Hypnosis is an induced psychological condition which is used with specific people to highlight the differences in behavior and thinking. This has known to induce subjective feelings and suggestibility in some people which is owing to the state of consciousness that has been altered, but such is not the case with everybody.

Status of Hypnosis

The status of hypnosis is debatable because some scientists simply refuse to acknowledge its existence while others assert its important value. The potential debate arises from the splitting of the theories of hypnosis into two camps the state and the non state. However this debate seems to be a bit under the lid as modern brain imaging techniques have been developed that provide a better understanding of the nature of hypnosis. Thus the importance of the both the perspectives are considered.

View Points

There have been many attempts to arrive at a definition of hypnosis and some of the people who have done this are Dave Elman, Michael Yapko, and Harry Cannon etc. However a French psychiatrist Pierre Janet developed a theory regarding it saying that hypnosis is a kind of dissociation. The individual behavioral controls of an individual were split from the everyday awareness. Ernest Hilgard worked further on Janet’s theory and published his book on neodissociation theory in the year 1977.

The State and Non- State Debate

The State theorists vouch for the argument that hypnosis is an ‘altered state of consciousness. However the Non State theorists say that hypnosis is more a regular psychological process for instance like absorbing and expecting.

Application

The application of hypnosis is varied. Two very popular applications are in the filed of entertainment and health sectors. Hypnosis has been popularly perceived in the field of entertainment; the theatre hypnotists induce a state of trance on the subjects and present them before the public. This trance like state makes the subject subservient to the hypnotist and performs actions at his command.

In the field of health the perception of hypnosis is very different from this. There is evidence to support the use of ‘hypnotherapy’ for effective pain control, weight loss, treatment of irritable bowel etc. Hypnosis is used more as an adjunct to other therapies.

The theory of Role Play

This theory presents the suggestion that people are playing a role and the hypnotist is creating a kind of reality for them. The success of this theory depends upon the rapport between the hypnotist and the individual.

The list does not end here and the research in the field of hypnosis is an ongoing process. Hypnosis has come to be considered an important instrument in the filed of psychological research.

When hypnosis is mentioned the first thought is usually about entertainment and people looking foolish on stage. The second thought is usually about smoking, and if there were any enthusiasm left for a third thought that would probably be about weight loss. These are the areas that hypnosis is associated with in the minds of most people.

And this is a real shame because hypnosis is a powerful tool for positive personal growth. It is a powerful tool that can make life much, much easier. Whenever people come to see me for help it is invariably because they've tried everything else and everything else (usually the world of medicine) has failed them. After treatment they frequently express the wish that they'd come to see me first.

The real problem is that since hypnosis is known primarily through its use for entertainment – it's value is not appreciated in all the other areas where it can bring about great benefits.

So what exactly can hypnosis do for you?

It can change your life, and:

1. Help you achieve success
2. Take you into a past-life
3. Heal disease
4. Reduce pain
5. Improve sporting performance
1. Achieve Success

Success is the thing most of us want. You can only want it if you don't believe you have it. But success isn't a thing, it's a feeling and hypnosis can help you feel successful. Now what use is that to me? You may be asking yourself. I've got bills to pay, I'd like a new car, or to visit family on the other side of the world. I want to run my own company, be the best at what I do…

These are tangibles. And, surprisingly hypnosis can help you to achieve these things too. It works on the basis of the idea that if you are not moving in the direction of what you want, then that is because there are subconscious blocks. In other words there is subconscious resistance that sabotages your attempts to achieve your goals in life. Because hypnosis works, primarily, by re-programming the subconscious, it can be utilised to bring the subconscious into alignment with the conscious and free you to move easily towards the achievements you desire.

2. Past-Life Regression

Belief in reincarnation is not necessary in order to experience a past-life under hypnotic regression. Hypnosis is a wonderful way to re-experience past-life memories comfortably. If you've heard just three too many people who were all Cleopatra, or other equally famous historical characters, then like me, you'd probably be more than a little sceptical. But, under hypnotic regression, most people experience mundane ordinary past lives – like, farmers or soldiers, or merchants, or servants… My first past-life experience was as a Spanish Inquisitor, my second as a Roman soldier being killed in battle, my third as a tribal chieftain in ancient Britain, and the fourth one as a poor French farmer. So why would anyone want to go back to experience a life that, in essence, isn't romantic or exciting or special? What value is it? No matter how 'mundane' the life experienced - that life is special.

To re-experience memories of a time in history that you know nothing, or very little, about, is of itself a source of fascination when those memories are experienced by you. The experience makes it real for you. It can't fail to enhance your current life when you know, without doubt now, that your consciousness continues on after your body ceases to function. It means there is no Hell – other than the one you make for yourself on planet Earth. If you engage in a series of regressions you will notice patterns in your behaviours and those of the people who are in those other lives with you. Becoming aware of these patterns can help you to free yourself from problems in this current life.

3. Heal disease.

Wow! There's a claim. Even doctors would have difficulty demonstrating they could do that. If hypnosis can heal disease why isn't everybody using it all the time? Hypnosis isn't what does the healing. The person with the disease does the healing themselves. What hypnosis does is make that process easier and more accessible. It isn't guaranteed, but then neither is any medical treatment. Oncologist O. Carl Simonton was one of the pioneers of the use of hypnosis to visualise a powerful immune system destroying weak cancer cells. This technique can be used with any disease process.

4. Reduce pain.

Minds are powerful things, but most of the power is lost because the mind isn't focused. There are several hypnotic techniques that can be used to reduce pain by training the mind to respond differently to the signals it interprets as pain. This can result in a reduction in the pain, or its removal. If you want to go further you can use hypnosis to explore the psychological reasons for the presence of the pain. This has the potential to bring about a release that results in healing.

