IBS sufferers have a choice in their own approach to curing their IBS. You can, as we have as a society been conditioned to do, simply just keep going back to your GP and asking for something different, in the hope that something will eventually work. This is however a very passive approach and you tend to get more and more demoralized with each failed "cure". Your expectation of a cure lowers, and this too has a negative impact, lowering the chances of successful treatment. You may ask how your expectations can have an impact on what is clearly a medical treatment. But your mind and body are intrinsically linked, evidenced frequently in what we all know as the "placebo effect". Your expectations do shape your reality in everything in life, and definitely in your response to medical treatment. All research scientists and drug companies know what a major effect the placebo has and they have to take this into account when developing new drugs. We, the patients, should also bear the placebo effect in mind, and use it to our advantage. If you recognize that your expectation of a successful cure for IBS is waning, then you need to do something about your attitude and expectations. You need to encourage a belief that this treatment will work, and that your IBS will be cured. On the face of it, you may think that this is impossible, especially if you have tried numerous treatments already and none of them have worked. But it is possible to take a step back and to see things from a different angle, with the help of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a state of relaxation which also allows access to your subconscious mind, effectively bypassing the "critical" aspect of your conscious mind. You can get past the negative pattern of thought which has become habitual as a result of previous failures in your treatment of IBS. With hypnosis you can also make suggestions which build up an expectation of success. You can build your belief that this treatment will indeed work and your IBS will be cured, once and for all. This, as I said earlier, is really important. What you expect to happen is most likely to happen; you are no longer inadvertently creating a mental battier to a successful cure, and instead you are opening your mind to the possibility (and probability) of your successful IBS cure. This mind and body interaction, needless to say, applies to all medical treatment, not just to that of IBS. It is also interesting to note that the use of hypnosis and visualization in itself has been found to be one of the most successful treatments of IBS. Whilst in hypnosis your mind can be guided to visualize your digestive system flowing as it should be, and these visualizations in turn send messages throughout your cells to do exactly this. You may think that this sounds far-fetched, but it has in fact been scientifically proven that every mental event triggers neurotransmitters in your brain which send messages throughout your entire organism. Hypnosis is indeed a successful treatment for IBS, and hypnosis downloads are available instantly in your own home. Thus hypnosis can be used in different ways to treat your IBS. You could use it to create an expectation that your medical treatment will work, and that your pills or potions will cure your IBS. You could also further empower yourself by visualizing a free flowing and comfortable digestive system. Hypnosis downloads provide a successful complementary treatment for IBS, and the great thing is that you have nothing to lose; there are no nasty side effects at all. Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis downloads for complementary health.

Author Resource:- With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading practitioners of self-improvement. You can get a free hypnosis download fromhttp://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and peruse her extensive library of hypnosis cds.

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Do You Want to Stop Getting Angry or to Stop Swearing?

By: Roseanna Leaton

I was watching a couple of episodes of "Fawlty Towers" last night and was struck as always by John Cleese's ability to portray extreme frustration in a really funny manner. Everyone these days seems to have a shorter fuse than in the past. Is this because we are less controlled or because the way in which we live our lives inevitably leads to more frustration, more anger and more swearing?

I wrote an article a few years ago about the number of people who do "Basil Fawlty impressions" whilst on the golf course. This is a clear case of your own thoughts and expectations leading to tension, frustration and anger. No-one else has caused this pressure; the golf course and the weather are not conspiring together to destroy your day. You created your own anger through your own thoughts, and so if you want to stop getting angry on the golf course you have to learn to control your thoughts.

Then there’s the number of "road rage" cases these days. I even noticed a couple of years ago a special hotline being advertised for people to call to complain about the number of traffic cones on the motorway; apparently this service was available to try to let drivers vent the anger and frustration which they were experiencing as a result of road works. Too many accidents were being caused by angry drivers either not paying attention to their driving or just becoming too angry to drive competently.

This is what happens when you become angry; you become incompetent because your anger stops you from thinking clearly. A red mist does quite literally take over your mind - the higher cortical regions of your brain are effectively bypassed as the primitive emotional regions take over. It is important to learn how to change state, to be able to step back from this emotional fog to then be able to once again think clearly and productively.

