What is hypnosis anyway?
Often when people hear the word hypnosis or hypnotist the image of the stage performer that asks for 'volunteers' to come up on the stage. Then they are hypnotized to cluck like a chicken or imitate a Hollywood actor. Or they think of the old black and white movies where the 'mad scientist' hypnotizes them and they no long have any will of their own.
But all of this is the 'theatrical' image of hypnosis. So, to clairfy what hypnosis is let's go over a few of the common misconceptions.
I will lose all self-control.
No, you will not be 'forced' nor compelled to do anything you do not wish to do, or that is against your personal image/beliefs. (I think sometimes people get 'brainwashing' confused or lump it together with hypnosis.)You can always come out of hypnosis whenever you want to.
I am too intelligent to be hypnotized.
Did you know that the state of hypnosis, the alpha state, is a state that we all go into several times a day. It the state of mind we go into when we are reading a good book or watching a movie or television program. We are able to get up and react if we need to. The more intelligent you are the more easily you can be hypnotised and you can make positive changes in your life.
Will I lose consciousness during hypnosis?
Hypnosis is not sleep. Usually you are aware and conscious of everything that goes on around you in the hypnotic state. Although you may relax so much that you may drift off and lose track of what is happening or even fall asleep.
A lot of people think that they will be unable to react while in hypnosis. Well, ask any mother of a newborn, does she hear her baby cry when she herself is fast asleep? Yes, she does. The subconscious is a truly amazing part of our brain. We always hear, 24/7, and our subconscious has no grasp of the meaning of time. (Time is a manmade construct.) Whatever the subconscious hears it takes as literal and when suggestions are made the subconscious behaves as though the action/suggestion has already happened. The subconscious doesn't know the difference.
You will find that there are some topics here that at first glance may not seem related to hypnosis or the subconscious at all. But I think you will find that they all have some common threads. Much like a tapestry with threads weaving in and throughout.
