Can you answer ed l’s question about Hypnosis?:

A clinic called Health Awareness is in town and offering Hypnotherapy to stop smoking. Does this work and what is the cost as they didn’t say in their ad except for a $10 donation when signing in.

Best Hypnosis Tapes

Throughout your life, you may have unknowingly built up barriers in your brain. It is these barriers that tend to hold you back from success. NLP can help you overcome these barriers by retraining your brain.

Definition of Neuro-linguistic Programming

NLP is a set of models of how communication impacts and is impacted by subjective experience. In addition to being an agent for change, NLP is also used in psychotherapy treatments for problems as diverse as phobias and schizophrenia. NLP also aims at transforming corporations, showing them how to accomplish their maximum potential and achieve great success.

Who crafted the NLP process?

The theories and application of NLP were co-created by two men in the 1970’s. One a linguist, John Grinder and his partner Richard Bandler. The initial focus of their experiments in NLP was to discover what gave three psychotherapists the advantage in successfully treating their clients. These three psychotherapists, gestalt therapist Fritz Perls, family therapist Virginia Satir and founding president of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, Milton H. Erickson, were more successful in treatment than that of their peers.

Timeline of NLP

1970: Founding and early development

1972: Research of Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir and Milton H. Erickson begins.

1975: Subsequently Structure of Magic Series published

1976-77: Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson published

1979: Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming published

1980: Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Volume I published

1980: Bandler and Grinder go their separate ways

1981: The first of many intellectual property lawsuits begin. NLP Training courses begin to be developed by many individuals. Given the diversity of developers and trainers, there is no single definitive system of NLP.

1982-87: Grinder and Judith DeLozier collaborated to develop the New Code of NLP.

1984-87: Research reviews in experimental counselling psychology by the United States National Research Council gave NLP an overall negative assessment marking a decrease in NLP research interest

1988-89: Bandler develops Design Human Engineering™ and later Neuro-Hypnotic Repatterning™

1990s: In the UK and other countries certification of NLP courses and providers begins

1996-97: Bandler files suit against Grinder claiming trademark infringement and intellectual property ownership of NLP.

Where the co-creators are now

The end of 2000 achieved a settlement between Bandler and Grinder when they agreed, “they are the co-creators and co-founders of the technology of Neuro-linguistic Programming.”

Richard Bandler is currently with The Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming™ and John Grinder can be found at The International Trainers Academy of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

NLP Today

NLP continues to be an open field of training with different trainers and practitioners developing their own methods and concepts. One common thread in NLP is the emphasis on teaching a variety of communication and persuasion skills, and using self-hypnosis to motivate and change oneself. With numerous NLP practitioners advertising on the Internet today, many of their standards and quality of courses may differ. When performing a search for a NLP Training courses make certain to choose an organization with a good reputation.

The best way to ensure a NLP organization is reputable is to conduct research. There are many articles, forums and NLP training blogs to uncover information and reviews concerning courses and trainers.



Thanks to Corey Rozon for contributing this article to our Hypnosis blog:

Hypnosis Certification Training

 

Today’s modern world is full of taxing things such as traffic jams and other job-related stresses. That is why there is such a need for natural healing and holistic therapies. More and more people are looking to hypnotherapy as an alternative treatment to behavioral and physical problems.

Anyone can enroll on hypnotherapy training but not everyone will end up as a hypnotherapist. While, at present, even those who do not have professional training would be able to establish their own business in hypnotherapy, without finishing real hypnotherapy training, your professional success would be compromised.

Self-Training versus School-Based Training

There are hundreds of books and online courses that could help anyone learn hypnotherapy. Understanding the theories with these learning tools could be hard without the proper guidance of a practicing, professional hypnotherapist. Also, online hypnotherapy training might not meet your specific needs. This could result into taking many different courses before finding the right one.

One of the major aspects of a course on hypnotherapy includes letting the student practice hypnosis and experience it first hand. This is not possible with online courses. First hand experiences would make the student feel the scenario and not just read about it on an e-book.

