What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis shares many of the outward signs of sleep and was in fact derived from the greek word "hypnos," meaning sleep. The experience of hypnosis or trance does NOT resemble sleep, however. Sleep is marked by the feeling of unconsciousness whereas hypnosis is often described as a peaceful, relaxed and dreamlike state of absorbed focus and heightened awareness.
In fact, we all go in and out of trance through the day, not to mention every night in the space between waking and sleeping. Total engrossment in a movie or novel is a form of trance. Another common light trance occurs when walking or driving somewhere familiar- have you ever gotten so lost in thought that you arrived at your destination seemingly automatically? Television often induces a light trance state as does staring into a fire (caveman TV!).
Despite what you may have heard or seen in old films, all hypnosis is self hypnosis. A lot of hypnotists would like you to believe they have some kind of power over you, they do not. Hypnotism is about teaching you how to use a part of your mind that you may have neglected.
The ability to go into trance is cultivated by meditators, yogis, artists and many people who do not even realize that many of the small rituals and calming practices they have invented over time are actually making use of this natural ability of our minds.
Trance is a state of mind in which your mind is inwardly focused, attentive and flexible. In order to achieve this state the body must be completely relaxed and the mind must be clear of superficial concerns. You may not have experienced this light and easy state since childhood and indeed, many clients report just this.
In trance, our brain wave frequency drops from Beta (everyday, waking consciousness) down to Alpha (more relaxed, expansive awareness) and after some training to Theta (deep relaxation and inner absorption, the dream state before Delta, which is sleep)
This state of mind has many benefits besides helping you overcome your particular goals and challenges. Total relaxation is rarely achieved but extremely beneficial for your health, as I am sure you are aware. A sense of spontaneous happiness and expansiveness is often experienced- regularly feeling joyful is an important component of mental health! Many people report that they feel a deeply pleasurable sensation similarly to how one feels after being deeply massaged.
This state is ideal for confronting your particular issues and challenges. Because of the pleasurable and relaxed nature of the state, facing emotionally volatile situations and concerns becomes much easier. A difference between hypnosis and traditional therapy is that you need not tell me any of the situations or concerns you are working with internally.
Hypnosis fits somewhere between meditation and therapy. Like meditation, you will be in a deep state of inner focus and complete outward relaxation. However, like therapy, you will be confronting issues and challenges, though any issue that fits into a diagnostic category must be dealt with by a traditional therapist. Come experience this blissful state and learn how to find it again when you need it!!
