Hypnosis FAQ Answered

In hypnosis we often encounter the same few questions

What is hypnosis and is it right for me?

The definition of hypnosis is a relaxed, focused state of concentration. To some, the concept of being relaxed and focused at the same time seems an oxymoron, but hypnosis allows you to enter such a state of mind. It was presumed until recently that it was a sleep-like state, or that the mind was unconscious.

It has been discovered on scans during hypnosis that in this state, the mind is highly receptive to suggestion. It is not an unusual or unpleasant state of mind as most people simply feel relaxed. There is an alteration in brain wave activity, called the alpha state. This is a very pleasant and relaxing state. During which the mind is alert, responsive, and open to a rich sensory experience.

Is hypnosis dangerous? The answer is NO!

In the hands of a properly trained individual, hypnosis is not dangerous. There may be some circumstances which would be undesirable with an untrained hypnotist, but nothing serious could happen. You would see no change and waste your money and possibly lose faith.

If you are seeking hypnotherapy, always ensure that the practitioner is registered with a professional body with a code of conduct that you can review.

Can hypnosis make me do something against my will? The simple answer is no!

This is one of the biggest myths surrounding hypnosis. Stage hypnotists choose their subjects carefully so that they will have participants who would be willing to act outrageously. You will never do anything or accept any suggestion that violates your morals or values.

If that was possible, hypnotists could make you rob banks and bring back the money. The hypnotists would be rich and rule the world. Clearly, this is not the case. If you visit a hypnotherapist wanting to seek help with a phobia and approach your session with an open mind and a willingness for the therapy to work, these is a good chance that your session will have a positive outcome.

Can anybody be hypnotised?

Almost everyone can be hypnotised. There are a few exceptions, however. Some examples are educationally subnormal individuals, people suffering from senility, very young children, hard drug addicts and individuals under the influence of alcohol.

If you have any questions please call or for more information on hypnosis see our home page, Dublin Hypnosis Dun Laoghaire.

If you would be interested but unsure why not try our Guided Relaxation through Hypnosis session so you can experience hypnosis without telling us any personal information. It’s a great way to start and everyone could benefit from some relaxation.

A short History of Hypnosis

Where does hypnosis come from? Discover the roots of hypnosis and what it can do for you.

Evidence of hypnotic-like phenomena appears in many ancient cultures. The writer of Genesis seems familiar with the anaesthetic power of hypnosis when he reports that God put Adam “into a deep sleep” to take his rib to form Eve.

Other ancient records suggest hypnosis was used by the oracle at Delphi and in rites in ancient Egypt (Hughes and Rothovius, 1996). The modern history of hypnosis begins in the late 1700s, when a French physician, Anton Mesmer, revived an interest in hypnosis.

1734-1815 Franz Anton Mesmer was born in Vienna. Mesmer is considered the father of hypnosis. He is remembered for the term mesmerism which described a process of inducing trance through a series of passes he made with his hands and/or magnets over people. He worked with a person’s animal magnetism (psychic and electromagnetic energies).

The medical community eventually discredited him despite his considerable success treating a variety of ailments. His successes offended the medical establishment of the time, who arranged for an official French government investigating committee.

This committee included Benjamin Franklin, then the American ambassador to France, and Joseph Guillotine, a French physician who introduced a never-fail device for physically separating the mind from the rest of the body.

1795-1860 James Braid, an English physician, originally opposed to mesmerism (as it had become known) who subsequently became interested. He said that cures were not due to animal magnetism however, they were due to suggestion. He developed the eye fixation technique (also known as Braidism) of inducing relaxation and called it hypnosis (after Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep) as he thought the phenomena was a form of sleep.

Later, realising his error, he tried to change the name to monoideism (meaning influence of a single idea) however, the original name stuck. 1825-1893 Jean Marie Charcot a French neurologist disagreed with the Nancy School of Hypnotism and contended that hypnosis was simply a manifestation of hysteria.

There was bitter rivalry between Charcot and the Nancy group (Liebault and Bernheim). He revived Mesmer’s theory of Animal Magnetism and identified the three stages of trance, lethargy, catalepsy and somnambulism.

