Alan Densky asked:


Thanks to stage and television, most people have a lot of misconceptions about hypnosis. That’s too bad because hypnotherapy is a modality that can help many people to make the changes that they’ve been struggling with. So I’m going to clarify just what the simple truths are about hypnosis.

The Definition Of Self Hypnosis:

Hypnotism is a state of hyper-suggestibility where the conscious mind and the subconscious dissociate. It is a state of consciousness where the hypnotized client is more likely to agree to the Hypnotist’s suggestions.

You have been in hypnosis many times in your life without even realizing it. If you’ve ever watched a sad television show and reacted with a tear in your eye, you have been in the hypnotic state. You entered a state of amplified suggestibility where you uncritically accepted the suggestion of gloom on the TV screen and reacted with a sad emotion, your tear. In other words, your ability to reason, which is controlled by your conscious mind, was bypassed. You did not reason that the show was just a play; you accepted the action as being genuine. So you reacted with real passion and shed a tear.

Who Can Be Placed In Hypnosis?

Hypnotherapists have found that all normal people are hypnotizable to a greater or lesser extent. Subjects with less than a 70 I.Q. generally can’t be hypnotized. People who are actively psychotic by and large cannot be hypnotized. Most senile people are difficult to hypnotize. I have found in my own hypnotherapy practice dealing with a large number of retired people up to 85 years of age, that self hypnosis is a potent and beneficial technique for most people. A person’s motivation is the key to his or her success.

Do I Have To Be A “Deep” Subject For Success?

For the curative applications of self hypnosis we most often deal with, hypnotic depth of any kind is not required. You can be the lightest possible subject and still obtain all of the benefits from self hypnosis that the deepest subjects will obtain. I believe that over the years, far too much importance has been placed on how deep a subject is. If the hypnotic subject is deep, it could be of benefit. This however, may not necessarily be the case. In fact, with the latest hypnotic methods like Ericksonian self hypnosis and state of the art “NLP” (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), hypnotic depth is one of the least imperative aspects, which contribute to success.

Are There Any Dangers In Self Hypnosis?

There are on the whole no dangers to the practice of self hypnosis. It is impossible to “get stuck” in self hypnosis. The most awful thing that could possibly happen while a patient is in the hypnotic state is that she might fall into a natural state of sleep for 20 or 30 minutes. She would wake up rested and no longer in a state of self-hypnosis.

Misconceptions About The Hypnotic State:

There are many misnomers about self hypnosis. Most of them can be attributed to stage and television shows. As luck would have it, it’s on account of the fact that the television can hypnotize you that these misnomers are so strongly ingrained in people’s minds.

Is Self Hypnosis A State Of Sleep?

The largest misconception about self hypnosis is that it’s a state of sleep. Not anything could be further from the truth. If you are asleep, you are unconscious. If you are unconscious, you cannot hear anything. If you cannot hear anything, then the hypnotist cannot help you. Hypnosis is a state of keen awareness. The subject is wide-awake and aware of everything around her. This misconception comes from the stage Hypnotist’s use of the word “sleep” as equivalent to a state of hypnosis. When the old time hypnotist swung a pocket watch in front of his subject’s face, he told his subject that she was getting “sleepy.” Then he told his subject to “go to sleep.” What he meant was to go into a hypnotic sleep, not a natural sleep.

Is There A Hypnotized Feeling?

The second largest misconception is that there is a hypnotized feeling. There is no hypnotized feeling. I repeat there is no hypnotized feeling. Most people feel very relaxed when in the hypnotic state, as relaxation seems to be the essence of hypnosis. Some people feel heavy. Some people feel light. Some people have other sensations and feelings. Other people have absolutely no feeling that they are in a state of hypnosis, and believe they haven’t been hypnotized when they most definitely have.

Can The Hypnotherapist Control Me?

NO! The hypnotist cannot make you do anything against your will. There is always an observing ego state. Should the therapist make an offensive suggestion; this ego state would reject that suggestion. Additionally, you will probably come out of the hypnotic state if the hypnotherapist makes an offensive suggestion.

Can The Therapist Force Me To Divulge My Secrets?

You will not give up any secrets while in a state of hypnosis unless you want to do so. The hypnotist does not have any control over the subject. Quite the contrary, the subject has more control over herself since at this time she can directly communicate with her own subconscious. The subject can easily decline any suggestion the hypnotist makes, no matter how simple or complicated the suggestion might be. The subject can open her eyes, exit from the state of self hypnosis, and walk out of the room at any time she chooses.

Must People Tell The Truth When In The Hypnotic State?

No! People can lie when in a state of self hypnosis.

Do Hypnotists Have Special Powers?

This is a common misnomer. The hypnotist does not have any special powers, nor does he have any special vibrations with which to hypnotize you into the state of hypnosis. Actually, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. The hypnotist leads the subject into a state of hypnotism. In other words, the ability of self hypnosis is within the subject.

Why Do People Fail To Reach Their Goals When Using Hypnosis?

Perhaps the largest reason for the failure to reach one’s goals through self-hypnosis is an inadequate amount of practice where self-hypnosis is concerned.

The largest reason for the return of a symptom or “relapse” is the early discontinuance of self hypnosis with the Hypnotherapist or recorded program. While self-hypnosis is important, it is generally the hetero-hypnosis with the hypnotist or hypnosis recording which has the greatest impact upon the subconscious.

This is because of the training and experience that the hypnotist has vs. the lack of training and experience of the client. Some people are penny wise and pound-foolish. They mentally set an amount of time that they are willing to spend for help. And then they prematurely cut off their sessions because; “I didn’t lose 50 Lbs. in two days, so it isn’t working.”

If a therapeutic method is really helping one to make their desired changes, then it is priceless and it should be continued. It is for this reason that it is wise to have follow up self hypnosis sessions, even after a symptom seems to have disappeared completely. Self-hypnosis should be an ongoing affair on a daily basis. Ultimately, YOUR SUCCESS IS UP TO YOU!

