The Key To Hypnosis

What is the key to hypnosis?

There is more than 1 key. There are a few.

It depends on what type of hypnosis we are talking about:

In hypnotherapy session, Relaxation is the key.

In stage hypnosis, the physical parts of our body is the key eg the eyes and the head.

In street hypnosis, subconscious related words is the key.

In self-hypnosis, Relaxation enhanced by music is the key.

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Hypnosis Quote

A quote for hypnosis:

“Hypnosis is the epitome of mind-body medicine. It can enable the mind to tell the body how to react and modify the messages that the body send to the mind.” ~ New York Times

Yes, hypnosis is a tool used for our body and mind control.  Like in the example of your hand immersing into an icy cold water and the hand’s ability to withstand the coldness for a period of time. It clearly exhibits the power of mind tapped to regulate the body.

The Boredom Technique

boring

Even boredom can be used as a hypnosis tool.

Yes, it is one of the natural induction method.

What happen when you are bored?

– Your Mind begin to drift away

– You stare blankly at something and your mind is also in a blank

– You yawn and yawn

– You don’t feel positive emotions like happy, enthusiastic, excited etc

Let us say if you start talking of a topic that your friend has no interest in, observe what he or she would do. 

Boredom is a fast way to send a person into a trance. People may not detect that you are putting them into hypnosis because being boring is so natural.

Tapping Into Potential

Everyone has potential.  This is an undeniable truth!  But the truth is also not everyone found their potential and express it.  So how do we tap into the sea of potential?

One effective way that we can use is hypnosis because it communicates directly with our subconscious mind which is the source of all our potential.

Hypnosis can do the following:

a. Improve your performance in area that you are already good at.

b. Uncover new abilities that you never thought of having.

c. Help to heal your illnesses (though not all illnesses applicable) and restore to good health.

d. Put you in certain state eg relaxed, powerful, confident state.

Hypnosis – Nothing To Be Afraid Of

I can understand why some people are apprehensive about hypnosis – they lack clear understanding of it. 

Fear not, for there is nothing to be afraid of. People are already subjected to hypnosis several moments in a day.  This occurs naturally.

People are afraid because the hypnosis that they associate in their mind is stage hypnosis and hypnotherapy.  These are done by inducement. 

Whether induced or happen naturally, it is still hypnosis. To put it very simply, hypnosis is about consciousness. Whether you are in a conscious mind state or subconscious mind state, it is still part of our consciousness. 

Are people afraid of consciousness?

The Different Induction

There exist many induction techniques to get people into a hypnotic state. It ranges from techniques that involves the eyes, the head, the hand, the posture, the muscles, the breathing, the arms and so on.

These techniques uses the relaxation of the mind and body or the use of words to put the person into state eg. the word sleepy, drowsy, dizzy etc.

Whether an induction is a fast one (ie it takes seconds) or a long one that takes 20 minutes or so, it revolves around mind/body and words.

Natural Hypnosis

Natural Hypnosis refers to hypnosis that occurs naturally without the inducement of a hypnotist. Eg when you are absorbed while reading a favourite book.

How frequent does it occur? The answer is very often. But the frequency also depends on individual and surrounding factors.

If a person does not sleep well or is in constant fatigue, then he may enter into hypnosis easily. It also does not matter the time of the day, for hypnosis can happen at any time.

Memory

Our memory is deeply seated in the subconscious mind.

When we recall a memory, it automatically plays out as per the subconscious way of responding based on the data of experience and events stored.

Since it is a response that does not require conscious thinking, it is a form of hypnosis.

Cold Reading

Cold reading is about reading the mind of people you are not familiar with or a total stranger.

This skill is especially important for hypnotist in covert hypnosis.

Covert hypnosis is about having conversation with people in a way that he is talking directly to their subconscious mind. For instance in street hypnosis, a hypnotist would approach any street guy and starts a conversation.

He would then use his cold reading skill to find out more about that person. In other words, he asks questions that point him the direction of what the stranger’s thoughts are.

Question like “You like brown colour, right?” – this question is not asked in order to have the right answer but merely to prompt that person to give the right answer. In this case, he would reply either Yes or tells the hypnotist the colour he actually likes. If he says that he likes green, then the hypnotist would focus on something that is green in colour to “suit his taste”, things like grassland.

Of course one question cannot reveal much about the person.  More questions have to be asked for the hypnotist to better know about her. 

And this is nothing new. We ask question when we want to get to know a certain person.

About Altered States

Altered states are states other than the conscious or beta state. States like Alpha, Theta and Delta are altered state of consciousness.