1845-1947 Pierre Janet was a French neurologist and psychologist who was initially opposed to the use of hypnosis until he discovered its relaxing effects and promotion of healing. Janet was one of the few people who continued to show an interest in hypnosis during the psychoanalytical rage.

1849-1936 Ivan Petrovich Pavlov – Russian psychologist who was more focused on the study of the digestive process. He is known primarily for his development of the concept of the conditioned reflex (or Stimulus Response Theory).

In his classic experiment, he trained hungry dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell, which was previously associated with the sight of food. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology in 1904 for his work on digestive secretions.

Though he had nothing to do with hypnosis, his Stimulus Response Theory is a cornerstone in linking and anchoring behaviours, particularly in NLP.

1857-1926 Emile Coue, a physician who formulated the Laws of Suggestion. He is also known for encouraging his patients to say to themselves 20-30 times a night before going to sleep; “Everyday in every way, I am getting better and better.” He also discovered that delivering positive suggestions when prescribing medication proved to be a more effective cure than prescribing medications alone. He eventually abandoned the concept of hypnosis in favour of just using suggestion, feeling hypnosis and the hypnotic state impaired the efficiency of the suggestion.

Coue’s Laws of Suggestion

The Law of Concentrated Attention

” Whenever attention is concentrated on an idea over and over again, it spontaneously tends to realise itself”

The Law of Reverse Action

“The harder one tries to do something, the less chance one has of success”

The Law of Dominant Effect

“A stronger emotion tends to replace a weaker one”

1856-1939 Sigmund Freud travelled to Nancy and studied with Liebault and Bernheim, and then did additional study with Charcot. Freud did not incorporate hypnosis in his therapeutic work however because he felt he could not hypnotise patients to a sufficient depth, felt that the cures were temporary, and that hypnosis stripped patients of their defences.

Freud was considered a poor hypnotist given his paternal manner. However, his clients often went into trance and he often, unknowingly, performed non-verbal inductions when he would place his hand on his patient’s head to signify the Doctor dominant, patient submissive roles. Because of his early dismissal of hypnosis in favour of psychoanalysis, hypnosis was almost totally ignored.

1875-1961 Carl Jung, a student and colleague of Freud’s, rejected Freud’s psychoanalytical approach and developed his own interests. He developed the concept of the collective unconscious and archetypes. Though he did not actively use hypnosis, he encouraged his patients to use active imagination to change old memories.

He often used the concept of the inner guide, in the healing work. He believed that the inner mind could be accessed through tools like the I Ching and astrology. He was rejected by the conservative medical community as a mystic. However, many of his ideas and theories are actively embraced by healers to this day.

1932-1974 Milton Erickson, a psychologist and psychiatrist pioneered the art of indirect suggestion in hypnosis. He’s considered to be the father of modern hypnosis. His methods bypassed the conscious mind using both verbal and nonverbal pacing techniques including metaphor, confusion, and many others.

He was a colourful character and has immensely influenced the practice of contemporary hypnotherapy, and its official acceptance by the AMA. His work, combined with the work of Satir and Perls, was the basis for Bandler and Grinder’s Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

I have found using hypnosis highly affective from a personal and professional point of view. suggestions and changes can be made when they are in line with what you want. in other words, if you want it and like the suggestion the you can see profound changes. We are now offering a Guided Relaxation Session to reduce and relieve stress.

I just want the pain to end

Feeling as if there is no point or just wanting the pain to end!

Speaking for myself and the therapists I know this is all too common. It may manifest in different ways but I have yet to see anyone who can’t be helped.

The more serious side is, “just wanting the pain to end”. Many people who take their own lives may not say or feel that they want to kill themselves but they want the pain to end. They feel emotional pain which can also lead them feeling physical pain. This pain seems to be constant and they are looking for an escape from the pain.

There are many good therapists out there that can help and speaking from a clinical hypnotherapy point of view you may be amazed at how quickly you can see changes if you work with your therapist.