Will I Be Better Off Hiring A Hypnotist, Or Will Purchasing A Recorded Program Work Better?

That is a wonderful question. Normally I would recommend that you employ the services of a reputable hypnotist. The reason is that by meeting with you, a good hypnotist / NLP’er will be able to customize his approach to your personality and your favored representational system — the way you favor taking in information through your senses to make sense out of it and react to it.

In my opinion, ninety-nine percent of the recorded self hypnosis CDs available at this time are based on Traditional Hypnosis, and consist of only one or maybe two sessions of it at that. Traditional Hypnosis is nothing more than a set of direct commands: “If you eat a brownie you’ll barf.” “You won’t have cravings and urges,” etc.. This technology has an exceptionally poor track record of success because the people in our generation have been trained to question everything. That’s why you, your friends, and your kids usually do the opposite of what they are told to do. This is called a polarity response.

That being said, having sessions with any hypnotist / NLP’er who has enough experience to be able to actually help you can cost a great deal of money. There are some hypnotic programs available on the Internet based on Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) that have overcome those shortcomings. They’ve managed this by utilizing a mix of Ericksonian Hypnosis, NLP, Traditional Hypnosis, and the highly regarded Video Hypnosis technology.

These are all methods that are designed to do away with the resistance factor. In fact, Video Hypnosis and the NLP technology that it’s based on do not utilize suggestion at all. These technologies rely on using the thought processes that have created a problem, to eliminate it!

Look for vendors who offer these technologies in multi-session products. These are programs that generally have six to eight different hypnosis or NLP sessions, so the subject is exposed to a broad range of technologies. It takes a lot of work to make this type of program, but the high success rates achieved are well worth the effort.

Stay away from the “one size fits all” — “do-or-die” self hypnosis CDs and downloads. Many are attracted to these programs because they are inexpensive, usually under ten dollars. But is it cheap if it just wastes your valuable time and doesn’t work?

If you order a program and it doesn’t work, then you get guarded and start to expect the next approach to fail. And you get what you expect. Do you really think that the same exact commands will work for everyone? Do you think that they will work for you? Do you typically do exactly as you are told to do? Or do you usually feel a desire to do the opposite of what you are told to do?



Hypnosis Brisbane

Mark Albertson asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 Mark Albertson

The escalation of obesity rates in this country has sparked a flurry of activity among both serious researchers and charlatans to discover the perfect weight loss method. A recent study of four diets revealed that the key to weight loss success isn’t the diet, but how closely you follow it. Investigators from Tufts-New England Medical Center (Journal of the American Medical Association, January 2005) have determined in a study of four popular diets that the key to successful weight loss is not the diet itself, but actually following the diet. In this one-year study of 160 overweight adults, the researchers split people into four diet groups:

· Weight Watchers (low calorie)

· The Zone Diet (low glycemic index)

· The Ornish Diet (low fat)

· The Atkins Diet (low carb)

The conclusion of the investigation was that all of these diets worked when the participants in the study followed them. The problem is that less than one in four were able to stay on their given diet for just this one year.

It should be noted that the hardest diet to follow was Atkins, followed by the Ornish Diet, but according to the authors of the study, “no single diet produced satisfactory adherence rates.” Hypnosis has been recognized as a both a method for helping people to adhere to their diets, and for re-training the mind to “think” like a lean person, in order to be able to give up dieting completely and to develop healthy eating habits that parallel the eating habits of lean people.

That being said, wild and exaggerated claims abound regarding hypnosis as it one of the more appealing methods dangled before the eyes of those who are hungry for a seemingly easy solution to a complex problem.

A careful review of the scientific literatures exposes many of the claims about weight loss through hypnosis on the internet as overly optimistic at best and openly fraudulent at worst.

Considerable controversy swirls around the mechanisms by which hypnosis actually contributes to weight loss. Leon (1976) suggested that hypnosis can help obese people team new healthier eating patterns and retain them. One author remarked that the hypnotic state is characterized by heightened concentration, suggestibility, and relaxation (Mott, 1982). Certain individuals are thought to be capable of achieving this state more readily than others. A so-called hypnotic “induction” whereby a hypnotist using certain procedures to bring an individual into the hypnotic state is not a prerequisite for achieving the state (Mott, 1982). Hypnosis, contrary to the claims of some intemet advertisers cannot magically reprogram people’s minds. In short, methods of hypnosis run the gamut from simple relaxation techniques to formal inductions administered by hypnotists, but should not be considered supernatural in its effects.

Studies showing weight loss as a result of hypnosis alone are few in number and suffer from methodological problems. Andersen (1985) reported that following 8 weekly treatment sessions and 12 weeks of practicing self-hypnosis subjects lost an average of 20.2 pounds. Cochrane and Friesen (1986) concluded that moderate weight loss was obtained by subjects using hypnosis. The experimental group, lost more weight than the controls and maintained the weight loss at a six month follow-up.

Mott (1982) stated that “although hypnosis is sometimes referred to as a method of treatment, it is more accurate to regard hypnosis as a facilitator of a number of different treatment methods.” The study concludes that the use of hypnosis for a moderate weight loss is effective using hypnotherapy. Hypnosis Plus Behavioral Weight Management A number of studies indicate that hypnosis combined with a behavioral weight management program contributes significantly to weight loss. Bolocofsky, Spinler, and Coulthard-Morris (1985) revealed that the addition of hypnosis to a behavioral program designed to alter eating patterns increased the amount of weight loss at 8-month and 2year follow-ups. Both the behavioral and hypnosis programs were tailored to each subject individually in the study. Bolocofsky et al. (1984) acknowledged that “the less a person weighed at the start of the program the more likely he was to lose weight and maintain the reduction”. Hypnosis combined with behavioral weight management seems to be more effective for small amounts of weight loss. Another study of 45 females found that supplementing a basic self-management program with hypnosis resulted in a slightly greater amount of weight loss at a 3-month follow-up (Barabasz and Spiegel, 1989). The group for which individualized hypnotic suggestions were developed lost more weight than those exposed only to a group procedure. Kirsch (1996) noted a weight loss of 6.00 pounds without hypnosis and 11.83 pounds with hypnosis based on a meta-analysis of six studies. Allison and Faith (1996), however, disagreed and maintained that hypnosis only enhances cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy slightly if at all. Long-term individualized hypnosis combined with a behavioral weight management program appears to contribute to modest weight loss and helps maintain it.

