About Clinical Hypnosis

“Hypnosis should be interesting, instructive, powerful, and gracious.” Milton Erickson, M.D.

"All hypnosis is self hypnosis." Sharyn Warren, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

Hypnosis can be a natural, interesting and pleasant way to create or strengthen

beneficial outcomes and hasten successful results more efficiently than other methods. Stage hypnotist and Hollywood have created some widespread misconceptions about hypnosis, and even many well-trained health care professionals are misinformed about the realities of hypnosis. The truth about hypnosis is that it is not the strange, mysterious, magical, or dangerous “altered state” that it has been portrayed as or even which the weird term ‘hypnosis’ implies. It is, however, “interesting, instructive, powerful, and gracious”.

Credentials. I have been practicing clinical hypnosis for 20 years, am a Certified Consultant (i.e. instructor) with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, Diplomate with the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists, Past President of the North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and member of the International Hypnosis Research Institute. Over the years, it has been a pleasure to help my clients and colleagues learn accurate information about hypnosis, and discover how effective, beneficial, easy, safe, and pleasant it really is.

If you are considering hypnosis to help you successfully reach your personal goals, the following information may be helpful. You might also enjoy listening to my [audio segment] about “hypnotizability.” The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis is also a good source of information.

WHAT IS CLINICAL HYPNOSIS?
“Hypnosis” is the term used to describe focused mental attention or absorption combined with imagination or suggestion. It is often associated with a relaxed physical body. The word “hypnosis” is a kind of odd and misleading word, meaning “sleep”. But when we are absorbed in this very focused way, we are anything but asleep. We are in fact very busy mentally, and are awake, aware, and very much in control. Read on to find out what is meant by “all hypnosis is self hypnosis.”

Control, Safety, Privacy
Most people are rightfully concerned about control, safety, and privacy, so let’s talk about that.
Control.

“ I am afraid of hypnosis because I like to be in control.” In fact, learning about hypnosis gives you far better “control” and positive ability because

instead of just being the victim, so to speak, of your own thoughts, you have an interesting and useful understanding of how your mind works, and are able to use your thoughts, attention, awareness, and choice more skillfully.

“I have always said I can’t be hypnotized.” True. You cannot be hypnotized, i.e., made to focus your attention if you don’t want to. Like it or not, however, you are always going to be using your imagination. The issue of control with hypnosis is do you want to manage (control) your own imagination, or have it control you--your thoughts, feelings and actions. Hypnosis isn’t about someone doing something to you. It is about your using your brain's natural abilities intentionally and the powerful mind-body connection for purposes of having greater authority in your own happiness, health and well-being. Your brain is doing things via imagination and suggestion whether you are aware of it or not. And influence through suggestions--whether that includes intentionally focused “trance phenomena” or not--is happening all of the time, both with but largely without our awareness. Control is a relative term.

"I don't believe in hypnosis. That is how the devil gets you." There is nothing else to discuss.

All hypnosis is self hypnosis. This means that when hypnosis occurs, it is because the individual is capable of and willing to use their own mental abilities in this special way. No one else can make us experience hypnosis, nor can anyone stop us if we wish to. We experience hypnosis because we can and we chose to. Period.

Hypnosis is natural and normal. Research is showing that we slip in and out  of hypnotic states spontaneously many times a day, usually without being    aware we have done so. Whenever you’re giving attention more and more to a  specific thing, and paying less and less attention to other details you might  ordinarily notice, you are experiencing hypnosis. You might recognize some  of these examples of naturally occurring hypnotic states: daydreaming,  ‘zoning out’, absorption in a good book or conversation to the point of losing  track of time, getting focused on a project and not realizing details of one’s  environment, and one of the most common of all--‘highway hypnosis’ or  'driving trance’. That experience of driving along and realizing that you have  no recollection of the past 5-10 minutes. Those are all samples of ordinary, everyday life hypnosis. We all experience it--we just rarely call those interludes by their real name--hypnosis.

Safety. “Is it possible to “get stuck” in hypnosis?” It is biologically impossible to be permanently in an hypnotic state of focus. People who are using hypnosis for relief from chronic pain would love to be able to stay in hypnosis, but we simply cannot sustain absorbed attention indefinitely.

“Trance”, that absorbed attention associated with hypnosis, doesn’t really do anything

. It is just absorbed attention. When imagination (NEVER underestimate the power of what you imagine) and suggestions are added to absorption, that is what makes things happen. (If you would like to have a direct experience of imagination and the mind-body connection, go to Mind Body Connection.) Research is very clear that when you are experiencing hypnosis, you will not do anything that is outside your values, morals, or ethics. You simply will not do things you find objectionable. On the other hand, what you can do without hypnosis, you are perfectly capable of while using hypnosis. This leads us to Privacy.

Privacy. Because you are awake, aware, and have the same controls over your actions that you have when you are not using hypnosis, there is no loss of privacy. You don’t spontaneously begin talking, nor do you share personal or private information or thoughts.

To Summarize....All hypnotically supported accomplishments are strictly in accordance with natural laws. Results that people sometimes experience with hypnosis can seem ‘miraculous’ because they can be so rapid in comparison with other methods. Furthermore, the thoughts, feelings, and behavioral changes that you are making feel so natural that you don’t pay a great deal of attention to them. You feel like yourself, just being yourself, doing things that feel good.

People who do best with hypnosis are bright, motivated, open to learning and new experiences, accept responsibility for their actions, and are willing to put effort into achieving personal success.

If you would like to take a quick ‘quiz’ about whether you might be able to experience Self or Guided Hypnosis, click here.

"No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."