Effective hypnotherapy training should be able to offer balance teaching of theory and practice; this is true to all courses on any field. First, it would be good to have a background in psychology and psychotherapy, though not a necessity, before you enroll yourself in any of the schools that offer training for hypnotherapy. Such a background would give you a good grasp of what makes people behave the way that they do.

The ultimate advantage of taking your training on an established school or institution is that these schools could provide you with the most vital stepping stone to becoming a hypnotherapist—a certificate. This certification would be your ID to your future clients. Also, these schools could allow you to become a member of any hypnotherapy associations where they are affiliated.

The standard hours for hypnotherapy training range from 100-600 hours. The number of hours is decided by hypnotherapy professionals that will assess your skills. Never enroll on weekend courses that aim to teach hypnotherapy in a nutshell—this just wouldn’t work!

Remember that a hypnotist is not necessarily a hypnotherapist. The former can be anyone and everyone but the latter is a professional who has the skills and knowledge on applying the science of hypnotherapy. And with your hypnotherapy training diploma in hand, you would be able to find a lot of opportunities that only the professionals are qualified to apply for. GP

 



Thanks to Diane Andres for contributing this article to our Hypnosis blog:

Positive Change Hypnosis Center

Can you answer Adam W’s question about Hypnosis?:

I was reading a book description online about how hypnotism can help in all sorts of places in life, at work, at school, in the bedroom. It seems like a really interesting subject, I am just wondering if it really works, and if anyone has stories about really being hypnotised. Thanks!

Golf Self Hypnosis

Hypnosis

Introduction:

When you hear the word hypnosis, you may picture the mysterious hypnotist figure popularized in movies, comic books and television. This ominous, goateed man waves a pocket watch back and forth, guiding his subject into a semi-sleep, zombie-like state. Once hypnotized, the subject is compelled to obey, no matter how strange or immoral the request. Muttering “Yes, master,” the subject does the hypnotist’s evil bidding.

This popular representation bears little resemblance to actual hypnotism, of course. In fact, modern understanding of hypnosis contradicts this conception on several key points. Subjects in a hypnotic trance are not slaves to their “masters” — they have absolute free will. And they’re not really in a semi-sleep state — they’re actually hyper attentive.

Our understanding of hypnosis has advanced a great deal in the past century, but the phenomenon is still a mystery of sorts. In this article, we’ll look at some popular theories of hypnosis and explore the various ways hypnotists put their art to work.

Why the name “Hypnosis”?

James Braid, a 19th-century Scottish surgeon, originated the terms “hypnotism” and “hypnosis” based on the word hypnos, which is Greek for “to sleep.” Braid and other scientists of the era, such as Ambroise-Auguste Liebeault, Hippolyte Bernheim and J.M. Charcot, theorized that hypnosis is not a force inflicted by the hypnotist, but a combination of psychologically mediated responses to suggestions.

In the proper nomenclature, hypnosis refers to the trance state itself, and hypnotism refers to the act of inducing this state and to the study of this state. A hypnotist is someone who induces the state of hypnosis, and a hypnotherapist is a person who induces hypnosis to treat physical or mental illnesses.

History of Hypnotism:

People have been entering hypnotic-type trances for thousands and thousands of years; various forms of meditation play an important role in many cultures’ religions. But the scientific conception of hypnotism wasn’t born until the late 1700s.

The father of modern hypnotism is Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician. Mesmer believed hypnosis to be a mystical force flowing from the hypnotist into the subject (he called it “animal magnetism”). Although critics quickly dismissed the magical element of his theory, Mesmer’s assumption, that the power behind hypnosis came from the hypnotist and was in some way inflicted upon the subject, took hold for some time. Hypnosis was originally known as mesmerism, after Mesmer, and we still use its derivative, “mesmerize,” today.

So what is Hypnosis?

People have been pondering and arguing over hypnosis for more than 200 years, but science has yet to fully explain how it actually happens. We see what a person does under hypnosis, but it isn’t clear why he or she does it. This puzzle is really a small piece in a much bigger puzzle: how the human mind works. It’s unlikely that scientists will arrive at a definitive explanation of the mind in the foreseeable future, so it’s a good bet hypnosis will remain something of a mystery as well.