I personally work with men, women and older teens who feel this way. Even if you feel as if you know for a fact that things can’t change I can tell you from personal experience that, that feeling is only generated from your pattern of thinking. The programme in your head is running and until the programme changes you will have the same result or outcome.

In hypnosis we work with you to change this programme in your subconscious and when you change the programme you change the pattern of thinking and the emotions which go with it.

There are many therapists out there but you need to make the first step and reach out to one of them. Search for one in your area and do a little research on them and if you feel comfortable enough make the appointment.

In a later post I will talk about feeling as if there is no point. While it is applicable here it can also branch in directions you may not expect.

While I see clients from all over I am based in Dun Laoghaire Dublin

For more see our home page Dublin Hypnosis Dun Laoghaire.

Sad or Winter Blues Dublin Dun Laoghaire

Seasonal affective disorder or winter blues

In this part of the world winter is here and already we have storm warnings. For a lot of people this means they will feel tired, moody, depressed and the list goes on.

Let’s look at the facts. It’s darker in the mornings when you get up. The temperature has dropped so it’s colder in the house and or when you walk out the door. You’re probably eating breakfast in artificial light.

If you drive, there is more traffic in more dangerous conditions. If you use public transport you may get wet and let’s face it starting the day in wet cloths is definitely not the best.

Then the days can be dull and dreary but this is added to all your usual stressors. It’s not hard to see how winter can add to the problems of so many.

Some people say that SAD, Seasonal affective disorder and winter blues are two separate problems and some say one can affect the other.

You will see a lot of “it’s possible that” or “Some factors that may” in other words they are not sure.

You may hear that it’s a drop in serotonin levels, but in studies they have dropped the serotonin levels of individuals and saw now effect on mood or depression. It may be or may not be in your case.

You may come across many possible reasons but have a look at what is affecting you and see can you make any changes. If you feel better then that’s great if not you may want to have it checked out.

We are now offering a Guided Relaxation Session to reduce and relieve stress.

Aquaphobia Fear of Water

Aquaphobia or Hydrophobia is the irrational fear of water.

I do use the term hydrophobia in the title because some people mistakenly search for that which can lead some people to confuse the two and combine them.

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Hydrophobia was a name given for rabies in the past. Hydrophobia is a term used in chemistry to describe chemical aversions of a molecule or part of a molecule to water. So I going to take it that you have a fear of water and its not related to rabies.

Aquaphobia is an irrational fear of water. But it can go from not getting in a boat or walking alongside water to washing your body and even drinking water.

As with all problems the root cause could come from many different experiences and may be common or pretty unique to you. But with so many people suffering from aquaphobia the fear of water you will find common denominators with some other suffers.

If you have a mild fear of water it may not really affect you, all you have to do is stay away from the sea and boats. Unless you work in an area where you have to be around water. If on the other hand you cant stand to be around running water, baths and even the thoughts of a cold glass of water it will effect you daily.

As you can see the this can be wide ranging and for some it started out small and now affect their health and actions daily.

In hypnotherapy we would look for the why, why you feel like this and desensitize or re-frame the events that caused you to feel this way originally.

You may believe you know how it started or maybe its been so long that you have always felt this way. Hypnotherapy has an excellent record removing or reducing fears and phobias so if your in the Dublin Dun Laoghaire area why not give us a call and see what we can do for you.

If you would like to know more about hypnosis visit our home page Dublin Hypnosis Dun Laoghaire.

We also offer a Guided relaxation through hypnosis session which is a great way to relax and to discover what hypnosis can do for you.

Feeling Down and have no Energy

Are you Feeling down and have no energy?

If you are you may be surprised to know that this is quit common. I know that doesn’t help but your not alone feeling this way.

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There maybe many reasons for this so you would be advised to go to your general practitioner just to be on the safe side.

When clients come to me complaining of feeling down or have no energy it generally comes down to not being happy. Some will say their stressed at work or their home environment is not great. Others will say they have lost the will to live and whats the point of it all.

So if you feel down and have no energy you will fall somewhere within those points. The first thing is to find out the why! Why do you feel like this? Ask the question and see where it takes you.