Not only is it noticeable how many people seem to get angry at the slightest thing, it is also noticeable how freely so many of us swear. I have even had client’s book hypnotherapy sessions to aid them in stopping swearing because swearing has become such an automatic habit. I'm glad that these people had the presence of mind to take steps to change their habit. It is not nice to be the person on the receiving end of anger, frustration or swearing, but neither is it comfortable or good for the health and well being of the person whose temper is bubbling over.

It has been shown that water subjected to swearing or angry tonality will form ice crystals which are uneven and jagged, whilst water subjected to calm words and tonality form beautiful, symmetrical and delicate crystals. Considering that the human body is made up of a rather large percentage of water, can you imagine the impact upon your own health and well being if you waste your time and energy on anger, tension, frustration and swearing?

If you want to stop swearing or to stop getting angry then you need to learn to control your mind and this can be done with the help of hypnosis downloads. Hypnosis is a state of relaxation and in learning hypnosis you learn how to change state in an instant. Hypnosis allows access to your subconscious mind and so you can change instinctive patterns of behavior, or habits, easily and effortlessly.

Allowing yourself to get angry is a learned habitual response. Allowing yourself to swear is also a habit which you have leaned. Hypnosis downloads can be used at home to quickly and easily change habits. It’s better for your health and well being to learn to control your anger, and also better for everyone around you.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis downloads to stop swearing and to stop getting angry.

Author Resource:-> With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading practitioners of self-improvement. You can get a free hypnosis download from http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and peruse her extensive library of hypnosis downloads for hypnosis empowerment.

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The Link Between NLP and Hypnosis

I was standing in a queue the other day and overheard a snippet of conversation between two gentlemen. One was describing Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to the other and was very enthusiastically mentioning the ways in which it can be used to train your brain to achieve different outcomes. He was clearly very keen on NLP and had fully grasped its potential to help achieve success in almost everything you might wish to do.

I heartily agree with this gentleman. NLP offers the human race an amazing set of mental tools or mental skills which can be applied easily, quickly and most importantly, they are powerfully effective. What piqued my curiosity was his answer to a question posed by his friend, namely "isn't NLP hypnosis?" He replied that NLP was completely different, a separate thing entirely. I have heard this response more than once, which made me wonder why so many people seem to want to deny the central part which hypnosisplayed in the foundation of NLP and the part which hypnosis continues to play in its application.

It was after all the work of Milton Erickson (world renowned psychotherapist and hypnotherapist) which formed the foundation of a lot of NLP. NLP in fact has a very close association with hypnosis. So why deny it? I have come to the conclusion that some people are afraid of the "mystical image" of hypnosis whereas NLP is "sold" as just something incredibly logical and thus has more appeal to the professional person's mentality. I can only conjecture as to the reason, and in reality I don't suppose it matters, other than the fact that it would be beneficial to everyone to realize that it is hypnosis which effectively "powers" NLP.

NLP has been described as the new science of personal achievement. It is a highly effective methodology based on the belief that all behavior has a structure and that this structure can be modeled, learned and changed. Neuro stands for the nervous system and how we use our five senses (see, hear, feel, taste and smell) to translate experience into both conscious and unconscious thought processes. Linguistic stands for the use of language in interpreting experiences and how we communicate those experiences. Programming refers to the fact that our thoughts, feelings and actions are simply learnt programs of habit which we can change should we wish to do so.

NLP recognizes the fact that our thoughts create our emotions and direct our actions, and therefore by changing how you think you can change how you feel and act. NLP is a model of how we understand and utilize human communication, behavior and experiences to achieve a specific outcome. It has evolved into an incredibly powerful set of techniques for achieving human excellence in both business and personal development. It is a very useful tool used in rapidly dissolving a phobia, or overcoming compulsions. It has extremely far reaching applications.

But you will usually find that NLP is applied in conjunction with hypnosis, because hypnosis is a state which allows access to your subconscious mind, the part of your mind where instinctive and automatic thoughts, beliefs, habits and behaviors are stored. Thus the principles of NLP are applied whilst in hypnosis so that these inner beliefs and habits can be changed. This is why I said before that it is hypnosis which gives NLP its power. You may see it from a different angle and say that NLP is what gives hypnosis its power, but few should deny that there is a very close link between the two.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis downloads which utilize the mind training methodology of NLP.

