A trip to a hypnotist 06/19/2010
The following is an extract of an article about a woman named Sandy Thorn who went to a hypnotist to help deal with her mood and food cravings. This article reveals a little about the hypnosis process. You need to be fairly intelligent to be able to apply hypnotic suggestions. Also the article shows how the hypnotist digs out key problems or attitudes in life that are triggering the mental states and eating habits that are not wanted. This allows a person to root out the causes of a problem and attain the state that they desire. Taking A Chance On Trance In a 25-minute interview designed to determine if I qualified for hypnosis -- drunks, persons with IQs under 70, and smart alecs don't -- Johns, 57, and Hand, 55, asked what I hoped to accomplish through hypnotism. I rambled . . . I longed to end what I called my stinkin' thinkin' . . . my all-consuming feelings of rejection . . . my "I'm not thin enough, not young enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough" mindset. Eventually, I got to the point: I felt this downward spiral of negativity, traced to my childhood with a hard-to-please unaffectionate father, played a critical role in my regaining 60 of the 160 pounds I had lost 17 years earlier. "And who assumed that role -- the role of the disapprover -- when your father died? Who stepped in and told you that you weren't good enough?" Someone did," Johns stressed. Baffled and increasingly uneasy in my moment-of-truth, I finally stammered, "Me?" Instantly, Johns responded, "Do ya think?" Bam! This was life as one of Chicago Hypnosis Center's clients -- who pay $125 to $160 a session (an average three sessions) to lose weight, stop smoking, reduce stress, manage pain, improve performance, eliminate a fear or who, like me, desire to halt the self-destructive practice of looking into a mirror and declaring, "I'm too fat . . . I'm too fill-in-the-blank . . . This is going to be a crappy day." What exactly is hypnosis? "Have you ever been driving home from partying or work and realized, wow, I'm already home. How did that happen? That's an example of being hypnotized," Hand answered. "It's like being in a trance. You go from trance to trance to trance without giving it a second thought," she continued. "In hypnosis, we can bypass the conscious mind's critical judgment and tap into the power of the subconscious mind," Johns explained. In a compact frill-less room, settled into a massive blue recliner, wearing earphones, I soon discovered just how uncomplicated, how comfortable, how magical this phenomenon called hypnosis is. Per Hand's instructions, I concentrated on a spot on the white ceiling -- a spot I selected at random -- while she counted from 1 to 10. I closed my eyes on uneven numbers, opened them on even numbers. Or did I open my eyes on the unevens, close them on the evens? It didn't matter. I was groggy; my eyelids were too heavy to open. Minus the stereotypical trappings associated with hypnotism in films, there was only Hand's calming voice reminding me to relax and to use my imagination as she taught me a self-hypnosis exercise designed to flush out my negativity, doubt, confusion, cravings, tension, angst, stress, and "all those things" I no longer wanted. "Notice how good it feels to be doing something so good for you," Hand reminded. She was right -- it did. I vividly remember Hand guiding me along two forks in a road, stopping at one, five- and 10-year intervals. One was an imaginary path of misery -- one in which I repeated the same self-defeating behavior I've chosen for the last decade -- and the other was an imaginary new path she invitingly called "the high road to success" in which I could choose to accept, honor and love myself. Near the end of our 30-minute session, Hand encouraged me to begin each day choosing to notice what's right with the day -- even on days when it's gloomy -- and to look into a mirror and tell myself: "I love you . . . I accept you . . . I'm in control . . . I'm OK." In the two weeks since my hypnosis, I've practiced those self-talks. I haven't eaten, craved -- or even missed -- the Ritz crackers, cheese spread and ice cream drumsticks that had become best friends attached to my hips. I'm exercising daily. I've lost six pounds. My nights of tossing and turning have ended. Thanks to hypnosis, I realize I control my happiness.  The following news article is about the reactions of seniors who took basic self hypnosis training at the Wilton Senior Center. This news report covers some basic hypnosis myths and how anyone can use self-hypnosis for relaxation, weight loss, confidence, and much more. All you need is to focus your concentration on proper affirmations and positive thinking. (Image and news article is from here.) Seniors learn healthful benefits of self-hypnosis - Written by Joan Lownds Betty O’Shea always thought hypnosis was a theatrical trick that made people do things they didn’t want to. But the Wiltonian was pleasantly surprised after attending a seminar in hypnosis presented by the Wilton Senior Center. “It’s different and interesting,” Ms. O’Shea said. “Most people view hypnosis based on the stage hypnosis they see on TV,” said Sonia Katz, the seminar’s instructor. “What I teach is not like that at all. Self-hypnosis is really focused concentration and a positive step to improving the quality of your life.” Ms. Katz studied with Dr. Brian Weiss, author of “Many Lives, Many Masters,” and has taught the techniques for more than 40 years, she said. She provides both group and individual sessions. Her three-week workshop at the Senior Center, which ended last week, focused on the simple steps of self-hypnosis, aimed at “awakening the sleeping teacher inherent in all of us. It is a skill that can be easily understood and implemented into all aspects of your life,” Ms. Katz said. The process is aimed at achieving relaxation through “breathing techniques and guided meditation,” she said. Ms. Katz shows how to plant the proper suggestions in the mind in order to achieve goals. For example, she said self-hypnosis can be used to promote “relaxation, which boosts the immune system, or to help stop smoking or overeating.” First, calming breaths lead to a relaxed “alpha” state in which “suggestions can be planted,” according to Ms. Katz. To overcome destructive behaviors, positive alternatives must be visualized, she said. “When someone wants to lose weight and stop overeating, once they are relaxed, I tell them to picture two tables: one filled with desserts and one filled with fresh fruits. I tell them to choose the fruit,” she said. The emphasis is always positive, she said. “One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Einstein, who said, ‘Either live your life as if everything is a miracle, or as if nothing is a miracle.’” For the technique to be effective, “you have to really commit to it, and do it at the same time every day.” A former Florida Realtor, Ms. Katz said she became interested in hypnosis as a sleep-deprived young mother whose daughter never slept. “I would try to put myself into a relaxed state so I could get some sleep,” she said. She discovered the effectiveness of this technique and became intrigued by its resemblance to self-hypnosis. She is also trained in past life regression. “The mind is very powerful,” she said. “You just need the right tools |
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