5. Improve Sporting performance.

Whatever sporting activity you enjoy, professionally, or for fun – hypnosis can help you to improve your game - as long as you have the physical ability and fitness to perform at the level you desire. (If you haven't hypnosis can be used to motivate you to achieve that). Hypnosis can be used to focus the mind, to visualise success, to avoid distractions, and to instil the muscle-memory that allows you to act faster than thought.

So you see, hypnosis is a valuable tool that allows you to become who you really are, freed from the burdens that hold you back and prevent you from living your life to the full.

Hypnosis - A fascinating yet misunderstood topic for a majority of people. There are often many misconceptions as to how the process actually works. How can we actually use this tool to create real change in our lives? What makes it a viable healing modality?

If you think for a minute back to when you had your last problem or dilemma- what state was your mind in at the time? I can hazard a guess that it may have been racing, muddled or stuck. When our minds are in conflict it is difficult to see a new perspective and find a solution. In this panic state, we tend to forget that there is always a solution to any problem, even though it can seem bleak at that moment. However, these daily dilemmas build up in our minds until we feel so much stress that even small things seem overwhelmingly insurmountable. When you are relaxed you can manage your life well, no matter what arises. Over time we build imprints into our psyche that have effects on our thoughts, habits, and choices we make. The result is chronic stress. Stress can lead to bad habits. Continually making poor choices can lead to low self-esteem and loss of respect for ourselves. Who do we pick on first when things are not going in the way that we plan? The first target is usually ourselves. We make ambitious plans for change only to beat ourselves up for not being perfect. Hypnosis suspends the harsh judgments we make on ourselves. Under the state of hypnosis we can begin to see the patterns of our lives emerge from a detached place. Thus, enabling us to free ourselves from the grip of them.

How does our subconscious mind affect our daily life?

The subconscious mind stores all of your memories, reactions, everything that has ever happened to you, even if you do not have a conscious recollection of it. It is like a giant storeroom of your past. It also controls our bodily functions: breathing, heart rate, digestion and body temperature.

Hypnosis brings us into an altered state of awareness, where the conscious mind is able to take a much-needed break from the unceasing chatter of the mind. Our brain waves transform into the alpha state. They slow down similar to when we are just about to fall asleep at night. At that time, we have allowed our body and mind to slow down. The mind reaches a heightened state of focus and clarity. Each person’s experience of the hypnotic process will be different.

One thing that is for certain is people’s expectation of the process is a major factor in creating an ideal space for change. The key is the person’s willingness and ability to surrender to something new. Through the hypnotic process there is an opportunity to learn about the deeper aspects of you and unlearn ingrained habits for a far more positive outcome.

The truth is that we are in and out of hypnosis all day long. A hypnotherapist acts as a facilitator for change in essence the transformation comes from within the client. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis Hypnosis happens where there is a shift in the state of mind. This shift in mental state brings the ultimate space for letting go of limiting thoughts. Although much misunderstood, hypnosis can be just what you need for creating powerful change in your life.

If you’ve any interest in the personal development movement, it’s sure that at one time or another you will have had a look at the wide array of hypnosis downloads accessible on the web. The choice is really overwhelming with many hypnotherapy companies each offering hundreds of their own brands of downloads, typically in MP3 files. However the question right now isn’t one of availability, it’s simply do hypnosis downloads really work?

What is hypnosis?

To find the answer we must initially take at least a quick glance at what hypnosis actually is itself. Hypnosis is typically thought of as a mental state encouraged by a series of instructions and suggestions. Many decades ago people used to debate whether hypnosis itself even existed but in more recent times the weight of scientific research and studies have landed securely on the side of hypnosis being a genuine form of alternative healing.

The mental change

Despite this hypnosis shouldn’t be considered as a “straight” cure. Instead it is more of a way to get the brain on board with a specific target or goal. This is the reason hypnosis is so helpful for individuals who wish to exercise more and lose weight. It’s not that pounds will magically melt off someone who has listened to a hypnosis download, what actually happens is the person will develop a strong desire to eat healthy food and exercise more often.

Moving back to hypnosis downloads the question now becomes, does this translate over to an audio recording? Fortunately the answer is a big yes. I can say with conviction that hypnosis downloads do work. Otherwise there wouldn’t be as many booming hypnotherapy businesses with so many positive testimonials.

Professional training

A well trained hypnotherapist is more than capable of creating a download which is every bit as effective as a personal session. The important thing though is the capability of the hypnotherapist. Prior to purchasing a hypnosis download from any company you should always look for a background or an “about this site” section with facts on the hypnotist who has recorded the audio. Have they been professionally trained? How long have they been a hypnotherapist for? These are all questions that need to be answered before you spend your hard-earned money.

All the sessions you need

Fascinatingly enough many individuals have found hypnosis downloads to be as effective as personal sessions. This could be for a variety of different reasons. For one, with an audio file, you can play it in your spare time whenever you desire and for as many times as you want. Contrast this with visiting a hypnotherapist where you shell out for one session and have a fixed appointment time in which you can only enjoy the feeling of being hypnotized once. Also there are financial considerations. A digital file may only cost between $10 to $30 which is ten times less than the majority hypnotists charge for their personal sessions. It’s difficult to relax into a hypnosis session when you are thinking about the damage done to your bank account.

I would by lying if I said hypnosis works for everyone. But the same can be said for most any kind of medicine. By doing your research though you can make sure of getting the right product from the best company for you. Now that we’ve identified that hypnosis downloads do work, you can confidently experience them for yourself.