5 Hypnosis Myths Exploded

Over the years, hypnosis has picked up all sorts of weird associations from stage hypnotists, the media, and superstition. This is a great shame, because in reality, hypnosis is your single most effective tool for change. Hypnosis is your birthright, and you should know how to use it so it doesn’t use you. Let’s dispel the biggest hypnosis myths.

Hypnosis Myth 1) All hypnosis is the same.

As with anything, hypnosis can be good, bad or indifferent. The most common is old-style authoritarian hypnosis of the type “You are getting sleepy, you are feeling confident”. Unsurprisingly, this sort of hypnosis doesn’t work well with many people. Good hypnosis uses subtle psychological principles and advanced communication patterns.

It’s like the difference between a football coach who thinks you’ll perform best if he yells at you, compared with the more elegant style of a great leader who knows that to get the best from his people, he needs to understand motivation, to cajole, encourage and reward.

Hypnosis Myth 2) Subliminals work.

Subliminals are words that you can’t hear. Common sense says they shouldn’t work, and there’s no research proving that they do.

Hypnosis Myth 3) Some people can’t be hypnotized.

The only reason you can’t be hypnotized is if you are incapable of paying attention due to extremely low IQ or brain damage. That’s not to say that every hypnotist can hypnotize you however. The more flexible the hypnotist, the more effective she will be with the largest number of people.

Hypnosis Myth 4) Hypnosis is something weird that other people do to you.

If you couldn’t go into hypnosis, you wouldn’t be able to sleep, to learn, or get nervous through ‘negative self hypnosis’. You know when you imagine things going wrong and it makes you feel anxious? Well that’s self hypnosis!

Hypnosis is simply a deliberate utilization of the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) or dream state. We’re not giving people medication here; if it wasn’t a natural ability, hypnosis wouldn’t work!

Hypnosis Myth 5) You lose control in hypnosis.

Crazy news stories, stage hypnotists and gossip have created the illusion that you lose control in hypnosis. In fact, when hypnotized, you are relaxed and focused – and able to choose to get up and walk away at any time. You choose to give your attention to the hypnotist, and you can withdraw it at any time.

If you have been scared of hypnosis in the past, this article has hopefully convinced you to at least give it a try. But remember, ensure what you’re getting is the real thing.

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Hypnosis for Anxiety

Hypnosis is a very effective tool for treating anxiety problems. Anxiety is a central feature of most psychological disorders and psychiatric illnesses. Correcting, healing, and transcending anxiety is a significant breakthrough for those that suffer from it.

People with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) go through the day filled with exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. They anticipate disaster and are overly concerned about health issues, money, family problems, or difficulties at work. Sometimes just the thought of getting through the day produces anxiety. GAD is diagnosed when a person worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least 6 months.

People with GAD can’t seem to get rid of their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. They can’t relax, startle easily, and have difficulty concentrating. Often they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Physical symptoms that often accompany the anxiety include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes.”

Sometimes, there are greater symptoms that keep people from living a normal life. These are such things as shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations, trembling, sweating, feeling of choking, nausea/abdominal distress, depersonalization, numbness and tingling, flushes, chills, chest pain, fear of dying, and fear of going crazy or fear of doing something uncontrolled.

My hypnotherapeutic approach to treating anxiety disorders incorporates two aspects, treating the symptoms and uncovering the root causes. I address the symptoms by teaching you cognitive, behavioral and relaxation coping skills. Self-hypnosis for relaxation and cognitive control of anxious thoughts and worries is routinely taught as a coping skill.

I also teach instant relaxation skills to help you cope with stress, tension, and anxiety episodes on the fly, wherever they occur. Hypnotherapy puts you in control You can learn to control your anxiety through Hypnosis. Treatment usually takes two to five visits.