‘All hypnosis is self hypnosis’. This theory was founded by the Psychiatrist, and master of hypnosis Milton Erikson. His point was, the only person who has the power to hypnotise you- is you! The reality is Hypnotherapists only facilitate. In order for you to identify and address your deep-rooted, fears, or triggers via this therapy. This is why online hypnosis is such an accessible tool to create change in your life.
A hypnotherapist cannot make a client do anything they do not already want to do.
Understanding self hypnosis and the way it supports mental health
Hypnosis is a relaxed condition of mind and body whereby the conscious mind quiets so one can have access to the unconscious. During hypnosis, you are conscious in your unconscious mind. In a state of active imagination in a relaxed state of body.
Online Hypnotherapy or in-person, lets you change your thought processes and influence your thinking patterns easily. It places you in a state of heightened suggestibility. The critical faculty, our conscious analytical mind is relaxed and subdued so we can accept and surrender to new more empowering thoughts and instructions.
Hypnosis is arguably the fastest way to access the unconscious or subconscious mind. During the process, we gain a deeper level of change, empowerment, and accessibility. During hypnosis, you block out all the conscious information and access the subconscious. Which is where all your deep seeded problems are held.
Online hypnosis expells fears around hypnosis.
Most fears surrounding Hypnosis stem from the idea of giving up control. If you’ve seen outdated representations of Hypnotherapists, or maybe a stage show you could have it all wrong. Do you imagine a swinging pendulum rendering you powerless and under the control of the Hypnotherapist? OR people running around quacking like ducks and other crazy stunts. If you remember no one can hypnotise you but you, you realise that you are always in control.
In the case of stage shows the participants are always fully aware of what will be asked of them and only do what they want to do. Hypnotherapists cannot make a client do anything they do not already want to do. You are simply following instructions that allow you to relax and open up to deeper levels of your own mind.
Self Hypnosis as I prefer to call it is more about what you want rather than what you don’t want. Letting go of what is causing the experiences in your life. Then installing inspired instructions that support the changes and outcomes you want to experience.
Why does hypnosis/self hypnosis work?
When you think about this, it is extremely empowering because you are always in control. You see the person who is the hypnotherapist or provides the hypnotherapy only guides you through a process. Each step is allowed and dictated by you. A Hypnotherapists’s job is to give instructions and provide a pathway and for you to follow.
As long as you follow the instructions, you will go into trance which is the gateway to hypnosis. In this state you change your brain waves. Hence, the expression, ‘All hypnosis is self hypnosis’.
Self hypnosis is easy; we do it all the time
You already do this every day. Trance is a very natural and common state to experience. Without realising it, you often transcend into a trance-like state. We use colloquial expressions that describe it. I was off with the fairies, on autopilot, I was in my own world, I zoned out a bit. I was not focusing, or when you say, I was daydreaming. Going off to sleep every night, we go into trance before moving into sleep. We often drive the car in trance not realizing how we even got to our destination. Have you ever driven to your old house or work?
We go into trance and follow an automatic unconscious program.
How many times a day are you going into trance? Following an automatic program that creates outcomes, you would rather not experience? During the process of trance, you shut out your conscious mind to connect with your subconscious at a deeper level. You still remain in full control of your mind and can bring yourself out at any moment!
Hypnotherapists only play the role of facilitator during the process. They provide the journey but they can’t do it for you, or to you. You are the one that has to follow the instructions and connect to a deeper place. Whereby you can change the unconscious programs to take you to the destination you want. Enabling you to better cope with the challenges you are experiencing. Isn’t that better than continuing with the old patterns?
What is the difference between self hypnosis and Meditation
Hypnosis can be described as hyperawareness in an ultra-relaxed state. So, technically, the mind is awake and the body is asleep. Which is meditation. The difference between hypnosis and meditation is that hypnosis involves embedded commands while meditation does not.
These commands are designed by the hypnotherapist and the client depending on what changes the client would like to make. These become the unconscious instructions by which you would like to live your life. During trance your conscious mind is subdued and you are more suggestible. As a result, we can install and reinforce new thoughts and ideas. These empowering thoughts help you to relieve your stress, anxiety and enables you to rid yourself of thoughts that nag you. Those that are focused on what you do not want.
When you can accept, believe, and surrender to these powerful thoughts that are aligned with your goal, favorable results, and preferred outcomes ensue. When you experience hypnosis you feel relaxed and calm. Hypnotherapy can be life changing as it empowers you. It helps you let go of the triggers and behaviours you don’t want. Creating the life experience you do want.
We experience our issues partly because we are not always aware of the unconscious thought patterns and programs that are creating them. Those thoughts drive our choices and behaviour and therefore our experience. Hypnotherapy works specifically with these unconscious programs and thoughts so you can change what is not serving you. This is why online hypnotherapy is a very effective process to address any concerns or challenges you may have. You can just listen at your leisure and make profound changes in the way you think and therefore behave.
The historical aspect of self hypnosis
The history of hypnosis is as old as Egyptian and Greek history. The word, ‘Hypnos’, has Greek roots, which means,’ sleep’. However, hypnotherapy does not precisely simulate the condition of sleep. The most direct comparison would be that your body is so relaxed it mimics sleep. Your mind on the other hand is highly alert.
The notion of the Placebo effect is also very significant in the context of self-hypnosis. Patients effectively cure themselves through thought alone. They accept and surrender to the ‘thought’ that they will heal from the fake medicine. The thought then instructs their body to produce the same chemicals as if they were taking them. The Placebo effect says that despite the intake of a benign substance a patient starts to show an improvement due to psychological factors. The belief in the thought and recovery instructs the body.
Hence, online hypnosis is now becoming a popular trend. As our understanding of the power of our unconscious thoughts and beliefs over our experience grows we can understand why hypnosis works. Couple that with the foundation of hypnosis being self-hypnosis and the nature of online technological advances- online hypnosis is a powerful resource for change.