How It Works

To make this as easy as possible to understand, remove the word hypnosis. It’s just a word… and Hollywood and books of fiction have totally misguided the understanding of what it is and how it works. Think of this is goal based meditation… a process that can get you to achieve your goals without the struggle and force of conscious thought and will power.

The word “hypnosis” is the only thing that gets in the way of people understanding what this process is and how it works. If you ever daydreamed, dreamed or used your imagination to create something in your mind that you once did before or never did then you were engaged in self hypnosis… directing your mind to a certain behavior or outcome by using your imagination.

By the way – Hypnos is the Greek God of sleep and because people appear to be sleeping when using hypnosis, though they are not, the word hypnosis was termed by Dr. James Braid in 1843.

Habits Can be Good or Bad…

Everyone knows there have been things we either wanted to do and couldn’t or didn’t want to do but did anyway. That’s because our desires are conscious thoughts while our behaviors are created and motivated at a subconscious level. The simple process of hypnosis is the natural, safe and expedient way for behavior change and to create healthy habits

What the Mind Believes the Body Achieves…

We hear things like this all the time and don’t put 2 and 2 together. Our thoughts create our behaviors. Problem is everyone has thoughts focused on what they don’t want. Listen to people talk or how you think and talk. “I don’t want to be fat, I don’t want to feel like this anymore, I don’t want to live on a diet.” It goes on and on and on and on. And people wonder why they keep getting more of what they don’t want.

Thomas Edison is well known for saying, “If you think you can you might. If you think you can’t, you’re right.” It has been written, “Ask and you’ll receive. The answers are within.” “Watch what you wish for, you just might get it.” This is nothing new. Once you understand how powerful your thoughts are and then to harness that power and focus on what you do want, then your subconscious mind has the directions as to the healthier outcomes you desire and will change your behaviors to reach your goal of what you desire.

What is Hypnosis?

Understand that the process of hypnosis is the same as guided imagery or visualization, the same techniques athletes and successful achievers use in many areas of life. Hypnosis is when we are influenced and this happens every day without us doing it intentionally.

We have all been in a hypnotic state; in fact most of us visit this state every day.

• Have you ever been driving and all of a sudden your exit is right there?
• So focused on a movie or a television program that you didn’t hear someone calling your name?
• Have you ever been startled when “in the zone” or “spaced out” even in a busy and noisy environment?
• Or have you ever daydreamed?

Of course, we all do things like this on a daily basis. This is what it is like being hypnotized. When in hypnosis, you can hear everything going on around you, you can hear all of the suggestions you’re being given and most times people say to me, “I don’t think I was hypnotized.” When asked why, the reply is usually, “Because I heard everything you said.” This is one of the misconceptions of hypnosis!

Simply put, hypnosis can be explained this way. When a person is in a relaxed state, the conscious mind is able to be bypassed in order to directly deliver suggestions to the subconscious mind, which overpowers will power and acts upon stored behaviors / habits. That’s basically it. That’s all you need to understand in order to grasp the idea.

Can Anyone Be Hypnotized

The question alone is yet another example of the misunderstanding of what hypnosis is or how hypnosis works. I wonder how silly it may seem if asked, “Can you breathe?” or “Can you sleep?” or anything else that is done naturally without any thought or strategy. Well, hypnosis or being in what is a hypnotic state is just as natural. You may even be there as you are reading this.

Any time we are in what is called the zone or spaced out, daydreaming or having your head in the clouds we are referring to the same thing, being out of the state of conscious, analytical thinking and entering what is exactly what is a light hypnotic state. We drift in and out of this state all day, every day.

Though the number varies a bit, it is reported that people with an IQ below 70 will not respond to hypnosis and anyone who is too drunk would not be a good candidate either. Therefore it is safe to say that almost all people, especially anyone who comes to a hypnosis session on their own is capable of being hypnotized. The major factor to prevent the hypnotic process from happening… you. If you do not want to be hypnotized, then you won’t. Remember, this is like daydreaming. If you wanted to prevent yourself from drifting into a relaxing daydream, you can.