So Why Hypnosis

Is hypnotherapy really something that can help people overcome issues that seem to hold them, or is it something that should be left on the stage. What is the history of hypnotherapy and how is it relevant for us today.

So how can hypnotherapy help you with your problem?

People can find themselves looking for hypnosis therapy for a number of reasons. Perhaps you have a bad habit such as smoking that you are trying to break. Or maybe you want to loose weight, tried all the diets and nothing has helped.

Another reason may be because of a relationship breakdown, or jealousy in a relationship.

All these are common reasons as to why someone may be looking for a hypnotherapist to help them with their everyday issues.

Hypnotherapy is not a new concept, infact; it has been around since the beginning of time. Some animals put themselves in a trance like state when they go into hibernation and are able to go without nourishment for long periods of time.

Hypnotherapy became more understood by physicians around the 19th century.

It is true to say that not everyone can be hypnotised. Research shows that people with the ability to perceive what is going on around them and recognise changes in their own awareness may block themselves from being helped through therapy.

Others can find that they are easily hypnotised. This is because they are more able to enter a trance like state and respond better to suggestions through their subconciousness.

Hypnotherapy has also been tested along with modern medicines to analyse people’s different responses to treatment.

On a number of occasions, groups of people who are receiving the same medical treatment have been separated and hypnosis therapy has been given to one section of the group to see what affects may occur.

More often than not, those who received hypnosis therapy felt less pain and anxiety and made a speedier recovery, which in turn, saved costs on medical treatment.

It is unfortunate that most people’s first introduction to hypnotherapy is stage hypnosis which gives the idea that hypnotherapy is where someone puts you under a spell and controls your movements causing you to perform in front of an audience some kind of bizarre act.

This is not what hypnotherapy is all about.

When a person looks to a hypnotherapist to help them with their problem, although they will put in a very relaxed state, they are always going to be aware of what is happening around them.

Hypnotherapy has helped lots of people with various different conditions, psychological as well as having a positive effect on their behaviour and has been effectively demonstrated through medical research.

Hypnosis has helped people overcome common and uncommon issues that people are faced with in their everyday lives, offering a release from pressures and conditions that seem to have a hold over them either by bad habits such as smoking or psychological issues such as jealousy.

Whatever the issue is that you may be facing, hypnosis can have a positive effect and help you overcome these issues.

Hypnosis - Where’s the Magic?

The word hypnosis or hypnotherapy drums up all kinds of different ideas as to what hypnosis actually is. Is it where someone casts a spell on you so that you are totally under their control? Is it the joker on the stage making you do crazy things to amuse an audience? Or is it simply talking to your subconscious mind?

What is hypnosis and why does is it intrigue us so much?

There are many different definitions of hypnosis, the first result in search engines is:

A trance-like state in which a person becomes more aware and focused and is more open to suggestion.

The Oxford dictionary tells us that hypnosis is the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction.

Many hypnotherapists would disagree with the Oxford dictionaries explanation of what hypnosis means. The idea of losing power over your actions during hypnosis is not what hypnotherapy is about in their opinion.

Hypnotists will tell you that hypnosis is to do with relaxation of your mind and body; however, you are in total control and can not be made to do anything you don’t want to do.

Hypnosis is more about making someone so relaxed that the therapist is able to speak directly to your subconscious mind, which will have a positive affect on your mind when you are fully conscious.

If for example you are afraid of spiders and you went to see a hypnotherapist to overcome this fear, the therapist would put you in a relaxed state, and speak to your subconscious mind about your fear of spiders. They would tell you that when you see a spider, they will no longer scare you etc.

If a therapist spoke these thoughts to you whilst you were fully alert, it would probably make no difference at all, but by speaking to you in a relaxed state of hypnosis, you cannot argue in your mind with the idea that next time you see a spider you will still be afraid.

Our subconscious mind is influence everyday without us really realising. We can hear a tune on the radio and think to ourselves, where have I heard that before? It was probably playing in the background somewhere where you have been.

We used to have a colleague at work who would deliberately walk into our office, whistle a tune whilst sending a fax, no one really took any notice as they were getting on with their work, however, a few minutes after he had gone, someone else (normally me) would hum the tune without really realising why and other people said they had that tune running around their head.

Oddly as it seems, the tune was planted into our subconscious mind without us really noticing.

That isn’t a magic trick, that is someone recognising that although we may be concentrating on one thing, our subconscious picks up everything that is going on around us.

The difference with us and hypnotist is that they have learned the art of this and how this can have an affect on us.

Even the stage hypnotist would like you to believe they have some kind of magic power, but infact, all they are really doing is talking to your subconcious through signs so that you will be more susceptible and amazed when they hit you with their trick.

Genuine hypnotherapists recognise that they can have a positive affect of people by using their skill, whether it be overcoming a fear, loosing weight, stopping bad habits or building up your self confidence, whatever it may be, you can at least know that there is no magic involved, and it is not a tool to make you do things you would not want to do in your normal alert state.