Hypnosis is a deeply relaxing state that enables access to the subconscious mind – the part of our mind that drives thoughts and behaviours. Subconscious drivers may run into conflict with our conscious desires and a good example of this is a smoker. A typical smoker intellectually understands the harm and can consciously desire to stop, but can find it difficult to do so because of the undercurrent of subconscious drivers that demand that the smoker continue to smoke. The purpose of hypnosis and hypnotherapy is to un-train the subconscious desires and bring them into alignment with the wishes and desires of the conscious mind.

What happens when you are hypnotised?

Hypnosis involves a number of steps that help you reach a relaxed and focused state. When you see a hypnotherapist, you’ll most probably sit back in a comfortable, reclining chair and close your eyes. The hypnotherapist will proceed to give verbal instructions that will help the mind and body to relax. The important thing to note is that the client is always in the driver’s seat, and remains in control. One cannot be made to do anything or to take on any suggestion that they do not wish to do or have on board.

Hypnosis helps you identify and remove limiting beliefs

Limiting beliefs can stop you from achieving your goals or feeling good about yourself. You will nearly always find a limiting belief if you look deeply and clearly at the root of a problem. People will often stay in a career or a relationship that are not fulfilling because at a deep unconscious level, they believe that that’s all that they deserve. Hypnosis helps identify any deeply embedded thoughts or beliefs that may be limiting your wellbeing and success. It can also help you find solutions and new insights to old and existing problems. A hypnotherapist can help you change those limiting beliefs to help and empower you to act in the consciously desired way.

Hypnosis increases suggestibility to new behaviours

Hypnosis also increases your suggestibility to new ways of thinking and behaving. The relaxed focused state of consciousness in hypnosis makes it easier for the hypnotherapist to suggest beliefs using words and images. In this state suggestions are generally more easily accepted as a natural part of your long term thinking and behaviour. Positive and negative suggestions can help you change habitual behaviours you may have been unable to change on your own accord. Good examples include: smoking, eating junk food, lethargy and nail biting. It can be used to overcome many common fears including fears of flying, public speaking, exam nerves, spider fears and socialising. Suggestion can also be used to help attain goals, success and to help increase confidence, focus and concentration in all areas of one’s life.

Hypnosis uses positive imagery

Hypnosis uses your imagination to create positive images. Your imagination doesn’t just help you be creative, it helps you predict and plan for the future. In fact, you create thousands of images each day but usually one doesn’t realise they are doing it until one consciously chooses to focus on an image or particular thought. These images and ‘movies’ you see in your mind influence your thoughts and behaviour.

Try this little exercise. Create an image NOW of what your bedroom looks like without taking your eyes off the computer screen. While your eyes only see the words in front of you, your mind is creating a picture of your bedroom.

When you experience a stress or relaxation response to a situation or thought, you are visualising that experience on some level. When you focus on the images or movies in your imagination you reinforce these feelings. When some think about speaking in public, they start to feel a level of anxiety, because the mind plays a well versed, anxiety driven, scenario that has been reinforced countless times internally before. The outcome of speaking in public and ‘failing’ is simply a self fulfilling prophecy. Your imagination and hypnosis are wonderful tools that help you change your own mind movies to help create a more supportive environment for those desired behaviours to be expressed.

Hypnosis improves visualisation

One of the best ways to attain new goals and behaviours is to visualise them occurring. But it’s not always easy to visualise or see yourself behaving in new ways on your own accord and that’s when the role of a hypnotherapist comes into play. The guided hypnosis helps you focus, to create clearer images and pictures of your desired thought patterns and subsequent behaviours and thus allowing for those changes to occur.

I don’t believe in hypnosis!

Hypnosis is a valid clinical and therapeutic tool. There are many myths about hypnosis. Many people have only seen hypnosis in stage acts where people are hypnotised to behave in ways that are amusing and sometimes embarrassing, and are subsequently afraid they won’t have control over what happens if they are hypnotised. Clinical hypnosis is a gentle, relaxing and soothing experience. Most feel very extremely relaxed at the session’s end. I expect you to be skeptical and this is normal for most.

Can hypnotherapy help you?

Hypnotherapy can be used for many issues. Sometimes life can be very challenging but you don’t have to manage it all on your own. A hypnotherapist is like a coach who can help you achieve your best, overcome obstacles and improve your physical and mental strength and well being. If you’re not sure if hypnotherapy can help you, call Paul Brickhill at Hypnotherapy Melbourne on 0411 740 404 and he will be able to tell you how he can help. Hypnosis provides a quick and cost effective way to resolve issues and to help enable you to live a full, abundant and harmonious life.