About the Author

With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading practitioners of self-improvement. You can get a free hypnosis download fromhttp://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and peruse her extensive library of hypnosis cds for hypnosis empowerment.

Restless Leg Syndrome & Hypnosis

Can hypnosis help Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)? While this is not definitive proof, it does seem hopeful. I once did hypnosis for smoking cessation with a man who has Restless Leg Syndrome. He reported back to me that after the hypnosis, he had no more problem with RLS. This in only a one time occurance and as far as I know, I have never hypnotized anyone else with RLS. It does warrent further investigation.

By the way, did he stop smoking? Yes, for three days. He told me that he found out that his wife had wasted an amount of money that was approximately equal to the fee he had paid for the hypnoasis. He told her that he could waste money too and intentionally started smoking. No carvings, no other reasons than palin old spite.

Smoking Cessation and Hypnosis

A few years ago Scientific American magazine ran an article that stated that hypnosis was the most effective method of stopping smoking. Since that time there have been several medications come on the market that appear to have some beneficial effects with helping people stop smoking. Now, I know that I only see the people who have been unsuccessful with these medications but I have never seen anyone who has stopped smoking by taking a pill. We live in a society that seems to demand instant gratification and it seems that the easiest way to solve a problem is with medication. The problem with this is that it never addresses the underlying cause of the behavior. I don’t believe that every time I do hypnosis with a client, I need to dig deep into the unconscious but I do know that sometimes there are deep-seated reasons why people particicpate in a behavior. I am willing to go as deep as is needed to solve the problem. If it means we require several sessions to break a smoking habit, that’s fine. If we can break the habit in one session, that’s even better. I still believe that hypnosis is the best way to change behavior especially smoking.

Hypnosis and Study Skills

Hypnosis can be very effective when assisting students with study skills. I personally have experience with helping people overcome test anxiety and helping them pass their licensing tests for various professions.

Hypnosis is also effective in helping people develop the belief that they are capable of learning.

There a stages of learning and hypnosis can be effective in assisting in all of these stages,

Hypnosis can also be effective in aiding with concentration, memorization and understanding,

Medical Hypnosis

Hypnosis has been recognized by the AMA as a legitimate medical treatment since 1958. I b elieve that the main reason Physicians don’t practice hypnosis is simply because it takes too much time to adequately offer an intervention.

Hypnosis is extremely effective with pain management but a ethical hypnotist will require a prescription from the clients doctor. A hypnotist working in conjunction with a medical professional can effectively be a part of the treatment of stress related disorders: irritable bowel syndrom, diabetes, cardiocascular disorders and even cancer.

Beware of the hypnotist that claims to be able to treat these problems as an alternative to medical care. It may be possible but it is much more safe to have a medical professional at least monitor the progress of treatment.

Hypnosis and Child Birth

Fair new on the scene is the idea of using hypnosis to facilitate child birth. More women are becoming aware that they can birth children in a safe manner, without drugs, anesthesia and with a minimum of discomfort.

Theory here is that people in general and women specifically have been convinced (hypnotized) into believeing that child birth should be an unpleasant experience. Through hypnosis a woman can get rid of the old programing and prepare for a wonderful and fullfilling childbirth experience.

Is Hypnosis Magic?

I have many people come to me for hypnosis and the seem to have no interest in taking responsibility for their personal behavior. I hear the same thing when aquaintances talk to about being hypnotized. When you read some of the articles that I have posted here, you wouold assume that the authors can do something for you that you are not able to do yourself. Well, they can. I can also. We can help you access your subconscious mind and assist you with making changes in your life. The key is that you have to believe that these are the changes that you want to make.

I do not believe I have any special gifts as a hypnotist but instead have learned a series of skills that allow me to facilitate change in people. The ultimate key is that they have to take responsibility for their behavior. The key here is the word facilitate. It is easy for people to loose their motivation and blame the hypnotist or hypnosis because they have resumed their old behaviors. They seem to believe that the hypnotist is going to perform some magic ritual that will absolve them of any responsibility.