Hypnosis operates mainly as a way to increase participants’ attention to suggestions of behavioral programs as well as to reinforce their weight loss. Studies using behavioral treatments successfully “typically have developed incentive systems to bridge the gap between the short-term -reinforcers provided during treatment and long-term goal of weight reduction” (Bolocofsky et al., 1985). Hypnosis can fulfill this role by stepping in as a psychological reinforcer. Hypnosis may assist subjects in learning positive eating behaviors and creating healthy long-term patterns of food intake. Subjects are then more likely to incorporate the rules of a particular program into their behavioral regimes (Bolocofsky, 1985). Kroger (1970) points out the similarities between hypnosis and behavioral treatments which share an emphasis on visualization and imagination. The literature suggests that hypnosis is an ideal addition to behavioral weight management programs which tend to need supplementation to achieve long-term results.

The Hodgepodge Problem in Weight Loss Studies The use of subjects of varying ages and backgrounds represents one challenge that plagues studies of hypnosis as a useful treatment for weight loss. Andersen (1985) utilized subjects ranging in age from 21-56 years, a considerable spread. Subjects in another study ranged in age from 17 to 67 resulting in considerable potential differences between the control group and the hypnosis group (Bolocofsky et al., 1985). The fact that subjects were not matched with regard to age could exaggerate results of weight loss as a result of hypnosis that may more accurately be attributed to age differences. McCabe, Jupp, and Collins (I985) suggested a tendency for younger women to drop out of weight loss programs relative to older women leading to a possible masking of potential effects of age. Bolocofsky et al. (1984) indicated that successful hypnotic weight loss participants were higher in self-control, weighed less at the start of the study, married, and more expressive. A wide variety of factors influence whether a given subject will lose weight through a hypnotic weight loss program. Anderson (1985) cites the absence of matched subjects as a weakness in her experiment. More studies with subjects closely matched on various characteristics should be conducted to substantiate claims about the effectiveness of hypnosis for weight loss when combined with a behavioral program.

Most studies require weekly consultation with a hypnotist for 8 weeks or more in addition to self-hypnosis (Bolocofsky et al., 1984; Bolocofsky et al., 1985, Andersen, 1985; Cochrane & Friesen, 1986; McCabe et al., 1985). Internet advertisers who claim weight loss will occur following a single hypnotic session, especially a group hypnotic session, are frauds selling dreams to desperate customers. Allison and Faith (1996) underscore that “there is currently no panacea for the treatment of obesity and hypnosis is no exception”. Treatment using hypnosis then is not a quick and easy way out of weight troubles. In order to achieve any benefits from its use, hypnosis must be practiced on a regular basis for a significant period of time.

Conclusions and Limitations

Hypnosis has been shown to be an effective treatment for low to moderate amounts of weight loss. One qualification of this statement is that the hypnotic program should be tailored to each individual. Hypnosis is a process by which an individual enters a state of relaxation and heightened suggestibility, Transformation of the brain through some mysterious process defines only the hypnosis of pseudoscientists. Quick-fix hypnosis is probably much less effective than an 8 week program using both in-session hypnosis, at-home self-hypnosis, and behavioral weight management. The only people who claim hypnosis is easy, simple, and quick are those trying to sell people on their program. The largest obstacle in weight loss is its long-term retention, but follow-ups of hypnosis as a weight loss treatment have been conducted at the longest after two years. Weight loss tapes lack scientific evidence to support their success and should be purchased with this knowledge in mind. Weight loss through hypnosis has been largely ignored by scientists and more studies with control groups and large subject pools are required to understand its action and import.



Hypnosis Melbourne

Veda Kalidas asked:


There are many misconceptions of what hypnosis is. Most of these misconceptions are perpetuated by the popular media. The truth is, hypnosis has been used throughout history and continues to be used today, both legitimately and fraudulently. I decided to write this article to clarify just what hypnosis is exactly and what it is not for inquiring minds and to help those that could truly benefit from the true, legitimate practice of hypnosis.

I will start by addressing the misconceptions of hypnosis and tell you WHAT HYPNOSIS IS NOT. Hypnosis is not a form of mind control despite its portrayal in movies as such… you know, the guy dressed in the black tuxedo with big, bushy eyebrows that can swing his pocket watch as a pendulum before people’s eyes to make them cluck like chickens upon the snap of his fingers… No, hypnosis is not capable of taking over another’s free will. Hypnosis is not brainwashing and is not capable of controlling a person’s behavior and judgment. Hypnosis is not caused by the hypnotist’s “power”, as this would allude to the possibility of “mind control” of which there is no hard scientific evidence.

It is also a big misconception that hypnosis is possible only upon weak-minded individuals. In actuality the ability to enter a hypnotic state has nothing to do with one’s intelligence. The hypnotic state can be reached by any individual through self-hypnosis techniques however the ability to be hypnotized by an outside party (hypnotist) is dependent more upon genetic factors. Neither is hypnosis dependent upon individuals with vivid and overactive imaginations.

Hypnosis as a process is not necessarily time-consuming nor does it require the subject to be completely relaxed. And although named for the god of sleep, hypnosis is not sleep. According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, hypnosis is “a trancelike state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject”.

Now I will delve into what hypnosis is and real world applications of hypnosis. There is a plethora of ways in which hypnosis has been and still is used today in treating mental, physical and social problems.