It maybe easy to identify if some area of your life has a new or ongoing issue. If you get an answer then you know what is wrong. Is there something you can do to fix it? If you get no answer think about what you do want in that area of your life and what you can do to make it happen.

Think about the outcome and if you get a knot in your stomach or some other uncomfortable feeling you may have a mental block stopping you from getting what you want. There is no reason to feel uncomfortable thinking about what you want so if you do ask why.

Metal blocks could be, money is evil, money is hard to get, I’m not good enough and the list goes on. We use hypnosis to remove these blocks all the time.

If on the other hand you don’t know why you feel like this and it just seems to be your entire life you may have or suffer from depression. No matter what it is there is a why.

Why do you feel like this? The answer may not be what you think and that can add to the problem. You may over look this avenue of thinking or simply refuse to go down that avenue because it is to painful.

We would see this a lot and anything said to us is confidential. If you come to see me we will find the why and desensitize or remove what is causing you to feel this way.

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This enables you to feel better about yourself and you will see a ripple affect with some of your otter challenges. If your in or around the Dublin area why not give us a call, if not see our home page for more information on hypnosis visit Dublin Hypnosis Dun Laoghaire.

Fear of Needles

Trypanophobia the Fear of Needles

In this article we will talk about two types. The first is the extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles. The second is the fear of getting a tattoo because of the use of needles.

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Not all but a lot of our fears and phobias can be traced back to when we were children. This may not be your case but just imagine as a young child being brought to the doctor’s office or hospital. The child is in a strange place and then the child is being held so they can’t move to get an injection.

As you can imagine this could be upsetting for a child as well as the parent. Now you could say that it’s in the best interests of the child and in most cases your right but that doesn’t change what has happened from the child’s perspective.

Now there may be many variations of this as well as other factors. If like in arachnophobia the fear of spiders you see a parent or guardian freak out over spiders you can create the link that spiders are dangerous. So, maybe as a child you saw or heard negative talk about needles from someone you would have thought as a protector.

In hypnotherapy we would desensitise the memory and help you see it in a different way. Everything is about perspective, that’s why as humans we see the same thing so differently from the people around us.

Yes we see somethings the same but not everything and the further out of your group you go the more differences there are among us.

It may also come down to your sensitivity. It’s natural for some people to have a higher threshold for pain than others. When it comes to getting a tattoo it could be anything above or a combination of them. Plus I know you can remove a tattoo but it is for intents and purposes permanent.

There is a fear of what if it goes wrong what will I do? What if it looks terrible can I change it? Will it affect my job, relationship and it’s almost endless. In hypnotherapy we discover first what the fear is and where its coming from and then desensitise it. If you are in our area please contact us if you have any more questions. or please visit our homepage for more information, Dublin Hypnosis Dun Laoghaire.

If it’s only some general stress you want to get rid of we run a guided relaxation through hypnosis session which may be the thing you’re looking for. Stress plays a big role in our lives but we don’t have to hold on to it.

Fear of flying

Fear of flying goes much deeper.

There are many names for it and most are incorrect for our purposes here. If you look at aerophobia which many say is a fear of flying it’s actually an abnormal fear of drafts of air, gases, or airborne matter. So there is no point getting bogged down in definitions.

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If you suffer from flying you can nearly always break it down into 2 categories. You believe the plane will crash into the land or sea and if you survive you will have horrible injuries. That also includes take offs and landings. Or you fear not being able to get of the plan.

Since flying is the safest modes of transport you would have to figure out where this fear comes from. Have you had a personal experience or maybe someone you know? Did television footage of a real crash affect you in some way? Or was it a movie that got under your skin and your mind has done the rest.

Most people underestimate what effect movies have on us. If you think of a good film for you, you follow the characters, you get involved in there story and you feel the emotions. An idea plus strong or intense emotion can create links in our sub conscience.

Through hypnosis we can find the reason for the fear of flying and desensitize the memory and help re-frame the memory. To find out more about hypnosis see our home page, Dublin Hypnosis Dun Laoghaire.

