Hypnosis Defined and Questions Answered
Hypnosis Defined and Questions Answered
Hypnosis is a natural state of mind with special identifying characteristics:
1. An extraordinary quality of relaxation.
2. An emotionalized desire to satisfy the suggested behavior: The person feels like doing what the hypnotist suggests, provided that what is suggested does not generate conflict with his belief system.
3. The organism becomes self-regulating and produces normalization of the central nervous system.
4. Heightened and selective sensitivity to stimuli perceived by the five senses and four basic perceptions.
5. Immediate softening of psychic defenses. [Gil Boyne, Transforming Therapy, 1985: 380-381]
Hypnosis is a naturally relaxed, yet focused state on mind allowing access to information and wisdom you may not be normally aware of. It is something you do every day, when reading a book, watching a fascinating television program, lose track of time while having fun, when driving long distances or at night right before you fall asleep. You simply feel relaxed and refreshed after a hypnosis session.
Stress can take a toll on our lives and health, and stress is nothing more than living in the “fight – or –flight” mode long term. Medical professional s are once again supporting hypnosis to help people reach a level of relaxation and calm that actually can have far reaching positive effects on health. During “fight or flight,” several things happen to the body, some of these are the immune system is suppressed, the digestive process is suppressed, and the ability to reproduce is also suppressed.
Going into a hypnotic trance, or focused relaxation actually shifts the body to the “parasympathetic” side of the autonomic nervous system, the recovery side, if you will. It is here, in this relaxed state, that the body systems return to more a more optimal way of functioning.
When we take a look at the many diseases today that are linked to stress; hypnosis becomes a very real option for reaching and maintaining a healthier more relaxed body and mind.
Is Hypnosis Sleep?
Actually hypnosis is a relaxed and yet focused state of mind. You are aware of everything that goes on during a hypnosis session. Unlike sleep where the conscious part of our mind takes a long break and we become unaware of the time that has passed or where we are.
Will I tell you all my deepest, darkest secrets?
Absolutely not! Do you just start blurting out your secrets because you are driving down the road? Or do you just start telling everyone something personal while watching television? These are both instances when you are in the same alpha brain wave state as in a personal hypnosis session. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis and so you are always the one in control during a session.
Is hypnosis Mind Control?
No. If you have seen a stage hypnosis show you may have thought the people up on stage were under the control of the hypnotist. That is simply not the case. First the people on the stage volunteered to go up and so by that alone there is an unspoken contract that they are willing to do whatever the person running the show asks them too. If you have seen a stage show in person you will remember that at least one and maybe more were sent back to their seats because they did not agree to continue. Remember time is short for the hypnotist on stage and he or she has to have willing subjects to work with to make the show a success.
People can and do change behavior after a hypnosis session and that is because they have made a new more educated choice about the behavior they are seeking to change.
Hypnosis is a natural state of mind with special identifying characteristics:
1. An extraordinary quality of relaxation.
2. An emotionalized desire to satisfy the suggested behavior: The person feels like doing what the hypnotist suggests, provided that what is suggested does not generate conflict with his belief system.
3. The organism becomes self-regulating and produces normalization of the central nervous system.
4. Heightened and selective sensitivity to stimuli perceived by the five senses and four basic perceptions.
5. Immediate softening of psychic defenses. [Gil Boyne, Transforming Therapy, 1985: 380-381]
Hypnosis is a naturally relaxed, yet focused state on mind allowing access to information and wisdom you may not be normally aware of. It is something you do every day, when reading a book, watching a fascinating television program, lose track of time while having fun, when driving long distances or at night right before you fall asleep. You simply feel relaxed and refreshed after a hypnosis session.
Stress can take a toll on our lives and health, and stress is nothing more than living in the “fight – or –flight” mode long term. Medical professional s are once again supporting hypnosis to help people reach a level of relaxation and calm that actually can have far reaching positive effects on health. During “fight or flight,” several things happen to the body, some of these are the immune system is suppressed, the digestive process is suppressed, and the ability to reproduce is also suppressed.
Going into a hypnotic trance, or focused relaxation actually shifts the body to the “parasympathetic” side of the autonomic nervous system, the recovery side, if you will. It is here, in this relaxed state, that the body systems return to more a more optimal way of functioning.
When we take a look at the many diseases today that are linked to stress; hypnosis becomes a very real option for reaching and maintaining a healthier more relaxed body and mind.
Is Hypnosis Sleep?
Actually hypnosis is a relaxed and yet focused state of mind. You are aware of everything that goes on during a hypnosis session. Unlike sleep where the conscious part of our mind takes a long break and we become unaware of the time that has passed or where we are.
Will I tell you all my deepest, darkest secrets?
Absolutely not! Do you just start blurting out your secrets because you are driving down the road? Or do you just start telling everyone something personal while watching television? These are both instances when you are in the same alpha brain wave state as in a personal hypnosis session. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis and so you are always the one in control during a session.