Hypnosis is used to treat obesity, anxiety, depression, phobias, fears and habits such as quitting smoking. Hypnosis is used to alleviate the pain associated with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Hypnosis is also used in dentistry (hypnodontia) to decrease anxieties and make patients feel more comfortable with the dental experience. Hypnosis is used to treat skin diseases through a practice known as hypnodermatology.

Mental health applications of hypnosis include the treatment of dissociative disorders, depression and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Hypnosis is used in the educational field to increase memory and learning capacity as well as focus and energy. Hypnosis is also used to improve self-esteem and confidence.

Altered states of consciousness such as relaxation, meditation and sleep have been achieved through hypnosis. Self-hypnosis with binaural beat audio is used to achieve states allowing for astral projection, remote viewing, past life regression, ESP and telepathy. Of interesting note, binaural beats have been used by top secret members of the US government to utilize remote viewing tactics.

Hypnosis has been used in the past to suppress pain during medical procedures before the advent of chemical pain killers and anesthesia. And let us not forget a very important use of hypnosis… entertainment. Unfortunately entertainment is one of the prime sources leading to the many misconceptions involved with hypnosis.

Despite the misconceptions of hypnosis perpetuated through popular culture and the entertainment industry, hypnosis remains a powerful tool that continues to be used today in the medical, mental health and self-help fields to help people to live better, live longer and enhance their lives.

If you are interested in learning more about using hypnosis to achieve altered states quickly and easily to enhance your life, you may want to look into brainwave entrainment. Brainwave entrainment is the process of using audio frequencies, called binaural beats, to achieve altered states of consciousness. Binaural beats can achieve almost any state of consciousness in about 5-10 minutes. Binaural beats are available for relaxation, meditation, sleep, astral projection, ESP, telepathy, remote viewing, past life regression as well as quitting smoking, losing weight, increasing energy and confidence and enhancing healing power.

If you are interested in learning more about hypnosis and achieving self-hypnosis through binaural beats Click Here to try out free audio samples for meditation and relaxation. Or, you can Click Here to learn about covert, conversational and self-help hypnosis.



Hypnosis Brisbane

michael mckee asked:


 

Most people think they know what hypnosis is, even most practitioners. Merriam Webster Dictionary says this:

 

“Hypnosis (from the Greek hypnos, “sleep”) is often thought to be “a trance-like state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject.”

 

Notice the part that says “is often thought to be.” The simple truth is that there is no one universally accepted definition for hypnosis. Terms like altered state of consciousness, heightened suggestibility, dissociation, trance, auto-suggestion, even role playing have been used and fiercely defended. Perhaps the broadest definition and the one I find most helpful comes from The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis’s web site, which says ” Hypnosis is a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention.

 

While this definition of hypnosis pretty well describes what most of us think of as hypnosis, it also describes states caused by various forms of meditation, drugs, ritual, rhythmic percussion and dancing, even intense concentration induced by competition and involvement in movies, music, dancing or other forms of entertainment, or deep conversation. Even driving can alter our awareness. Have you ever passed the turn-off you wanted only to realize later that you missed it, or had driven safely for long distances with no memory of having done so? That’s termed highway hypnosis.

 

So with all these varying ideas about hypnosis, is it real? Scientific American believes so. The Truth and Hype of Hypnosis, cites positive clinical evidence for the use of hypnosis in the management of pain and finds that hypnosis can boost the effectiveness of psychotherapy for obesity, insomnia and anxiety. A compilation of clinical studies by the Institute of Noetic Sciences suggest that similar benefits can be achieved through the use on non-religious meditation, which also induces an altered state of consciousness. I’ve had excellent personal results using meditation based Stress Reduction Program developed by the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

 

Hypnosis is Real and Effective

 

Yes, hypnosis is real and effective for use in a wide range of situations: from pain management to removal of warts – especially with children – to enhanced sports performance. However, as you would expect with anything as shrouded in mystery and urban myth as hypnosis, there is also an awful lot of misinformation floating around. This misinformation ranges from marketing BS to misunderstanding, to wishful thinking, to superstition, to anti-medical establishment rants, and the list goes on.

 

Self-hypnosis

 

Some people claim that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. That statement is unprovable either way. What we do know is that self-hypnosis, practiced regularly can provide many of the benefits offered by hypnotherapy and is also useful in helping to achieve peak performance, focused attention and relaxation.

 

While the ability to be hypnotized seems to be innate and follows a bell curve, skill with self-hypnosis needs to be learned and practiced. Just because you can be easily hypnotized does not mean that you will achieve immediate results. It’s the age old difference between talent and skill. A less talented person who practices regularly will out perform the more talented but less practiced one. Self-hypnosis, meditation, or auto-suggestion works best when used regularly.

 

There are two basic methods for practicing self-hypnosis. You may maintain active control of your state and use imagery or auto-suggestion. This works for many people. Others prefer to record their suggestions and play them back for their hypnosis sessions. As I tend to go quickly into a pretty deep trance the latter method works best for me. By the time I’ve achieved trance my mind has trouble focusing enough to do what I intended to do while in hypnosis.

 

Some things to watch out for when considering hypnosis

 

Hypnosis is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological care. If you have a serious problem see a professional. That does not mean a “Certified Hypnotherapist.” It means finding somebody who can treat your problem without hypnosis but who can use hypnosis as an extra tool. Used in combination with other therapies, by a qualified practitioner, hypnosis often improves or speeds positive outcomes.

