Video: History of hypnosis [full episode]


Hypnosis has a long and fascinating history. This video brings forth many current experts in the field highlighting how hypnosis was brought into the 20th century and how helpful it can be.

Top 5 hypnosis myths

1) All hypnosis is the same: Hypnosis is all about rapport, listening to the clients concerns and explaining the process to develop trust and put the client at ease. I email clients an audio file so they come in with an idea of who I am and what to expect. Those who have had prior experience with hypnosis usually mention the variation in style between practitioners.

2) Subliminal messages work: Subliminal Ads involve messages that you can’t hear. Common sense says they shouldn’t work, and there’s no research proving that they do.

3) Some people can’t be hypnotized: The only reason someone can’t be hypnotized is if the individual chooses not to or is incapable of following simple instructions. In over 20 years as a hypnotist I have experienced this only a couple of times which was when I was knew to the field and inexperienced.

4) Hypnosis is for the weak minded: Hypnosis was accepted by the AMA as a legitimate adjunct modality in 1958 so we are decades past the debate as to whether it is ‘real’ or not. The only debate that exists is if it is right for the individual. I see clients from all walks of life from executives terrified of giving presentations in the board room to physicians and lawyers fearful of passing exams and to truck drivers wanting to quit smoking. These days everyone is learning about the power of thought and how hypnosis is the best tool to get the job done.

5) One relinquishes free will with hypnosis: I’m happy to report I never hear concerns from clients about this ridiculous relic originating from the early 20th century. There are decades of scientific research validating the healing power of thought. Hypnosis is not the process of relinquishing control but rather tapping into powerful inner resources individuals were previously unaware of.

By: Paul Gustafson RN CH

5 unexpected uses of hypnosis

Get things done: Many spend so much time focused on what needs to be done, nothing is accomplished.  Hypnosis not only helps individuals experience satisfaction with even the smallest step forward but also offers a view into their clutter-free future. It’s a simple process of spending more time thinking envisioning what you want than what you struggle with.

Get over a relationship: Hypnosis helps you release the unpleasant past and enhance new enthusiasm about the days to come. It doesn’t erase the past it just helps you focus more of what you want than what you previously struggled with. It is the best re frame tool there is.

Find a fulfilling career: Hypnosis creates a sense of calm, centered peacefulness. From such clarity of thought comes new confidence and creativity. Rather than feeling trapped and powerless individuals using hypnosis see opportunity and freedom.

Don’t sweat the small stuff: We are all creatures of habit, both of action and thought.  Even patterns of simple worry can become rooted and automatic. I see many clients overwhelmed by an array of simple concerns that just pile up to the point of effecting quality of life. Hypnosis offers a refreshingly rapid disconnect from these concerns.

Have more fun: Every client leaves my office with a smile because of the wonderful cathartic qualities of hypnosis. It creates a sense of unexpected freedom and relief and with repetition becomes the rule rather then the exception.  Those who routinely enjoy this peaceful process laugh more and find more ways to add joy and fulfillment top their lives.

By: Paul Gustafson RN CH

Hypnosis…just the facts

 

  • Hypnosis does not involve mind control, magic, unconsciousness or sleep.
  • You cannot be made to enter hypnosis against your will.
  • Hypnosis is a natural experience that happens to most of us each day when we become absorbed in doing something like driving, working, reading or watching TV.
  • All your senses are awake and alert while you are in a hypnotic state.
  • You are in control at all times while in hypnosis.
  • You only say and do in hypnosis what you would normally say and do in a fully conscious state.
  • You can return to full consciousness any time you either want to or feel the need to.
  • The subconscious mind makes up about 90% of your total mind power and contains a “mental movie” of everything that has happened in your life.
  • As you enter into hypnosis, you bypass the conscious mind and can then access information in the subconscious mind.
  • The use of hypnosis gives you the opportunity to make changes quickly and permanently.
  • Hypnosis was approved for use by the British Medical Association in 1955 and by the American Medical Association in 1958.
  • Hypnotherapy entails the use of trance and suggestion to adjust habits of thought, feeling and behavior.
  • Hypnotherapists use trance and suggestions to help normal people cope with every-day problems of living, such as issues related to jobs, hobbies and recreational activities.
  • Hypnotherapy can also aid in general self-improvement through strategies such as non-clinical stress management.
  • Hypnotherapists work in complementary ways with physicians and other health care providers to help optimize the care patients receive.
  • Hypnotherapeutic results can be restorative, rehabilitative, curative and occasionally seemingly miraculous

By: Paul Gustafson RN CH