Is hypnosis Mind Control?
No. If you have seen a stage hypnosis show you may have thought the people up on stage were under the control of the hypnotist. That is simply not the case. First the people on the stage volunteered to go up and so by that alone there is an unspoken contract that they are willing to do whatever the person running the show asks them too. If you have seen a stage show in person you will remember that at least one and maybe more were sent back to their seats because they did not agree to continue. Remember time is short for the hypnotist on stage and he or she has to have willing subjects to work with to make the show a success.
People can and do change behavior after a hypnosis session and that is because they have made a new more educated choice about the behavior they are seeking to change.
Hypnosis for Childbirth
Hypnotherapy for Weight Management
Why Choose Hypnotherapy for Weight Management?
The concept in its entirety is about changing our mindset, developing a new relationship with food and forming new lifetime habits. Over the eight weeks, you will be introduced to new ways of thinking; not only about food and your relationship to it, but about yourself as well. By addressing our emotional health and eating habits and forming new habits at the sub-conscious level, we are able to make permanent change. Therefore, we not only are better able to reduce the weight and the inches, we are then able to keep it off and maintain our ideal body size, weight and shape. True success is being able to maintain our ideal body size once we’ve reached our goal. That’s what we’re really after and that, my friend, is true success!
The idea of being able to "stay" on a particular diet is the very thing that so often causes us to fail. When on a particular program and eating “particular”, pre-packaged, dehydrated or frozen foods, or a program that dictates; eat this for breakfast….this for lunch….this for a snack and this for dinner on this night etc.; what happens when we go back to our normal routines, daily lives and regular food? We gain it all back! It’s easy to see why we fail time and time again. That's simply because we, as human beings, just can't do it over a long period of time. Will power is a wonderful thing, but will power alone often fails us. Making a strong choice increases the power of our will! Making it even easier to reach our goals, when the subconscious is on board with the direction we are headed!
Whenever we have a "conscious" goal, it is imperative that the "sub-conscious" part of our mind is on board and agrees to work with us to that end. Otherwise, embedded unconscious beliefs, feelings and attitudes that we may not even be aware of keep us from attaining our goals. No matter how important they are to us and how much we try to accomplish them through will power alone, we will invariably slide back!
If you are already involved with some other program that you wish to continue, these classes can be combined with any diet and exercise routine that you have chosen. They will not in any way interfere with anything you may already be doing. They will simply accelerate and enhance your results. Participating will add the benefit of permanent mindset change. New habits will be formed and planted firmly on the sub-conscious level of your mind.
This program is easily, the most effective way to attain permanent weight management. Results will vary, and by the time you exit the class, you'll have all the tools you need to continue on. You'll be automatically and naturally applying your new healthy habits on a daily basis… and, you'll be doing it with ease. Additionally, you will have experienced a total renewal of “self” and come away feeling like a brand new person!
Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation
Why Choose Hypnosis to Help You Quit Smoking?
Because multiple-session hypnotherapy has been shown to be BY FAR the most effective quitting strategy. Success rates of those using multiple-session hypnosis to quit are as much as 10 times the success rates of those who try to quit without any tools or resources.
Many medical professionals are even impressed with the results of single-session hypnosis. In the words of Dr. Robert T. London from 2003, "Smoking cessation is an area in which hypnosis has been particularly effective. A study by Dr. Joseph Barber of the University of Washington, Seattle, for example, found that hypnotic intervention can be integrated into a treatment protocol for smoking cessation. Of 43 patients who were undergoing the protocol, 39 reported staying abstinent at follow-up, which was 6 months to 3 years after the treatment ended."1
Here's some of the research:
· Studies show that of those who try to quit smoking alone without any additional help or support (hypnosis or otherwise), the success rate is very low. Only between 2-5% of those who try are successful after 12 months, with most failing in the first 2-3 weeks.2
· On the other hand, those engaging in a behavior modification program, nicotine replacement, or a Zyban medication approach alone average about a 25% success rate and up to a 50% success rate when used in some combination with each other after a 12-month period.3
· An examination of multiple research studies show that a single session hypnosis treatment to stop smoking produced about a 25% success rate, whereas about 66% of those engaging in at least 4-5 sessions of hypnosis quit smoking and stayed non-smokers after a 6-12 month period.3
· A new study presented October 22, 2007 at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians found that hypnosis was more than twice as effective as quitting "cold turkey," and over three times as effective as nicotine replacement therapy. The study compared four smoking cessation programs used by former hospital patients who were motivated to quit. 50% of patients using hypnosis quit successfully after only one hypnosis session with recorded sessions for follow-up, while only 15.78% of those using nicotine replacement quit successfully.7 See blue graph above. Success rates were measured at 26 weeks. Dr. Faysal Hasan, one of the authors of the study, said,"Our results showed that hypnotherapy resulted in higher quit rates compared with NRT alone. Hypnotherapy appears to be quite effective and a good modality to incorporate into a smoking cessation program after hospital discharge."
