Revealing the mysteries of Hypnosis

By Rayle Roberts

Friday,  July 8, 2005

I have been practicing hypnosis for years and I am still amazed by two things: how little people know about hypnosis and how much they can actually benefit from this procedure.

When you hear the word hypnosis you may think of or picture the mysterious hypnotist in movies waving his pocket watch back and forth putting his subject in a semi-sleep state like zombies or even the stage show where people are taken from the audience and used as the entertainment for the show under the control of this mysterious person.

It may seem that once the subjects are hypnotized they are compelled to obey no matter how strange or immoral the request.

These popular representations bear little resemblance to actual hypnosis. In fact, modern hypnosis (which is what I practice) contradicts this concept on several points: firstly subjects are not in a trance rather, they have absolute free will and they are not in a semi sleep state but actually hyper-attentive. So how does it work if clients are not being controlled?

The clients are in a state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination. It is not sleep because the client is awake the entire session but in a dream like state. Being under hypnosis can be likened to when you are completely immersed into a good movie/book and someone speaks to you however, because of your intense level of focus you do not hear them.

Hypnosis is a natural, normal, relaxed and focused state of attention. It is characterized by: a feeling of wellbeing, relaxed muscles, lowered sensitivity to pain and the ability to access memories (both good and bad). The predominant school of thought is that hypnosis is a way to directly access your subconscious mind.

This is the part of your mind that formulates a plan which it feeds into your conscious mind and allows you to access information that assists you in solving problems, constructing sentences or even locating your lost keys. In short, your subconscious is the real brain behind the operation.

You may now have a better understanding of how hypnosis works but may be wondering what hypnosis is used for and who is qualified to conduct a hypnosis session? I am a hypnotherapist, clinically trained and certified by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

I use hypnosis as a tool to assist my clients in reaching their goals. Hypnosis can be extremely effective in achieving a wide range of goals such as, but not limited to:

Eliminating destructive habits like smoking/eating sweets, over-eating and nail biting, building positive habits, anger management, controlling stress, relaxation, overcoming fears or phobias such as the fear of flying or the dentist, childhood or adult trauma, alleviating sexual dysfunction, for child birth or improving performance mentally or physically.

Hypnosis has many practical functions all of which are geared to making you the healthiest and happiest person you can be. Hypnosis is very effective for weight loss, smoking cessation and many athletes use hypnosis as the edge when they need to focus on upcoming competitions.

Most people want to know what it feels like when one is hypnotized; it is relaxing, and can be likened to having a massage with no one touching you. At the end of a hypnosis session people will have very pleasant feeling, a sense of wellbeing or euphoria. Most people know everything that has happened.

Does it work? YES, I tell my clients that hypnosis is the healing of yourself from the inside out.

Eastern medicine is built on this concept. Healing is a subconscious process. Through hypnosis you can improve your life or heal your pain. Healing is accelerated by being in the trance state. In trance, your sense of self is expanded and your critical questioning mind is relaxed, this enables you to communicate with your subconscious mind by creating images, symbols and by recreating memories. In the relaxed trance state, you can use your imagination to build a picture of how you want your life to be and describe the steps you need to make it real.

When you return to normal waking state, you can continue to focus your mental energy on the images you created while you were under hypnosis.
Who can benefit from hypnosis? Whether you are an adult or a child you can benefit from this form of therapy/relaxation. Many persons who access my services are not sure of the benefits of hypnosis but once they try it they are eager to return.

The success rates for hypnosis are astounding, for example: persons who have smoked for years being able to quit after only a few sessions. There are persons who choose to use hypnosis solely for relaxation purposes. Hypnosis is one of the many services offered at the Wellness Centre, where our priority is to help our clients reach their highest potential in a safe and confidential environment.

For more information on hypnosis or to make an appointment please contact me on (345) 949 9355 or via e-mail at rroberts-wellnesscentre@candw.ky.

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