What is Hypnosis?

Sometimes when I meet people and tell them I am a hypnotherapist, I see the horror on their faces and they start slowly backing away towards the door!  Which I won’t deny, can be useful sometimes! Ha!

So many people are scared of the concept of hypnosis because of the crazy things people seem to do on television and stage shows. Personally I love stage hypnosis – it shows how incredibly powerful our minds are.

So what is hypnosis?

I believe it is easier to show people hypnosis that explain it with words.  However, my favourite (very simplified) definition is, ‘When you become absorbed fully by your imagination that it becomes your reality.’

When someone is hypnotised by a hypnotist, the hypnotist is essentially guiding their imagination to create changes to their neural pathways and therefore their reality.  For entertainment purposes, a hypnotist can encourage a willing person to believe all kinds of weird, wonderful things are true.

In the therapy room, a hypnotherapist is using hypnosis to guide imagination into a new, preferred reality.  Changing thoughts, behaviours and feelings that the client wants to change at a neurological level.

What does hypnosis feel like?

Hypnosis can be experienced as a deeply relaxed state where you are very relaxed physically and mentally.  It can be a drifty, floaty, open and expansive state – when at that time, nothing else seems to matter. Maybe like just before you drift off to sleep at night.

However, you do not have to be relaxed to experience hypnosis.  Hypnosis can also be experienced when you are fully absorbed by an idea in your mind or an activity you are doing.  Where you are just so ‘into it’ you are unaware of anything outside of it.

For example, when you are reading a book or watching a film that you are really enjoying and you become fully immersed in the story of it. Or you are doing something you enjoy – a hobby of some kind, maybe playing an instrument, listening to music, partaking in sport or something else creative.  When you become totally focused on what you are doing – you are totally in the ‘zone’ of doing that activity.

Can anyone be hypnotised?

Hypnosis is achieved through being able to focus, imagine and concentrate.  If you can focus on an idea fully, if you can use your imagination and most importantly, if you are willing to engage fully with the process, you can experience the wonderful changes hypnosis can create.

I love to work in a conversational manner and if you have any reservations about experiencing the traditional ‘eyes closed’ style of hypnosis that looks like sleep, you can be assured that we can work together in a very ‘awake’ way with excellent results.

If you would like more information (I can talk forever on the subject), or you would like to experience hypnosis – please contact me, I’d love to hear from you.

Jo