By Cal Banyan, MA, BCH, FNGH, MCPHI
In this very short article I want to answer at question that I get all the time "What is hypnosis?" Let me start by telling you what hypnosis is not.
Hypnosis is not:
- Hypnosis is not sleep.
- Hypnosis is not just a trance state.
- Hypnosis is not mind control.
- Hypnosis is not magic, or an occult art.
- Hypnosis is not a religion.
- Hypnosis is not unnatural.
Even though hypnotists may say the word "sleep" during a session with you, especially when they are inducing or deepening hypnosis, hypnosis is not the same as normal, natural sleep. Sleep is an unconscious state of mind. When you are asleep, you are not aware of what is going on around you. In hypnosis you are quite aware of what is going on and you tend to remember pretty much everything that goes on (to about the same degree as you remember any other incident in your life).
Many people believe that trance (focusing on one thing to the exclusion of everything else) is hypnosis, but that is not true. Hypnosis does require that you concentrate and focus, but mere concentration and focus alone is not the same as hypnosis. So hypnosis is not just a trance state.
When you are in hypnosis you are still in control of your thoughts and what you do. It is a consensual state. If you no longer want to be in hypnosis you can emerge from hypnosis at any time, and if you don't like a suggestion that the hypnotist gives you, you can and will instantly reject it. Because the mind has a protective function, and suggestions that make you feel unsafe will cause you to emerge.
Hypnosis is a natural state. Everyone goes in and out of hypnosis quite naturally. Basically, when you are receptive to information that you are focused upon you are in hypnosis. Many professionals believe that we go through a natural state of hypnosis each time we go to sleep. That state of mind is called the hypnologic state of sleep. So there is nothing magical or occult about it. We have all been in hypnosis at one time or another in our lives, to varying degrees.
Hypnosis is not a religion, nor does any ancient religious text teach for or against hypnosis. The concept of hypnosis did not exist until the 1700's or 1800's, much later than any of the major religious books were written.
Hypnosis is simply the ability to accept suggestions that you like more quickly and powerfully than when in any other state of natural human consciousness. This state can be induced by either a trained hypnotist or an individual who has been trained in self-hypnosis.
When you accept suggestions while in hypnosis, you can much more quickly change old behaviors such as bad habits, or motivate yourself to do more of what you like, or even manage pain, and much more.
To learn more about hypnosis and related terms we invite you to read more of our article, or visit the Hypnosis A to Z Glossary on www.BanyanHypnosisMall.com. You can also learn more about self-hypnosis by going to the website, www.The7thPath.com. You can also contact my office at (800) 965-3390 or (714) 258-8380.