 

Hypnosis training is not standardized

 

As helpful as hypnosis can be as a therapeutic or self-help tool, we have to be very careful what claims we listen to. With a field in which anybody with a couple hundred dollars can attend a weekend workshop and come out a “Certified Hypnotherapist”, we have to expect a lack of critical thinking and exaggerated claims. Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) which is partly based on the hypno-therapeutic work of Milton Erickson has, in particular, contributed to a great deal of controversy and accusations of exaggerated claims. A Google search of “NLP controversy returns almost seventy three thousand pages. I suppose in our instant-on world any person promising quick and easy solutions to life’s problems will attract a lot of interest. It’s not that hypnosis and hypnotherapy aren’t useful tools, we just need to examine self-promoting claims. As with most things in life, if it seems too-good-to-be-true, it probably is.

 

The Problems with Regressions

 

One particular use of hypnosis is especially controversial, memory retrieval. Hypnosis can be used to uncover repressed memories. It can also be used to implant false memories. It takes a clinical practitioner of great skill who maintains great ongoing awareness to cleanly expose memories. Even then there is still a question of the validity of those memories. False Memory Syndrome is real. Recollections “uncovered” by hypnosis can be very vivid. They can also be induced by suggestion.  Unless recovered with the help of a skilled forensic hypnotist, such memories should be treated as therapeutic metaphors, not facts. They may be useful metaphors within the context of therapy but the likelihood of those memories being historically accurate is small.

 

Past Life Regressions

 

Another controversial use of hypnosis is for past life regressions. Past life regression (PLR) is the alleged journeying into one’s past lives while hypnotized. This practice is at least fifty years old and has been used both therapeutically and for self-exploration. Popularized by Brian Weiss M.D. in his book Many Lives, Many Masters, PLR is something that every hypnotherapist gets asked about. Again, considering how easily supposed memories can be induced by the phrasing of the hypnotist, the “truth” of most PLRs is questionable, at best, though they may seem very real when experienced.

 

”A marked emotional experience during the hypnotic regression provides no assurance that memories of a real previous life were recovered. The subjective experience of reliving a previous life may be impressive to the person having the experience, and yet the “previous life” may be a fantasy, like most of our dreams.”

 

Ian Stevenson, M.D., University of Virginia

 

That said, there are therapists, like Dr. Weiss, who do achieve positive outcomes using the technique. Whether the benefits are a side effect of a good therapist being a good therapist or PLR specifically is responsible is unknown. It might be helpful to consider that there are many schools of psychotherapy, but statistical surveys show similar positive client outcomes, regardless of the type of therapy the therapists use. PLR outcomes fall into low end of the standard outcomes range.

 

PLR can be entertaining, though. Whether we live multiple incarnations or not is a religious question that I’m not remotely qualified to address. It is interesting to note that in an extremely small number of cases people undergoing PLR, such as the woman recorded in the Bloxham Tapes, do seem to recall accurate historical details. And their recollections cannot be adequately written off as due to cryptomnesia (you learned something previously but forgot you know 



Hypnotherapy Australia

Richard Lifeswayz asked:


Hypnosis does indeed work and is used widely by many therapists to help people overcome phobias, lose weight, stop smoking and discontinue bad habits. Anyone can be hypnotized but some will be more susceptible to this trance like state than others. The hypnotic state is one that is trancelike and the actual word hypnosis is derived from a Greek word meaning ‘nervous sleep’. This is actually incorrect because when a person is hypnotized they are in state of consciousness that is difficult to define. Hypnotized people are aware yet unaware and their minds can be manipulated by the hypnotist. Suggestion is used while people are hypnotized for therapy to quit bad habits smoking, or other healing as mentioned above. So yes, the answer to does hypnosis really work is a positive one.

Why is there so much secrecy around hypnosis?

Many consider hypnosis a form of brainwashing and are totally against any form of hypnosis for this reason. In a hypnotized state a person is not fully in control of them selves and can thus be manipulated. You will also find that although there is tons of information it is difficult to really find out the true ways of learning how to hypnotize people because it can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Underground Hypnosis course are available but they will not come cheap for obvious reasons. It takes dedication to learn hypnosis techniques and this is a skill that must be used responsibly. A master hypnotist can hypnotize susceptible people quickly using underground hypnosis techniques and the average person can also learn self hypnotism to better their quality of life. Considering the above paragraph the answer does hypnosis really work is once again yes it certainly does.

Is self hypnosis effective and what is underground Hypnosis?

Many people have used self hypnosis to achieve their goals in sports, get promotions at work, better their health and well being and improve their relationships.  Underground hypnosis is a combination of hypnosis techniques, NLP Seduction, and asocial engineering that makes it possible to influence people. Underground hypnosis stirred a huge controversy a while ago and this is the reason that it has become a course that only a select few can get their hands on if they know where to find it. This hypnosis technique was also labeled black ops hypnosis, brainwashing, and was even labeled a scam. Those that invested in underground hypnosis will tell you otherwise but will rather keep mum about it. Hypnosis can be used to better your life and if you are shy, lack self confidence or an under achiever then you will do well to invest in learning covert underground hypnosis. Does underground hypnosis really work you will ask. To this question the answer is to find out for your self.

Off the Track Hypnosis 

Information on hypnosis is vague and this is how the experts want to make it seem. When you read the many articles on hypnosis they will make it sound like it is not really worth pursuing. This is something they want everyone to believe and they have convinced people that hypnosis is not really something special and useless to the average person anyway. Interesting don’t you think?



Melbourne Hypnosis

Karl Aage Isaksen asked:


Introduction:

Underground hypnosis can be easily and very fun for you, if you use the right methods. Underground hypnosis is same as digging for gold and you get mass of it but the realness is that anyone with a really basic noesis of communication can hypnotize anyone in minutes. Black ops hypnosis the dark side of hypnotism black ops hypnosis or also known as underground hypnosis is a form of covert hypnosis that hypnotizes subjects without them knowing it.

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is perfectly safe but it still makes sense that you rely on someone who has undergone some training in hypnosis. Hypnosis will quickly help your subconscious mind to set a target. Use hypnosis to change your life using the power of it, you will lose weight, stop smoking, gain unlimited confidence and motivation. Hypnosis, generally, is a psychological state of affairs wherein an individual shows signs of switches in their behaviour, thought, or attitude. Hypnosis is a hefty tool and is a great way of improving your rapport with others and communication. Hypnosis, in itself, is just some state of mental & physical relaxation, along with a more focused sense of concentration.

