Recently, I have been asked frequently about hypnosis. “How does hypnosis work?” “What can it help me with?” “I’m not the type to lose control; can I still be hypnotized?” Yes, is the answer to this last question.

It’s time to respond to these inquiries. Before that, let’s talk about what hypnosis isn’t and clear up some of the common myths about it.

 

Common MYTHS and MISCONCEPTIONS about HYPNOSIS :

1)You’re asleep. NO; you’re not asleep. You’re just in a light or medium trance (theta brain wave state), which is a different brain wave than your waking state (beta). In this theta brain wave state, your subconscious mind is more receptive to post-hypnotic suggestions, made by the hypnotist (or guide) during a session.

2)You’re unconscious. NO. You’re just in a (lovely and relaxing) trance.

3)The hypnotist (hypnotherapist) can ‘control’ your mind. NOPE. You won’t do anything you morally or ethically don’t want to do. There’s no mind control involved. So………..you won’t be quacking like a duck anytime soon…….unless you want to.

4)You can’t get out of a trance yourself. Another NO.  If you just move and shake your body a bit, you will come out of the trance. The truth is that most people really enjoy being in a trance; it’s sooooooooooooooo relaxing.

 

What is HYPNOSIS?:

The best way to describe hypnosis is: a relaxed state of inner absorption, focused attention and concentration. You focus on one particular goal, while the rest of you relaxes. If you want lasting change, you must connect your conscious awareness to your stronger and deeper subconscious mind.

 

The Subconscious mind stores your beliefs, experiences and often, negative thought patterns, often given or ‘handed down’ to you by your parents, society and surroundings (from 0-7 years). They include ‘automatic’, internalized responses and patterns.

The conscious mind is where we store our daily thoughts, ideas and goal setting.

The subconscious mind, with its ‘automatic,’ conditioned beliefs and thought patterns, is what really controls our lives and most of the time, we’re not aware of it. To make long-term changes, it’s not enough to just use your conscious everyday mind. We all know that willpower (the conscious mind alone) can work in the short-term but usually not longer-term.

 

What HYPNOSIS helps you with:

-enhancement of confidence, self-esteem and focus.

-decreasing stress, anxiety and panic attacks.

-overcoming fears and phobias (ie: dentistry, flying, smoking, etc.) and bad habits that limit or challenge you.

-weight loss/maintenance.

-smoking cessation/health habits and

 -reframing your negative thought patterns, bad habits and behaviors.

 

Mindset coaching, in partnership with hypnosis, can be very powerful and effective. You learn daily habits, routines and rituals, while accessing your subconscious mind, for deeper, stronger and longer-term change. With both, it’s best to use your imagination and creativity to their fullest.

On a personal note, I decided to learn hypnosis when I was a private-practice dentist in NYC and had several patients who had dental phobia. It is so exciting to see how it helps.

 

As my client, Mike, said, “Dr Gigi’s hypnosis sessions changed my life; I quit smoking and drinking and let go of a bad relationship. Gigi; I can’t thank you enough!”

 

In next week’s blog post, we’ll get into how hypnosis works, in more detail.

 

With smiles and love,

Dr Gigi

 

PS: If you have any questions or comments about hypnosis and how it can help you, Contact me @www.gigiarnaud.com and be sure to sign up for more information and for your Free Mindset Exercises guide.