The methods used for these states include hypnosis, alpha programming, meditation and sleep programming.

It is said that programming done in these states are 100 times more powerful than at conscious level programming.

Switch On The Mind Power

Have you use electricity before? Sure you have! In order to use it, do you undergo training, take up courses or read tons of books? Definitely no!

All you have to do is know when and what to use. The “when” refers to the time you want to use it eg when you wake up you switch it on in order to see clearly. The “what” refers to the type of electricity you want ie. to use for boiling water, switch on TV or turn on the lamp.

Our mind is akin to electricity. We do not need to know how it actually works in order to use it. What we need to do is know the “what” – what method to use to turn on the mind power. The “when” is about the day/time you want to use it.

If you are using hypnosis as a method to switch on your mind power, then that is the “what”.

Word Intensity

One single word can have other words that are synonymous in meaning.

The following is an illustration:

Explode (sound like a bomb or land mine erupting, which feels scary)

Flare up (the word “up” gives an impression that the temperature is rising)

Angry

Pissed off

Frustrated

These are words with meaning quite similar but the intensity is definitely different.

The level of intensity will give reader a different feeling.

If I say that I am pissed off compared to I want to explode. Which word gives great emotional intensity?

Simple!

If there is one word that I like most and feel it should stands out from the many hypnotic power words such as “new”, “revolutionary”, “free”, “secret”, “outstanding”, “instantly” etc, it is this word SIMPLE!

Yes, “simple” should be a main hypnosis word that people like and pay attention to.

In fact, Nature is about simplicity. There is no complexity, difficulty, confusion. It is direct and to the point. The sun rises from the east – is this difficult to understand? I doubt so. The tide rolls in to the sandy beach and retreat back and it moves back and forth. Is this hard to comprehend?

Our society has hypnotised us into believing things are tough, difficult, complicated. It is time to de-hypnotised ourselves and focus on the word “simple”.

Simple, isn’t it?

Oxygen & Drowsiness

When our body is in short supply of oxygen, we will feel lethargic and weak. Our mind cannot function optimally. This is because oxygen is the fuel to the brain for it to function well.

There will be giddiness with shortage of oxygen to the brain.

When we start to not be able to think with our left brain, it turns over to the subconscious mind.

Yes, hypnosis occurs when we are activating the subconscious mind.

The Train Of Thoughts

The other day I was taking a train home. I have been taking the train and alighting at the same station almost every day. But on that day, I was deep in thoughts.  But I was still consciously aware of the surrounding environment.

Somehow, I felt a sure sense that the next station is the one that I will get down. Without thinking, I step out the train but it looks quite different from the one I always alight. It is the wrong station!

I believe you have had this similar encounter before.  

Then I began to track my thoughts to see how and what actually happened.  The ‘facts’ I collected are:

a. I was in deep thoughts

b. I give little conscious attention on the station’s name being announced

Ah, this seems to perfectly fit into the definition of hypnosis.  In hypnosis, the person is completely absorbed into one thing and has a focused attention on it. She excludes everything else and makes that one thing the main priority.

Hypnosis – Nature’a Gift

Nature has bestowed us with a wonderful planet and quite a number of great gifts, one of which is hypnosis.

A better way of viewing hypnosis is that it is a necessity for our life, without which we could not function normally.

Let me explain. Hypnosis occurs when we drift away from our conscious mind into the subconscious mind. We cannot forever operate our mind at the conscious level, even a short extended time will render us going crazy. This is because there are simply too many activities/events/ stimuli happening around us . Our conscious mind alone is unable to cope.

Thus, having a subconscious mind allow us to be free from information overload. It exists to work hand-in-hand with our conscious mind so that we can function properly and to truly experience and enjoy life.

Hypnosis Vs Subliminal

When we communicate with our subconscious mind and our conscious mind is aware about it, it is hypnosis 

When we communicate with our subconscious mind and we do so without being perceived by any of our 5 senses, it is called subliminal. Examples are advertisers flashing words in rapid succession such that you do not really see it with your eyes but are totally taken in by your subconscious mind.

The same applies to audio messages. The words are embedded in the music. You hear the music but not the words.

Both hypnosis and subliminal are aimed at influencing your subconscious mind.

Hypermnesia

In my earlier post, I mentioned a term called “Amnesia”. It means a temporary loss of memory which could happen during hypnosis.

There is another word associated with memory but on the other end of the spectrum, and that is “Hypermnesia”.

Hypermnesia is a vivid recollection of memory with attention to details as well. This could happen when a person is in trauma or in hypnosis. It is considered abnormal because it is unlikely that a person could have such good recollection of a particular event.