Hypnotize

You can learn how to hypnotize free using books and “how to hypnotize” courses. Find more information on the internet, if you know where to look online, you can start to learn how to hypnotize free. One thing you had better keep in mind when you are searching online to memorize how to hypnotize for free is to look at the qualifications of the hypnotist who wrote the items you are downloading.

Mind

I have seen some really “powerful” stuff done with hypnosis and nlp, but i’m not sure about this blatant mind control stuff. As well if you have a stop smoke hypnosis session, the hypnotist will put thoughts about smoking in your mind that are less pleasant. It will then go on by placing images of the new, slimmer, you into your mind. Hypnosis will assist your subconscious mind to set a target.

Techniques

The problem with these techniques is that they could easily be used for less-than-honorable purposes and creates all kinds of problems. Listen, i experience there are honest people out there that wouldn’t think about applying these techniques to gain complete control but there are others that jump at the chance to “have there way. For those that are searching outside hypnosis techniques, i would suggest that you check out underground hypnosis as it is a combination of insanely effective powers.

Relaxation

You need to experience what hypnosis truly is and how to use it, how to identify yourself into deep self hypnotic rest the rules of the mind and why you answer the way you do the structure of successful subconscious suggestions that produce rapid change how to write self hypnosis programs to develop your own cd’s information that will convert your life incessantly. Hypnosis, in itself, is only a state of mental and physical rest, along with a more focused sense of concentration.

Self hypnosis

Self hypnosis for a better life and find completeness, happiness and prosperity by taking control of the 3 areas of your life that are responsible for 95% of the misery and unhappiness that we all face. Self hypnosis and getting faster effects are actually the key elements of the happiness equation. There are a figure of tutorials and even some free courses that will introduce you to the basics of learning self hypnosis. Online hypnosis course, for learning you both self hypnosis and how to hypnotize other subjects.

Underground hypnosis instructs you to easy hypnotize people although conversation, hypnotize someones through an email contents, bend people to your wishes in any circumstance and boost your confidence to a supreme degree and all in an instant. One of the brawniest conversational hypnosis courses of instruction is an internet training program called the “underground hypnosis course. Hypnosis can be a useful way of changing your self image.



Hypnotherapy Australia

Veda Kalidas asked:


The beginnings of formal medical research with hypnosis began with James Braid who is considered the “Father of Modern Hypnotism”. In 1842 Braid coined the term “Hypnosis” to describe his use of the “mesmeric trance” in treating psychological and physiological conditions. Braid believed that the hypnotic trance was induced through prolonged attention upon an object of fixation such as a bright moving object to fatigue certain parts of the brain and cause a sleep-like trance in a process known as protracted ocular fixation.

Upon further study Braid concluded that sleep was not involved in the process of hypnosis and attempted to change the name from hypnosis to monoideasism. Unfortunately for him the original term had already stuck with popular sources and so hypnosis is the term we know and continue to use today. James Braid is remembered for his work “Neurypnology”, the first book on hypnosis published in 1843, and his application of hypnosis in pain management.

Additional medical practice is documented following James Braid. In 1834 an English surgeon Dr. John Elliotson reported using mesmerism (an early term for hypnosis) in performing numerous painless surgical procedures. During the mid-1800s in British India Dr. James Esdaile reported utilizing “mesmeric sleep” as the sole anesthetic in 345 major operations. Following the death of Drs. Elliotson and Esdaile there was a decreased interest in hypnotism as the development of chemical anesthetics replaced hypnotism in this role. Practice and experimentation with hypnotism increased in continental Europe during the late 1800s when new translations of Braid’s original hypnosis works were circulated. It was also during this time (around the 1880s) that the practice of hypnosis moved from the surgical medical field into the mental health field.

The beginnings of formal psychological research began in the late 1800s with systematic experimentations and examinations of hypnosis being practiced in France, Germany and Switzerland. It is during this time that post-hypnotic suggestion was described as well as the correlation between hypnosis and extraordinary improvements in sensory acuity and memory.

Neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot utilized hypnotism for the treatment of hysteria. Charcot’s pupil Pierre Janet described the theory of dissociation whereby hypnosis was used in the splitting of mental aspects to access and recover skills and memories. This research sparked further interest into the subconscious and created a framework for therapy with dissociated personalities.

Ambroise-Auguste Liebeault (1864-1904) wrote about the necessity of rapport between the hypnotizer and participant and the importance of suggestibility. Psychologist and psychiatrist Boris Sidis formulated a law of hypnotic suggestibility stating that suggestibility varies as the amount of disaggregation and inversely as the unification of consciousness. French pharmacist Emile Coue developed the following laws of suggestion: The Law of Concentrated Attention – attention concentrated repeatedly on the same idea tends to realize itself spontaneously; The Law of Reversed Effect – the harder one tries to do something the less chance of success one has; and The Law of Dominant Effect – strong emotions and suggestions tend to replace weaker ones. German psychiatrist Johannes Schultz developed a system of self-hypnosis called Autogenic Training based upon adaptations of the theories of Abbe Faria and Emile Coue.

Modern applications of hypnosis include crowd hypnosis, psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy, obstetric hypnosis, treatment of neuroses such as post traumatic stress disorder, hypnotic anesthesia, increasing certain physical capacities, changing the threshold of certain sensory stimulation, pain management, increasing motivation, altering behavioral patterns, social influence, increasing memory and criminal investigation. The modern study of hypnotism is accredited to Clark Leondard Hull. Hull published Hypnosis and Suggestibility in 1933, an experimental analysis that demonstrated that hypnosis had no connection with sleep. Hypnosis was influential in Sigmund Freud’s invention of psychoanalysis, was applied to Russian medicine through obstetric hypnosis in the 1920s by Platanov, used to treat neuroses in WWI, WWII and the Korean War.

