Hypnosis
Hypnosis is simply a state of concentrated attention that stimulates normal and subconscious processes. Hypnosis-like states occur daily when you’re daydreaming, meditating, praying, dancing, practising mindfulness, are engrossed in a book, watching TV, listening to music or when you’re about to fall asleep. Of course, there can be a big variation in the depth of the trance state you experience. It depends on the individual, but also on the form of treatment.
Brain waves
Hypnosis brings the brain waves down to Alpha and Theta level. When you sleep, you are in Delta and are therefore not in a trance. The more times you’ve had hypnosis, the deeper the trance state you’ll be able to reach, and the deeper a trance you’re in, the more changes you’ll experience. When you’re in a trance, you tap into your subconscious where your own resources and creativity reside, which aren’t accessible in the conscious state (Beta).
When you’re in a hypnotic state, you can be both relaxed and concentrated enough to be able to learn something new very easily and quickly. In other words, you can both learn and unlearn through concentrated attention during hypnosis. Perhaps you’ve developed unhelpful thoughts, feelings and behaviours over time. These can be replaced with new and more appropriate ones.
Some people will insist they can’t be hypnotised. And if you don’t want to, you can’t be! You have to be active when you go into a trance state. No one can make you relax and co-operate against your will. In fact, you could say that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis and the client is always in control.
Therapy
Hypnosis is a tool that when used alongside psychotherapy can yield positive results. In the psychology clinic, hypnosis is often combined with ACT and cognitive behavioural therapy. The focus is always on the individual’s problem, so hypnosis is a tool that can help achieve the desired result. Hypnotherapy can help you become more positive, solution-focused and action-oriented. Hypnotherapy is ego-strengthening, nurturing and helps you to become more accepting, loving, kind and compassionate towards yourself and others.
Hypnosis/hypnotherapy can be used to treat:
- Anxiety issues
- Stress
- Depression
- Performance anxiety
- Certain phobias
- Sleep disturbances
- For anger management
- Tension
- Self-esteem/self-confidence issues
- Guilt and shame
- For pain management
- For boosting the immune system during illness
- Exam anxiety
- Mental training for exam anxiety and sports performance
In some cases, it can be beneficial to create an audio file to listen to at home as needed, e.g. for building self-esteem and similar.
Ego state treatment – Connects with the younger parts of yourself and is used to treat phobias, old traumas, low self-esteem, etc.
Self-hypnosis/mental training – Visualising what you would realistically like to achieve if your anxiety wasn’t stopping you.
Regression Therapy – Exploring past stages of your current life and past lives.
