vernon
26-06-05, 13:13
The Art of Self-Hypnosis:
Health Tools for Optimum Mind/Body Functioning
By Elizabeth Bohorquez R.N.,SRN,CPH
Until recently, hypnosis has been viewed as a mysterious technique, performed by people with strange skills and special powers. The truth of the matter is there is nothing mystical or magical about hypnosis. It is simply a state of concentration and focused attention. Actually, it is a state of consciousness that we enter naturally, but we usually don't call it hypnosis or trance. Most of us spend a good part of our day in trance and I find it rather amusing when I explain this to people. My job as a hypnotist is indeed to cause the person to "wake-up" from their self-imposed state, relax deeply, and refocus on the goal at hand. We're already familiar with the term "automatic pilot" which is just another name for this self-imposed state.
In actuality, hypnosis is not something someone does to you. All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. You are the one who induces the hypnotic state with the professional working with you as a facilitator. A good hypnotist will always teach you how to affect various levels of trance for yourself, and how to program your subconscious mind for positive changes by utilizing hypnotic tools. Some of these tools are visualization, imagery, and imaginology. There are specific tools for diminishing emotional responses, pain, old beliefs and memories which are no longer appropriate in our lives.
Hypnosis is widely utilized for weight management, as well as smoking cessation, but it's uses are very wide indeed. Some include pain control, habit disorders, addictions, stress, self-esteem issues, sports enhancement, memory, concentration, and symptom control for disease. Personally, I see self-hypnosis as a "health tool", one which allows us to manage the workings of our total mind and body at optimum levels, continually healing changes brought about by life stressors, while allowing us to accelerate our learning and reach goals far beyond our conscious expectations.
The mind and body work together to facilitate change. When one is very tense, the muscles and organs in the body respond in kind. This tension is self-fulfilling, and we tend to over-produce stress hormones which cause further change in the management of the body and mind. Very often it becomes a vicious cycle, and unless broken we become susceptible to stress-induced disease states. It is estimated that 60-90% of disease states are stress related, and not surprisingly the same percentage of visits to the doctors office are for stress-related symptoms.
The mind is like a VCR, and our thoughts are simply tapes we play. Unfortunately for most of us, we play mainly negative tapes, visualizing negative outcomes or memories that stir up anxiety or depression. It is also not uncommon for us to speak internally to ourselves in quite critical ways. As we practice putting ourselves down, we are essentially in light trance states, preoccupied and internally focused. It is therefore very important to realize that thoughts, imagination and internal dialogue can be counterproductive to our real goals. When we program the subconscious mind for success, we request to be made aware of our unproductive emotional states and corresponding behaviors, so we can choose to change. It can be as simple as placing the letter X over the undesirable thought pattern, or super-imposing the chosen goal picture, giving new messages to the subconscious mind. While this may sound like child's play, it is indeed very powerful reprogramming, and the changes come in an effortless fashion, something very different from our prior practice of excessive striving.
In hypnosis we alter our internal world. By using our imagination in special ways, we stir feelings and alter behavior and attitudes. When you change how you think, visualize and imagine things to be, your feelings and behavior will begin to change. You not only see what is possible, but the library of the mind will send up other suggestions for your approval, perhaps things you never even co
Health Tools for Optimum Mind/Body Functioning
By Elizabeth Bohorquez R.N.,SRN,CPH
Until recently, hypnosis has been viewed as a mysterious technique, performed by people with strange skills and special powers. The truth of the matter is there is nothing mystical or magical about hypnosis. It is simply a state of concentration and focused attention. Actually, it is a state of consciousness that we enter naturally, but we usually don't call it hypnosis or trance. Most of us spend a good part of our day in trance and I find it rather amusing when I explain this to people. My job as a hypnotist is indeed to cause the person to "wake-up" from their self-imposed state, relax deeply, and refocus on the goal at hand. We're already familiar with the term "automatic pilot" which is just another name for this self-imposed state.
In actuality, hypnosis is not something someone does to you. All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. You are the one who induces the hypnotic state with the professional working with you as a facilitator. A good hypnotist will always teach you how to affect various levels of trance for yourself, and how to program your subconscious mind for positive changes by utilizing hypnotic tools. Some of these tools are visualization, imagery, and imaginology. There are specific tools for diminishing emotional responses, pain, old beliefs and memories which are no longer appropriate in our lives.
Hypnosis is widely utilized for weight management, as well as smoking cessation, but it's uses are very wide indeed. Some include pain control, habit disorders, addictions, stress, self-esteem issues, sports enhancement, memory, concentration, and symptom control for disease. Personally, I see self-hypnosis as a "health tool", one which allows us to manage the workings of our total mind and body at optimum levels, continually healing changes brought about by life stressors, while allowing us to accelerate our learning and reach goals far beyond our conscious expectations.
The mind and body work together to facilitate change. When one is very tense, the muscles and organs in the body respond in kind. This tension is self-fulfilling, and we tend to over-produce stress hormones which cause further change in the management of the body and mind. Very often it becomes a vicious cycle, and unless broken we become susceptible to stress-induced disease states. It is estimated that 60-90% of disease states are stress related, and not surprisingly the same percentage of visits to the doctors office are for stress-related symptoms.
The mind is like a VCR, and our thoughts are simply tapes we play. Unfortunately for most of us, we play mainly negative tapes, visualizing negative outcomes or memories that stir up anxiety or depression. It is also not uncommon for us to speak internally to ourselves in quite critical ways. As we practice putting ourselves down, we are essentially in light trance states, preoccupied and internally focused. It is therefore very important to realize that thoughts, imagination and internal dialogue can be counterproductive to our real goals. When we program the subconscious mind for success, we request to be made aware of our unproductive emotional states and corresponding behaviors, so we can choose to change. It can be as simple as placing the letter X over the undesirable thought pattern, or super-imposing the chosen goal picture, giving new messages to the subconscious mind. While this may sound like child's play, it is indeed very powerful reprogramming, and the changes come in an effortless fashion, something very different from our prior practice of excessive striving.
In hypnosis we alter our internal world. By using our imagination in special ways, we stir feelings and alter behavior and attitudes. When you change how you think, visualize and imagine things to be, your feelings and behavior will begin to change. You not only see what is possible, but the library of the mind will send up other suggestions for your approval, perhaps things you never even co