Hypnosis was accepted by the AMA in 1958 as an acceptable technique for treating tension and stress related symptoms. Does it definitely work? And what should a person consider critical when seeking a hypno-technician, or purchasing hypnotic tapes?

There are many assorted hypnotic modalities that are used to reach the subconscious mind to invoke change. Each method has its pros and cons. No two people are the same, so it stands to reason that the best results will result from utilizing techniques that each person will respond to.

Most companies that sell pre-recorded hypnosis programs offer tapes that consist of standard traditional hypnotic techniques. A few hypnosis vendors offer much more fresh and effective Ericksonian hypnosis techniques. And fewer still offer NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques.

The most effective methodology is video hypnosis. Video hypnosis relies on the latest NLP thought patterns to produce instant changes in a hypnotic subject. Video hypnosis methods are not subliminal in nature.

With "Traditional Hypnosis," we simply make direct suggestions to the subconscious mind mind. In case you are wondering, as far as I'm concerned, the term unconscious and subconscious are indistinguishable - they refer to the same part of the mind. This type of trance works well for a person who generally accepts what he/she is told without a lot of questions.

Most hypnosis CD's sold today are based on "Traditional Hypnosis" methodologies. This reason is it really doesn't take much training or experience to create a script and just tell someone to do something. Unfortunately Traditional Suggestion Therapy is not very efficient for people who are analytical in their thought processes.

By contrast, Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP techniques work more efficiently for most people in today's generation! This is because today individuals are taught to question everything they see and hear, rather than just do what everyone else is doing. So these methodologies do work well on people who are analytical in their thought processes.

These methods are far more effective at reaching and influencing the subconscious mind. However, it can take many years of study and experience to learn how to apply these techniques effectively. This is a chore that is only accepted by truly dedicated therapists.

With "Ericksonian Hypnosis," we use little stories, called hypnotic metaphors, to introduce new ideas to the subconscious mind. This is a powerful avenue, because it usually eliminates the resistance to suggestions that is often caused by the conscious mind. There are two types of metaphors, "Isomorphic," and those of the imbedded command or "interspersal" nature.

Isomorphic metaphors guide the subconscious mind by telling a story that offers up a moral. The subconscious mind draws a one-to-one relationship between the parts of the story and the parts of a problem situation. For example, if a child is telling a lot of lies, the parent might tell the child the story about the "Boy who cried wolf." The subconscious mind would draw a parallel between the boy in the story and the child, and realize that telling lies could lead to disaster, so the child would probably stop lying.

With the Embedded Command technique, the hypnotherapist conveys an enlightening story that engages the conscious mind. The tale includes covert commands that are usually accepted by the subconscious mind. For example: While the client is in trance, he will hear the hypnotherapist say something like: I'm going to tell you a story about …[a beach that has feelings. Isn't that] …strange to… [you]? It's a warm summer's day, and… the beach [feels great].

The hypnotist pauses, shifts his voice tonality, and emphasizes the bracketed text. The subconscious mind recognizes a "Selectional restriction violation." Beaches can't have feelings. So it's like the subconscious mind says to itself: "Wait a minute, a beach can't feel anything, so that must mean that I'm supposed to feel great."

Since the suggestions are buried in a story that is distracting the conscious mind, it is very unlikely that the conscious will realize that it has just received a direct command, so it won't block it or resist it.

Process Instructions direct the subconscious mind to find a memory of an appropriate learning experience from the past where something useful to the present situation was learned, and then to apply that experience to making a change in the present.

With "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" (NLP), rather than using hypnotic commands, we use the same thought patterns that are creating a problem, like feelings of stress, to eliminate the problem. NLP in the hands of an experienced hypnotherapist can be very effective.

NLP Anchoring: Have you ever heard an old song and had it trigger feelings from the past? When you originally listened to the song, you were experiencing those feelings, and they subconsciously became attached to the sound of the melody. So the music became an Anchor for the feelings. Now when you hear the song, it triggers the same feelings again.

Anchoring can be a very effective method. Suppose that you have a memory of being commended for having a great accomplisment in the past. If you revivify that memory, you'll be able to revivify the feelings of self-esteem that you had at that time. If you touch two fingers together while you re-experience those feelings of self-esteem, that touch will become an anchor for the feelings of self-esteem.

Now suppose that you want to create motivation to stick to a diet and lose weight. If you make a mental image of yourself with a thin, sexy body, and simultaneously trigger the anchor - (press the two fingers together again), your subconscious mind will connect the feelings of self-esteem to the image of you with the thin body and your level of motivation to lose weight will increase markedly.

NLP Flash: This is a very effective and powerful Neuro-Linguistic Programming method that can be used to flip things around in the subconscious mind, so that thoughts and experiences that used to trigger feelings of stress actually trigger relaxation instead.

The NLP Flash method is also a fast way to extinguish conditioned responses. For example: If a smoker has a cigarette while drinking coffee, his/her subconscious mind will connect the two behaviors together so that he/she automatically gets an urge for a cigarette anytime he/she has a cup of coffee. The Flash will cause the smoker's mind to disconnect the image of a cigarette from the cup of coffee so that he/she does NOT get an craving to smoke just because he/she is drinking coffee.

With "Subliminal" recordings, the recording has two different tracks. One track contains a cover sound that is heard by the conscious mind. The cover sound could be anything from music to nature sounds. The number two track contains direct commands that are heard by the subconscious mind mind. These suggestions are repeated hundreds of times during a session.

Subliminal programs can be played in the background while you are working, or talking or partisipating in any other activity. You don't have to stop what you are doing and relax like you do with self-hypnosis CD's. Subliminals can be an addition to hypnotic programs. But Subliminals will never replace Hypnosis or NLP because they are not as effective! They are not even in the same universe!! Some studies have claimed that it can take up to 80 hours of listening to a subliminal CD before it will have any effect on many people.

The last hypnotic modality that we're going to talk about is Video Hypnosis. Video hypnosis is the most compelling form of hypnosis!

The methods used in video hypnosis are based on the Neuro-Linguistic Programming technology, which works based on the utilization of a person's existing thought processes instead of post-hypnotic suggestion.

Over 70% of the people on the planet learn more easily based on what they see rather than what they hear.

Think about it. If you feel an craving to eat or smoke when watching television, it's because your mind recorded the video image of either food in your hand, or a cigarette in your hand, and then banded together that image with an image of the TV. You never spoke to yourself and told yourself in words to associate them together, isn't that true?

And that's why the Video Hypnosis technique is so effective. It's not hypnotic in the traditional sense, relying on the spoken word; rather, it relies on transmitting images to the subconscious mind. And if you've ever shed a tear when watching a sad television show, then you know how compelling video hypnosis can be at reaching the subconscious mind. With this method of treatment, results usually start with the very first viewing!

The Video Hypnosis / NLP modality is sold under the registered trademark of Neuro-VISION. It programs the subconscious mind using a high-tech simulation process. This frees a person of their compulsions, urges, and tensions and allows someone who smokes to quit without willpower, and a dieter to lose their urges and appetite. Results start with the very first viewing!

(c) 2007 By Alan B. Densky, CH. This document may be re-printed as long as it is not changed in any way and the author's name and clickable web address links are retained.

—————————

 

Alan B. Densky, CH opened his professional practice of hypnosis & NLP in 1978. He is the inventor of Neuro-VISION Video Weight Loss Hypnosis DVD's and Video Quit Smoking Hypnosis DVD's. Neuro-VISION is the receipient of a United States Patent. Mr. Densky can be reached through his Neuro-VISION Hypnosis web site.

 

Source: Alan B. Densky, CH