What is hypnosis and how does it work?

According to the American Heritage Dictionary hypnosis is: An artificially induced altered state of consciousness, characterized by heightened suggestibility and receptivity to direction.

Hypnosis is an altered state of highly focused consciousness, and can be an extremely powerful tool when used to intentionally seek out and find the underlying causes of our limiting behaviours. Through hypnosis we can bypass the conscious mind and gain access the unconscious mind where information about our behaviors, our beliefs, our attitudes and the root cause of many of our feelings and emotional behaviors lie. The process we use to do this under hypnosis is called regression. The symptoms of these limitations can manifest themselves in the form of anxiety, phobia’s, overeating, uneasy feelings and self sabotage.

Many of us know that we want to change, and in many cases know exactly what it is that we need to change - yet we’re unable to follow through and make the necessary changes. Why is that? This is because 90% of the time our behaviours are the result of programs that run from our unconscious minds. Working directly with the unconscious mind allows us to modify or eliminate existing limiting behaviours and create or strengthen new resourceful behaviours and strategies.

You can think of your mind are like an ice burg, with the conscious mind being the top of the ice burg that you can see. This is that part of your mind that you have access to – it is in your conscious awareness.

The unconscious mind however, is what lies beneath the surface, it is where the majority of our programming and limiting behaviours stem from. Most of the time these behaviours are being carried out automatically and unconsciously- out of our awareness, and this is why they are difficult to change on our own.

Through hypnosis we help you to identify the programs you are running in your unconscious mind that are no longer useful to you, and bring about a sense resolution though providing new and strategies and ways of being.

This process is carried out through the use of positive suggestions that are programmed directly into your unconscious mind. This is beneficial because the vast majority of the time these changes will run themselves, automatically and unconsciously.

What Hypnosis Can And Cannot Do

How will I know if it’s working and I am under hypnosis?

When most people think of hypnosis, they envision people on stage at a show that look as if they can be made to do anything. The truth is that only about 5% of the population is so highly suggestible, that they look as if they are completely under the control of the hypnotist. These are the people you are seeing on the stage at a show.

What you can expect to feel is deeply relaxed, although relaxation is not necessary to go into a hypnotic trance. Your will find that your ability to focus inwards on feelings, memories and events is enhanced, with most people able to recall things from the past with great clarity and detail that may be quite surprising. You may also find that you are able to visualize with far greater detail and feeling. Some may also lose their perception of time, feeling as if they have only been under for 10 minutes, when in actuality 45 minutes have passed. And of course,you are more open to the guidance and positive suggestions given by the hypnotherapist.

At Bloom our hypnotherapists useonly positive suggestions. We don’t believe in the use ofaversive suggestions. Aversive suggestions are things like, “every time you put a cigarette to your mouth you will want to vomit.” These suggestions are not healthy because in the future, if the individual should for any reason begin smoking again, the body and mind will be in conflict with one another and inner conflict is never something we want to intentionally create.

Can I use hypnosis on myself?

The answer is yes, you can use hypnosis on yourself. Our hypnotherapists will give you suggestions that will allow you to return to a resourceful state, such as feeling being empowered, calm or at peace.We will set up what are called ANCHORS (i.e. tapping on your wrist) so that you can call upon these resourceful states in a time of need during your waking state. We can also teach you, and most often do, how to bring yourself into a hypnotic trance on your own so that you may carry on useful mental programming by yourself at home.

What is an anchor?

Every experience is stored or anchored in 5 or more of the senses; what we see, hear, feel, smell and taste. It is through re-experiencing anyone of these elements that we have the ability to bring back the entire experience. i.e. A certain song can bring one back in time to the place and feelings that are associated with that experience. We also have the ability to create anchors intentionally through repeating a special phrase or making a symbolic gesture.

What is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)?

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. Using NLP a practitioner is able to break down ones subjective behaviour into bits of information, discovering the triggers and causes of that behaviour. Then through the use of NLP the practitioner builds a new set of healthy and resourceful behaviours to replace outmoded and ineffective behaviours.

NLP came about from modeling the most effective therapies and therapists in the world, some of which include Gestalt Therapy, the hypnotic techniques of Dr. Milton Erickson, and parts work by Virginia Satir. NLP is not picky however, willing to model any technique that leads to excellence in human performance. One of the most notable practitioners in NLP is Anthony Robbins. He is able to use NLP techniques that can impact and change the lives of thousands of audience members in a given weekend seminar.