Q: Are you going to make me cluck like a chicken?

A: Only if you want me to.

Hypnosis is such a pleasant experience that when done correctly the subject will always feel amazing afterwards. Hypnotists do get strange requests and inquisitive but sometimes odd questions. People see the stage shows or TV programs or films illustrating the ^Power^ of hypnosis and often this is where a major misconception has been formed surrounding hypnosis.

A Stage hypnotist might do this as a part of a show, but it is very rare to hear chicken noises coming from a Stop Smoking session  or a Weight Loss Session..

I like to have fun with the clients and for the mood to be light but I think in the context of the session it would be a step too far, however on the other hand if I was doing a stage show equally and just as important if someone came to me before during or after the stage show and said “I don’t want to smoke any more, help me” I would not include that as a part of my stage show, I would refer the client to make a booking for a clinical session. The stage show is all about entertainment, the clinical hypnosis/Hypnotherapy sessions are about all things therapy based.

The services I offer are the subjects and areas that I have extensive training and knowledge in.

Coming soon: Hypnos – The Greek God of Sleep

Sleep!

Self-hypnosis is a state of hypnosis that a person is creating for themselves. This is often something that I teach to my clients at the end of session programs. Once a depth of trance has been experienced the subject can become familiar with the feel and therefore given the correct instructions learn how to safely reproduce the state.

Hetero-Hypnosis is a hypnotic state that is created by another person. Even sat alone in your living room listening to a CD is a form of hetero-hypnosis as it is being produced someone else. Many people form a misconception of hypnosis here by believing they are experiencing the same hypnosis ‘as if’ a qualified trained professional is guiding and monitoring them as they are guided into a profound deep relaxation, to be guided and given relevant suggestions personal to them and their success – Usually the subject cannot achieve a depth as the info seems irrelevant, they cannot follow or they fall asleep - some feel nice and relaxed but find the suggestions did not take.

With my clients that are taking sessions with me I give professional hypnotic Cd/Mp3’s created in a recording studio using the highest technology in hypnotic brainwaves that I have personally record numbers of Cd’s Mp3’s for each individual using personal information relevant to their success, reinforcing the program between sessions. These are very successful as clients are associated to my voice and to the depth they have experienced during the sessions.

For a basic example of a sample recording head on over to my youtube page by clicking the youtube button at the bottom of the page :)

Next time – Busting more misconceptions one by one

Debunking the myths of Hypnosis

The first thing to look at really is the name “Hypnosis” is a Greek word that translates to mean “Deep Sleep” this is a big, if not the biggest misconception of hypnosis. So really how was the misconception formed? The art of “Altered States” goes right back in history to the times of the Egyptians and for some people even before that time. The modern term hypnosis was first formed by a Scottish physician called James Braid in 1841.

Braid working as a surgeon when he had in 1841 come across “Mesmerism” Franz Mesmer was the Frenchman that would heal people using the passing of the hands over the body of the person being healed. Before this Franz had done something to help the client really relax in a very profound way that he called “Mesmerism.” James Braid like many others had simply discounted Mesmerism as a mere parlour trick Braid later became obsessed with the idea and began to make attempts to reproduce ‘part’ of the Mesmerism act, in particular the part where the client would profoundly relax.

Not knowing really what it was he producing he concluded that the patient would produce a state of ‘nervous sleep’ and in a very clinical process he developed the early stages of being able to test the level of relaxation (nervous sleep) the patient was experiencing.

So you see “Hypnosis” really is just the word that stuck – the Art of Altering states is very real however the name hypnosis does not correctly fit, often referred to as being an oxymoron. More than likely James Braid simply could not find a more suitable name and so Hypnosis seemed to stick and what with the new information regarding the processes of the mind during sleep thanks to Freud and others it seemed to be relevant to a changing process.

Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud also had a great impact in what we today understand as hypnosis. Jung went on to produce his theory of synchronicity while Freud went onto produce his theory of psychoanalysis. However for a time these two heavyweights produced great works (mostly while publically trying to get one-upmanship bragging rights over the other) filled a lot of the gaps that had formed from the discovery of Braid. The sleep function was brought to light by Freud in his dreams interpretations work. It should be noted that Sigmund Freud did not walk away from hypnosis he simply found that it was holding him back from fully progressing psychoanalysis trials so left it for others to continue with.

So Hypnosis is not actual sleep – the mind tends to drift and dream but the person can be aware of the hypnotist, surroundings, noises etc. yet at the same time create images and form complete experiences in the mind…

Next time: More common misconceptions of hypnosis.

Debunking the myths of Hypnosis

The first thing to look at really is the name “Hypnosis” is a Greek word that translates to mean “Deep Sleep” this is a big, if not the biggest misconception of hypnosis. So really how was the misconception formed? The art of “Altered States” goes right back in history to the times of the Egyptians and for some people even before that time. The modern term hypnosis was first formed by a Scottish physician called James Braid in 1841.

Braid working as a surgeon when he had in 1841 come across “Mesmerism” Franz Mesmer was the Frenchman that would heal people using the passing of the hands over the body of the person being healed. Before this Franz had done something to help the client really relax in a very profound way that he called “Mesmerism.” James Braid like many others had simply discounted Mesmerism as a mere parlour trick Braid later became obsessed with the idea and began to make attempts to reproduce ‘part’ of the Mesmerism act, in particular the part where the client would profoundly relax.

Not knowing really what it was he producing he concluded that the patient would produce a state of ‘nervous sleep’ and in a very clinical process he developed the early stages of being able to test the level of relaxation (nervous sleep) the patient was experiencing.

So you see “Hypnosis” really is just the word that stuck – the Art of Altering states is very real however the name hypnosis does not correctly fit, often referred to as being an oxymoron. More than likely James Braid simply could not find a more suitable name and so Hypnosis seemed to stick and what with the new information regarding the processes of the mind during sleep thanks to Freud and others it seemed to be relevant to a changing process.

Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud also had a great impact in what we today understand as hypnosis. Jung went on to produce his theory of synchronicity while Freud went onto produce his theory of psychoanalysis. However for a time these two heavyweights produced great works (mostly while publically trying to get one-upmanship bragging rights over the other) filled a lot of the gaps that had formed from the discovery of Braid. The sleep function was brought to light by Freud in his dreams interpretations work. It should be noted that Sigmund Freud did not walk away from hypnosis he simply found that it was holding him back from fully progressing psychoanalysis trials so left it for others to continue with.

So Hypnosis is not actual sleep – the mind tends to drift and dream but the person can be aware of the hypnotist, surroundings, noises etc. yet at the same time create images and form complete experiences in the mind…

Next time: More common misconceptions of hypnosis.