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Melbourne Hypnotherapy

Michelle Beaudry asked:


Hypnosis: so easy, you do it with your eyes closed.

Fundamentals of the Mind

The human mind may be subdivided into three parts: the Unconscious, Subconscious and Conscious. These compare to a computer:

Unconscious = operating system

Subconscious = hard drive

Conscious = RAM

Each part has separate and distinct tasks.

The Unconscious mind operates your automatic body systems such as the circulatory system, much as a computer’s operating system includes its basic functions. The Subconscious mind operates like a hard drive by storing files of all kinds, from a full memory bank of your past to your emotional spectrum, to its most vital task: protecting you at all costs. The Conscious mind is our everyday mind, making immediate day to day decisions like what to wear, eat, and drink. It is the gatekeeper, choosing what information is to be acted upon moment by moment. It’s the mind you’re reading this book with right now, and its tasks include comparing, reasoning, and explaining. These abilities are called the Critical Factor and are bypassed in hypnosis.

Importance of the Subconscious Mind

To update a file on your computer, you must open the original file and make the changes. In the human mind, original files are stored in the Subconscious. To gain access, we must reach the Subconscious directly, bypassing the Conscious mind. In other words, one way to gain positive changes in the present is to neutralize the negativity in the past. We do not change the memories, we upgrade how you feel about them.This upgrading can only be accomplished in the Subconscious, for that is where memories are stored, and it can only be reached through bypass of the Conscious mind, and that can only be done through hypnosis. Why? It’s what works. Hypnosis specifically sets the Conscious mind aside temporarily.

Your Mind Must Protect You; Good News, Bad News

All levels of your mind work to protect you as best they can at all times. And this especially applies to the Subconscious. It must protect you at all costs, and to do so, it may even lie to you, or more to the point, to your Conscious mind. It may lie about you, about others, it may even lie to your hypnotist while you are in trance. It may hide memories from you. And much, much more. This is because once it accepts negative behaviors in the name of your safety, it hangs on to those behaviors. Some examples are:

•smoking anything

•being obese

•declining success

•biting your fingernails

•spending compulsively

You may well ask, how can compulsive spending possibly protect me? It distracts you. Misdirection is one highly effective way your Subconscious protects you by keeping a lid on overwhelming emotions. Ergo the addict. You may well ask, how can declining to be successful possibly protect me? It limits you. Limiting exposure to risk is another way to protect you. It is when such protective efforts do not meet your current needs that you desire change. Hypnosis sets aside the Conscious mind, makes changes via the Subconscious mind, and change is achieved.

How Hypnosis Upgrades Your Files

Hypnosis is able to change your perception of your memories, and thus of yourself. We do not change the events themselves, we upgrade how you feel about them, and thus your daily life is upgraded. By accessing the original files stored in the Subconscious, you are able to see all of the reasons why your mind specifies your behaviors in the name of protecting you, and together we upgrade those behaviors since, typically, the need of that protection is gone. You are no longer in the middle of the event that had such impact on you. Your Conscious mind does not have complete access to your memory files; that is not its job. This is why merely talking about change is such an ineffective means of getting any. Talking happens in the Conscious mind. Change happens in the Subconscious. And here’s the rub: the Subconscious outvotes the Conscious mind. It is far, far larger, stronger, and more powerful. This is why willpower fails so miserably for the dieter. Unless the Subconscious agrees to a healthy diet and a normalized body weight, your finest of intentions are shortlived, having been overridden by the Subconscious mind.

Emotions

Emotions are a function of, and are stored in, the Subconscious. When you have had an emotional reaction to danger, for example, real or imagined, those emotions are felt and stored in your Subconscious. Hypnosis accesses those stored emotions, upgrades your perception of them, and results in changed behavior. You must give yourself permission to make changes. You must want to change. You must want to enter into hypnosis. And this means not being afraid of hypnosis. So, let’s define what hypnosis is in several ways, as there is no single perfect way to phrase it.

What Hypnosis Is

•“Hypnosis is the bypass of the critical factor of the conscious mind combined with the establishment of selective thinking,” says the US Government.

•Hypnosis is a blend of physical relaxation and extreme mental alertness. Yes, I said extreme.

•Hypnosis is a state of focused concentration. This is why a few minutes of emotional expression in trance is worth hours in an alert state. Humans are so easily distracted, and the Conscious mind is forever making excuses for everything. In hypnosis, the conscious mind is set aside, and excuses are seen for what they are.

•Hypnosis is the state you enter into every time you watch a tv show you like, see a film you like, or sit down at the computer intending to only be there for 10 minutes… and suddenly it’s two hours later.

•Hypnosis also happens when humans fall in love, literally entranced.

What Hypnosis Is Not

•Hypnosis is not mind control.

•Hypnosis is not a royal proclamation.

•Hypnosis is not sleep. We use relaxation, not sleep, to enter hypnosis. You do not wake up from hypnosis, you emerge. And you already know exactly what emerging from hypnosis feels like! Remember the last time you went to the movies, loved the film, and at the end when the credits rolled, you suddenly “came to”? You just emerged from hypnosis. That’s exactly what it feels like, because that’s exactly what happened.

•Hypnosis is not being unconscious. You can hear everything that goes on around you during trance; you’re just not interested in it.

•Hypnosis is not relaxation. That’s just an optimal starting point.

•Hypnosis is not being drugged. However, one can easily mimic a drugged state in hypnosis, provided you have previously felt the effects of that drug. Your body remembers. This is useful for pain control.

•Hypnosis is not involuntary. Just as no one can make you enjoy a movie that fails to entrance you, no one can make you remain in hypnosis. I typically teach my clients self hypnosis on the very first session so that they know for certain that they can emerge whenever they like. Anyone can emerge from hypnosis instantly by making that their intention.