Of course, the people who write these articles, I, or other ethical hypnotists do not promise magic and yes, we do want to present hypnosis in the best possible light but we do not promise to take responsibility for your behavior

Just What Is The Simple Truth About Hypnosis

Thanks to stage and television, most people have a lot of misconceptions about hypnosis. That's too bad because hypnotherapy is a modality that can help many people to make the changes that they've been struggling with. So I'm going to clarify just what the simple truths are about hypnosis.

The Definition Of Self Hypnosis: 
Hypnotism is a state of hyper-suggestibility where the conscious mind and the subconscious dissociate. It is a state of consciousness where the hypnotized client is more likely to agree to the Hypnotist's suggestions.

You have been in hypnosis many times in your life without even realizing it. If you've ever watched a sad television show and reacted with a tear in your eye, you have been in the hypnotic state. You entered a state of amplified suggestibility where you uncritically accepted the suggestion of gloom on the TV screen and reacted with a sad emotion, your tear. In other words, your ability to reason, which is controlled by your conscious mind, was bypassed. You did not reason that the show was just a play; you accepted the action as being genuine. So you reacted with real passion and shed a tear.

Who Can Be Placed In Hypnosis? 
Hypnotherapists have found that all normal people are hypnotizable to a greater or lesser extent. Subjects with less than a 70 I.Q. generally can't be hypnotized. People who are actively psychotic by and large cannot be hypnotized. Most senile people are difficult to hypnotize. I have found in my own hypnotherapy practice dealing with a large number of retired people up to 85 years of age, that self hypnosis is a potent and beneficial technique for most people. A person's motivation is the key to his or her success.

Do I Have To Be A "Deep" Subject For Success? 
For the curative applications of self hypnosis we most often deal with, hypnotic depth of any kind is not required. You can be the lightest possible subject and still obtain all of the benefits from self hypnosis that the deepest subjects will obtain. I believe that over the years, far too much importance has been placed on how deep a subject is. If the hypnotic subject is deep, it could be of benefit. This however, may not necessarily be the case. In fact, with the latest hypnotic methods like Ericksonian self hypnosis and state of the art "NLP" (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), hypnotic depth is one of the least imperative aspects, which contribute to success.

Are There Any Dangers In Self Hypnosis?
There are on the whole no dangers to the practice of self hypnosis. It is impossible to "get stuck" in self hypnosis. The most awful thing that could possibly happen while a patient is in the hypnotic state is that she might fall into a natural state of sleep for 20 or 30 minutes. She would wake up rested and no longer in a state of self-hypnosis.

Misconceptions About The Hypnotic State: 
There are many misnomers about self hypnosis. Most of them can be attributed to stage and television shows. As luck would have it, it's on account of the fact that the television can hypnotize you that these misnomers are so strongly ingrained in people's minds.

Is Self Hypnosis A State Of Sleep? 
The largest misconception about self hypnosis is that it's a state of sleep. Not anything could be further from the truth. If you are asleep, you are unconscious. If you are unconscious, you cannot hear anything. If you cannot hear anything, then the hypnotist cannot help you. Hypnosis is a state of keen awareness. The subject is wide-awake and aware of everything around her. This misconception comes from the stage Hypnotist's use of the word "sleep" as equivalent to a state of hypnosis. When the old time hypnotist swung a pocket watch in front of his subject's face, he told his subject that she was getting "sleepy." Then he told his subject to "go to sleep." What he meant was to go into a hypnotic sleep, not a natural sleep.

Is There A Hypnotized Feeling? 
The second largest misconception is that there is a hypnotized feeling. There is no hypnotized feeling. I repeat there is no hypnotized feeling. Most people feel very relaxed when in the hypnotic state, as relaxation seems to be the essence of hypnosis. Some people feel heavy. Some people feel light. Some people have other sensations and feelings. Other people have absolutely no feeling that they are in a state of hypnosis, and believe they haven't been hypnotized when they most definitely have.

Can The Hypnotherapist Control Me? 
NO! The hypnotist cannot make you do anything against your will. There is always an observing ego state. Should the therapist make an offensive suggestion; this ego state would reject that suggestion. Additionally, you will probably come out of the hypnotic state if the hypnotherapist makes an offensive suggestion.