But psychiatrists do understand the general characteristics of hypnosis, and they have some model of how it works. It is a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination. It’s not really like sleep, because the subject is alert the whole time. It is most often compared to daydreaming, or the feeling of “losing yourself” in a book or movie. You are fully conscious, but you tune out most of the stimuli around you. You focus intently on the subject at hand, to the near exclusion of any other thought.

In the everyday trance of a daydream or movie, an imaginary world seems somewhat real to you, in the sense that it fully engages your emotions. Imaginary events can cause real fear, sadness or happiness, and you may even jolt in your seat if you are surprised by something (a monster leaping from the shadows, for example). Some researchers categorize all such trances as forms of self-hypnosis. Milton Erickson, the premier hypnotism expert of the 20th century, contended that people hypnotize themselves on a daily basis. But most psychiatrists focus on the trance state brought on by intentional relaxation and focusing exercises. This deep hypnosis is often compared to the relaxed mental state between wakefulness and sleep.

In conventional hypnosis, you approach the suggestions of the hypnotist, or your own ideas, as if they were reality. If the hypnotist suggests that your tongue has swollen up to twice its size, you’ll feel a sensation in your mouth and you may have trouble talking. If the hypnotist suggests that you are drinking a chocolate milkshake, you’ll taste the milkshake and feel it cooling your mouth and throat. If the hypnotist suggests that you are afraid, you may feel panicky or start to sweat. But the entire time, you are aware that it’s all imaginary. Essentially, you’re “playing pretend” on an intense level, as kids do.

In this special mental state, people feel uninhibited and relaxed. Presumably, this is because they tune out the worries and doubts that normally keep their actions in check. You might experience the same feeling while watching a movie: As you get engrossed in the plot, worries about your job, family, etc. fade away, until all you’re thinking about is what’s up on the screen.

In this state, you are also highly suggestible. That is, when the hypnotist tells you do something, you’ll probably embrace the idea completely. This is what makes stage hypnotist shows so entertaining. Normally reserved, sensible adults are suddenly walking around the stage clucking like chickens or singing at the top of their lungs. Fear of embarrassment seems to fly out the window. The subject’s sense of safety and morality remain entrenched throughout the experience, however. A hypnotist can’t get you to do anything you don’t want to do.

Myths and Misconceptions:

There are many myths and misconceptions concerning hypnosis, for example, that a client is completely under the hypnotist’s control. A hypnotist cannot make an individual do anything under hypnosis that they do not want to do. Hypnotic subjects are totally alert under hypnosis and can remember everything that happened while they were in trance. And if an emergency were to occur during a session, such as a fire, the subject would simply snap out of trance, and attend to the problem at hand.

The Role of unconscious mind:

Often the conscious mind and the unconscious mind are in conflict or disagreement. For example, consciously you may want to stop smoking, but unconsciously you may still associate smoking with being macho or looking sophisticated. Or you may consciously want to eat better food and smaller portions, but unconsciously may associate eating with a positive experience like being nurtured or loved.

During a hypnotic session, clients are helped to progressively relax. As they do so, their conscious mind lets go more and more and the unconscious mind starts to play a more active, more dominant role. The same thing happens in the early stages of sleep; however, in the hypnotic state the unconscious mind maintains a peculiar ability to remain extremely alert and to receive whatever suggestions the client has asked to receive, without normal conscious resistance. In this way, the conscious mind and the unconscious mind are finally able to agree on the desired results. The hypnotist is the facilitator or guide during the journey.

Methods of Hypnotism:

Hypnotists’ methods vary, but they all depend on a few basic prerequisites:

1.The subject must want to be hypnotized.

2.The subject must believe he or she can be hypnotized.

3.The subject must eventually feel comfortable and relaxed.

If these criteria are met, the hypnotist can guide the subject into a hypnotic trance using a variety of methods. The most common hypnotic techniques are:

Fixed gazed Induction or Eye Fixation:

This is the method you often see in movies, when the hypnotist waves a pocket watch in front of the subject.

