“Hypnosis” Is Just A Word

Some people are just too funny.  I often have to suppress a giggle.  It’s not that I am inclined to laugh at them; it’s that the ideas they express in ignorance are funny.  I don’t think I’m superior to anyone, and ignorance isn’t funny to me.  Ignorance is simply the state of not knowing something, or inexperience.  It isn’t an insult.  No one knows everything.

I love it when the uninitiated think I can get control of their minds and “make” them do things such as quack and wag their tails.  Why aren’t they more concerned that I can make them detail my car and paint my dining room?

Or the belief that I can find out their secrets.  The secrets that I’ve already heard from conscious, earnest clients up to this point would probably disappoint most voyeurs.  I’m afraid that there’s nothing there that I haven’t experienced myself, or seen someone among my family or friends go through.  No, most deeply-guarded secrets are not so scandalizing, at least to me.  And the imagination is not stranger than Real Life.

A lot of people tell me they can’t be hypnotized.  Fair enough!  If they dig in with stubborn resistance, there’s no way anyone can hypnotize them or even persuade them to sit in my office.

And among clients who willingly submit to the process, sometimes I have trouble keeping a straight face.  One gentleman, who admirably came in to let me help him quit smoking, explained that he enjoys smoking a joint with his wife most nights.  He’s not an addict; he uses it the way some people enjoy having a drink at the end of the day.  He asked, “can you make me quit cigarettes but still let me smoke pot?”  The answer is YES!  Tobacco and mary jane are two totally separate things–and one was desired and the other despised by the client.  The mind will have no confusion there.

But ignorance is also detrimental.  If a person will hold to erroneous beliefs, I won’t be able to show them how wonderful hypnosis is, and what it can do for them.  I won’t be able to share this gift with them.  They will never learn that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, and what they get from me is a new skill that they can use, on their own, for the rest of their lives for many issues that will arise.  It’s like getting an Owner’s Manual for the mind!

Lastly, here’s something I like to point out at the beginning of every session: Hypnosis is just a word.  It describes a very natural state of mind that everyone enters into and out of, many times every day.  Whatever that state is, we can learn to use it and control it to a great degree.  Once we learn to manage that state, we learn that it is the key to the most powerful parts of our minds.  It is the way to align all the parts of mind and body, and the way to becoming unstoppable!

Can Anyone Be Hypnotized?

This is one of my favorite questions. Every week someone tells me, with conviction, that they can’t be hypnotized. They really believe they can’t be hypnotized—but they’re usually reacting to what they think hypnosis is. In just about every case, they are unfamiliar with what hypnosis is or what it can be used for.

Sometimes people are fearful because they think they will be giving up control of their minds. In other cases, a person might have difficulty relaxing because of current physical pain or emotional trauma. And some people simply doubt the power of suggestion, believing that only weak minds can react to hypnotic suggestions.

It is a myth that people lose the power of their own will when hypnotized, or that hypnosis is a way of finding out someone’s secrets. The truth is that hypnosis is a wonderful, powerful modality for attaining clarity and making important decisions. Through hypnosis, we can identify what’s most important to us and find out how to obtain and maintain those things.

So, what kind of person can be hypnotized? Anyone who has an IQ of at least 70, and is willing try it. That’s it. Of course, some people can go into trance more easily than others, and it’s possible to block or stop the process.

In the state of hypnosis, clarity of thought and hyper-awareness are achieved easily, so that change can occur right there during the session. I’ve seen this happen many times. Clients come into my office stressed and confused, and leave an hour later—calmer, clearer, and with a renewed sense of direction. When that happens we know that it was the client’s powerful mind that achieved their success.

Here’s another fact: Hypnosis is science. It has nothing to do with belief or spirituality or physical conditioning. Using the proper technique according to the individual, hypnosis is achieved easily. When a person is hypnotized repeatedly, the induction becomes easier each time.

The fact that you are reading this article to the end indicates that you are open to being hypnotized and that you would be a good subject. You can learn to use self-hypnosis to improve your condition and become happier and more contented in life. The art and science of hypnosis are advancing rapidly, and a qualified hypnotist can help you change your mind—literally.