I would like to comment on the power of suggestion and belief as a hypnotherapist/hypnoanalyst.

The power of hypnosis/ trance/ relaxation, whatever you want to call it, is the power of belief. Let me share with you Dr. Barber’s explanation of the power of hypnosis: “We found that hypnotic subjects are able to do surprising things only when convinced that the hypnotist’s words are true statements … When the hypnotist has guided the subject to the point where he is convinced that the hypnotist’s words are true statements, the subject then behaves differently because he thinks and believes differently.”

As trance is an everyday experience, I wonder how many suggestions you give yourself every hour of everyday? These suggestions may come subliminally from the media in the form of advertisements or it could be an idea that has been accepted by yourself, from teachers, from parents, from friends or any other source. If you are firmly convinced that the idea is true, it has the same power over you as the hypnotherapist’s words have over the hypnotised subject.

Our well-being, health and happiness is strongly influenced by our internal dialogue with ourselves. What we tell ourselves has the greatest impact on our emotional state and behaviour. Research carried out in the States found that the poor grades in school are in almost every case due to some degree to the student’s negative beliefs and low self esteem. For example, if a child is continuously told he won’t amount to much and that suggestion is repeated every so often from adults he respects or holds a position of authority in his young eyes and said with a lot of feelings, then this negative statement will take root in his subconscious mind and externalise itself in his behaviour.

Theoretically, positive feelings and a healthy self-image and well-being can be ‘installed’ too. Remember this hypnotic programming gains permanence by coming from an authoritative source, through repetition and through intensity of emotions. Now when someone you respect compliments you, would you carelessly brush it aside as if it was of no consequence or would you take it out and savour it daily, remembering too all the emotions associated with that compliment?

What will you be telling yourself from now on as you get in touch with the power of your own mind? As Napoleon Hill once said, “What the mind can conceive and believe, it can always achieve.”

If you are reading this because you are curious about trance or are afraid of the trance experience because you have seen people doing funny things on stage, then let me assure you that this is indeed a very safe, pleasant experience. And no, most of us, there might be some whom I do not know about, do not work with swinging watches.

What is hypnosis?

Firstly, let me reassure you that hypnosis or trance is an everyday experience. It has been described as “a state of relaxation and concentration at one with a state of heightened awareness induced by suggestion.” A very pleasant experience is how most clients describe it. Self-hypnosis can be learnt very easily and quickly.

Daydreaming, losing track of time when engrossed in an interesting conversation, film or book, going on autopilot – these are a few examples of hypnosis in our everyday lives.

Milton Erickson, considered to be the father of modern clinical hypnosis, said that trance is a common experience. He cites the example of a football fan watching TV. The football fan is aware of the game but not aware of his body sitting in the chair or his wife calling him to dinner.

What is hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is the therapeutic use of hypnosis to bring about a positive change for the client and can be divided into 2 very distinct categories.

Change usually involves:-

• Stopping an undesirable behaviour or habit
• Breaking free from limiting and negative beliefs
• Resolving internal conflicts that tugs and pulls us in different directions
• Releasing emotional pain that sometimes gets trapped in parts of the body
• Leading a more active, productive and healthy lifestyle with more energy
• Being happy, content and accepting of ourselves and others

Most of my clients have tried other means of self-help and hypnotherapy is usually their last resort. Most are pleasantly surprised and pleased when change starts to take place rather quickly.

Hypnotherapy, the use the therapeutic use of hypnosis for positive benefit can be divided into 2 very distinct categories

Suggestion therapy is a straightforward technique that is used for simple problems such as smoking, nail-biting, pre-test nerves, relaxation, public speaking etc., and requires between 1 to 3 sessions with perhaps a booster later on. This therapy is used in conjunction with creative visualisation and neurolinguistic programming.

Analytical therapy also called hypnoanalysis is used to discover the causes of emotional problems. Hypnoanalysis can be summarised briefly as the therapy of cause and effect: every effect (i.e. symptom) must have a cause. Hypnoanalysis reveals and thus removes the cause and consequently relieves the symptom.

Phobias, anxiety and panic attacks, mild depression, lack of confidence and self esteem respond well to hypnoanalysis.

The use of analysis in hypnosis dramatically speeds up therapy and results can be achieved in a matter of weeks rather than years as in the case of conventional analysis.