How Will You Know You Are Hypnotized?
The first thing to know is most hypnotists do not take their clients through progressive skill acquisition, which the research suggests is most effective (The Carlton Skills Training program, for example). The majority of therapists also do not test their work (more on that in a moment).
Techniques and research have evolved considerably in the past 20 years and to stay at the cutting edge, it’s important for hypnotists to have the latest training.
It’s definitely worth calling for an informal chat if you have any questions about hypnosis. One reason is that it’s important to have faith in the process because, after all, we want to trigger the same process that gets triggered by a placebo.
Many hypnotherapists don’t specifically test you to see you are in hypnosis, and just read from scripts – that won’t necessarily help you to succeed because the success is in large part build on your expectation (and your hypnotist should be helping you grow in confidence with gradual successes – “the law of approximate successions”.
It’s important to build in “convincers” so you can start working towards specific measurable signs of improvement.
The only way a motivated person would struggle to learn and benefit from hypnosis is if:
- you haven’t had some tailored exercises to help you experience hypnotic phenomena (see below)
- The hypnotist doesn’t make it clear enough that they are ultimately helping you to do this for yourself (that all hypnosis ultimately is self-hypnosis)
- They are just talking or reading from a script without checking in with you regularly in the session to get feedback
Hypnotic phenomena can include:
- Arm levitation
- Hand stick
- Eye lids stuck
- Name or number amnesia
- Heightened emotion
- Negative or positive hallucinations (think very vivid imagination)
- Analgesia (muted sensations)
- Catalepsy (Arm rigid like an iron bar)
You won’t necessarily achieve all these in one go, nor do you need to. However, you do need to have something that lets you know that your reality is changing.
Why?
Because otherwise you won’t know that you are accessing your unconscious, that things are changing and your conscious mind will tend to interfere. Once you have some signs that things are happening, it’s a lot easier to let the ‘doubting part of you’ (your conscious mind) quieten enough (it is okay to still be aware and ‘thinking’) to let change happen.
A good therapist tailors everything and enthusiastically works to build rapport between his and your unconscious mind.
This is quite a personal, focused and trusting relationship for the endeavour, even if it’s coaching.
The golden rule is: As long as you feel properly involved on the process and have support to build up confidence, you will absolutely fine.
It’s important to know what so hypnosis is, so you can relax in to the process of making the changes you want.
As you focus on this video, you might begin to notice how different hypnosis is to how it is popularly portrayed. Rather than being something out of the ordinary, hypnosis it is in fact:
- Something you already experience
- Something that feels wonderful – relaxing, calming and helps you focus
- A positive empowering skill that puts you back in control