Always

You can always look for me if you need help.

There is always a way out in life.

She always help in charitable work in her community.

The word “always” is a hypnotic word from the Milton Model. It gives people assurance. It gives people an impression of @at all time / any time”.

Suggestibility Exercise

The objective of a suggestibility exercise is for stage hypnotist to quickly find out who is suggestible or willing to listen and follow the instruction. This is crucial because if it is not done properly, it can spell a failure for the hypnotist.

Actually it is not difficult to come up with such a test. One way is to find someone who knows how to snap fingers (and most people knew). Give instructions that he can put his thumb to index finger or to middle finger. When you say snap the finger, he shall do so. After a few times, stop for a while and then resume the same instruction, only this time asks him not to make any sound when snapping the finger.

After that, alternates your command for the snapped finger to produce sound and not to produce sound.

It is simple, isn’t it?

But you will be surprised that not everyone could follow such simple exercise.

Subconscious Mode

If you ask people if they know that there are 2 types of consciousness, most people knew.

Ask them how often are they in the subconscious mode, most will guess about 50% of the time.

Let’s take a look:

  • The hours that you are sleeping (put it as 8 hrs), you are residing in the subconscious mind.
  • Almost all of your automatic functions like breathing, heart beat, digestion and so on has no time constraint. Some operate 24 hours.  Your heart does not stop beating just because you are asleep. Automatic functions are controlled by the subconscious.
  • The remaining hours that you are awake is made up of working hrs and leisure hrs. People may think that in those waking hrs, they operate solely from their conscious mind.  On the surface, this may be right.  But the fact is they are wrong!  Even in those waking hrs, occasionally your mind will slip into the subconscious mode. But let us just assume that 30% of the time our mind enter into the subconscious mode just to relax and escape from overloading, that is nearly 5 hrs.

If you add up the 8 hrs of sleep and 5 hrs of “escape”, that is already more than 50%..  We have not included the time that you are absorbed into doing the things you like such as reading your book of interest or involve in some activities you are passionate of. When you are focused on this activities, your mind enter into hypnosis – which means it enter into the subconscious mode as well.

Bed-Wetting

Bed-wetting is also called nocturnal enuresis.  It is an involuntary urination. The person cannot control the urine or simply put, not even consciously aware that he needs to urine at that particular moment. This is a common occurrence and should be viewed as normal in a child development.

Bed-wetting commonly happens in children from age 5 to 7. Some may even continue it after 7.

What could be the cause?

  1. A small bladder that could not hold a bigger capacity of urine.
  2. Urinary Tract Infection.
  3. Hormone imbalance or a lack of Anti-Diuretic hormone during sleep.
  4. Link with stress and anxiety, such as being in an unfamiliar environment.
  5. Family history – inherited gene.
  6. Attention Deficit Disorder

It may cause several unpleasantness like the child feels embarrassed; having a foul smell; have to constantly change bedsheet; psychological impact on the child resulting in low self-esteem.

But bed-wetting can be treated. Some of the cures include:

–  Placing a bedwetting alarm.  This is a form of therapy where flexible wires are connected to alarm unit and on a pad place under the pant. When the child starts to have a first few urine drips out, it will detect and the alarm will sound to wake the child up so that he can go to the toilet to continue his urine. This is a conditioned response.

  • A common treatment is the use of synthetic anti-diuretic hormone called desmopressin that controls urine at night.
  • Motivate the child, explains to him the importance of hygiene and not to reprimand him.
  • Bladder control – however this requires brain, nerves and muscle co-ordination
  • evelop a bedtime routine of drinking less water at night and not taking water an hour before sleep.
  • Wear a disposable absorbent underpants so as to avoid wetting the bed.
  • Avoid intake of caffeine

In addition to the above, parents can get self-hypnosis tape to help the child overcome this problem. If they understand English and can follow instruction well, this would be an effective form of treatment.

The reason why bed-wetting occurs mostly in children is because children can easily enter into hypnosis (or the subconscious part of their mind). If they do not have a good training or awareness of going toilet when they feel like urinating, then it may be etched in their subconscious mind. Another reason could be they are too deeply asleep such that they are not consciously aware the need to wake up for urine.

Since it is a subconscious issue, the recommended way is to use a subconscious treatment. Hypnosis will relax your child, asks him to imagine being in a very relaxed setting and enjoying his favourite drink. He is thirsty and drinks a lot. After a while his bladder is bloated. He is suggested to go to toilet when he feels a need to urinate. This suggestion is planted in the child’s subconscious mind so that it can re-program and form an association between “need to urine” and “going to the toilet”.