Can The Therapist Force Me To Divulge My Secrets? 
You will not give up any secrets while in a state of hypnosis unless you want to do so. The hypnotist does not have any control over the subject. Quite the contrary, the subject has more control over herself since at this time she can directly communicate with her own subconscious. The subject can easily decline any suggestion the hypnotist makes, no matter how simple or complicated the suggestion might be. The subject can open her eyes, exit from the state of self hypnosis, and walk out of the room at any time she chooses.

Must People Tell The Truth When In The Hypnotic State? 
No! People can lie when in a state of self hypnosis.

Do Hypnotists Have Special Powers? 
This is a common misnomer. The hypnotist does not have any special powers, nor does he have any special vibrations with which to hypnotize you into the state of hypnosis. Actually, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. The hypnotist leads the subject into a state of hypnotism. In other words, the ability of self hypnosis is within the subject.

Why Do People Fail To Reach Their Goals When Using Hypnosis? 
Perhaps the largest reason for the failure to reach one's goals through self-hypnosis is an inadequate amount of practice where self-hypnosis is concerned. 

The largest reason for the return of a symptom or "relapse" is the early discontinuance of self hypnosis with the Hypnotherapist or recorded program. While self-hypnosis is important, it is generally the hetero-hypnosis with the hypnotist or hypnosis recording which has the greatest impact upon the subconscious. 

This is because of the training and experience that the hypnotist has vs. the lack of training and experience of the client. Some people are penny wise and pound-foolish. They mentally set an amount of time that they are willing to spend for help. And then they prematurely cut off their sessions because; "I didn't lose 50 Lbs. in two days, so it isn't working." 

If a therapeutic method is really helping one to make their desired changes, then it is priceless and it should be continued. It is for this reason that it is wise to have follow up self hypnosis sessions, even after a symptom seems to have disappeared completely. Self-hypnosis should be an ongoing affair on a daily basis. Ultimately, YOUR SUCCESS IS UP TO YOU!

Will I Be Better Off Hiring A Hypnotist, Or Will Purchasing A Recorded Program Work Better? 
That is a wonderful question. Normally I would recommend that you employ the services of a reputable hypnotist. The reason is that by meeting with you, a good hypnotist / NLP'er will be able to customize his approach to your personality and your favored representational system -- the way you favor taking in information through your senses to make sense out of it and react to it. 

In my opinion, ninety-nine percent of the recorded self hypnosis CDs available at this time are based on Traditional Hypnosis, and consist of only one or maybe two sessions of it at that. Traditional Hypnosis is nothing more than a set of direct commands: "If you eat a brownie you'll barf." "You won't have cravings and urges," etc.. This technology has an exceptionally poor track record of success because the people in our generation have been trained to question everything. That's why you, your friends, and your kids usually do the opposite of what they are told to do. This is called a polarity response.

That being said, having sessions with any hypnotist / NLP'er who has enough experience to be able to actually help you can cost a great deal of money. There are some hypnotic programs available on the Internet based on Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) that have overcome those shortcomings. They've managed this by utilizing a mix of Ericksonian Hypnosis, NLP, Traditional Hypnosis, and the highly regarded Video Hypnosis technology. 

These are all methods that are designed to do away with the resistance factor. In fact, Video Hypnosis and the NLP technology that it's based on do not utilize suggestion at all. These technologies rely on using the thought processes that have created a problem, to eliminate it! 

Look for vendors who offer these technologies in multi-session products. These are programs that generally have six to eight different hypnosis or NLP sessions, so the subject is exposed to a broad range of technologies. It takes a lot of work to make this type of program, but the high success rates achieved are well worth the effort. 

Stay away from the "one size fits all" -- "do-or-die" self hypnosis CDs and downloads. Many are attracted to these programs because they are inexpensive, usually under ten dollars. But is it cheap if it just wastes your valuable time and doesn't work? 

If you order a program and it doesn't work, then you get guarded and start to expect the next approach to fail. And you get what you expect. Do you really think that the same exact commands will work for everyone? Do you think that they will work for you? Do you typically do exactly as you are told to do? Or do you usually feel a desire to do the opposite of what you are told to do?

Alan B. Densky, CH is certified by the NGH. He authored four books and dozens of articles on hypnotherapy and NLP. He is the developer of the Video Self Hypnosis Technology, which was perfected for weight loss and smoke cessation. Visit his Neuro-VISION Self Hypnosis website for FREE hypnosis articles, newsletters, and MP3s.