Bowers Hypnosis

Most people have heard about hypnosis.  Many people know that you can use hypnosis to stop smoking, lose weight and deal with stress.  However, that’s where the public’s knowledge of hypnosis ends.  Hypnotists deal with many more issues than just these and in this posting I’m going to give you some simple guidelines that will let you determine whether a condition you have can be addressed with hypnosis.  The short answer is this.  Any unwanted habitual behavior or any feeling can be a candidate for hypnotherapy.

Habitual behaviors are those habits we have that by definition we do without thinking and therefore we don’t have time to catch ourselves before we begin the behavior.  Hypnosis is an excellent tool for dealing with these behaviors because it works on the subconscious mind, the part of the mind that controls habits. Think of the habitual behavior as a computer program.  The client with the assistance of the hypnotist simply goes in and deletes the program.  No program, no behavior.  It can be that simple.

Feelings operate in a similar manner.  We get a certain feeling without having to think about it.  These feeling can range from fear to joy and everywhere in between.  Feelings are generated by the subconscious mind as a means of communicating with the conscious mind.  Think of the feeling of nervousness, anxiety or fear that might be generated when you walk down a dark alley at night.  That’s simply the subconscious mind’s way of telling you to be careful.  Sometimes however the subconscious mind generates a feeling for no apparent conscious reason.  This is where the hypnotist can play a role.  The goal is to discover what the subconscious mind is trying to tell you and then why it is doing this.   Once we know the root intentions of the feeling then we can deal with the feeling appropriate.  How the feeling is dealt with is as varied as the reason for generating the feeling.  Know this, it can be dealt with successfully.

If you wonder whether hypnosis can help you then simply ask yourself if it is a habitual habit or a feeling that you would like to change.  If it is then call your local hypnotist.  We are experts at helping you change your life.

A common question that I hear from potential clients is, “Can I be hypnotized?”  The answer is a qualified YES.

Here are the caveats.  First everyone needs to understand that all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis.  That means that you hypnotize yourself.  All the hypnotist knows are the instructions.  If you follow the instructions then you will become hypnotized.

The second caveat that prevents hypnosis is fear.  When a person is afraid of what might happen during hypnosis then they will not follow the instructions given.  Most people are afraid that they will do something embarrassing during a session and this fear prevents them from following the instructions.  Any reputable hypnotist will never put their client in a position where the client embarrasses themselves.  If you come across a someone who does then run away as fast as possible.

Fear leads to the third caveat which is trust.  This is the foundation for all hypnosis.  Trust occurs when the client fully understands the process and has had all of their questions answered.  Every good hypnotist spends time at the beginning of each session making sure that the client’s questions are answered and that there is a good rapport between the two.

If the client trusts the hypnotist then there is no reason to fear the process of hypnosis.  If the client has no fear then they are free to follow the instructions.  When they follow the instructions they become hypnotized.

So there it is.  When someone says that they can’t be hypnotized it’s because they either don’t trust the other person, they still fear the process or they do not follow instructions.  And that’s the only reason people do not hypnotize themselves.

A recent client asked me if I used a holistic approach when did hypnosis.  “Yes” I answered.  I went on to explain to him that from my perspective all hypnosis is holistic in nature.  I’m defining holistic in terms of combining both the mind and the body to create a change in a client.

My belief is that everything that occurs in our lives starts with our belief system.  Whether it be physical health, weight loss, happiness, wealth, whatever; it all starts in our minds.  From there, the mind creates the physical manifestation of that belief.

For example, if you believe that you are overweight then the mind will do whatever is necessary to create the physical version of that belief, an overweight person.  I see this all of the time in my practice.  People who have a history of yo-yo dieting come to me to lose weight.  Simply by the fact that they have been able to diet and lose weight in the past indicates that they know how to change their eating habits.  However, because they subconsciously see themselves as overweight they struggle to maintain a reduced weight and eventually gain the weight back.  The holistic solution is to start from the inside out.  First change their subconscious belief and then let the new “I’m thin” belief work with a diet program to get the weight off and keep it off permanently.

Here’s another non-health related example.  In today’s economy people are struggling financially.  Yet how often do you see someone get a pay raise and end up right back in the same state of financial struggle six months later?  Why, because they subconsciously believe that their life is a financial struggle.  The “normal” approach to solving this issue is to get credit counseling, get even more income, go on a budget, etc.  All valid approaches except that they do nothing to change the mindset of the person.  When the person seeks my help we start from the inside and work outward.  First we change the mindset of the person from one of financial desperation to one of financial abundance. Then and only then will the external changes such a budgeting be successful in the long term.

My approach to hypnosis is to seek out the long term solution and to make it as effortless as possible for the client.  Using the holistic approach and working with both the mind and the body makes my work so much more successful.  If you’re looking to use the services of a hypnotist make sure that they too are focused on working from the inside out.  Do this and you too can successfully improve your life.