The basic idea is to get the subject to focus on an object so intently that he or she tunes out any other stimuli. As the subject focuses, the hypnotist talks to him or her in a low tone, lulling the subject into relaxation. This method was very popular in the early days of hypnotism, but it isn’t used much today because it doesn’t work on a large proportion of the population.

Rapid Induction:

The idea of this method is to overload the mind with sudden, firm commands.

If the commands are forceful, and the hypnotist is convincing enough, the subject will surrender his or her conscious control over the situation. This method works well for a stage hypnotist because the novel circumstance of being up in front of an audience puts subjects on edge, making them more susceptible to the hypnotist’s commands.

Progressive Imagination and Imagery:

This is the hypnosis method most commonly employed by psychiatrists.

By speaking to the subject in a slow, soothing voice, the hypnotist gradually brings on complete relaxation and focus, easing the subject into full hypnosis. Typically, self-hypnosis training, as well as relaxation and meditation audio tapes use the progressive relaxation method.

Loss of Balance:

This method creates a loss of equilibrium using slow, rhythmic rocking.

Parents have been putting babies to sleep with this method for thousands of years.

Before hypnotists bring a subject into a full trance, they generally test his or her willingness and capacity to be hypnotized. The typical testing method is to make several simple suggestions, such as “Relax your arms completely,” and work up to suggestions that ask the subject to suspend disbelief or distort normal thoughts, such as “Pretend you are weightless.”

Depending on the person’s mental state and personality, the entire hypnotism process can take anywhere from a few minutes to more than a half hour. Hypnotists and hypnotism proponents see the peculiar mental state as a powerful tool with a wide range of applications. In the next section, we’ll look at some of the more common uses of hypnotism.

Applications of Hypnotism:

Habit Control:



In this application, a hypnotist focuses on one particular habit that is embedded in your unconscious (smoking or overeating, for example). With the “control panel” to your mind open, the hypnotist may be able to reprogram your subconscious to reverse the behavior. Some hypnotists do this by connecting a negative response with the bad habit. For example, the hypnotist might suggest to your subconscious that smoking will cause nausea. If this association is programmed effectively, you will feel sick every time you think about smoking a cigarette. Alternatively, the hypnotist may build up your willpower, suggesting to your subconscious that you don’t need cigarettes, and you don’t want them.



Psychiatric Theory:

In a therapy session, a psychiatrist may hypnotize his or her subject in order to work with deep, entrenched personal problems. The therapy may take the form of breaking negative patterns of behavior, as with mass habit-control programs. This can be particularly effective in addressing phobias, unreasonable fears of particular objects or situations. Another form of psychiatric hypnotherapy involves bringing underlying psychiatric problems up to the conscious level. Accessing fears, memories and repressed emotions can help to clarify difficult issues and bring resolution to persistent problems.

Law Enforcement/Forensic Science:

Hypnotists may also tap dormant memories to aid in law enforcement. In this practice, called forensic hypnotism, investigators access a subject’s deep, repressed memories of a past crime to help identify a suspect or fill in details of the case. Since hypnotists may lead subjects to form false memories, this technique is still very controversial in the forensics world.

Medical Hypnotherapy:

Doctors and spiritual leaders all over the world claim that hypnotic suggestion can ease pain and even cure illness in some patients. The underlying idea behind this is that the mind and body are inextricably intertwined. When you suggest to the subconscious that the body does not feel pain, or that the body is free of disease, the subconscious may actually bring about the change.

There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to support this idea. Using only hypnotic suggestion as an anesthetic, thousands of women have made it through childbirth with minimal pain and discomfort. Countless cancer patients swear by hypnosis, claiming that it helps to manage the pain of chemotherapy, and some former patients credit their recovery to hypnotherapy.

The success of hypnotherapy is undeniable, but many doctors argue that the hypnotic trance is not actually responsible for the positive results.

• Conclusion:

Thus it is clear from the above topic that hypnotism though seems like hypothetical concept hypnotism is present in our life almost every day.



Thanks to Pranav Bhat for contributing this article to our Hypnosis blog:

Hypnotherapy For Depression