How Does It Actually Happen?

Hypnotists use methods we call techniques. These include Guided Imagery, Rescuing Events, The Forgiveness Pyramid, Parts, The Spa of Your Inner Mind, Upgrades, and Higher Mind, to mention a few.

The Last Word

The media uses hypnosis on you all the time. Aaaalllllllll the time. Advertisers have been known to employ hypnotists to assess the hypnotic potential of a given advertisement, and pay good money for it.

Everytime you watch tv and enjoy it, you go into a state of trance. Ditto listening to music, going to the movies, watching a DVD, hearing talk radio, reading a magazine, and so forth. When you don’t like a particular type of music, that is expressly because it fails to put you into the trance you listen to music for.

So here comes the big duh. Why should media have all the fun? Please visit your friendly neighborhood trance specialist and use hypnosis to further your own goals.

Ah, hypnosis. So easy you can do it with your eyes closed.



Power Hypnotherapy

Ken Ericsson asked:


Hypnosis has been proven as the most effective way to make your diet program successful.  In fact, the American and British medical associations confirmed that medical hypnosis is a powerful and all-natural way to control weight.  The big question is where can you get weight loss hypnosis help?

You can see lots of hypnosis programs being advertised on TV infomercials and on the Internet because this type of weight loss and management solution has become so popular.  The sheer volume of these programs compounds your problem on where to get proper help and supervision for weight loss hypnosis.  

So here are some practical tips which could guide you on where to find and get reliable weight loss hypnosis help.  

Consult Your Doctor or Dietician

One of the first things you have to do if you want to use hypnosis for weight loss is to consult your personal doctor or dietician.  Hypnosis is an approved medical practice and your doctor can provide solid advice on this weight loss solution.  

Your doctor or dietician can provide a basic overview of medical hypnosis so you will know what to expect from it.  They can refer reliable and licensed hypnosis practitioners for you.  This way, you can get proper supervision from hypnosis providers who follow approved medical standards.  

Getting Help from Reliable Providers

You can also research about the subject of medical hypnosis and hypnosis for weight loss.  You will be able to find rich and valuable information on the Internet about weight loss hypnosis.  However, make sure that you can get your information from reliable providers.  

So you should get hypnosis literature from medical journals, publications, and from the sites of established hypnosis practitioners.  If you are lucky, you can get specific tips and methodologies on how to perform simple self hypnosis for weight loss.  Just study these materials and determine if you can do weight loss hypnosis.  

Get Help from Downloadable Hypnosis Products

There are also lots of digital products such as CDs, ebooks, and videos that can teach you how to utilize hypnosis for weight loss.  It is true that some providers of these educational materials are just out there to make a quick buck. However, there are also numerous products on hypnosis that were created based on accepted medical standards.  

So when buying self hypnosis weight loss kits and solutions, you have to check the name and professional experience of the provider.  Hypnosis is not a simple procedure.  It follows certain rules and conditions so you can properly access the subconscious state of your mind.  

A provider therefore should have proper education and trainings on psychology and advanced studies on hypnosis.  Provider of weight loss hypnosis products should also have extensive practical and clinical experience in this field.  Because of these, the instructional materials you can get from the provider will be safe and effective.  

Hypnosis is a very powerful solution for weight loss and weight management.  Just make sure that the weight loss hypnosis information, products, and services you get will come from reliable and licensed practitioners.



Melbourne Hypnosis

Ken Ericsson asked:


Hypnosis can be self-taught, medium aided, or formally learned through sessions and classroom programs. There are indeed many learning institutions that teach good hypnosis. Hypnosis can be a productive tool in changing the way we perceive life. This will however eliminate all the negative thoughts we had previously concluded about our existence. There are many sources wherein we can learn hypnosis. Hypnosis can either be a broad and complex topic to handle and it can be as simple as self-reflection.

For the first-timers, they would normally take time to look for the best place to learn hypnosis. Thanks to the accessibility we benefit from the Internet. There are many directories of learning institutions that teach hypnosis. There are even online courses to learn hypnosis. And what’s more amazing and convenient is the self-taught or self-help hypnosis method. The best place to learn hypnosis depends on a case-to-case basis. They can also depend on the gravity of the situation a person is presently experiencing. Or it may likewise depend on the budget of the person who wants to learn hypnosis.

For those who want to learn hypnosis and have enough money, they would most likely prefer to enroll in hypnosis classes. This is a lecture and practical setup learning education for people who want to learn hypnosis on a more detailed and sophisticated level. These are the people who are very much open to the benefits of learning hypnosis. Hypnosis for them serves a purpose for life-changing events, strategies to become more useful, and techniques to overhaul the total well being. Institutions or schools wherein people could learn hypnosis are more of a teacher-to-student setup. Teachers are reputable hypnosis therapists who share their expertise on the real art of hypnosis. Secondly, they guarantee that the techniques they employ on their students are perfectly effective and life changing. However, in learning hypnosis in this setup, the topic may be subdivided from a broad spectrum of subjects. Hypnosis can be so technical with regards to having a formal education. However, students who are more than willing to learn hypnosis would love this approach.

Self-help or self-taught hypnosis methods are rather more affordable and inexpensive alternatives to formal hypnosis classes. People who would choose this kind to learn hypnosis are those who would just want to clear their chaotic minds up. More over, people who would want to drive themselves further to change use self-taught hypnosis. An example is if you have the true desire to stop smoking or any other addiction, but withdrawal can be so difficult. You are often confused about what to choose and you know that your addiction could be hazardous to your health. You are caught between your desire and your fear. There are self-aided hypnosis methods such as instructional videos or CDs you can choose from. You would just spend a little amount of money in learning these types of hypnosis. In order to be more satisfied with the result, orient yourself first on how to do it the right way. You might just fall into frustration if you are not equipped with the proper knowledge and attitude.



Hypnotherapy Melbourne