Now that the benefits of hypnosis have become quite well known, many people are interested in learning more about hypnosis techniques. However, these techniques need not be complicated in order to be effective. They really don’t hold that place of magical thinking that many people attribute to being hypnotized.
In fact, did you know that light hypnosis occurs every single day for all of us without any hypnotic induction whatsoever? Yes, this is true. It doesn’t take any skill at all to bring on this trance state. And no long drawn out hypnosis techniques are needed to get us into the hypnotic state so many people either fear or believe they don’t have the ability to ever achieve.
Everyday Hypnosis Techniques
For instance, sometimes we get so engrossed with reading a book that the things around us are not noticeable at all. And we can get so absorbed in the story that it can feel as if we are actually there. While at other times, this same thing occurs as we watch a movie and lose track of all time and space. Once the movie ends we pop out of our hypnotic trance and back into life. But for that moment we are under the spell of one of the everyday, ordinary hypnosis techniques that we each experience several times each and every day.
Listening to repetitive music, the sounds of the ocean, or even driving down a quiet dark road can all create this same mesmerizing deep inward focus as we tune out the rest of the world. Not so great when your driving but I’m sure you have experienced this before and had to do something to bring yourself out of that trance feeling immediately.
Turning the Ordinary into Hypnosis
Now, what actually has happened is that some people have taken this everyday, normal, concentrated mental state of deep focus and turned it into a tool for all of us to use. The purpose is to supply our subconscious mind with positive suggestions and ideas to improve our life. They do it it all by making good use of the openness that our mind can reach in this relaxed and focused state. And they decided to call it hypnosis.
It really is nothing more than this. In fact everyone of us goes into a hypnotic trance every time we fall asleep. That point you reach just before falling asleep where you’re still aware enough to know that your not sleeping but not quite awake. This is the point a hypnotist takes us to so they can put their hypnosis techniques to good use.
Let’s Examine a Few Hypnosis Techniques
- Positive Suggestions
The traditional form that most of us have heard about encompasses giving suggestions for positive change and improvement. Through this process the client is lead into a calm mind that is free from distractions so they are more open to the suggestions. The hypnotist may suggest several options for achieving personal changes or goals or even ways to cope up with a difficult situation or habit.
- Guided Imagery
Next, is the use of mental imagery. Here, the hypnotherapist stimulates the mental imagination of an individual. This is done by suggesting vivid mental images. It’s a method of visualizing things that the subject wants to attain in real life. This can be used to imagine a healing taking place mentally, emotionally or even physically.
- Ericksonian Story Telling and Confusion
This approach was started by Milton Erickson and makes use of stories and metaphors that draw the client in much like the book or movie does. Except with this method, the much needed changes and suggestions are woven into the story in an indirect way that confuses the conscious mind but embeds the messages deep into the unconscious where the change can occur.
Whatever the approach used, one basic principle applies to all hypnosis techniques. And that is the fact that the greater the depth of hypnosis attained, the more effective the hypnotic suggestions will be for achieving their intended goal. So, what’s stopping you? Why not find out for yourself exactly what we have been talking about.