References
1. Dr. Robert T. London (2003). "Hypnosis: underused technique." Clinical Psychiatry News, Oct 2003 v31 i10 p8, citing study by Joseph Barber, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnnosis, 49[3]:257-66, 2001.
2. Fiske, S. (2003). "Butt out: Quit smoking." Psychology Today, electronic version. Mar/Apr, 1-2.
3. Hammond, D.C. (1990). Handbook of hypnotic suggestions and metaphors. New York: W. W. Norton. This book cites the three studies listed below (studies 4, 5, and 6).
4. Nuland, W. and Field, P.B. (1970). "Smoking and hypnosis: A systematic clinical approach." International Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis, 18, 290-306. 60% success rate with a 4-session approach.
5. Crasilneck, H.B., & Hall, J.A. (1985). Clinical hypnosis: Principles and Applications (Second Edition). Orlando, Florida: Grune & Stratton. 64% success rate with a 4-session approach.
6. Watkins, H.H. (1976). "Hypnosis and smoking: A five-session approach." International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 24 (4), 381-390. 67% success rate with a 5-session approach.
7. Hasan, Faysal, et. al. "Hypnotherapy as an Aid to Smoking Cessation of Hospitalized patients: Preliminary Results." Presented October 22, 2007 at CHEST 2007, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. 50% success rate with a single-session approach plus recorded followup.
Because multiple-session hypnotherapy has been shown to be BY FAR the most effective quitting strategy. Success rates of those using multiple-session hypnosis to quit are as much as 10 times the success rates of those who try to quit without any tools or resources.
Many medical professionals are even impressed with the results of single-session hypnosis. In the words of Dr. Robert T. London from 2003, "Smoking cessation is an area in which hypnosis has been particularly effective. A study by Dr. Joseph Barber of the University of Washington, Seattle, for example, found that hypnotic intervention can be integrated into a treatment protocol for smoking cessation. Of 43 patients who were undergoing the protocol, 39 reported staying abstinent at follow-up, which was 6 months to 3 years after the treatment ended."1
Here's some of the research:
· Studies show that of those who try to quit smoking alone without any additional help or support (hypnosis or otherwise), the success rate is very low. Only between 2-5% of those who try are successful after 12 months, with most failing in the first 2-3 weeks.2
· On the other hand, those engaging in a behavior modification program, nicotine replacement, or a Zyban medication approach alone average about a 25% success rate and up to a 50% success rate when used in some combination with each other after a 12-month period.3
· An examination of multiple research studies show that a single session hypnosis treatment to stop smoking produced about a 25% success rate, whereas about 66% of those engaging in at least 4-5 sessions of hypnosis quit smoking and stayed non-smokers after a 6-12 month period.3
· A new study presented October 22, 2007 at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians found that hypnosis was more than twice as effective as quitting "cold turkey," and over three times as effective as nicotine replacement therapy. The study compared four smoking cessation programs used by former hospital patients who were motivated to quit. 50% of patients using hypnosis quit successfully after only one hypnosis session with recorded sessions for follow-up, while only 15.78% of those using nicotine replacement quit successfully.7 See blue graph above. Success rates were measured at 26 weeks. Dr. Faysal Hasan, one of the authors of the study, said,"Our results showed that hypnotherapy resulted in higher quit rates compared with NRT alone. Hypnotherapy appears to be quite effective and a good modality to incorporate into a smoking cessation program after hospital discharge."
References
1. Dr. Robert T. London (2003). "Hypnosis: underused technique." Clinical Psychiatry News, Oct 2003 v31 i10 p8, citing study by Joseph Barber, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnnosis, 49[3]:257-66, 2001.
2. Fiske, S. (2003). "Butt out: Quit smoking." Psychology Today, electronic version. Mar/Apr, 1-2.
3. Hammond, D.C. (1990). Handbook of hypnotic suggestions and metaphors. New York: W. W. Norton. This book cites the three studies listed below (studies 4, 5, and 6).
4. Nuland, W. and Field, P.B. (1970). "Smoking and hypnosis: A systematic clinical approach." International Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis, 18, 290-306. 60% success rate with a 4-session approach.
5. Crasilneck, H.B., & Hall, J.A. (1985). Clinical hypnosis: Principles and Applications (Second Edition). Orlando, Florida: Grune & Stratton. 64% success rate with a 4-session approach.
6. Watkins, H.H. (1976). "Hypnosis and smoking: A five-session approach." International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 24 (4), 381-390. 67% success rate with a 5-session approach.
7. Hasan, Faysal, et. al. "Hypnotherapy as an Aid to Smoking Cessation of Hospitalized patients: Preliminary Results." Presented October 22, 2007 at CHEST 2007, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. 50% success rate with a single-session approach plus recorded followup.
Medical Hypnosis
section 3
