Mystery solved. What Is Hypnotherapy?
MYSTERY SOLVED.
Have you ever heard of robbers hypnotizing and stealing?
Yes, well even I have.
“Meri aakhon me dekho” and pendulum are one of the basic thoughts right? Let’s not forget the cliché black white spiral illustration. These distorted images and thoughts make it difficult for people to trust into hypnosis. They find it frightening and dangerous. In reality it is quite the opposite.
Let us start with what hypnotherapy actually is.
Hypnotherapy is a technique that uses hypnosis to aid n treatment for certain health conditions. Hypnotherapy works by inducing a hypnotic or trance state that allows individual to focus on the inner experiences. A trance state simply means a focused state of attention. Most often it is compared to day dreaming or ‘loosing yourself’ in books or movies. Although, a person is fully conscious but tune out some of the stimuli around. In the trance state an individual is highly suggestible i.e. he might embrace whatever the hypnotist tells him to do.
The application of trance state is based solely on the relationship between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind, having no power to reason, accepts and acts upon any fact or suggestion given by the conscious mind. However, the subject’s sense of safety remains attached throughout experience. The willingness of the subject plays a very important role. The hypnotist cannot force the subject to do something outside of his willingness.
Hypnosis is a very natural way of being. It is not strange or magical. Infact many people spend most of their days in a trance state. One common example that can result in hypnotic trance is driving. Many times we are aware of the starting point and we start driving. We might not even be aware that we have reached our destination. We are not able to recall what happened in the journey till there and how we reached there, this is a hypnotic state. The rythms we are used to, here car, can relax us to the point that our subconscious takes over it and we “zone out” for the time being. Strangely, considering all the activities we do on everyday basis, we have been conditioned to enter hypnotic trances throughout our lives.
Hypnosis can and usually will result from engaging in any repetitive and joyfull tasks. Entering this altered state of mind is a form of self- hypnotherapy which is a powerful place and a powerful thing for one person to accomplish for himself.
Hypnosis is no stranger to all the misconceptions that it has been facing from years now. The objective here, is to know more about hypnosis and probably not be scared of it. These are certain misconceptions that we as hypnotherapists get to hear on daily basis.
MYTH- Use of pendulum and black and white spiral illustrations are the only ways of inducing the trance state.
TRUTH- No, they are one of the methods to induce hypnosis. There are many other ways of inducing a trance. To induce a trance, the most common method that hypnotist uses is tiring one of the body senses or reaching a state of relaxing.
MYTH- Hypnosis is like sleep.
TRUTH- Hypnosis is a state of trance where the active subject responds and is aware of it’s surroundings.
MYTH- Hypnosis can be done against a person’s will.
TRUTH- No, hypnosis can’t be performed on someone who isn’t willing nor on someone who doesn’t believe in the process.
MYTH- Getting stuck in a trance state.
TRUTH- One cannot be stuck in the trance. As soon as the hypnotist leaves the room or isn’t giving any suggestions for a long time, the subject would spontaneously come out of the trance.
MYTH- Hypnotist will get to know all the secrets and has complete control.
TRUTH- Hypnotist will not know anything about the subject unless he tells about it himself. The control of hypnotist over the subject is completely willing. For example- stage hypnotists.
Stage hypnosis is performed in front of audience for the purpose of entertainment. People are called from the audience to be the subjects for the performance. However, in these cases, the hypnotist has control over his subjects only because the subject volunteered. It is their volunteering nature that makes them do what the hypnotist says.
For years together the word hypnosis has created a lot of problems. Richard Bandler, an expert in the field coined the term neuro Linguistic Programming. It was only until very recently that bandler felt that the world is ready to embrace hypnosis, he started talking about hypnosis and coined the term neuro-hypnotic re-patterning. The word neuro linguistic programming is more common among students of this era. However, we are hoping that the word nero-hypnotic re-patterning will catch on in the near future.