If like many you hate the thoughts of being stuck in those small seats, strapped in with nowhere to go you could be looking at claustrophobia. You may want to read this article on Claustrophobia The fear of being confined.

If you think about it, you back bags and put them into cars, buses or taxis. Then you enter a secured building with long corridors with no exits unless it’s an emergency. It may be too hot, the lights to bright.

Then you queue up; maybe multiple times to board a small cylinder type shape to be told to sit, put your belt on. When that door closes you’re trapped with nowhere to go.

Does that sound like a pleasant experience to you? It’s no wonder some people are afraid to fly. Thankfully there are ways to reduce or remove these feelings.

If it doesn’t bother you that much why not try our guided relaxation through hypnosis session. Relieve stress and unwind…

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobia the fear of spiders

In truth arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions but many people only fear spiders. Now I have to say this really depends on where you live in the world.

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If like me you live in Ireland and you see a spider you can simple pick it up and move it. There could be the extreme case where a neighbour has lost a dangerous one or maybe a pet shop that keeps dangerous spiders.

I had to add that last bit in, just in case!

Now if you live in a country where a spider’s bite can do damage or even kill then being vigilant is prudent. It all comes down to, is the fear unreasonable or is there real grounds for it.

For other information on hypnosis visit our home page Dublin Hypnosis Dun Laoghaire. We have a high success rate removing this fear; contact us if you have any questions.

It may be that you came from a country were the threat was real to now living in a country with no dangerous spiders. Where being vigilant is now redundant but the habit is so ingrained that you can’t stop jumping when you see a spider.

Other possible reasons for your fear of spiders!

Maybe you had a spider crawl over your face when you were very young and as a baby you couldn’t get it off. This does happen and when you think about how many spiders are around its bound to happen. I know if you’re reading this that may not be a pleasant thought but it depends on the threat factor.

Another common way to pick up this fear is, as a young child (under 7) you see a parent or guardian scream at the sight of a spider and jump away or even pull you away and your subconscious makes a connection. A protector, a care giver, someone you depend on for your safety is scared of these things then they must be dangerous.

If you would just like to remove some stress why not try our Guided Relaxation through Hypnosis session.

Claustrophobia The fear of being confined

Is Claustrophobia the fear of small spaces?

Well I suffered with claustrophobia for several years and it’s not the way I would explain it. Say for example you get in a lift and it’s packed, full capacity 12 people and you hardly can move. Now imagine it gets stuck and it’s so difficult to get your coat of because it is so hot. It’s not difficult to see how that could cause a panic attack if you suffered from claustrophobia.

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Now imagine getting into the same lift but its empty. There is room for another eleven people while you’re standing there. You press the button and the doors close, now you can’t get out till it reaches its destination. For many this can cause a panic attack but you have space to move around.

So imagine going into a shopping centre or mall on a busy day. You start to look around for the exits, just in case you need them. It’s all going well and you’re being brave until the lights are too bright, your breath catches and panic hits you.

You need to get out, you won’t make it but there’s a toilet. You rush in, your taking back control, you can stay in the cubical for as long as you need. You can splash water on the back of your neck and when you’re ready you can walk at speed from the shop.

Strange thing is that the toilet was much smaller than the shop and the open area of the shopping centre, but you could control it!

Please contact us if you have any questions our see our home page for more information, Dublin Hypnosis Dun Laoghaire.

So let’s take it a bit further…

Some idiot has bought you and your partner a trip down a cave walk. You can walk upright the whole time; you enter one cave entrance and emerge from another cave entrance. As you walk down you look back at the entrance and step by step you’re further from the entrance till it’s gone.

It’s worse, there is only room for single file traffic and there is a que of people behind you.

If you think about these examples you will see there is a perceived loss of control. I know yours may not be the same but think about it. I drove for a living decades ago and I had to give the job. It cost me so many things, friends and even a will to live. I’ve been there and know how it feels!

This is one of the reason why I got into hypnotherapy and if I only knew then what I know now I would have saved myself years of misery.

If you would just like to remove some stress have a look at our Guided Relaxation trough Hypnosis Session.