What is Hypnosis?

What is Hypnosis? Hypnosis is a intense form of attention and awareness. This means that when in hypnosis you are listening with more of your mind than you usually do. This is because hypnosis opens up the subconscious part of your mind – the part of your brain that regulates your metabolism, your heartbeat and your emotions. Tapping into your subconscious is powerful: It keeps working on your goals even when you are not consciously thinking about them!

Hypnosis is also called Guided Meditation.

Hypnosis brings us to a place where we are so relaxed that we can use 100% of our brain to focus on a task at hand. Sometimes we are so preoccupied with all of our thoughts, our worries, and our “To Do” lists that we cannot even concentrate. Our busyness makes it almost impossible for our minds to be completely effective. This is when hypnosis proves useful. We can accomplish so much more with the full attention of our minds that is accessible through hypnosis.

Hypnosis is not scary. It is very natural. In fact, the hypnotic state is really more common than you might think. Any time you have gotten lost in a movie or book you have been in hypnosis. Day dreaming is a form of hypnosis, and so is zoning out when you are driving. You hypnotize yourself all the time! Now you can put that ability to a positive use.

It is important to note that you are not asleep in hypnosis and you are always in control. You will not do anything you do not want to in hypnosis, and you can come out of hypnosis when ever you want. It will be easier to go into hypnosis every time you practice Hyp-Yoga. Repetition in hypnosis is also good – the more you hear Hyp-Yoga’s beneficial suggestions the deeper they will go into your mind until they become a part of who you are.

Defining and Explaining Hypnosis

Hypnosis and Yoga. Both controversial in their own way, but one has weaved its way into our American Culture more than the other. For many of us, yoga is common place. It has moved from a side-culture activity to mainstream – available in health clubs, studios and home videos. We can find all varieties of yoga, from more eastern inspired practices that include chanting and meditation to more fitness based programs that focus on making the individual sweat and burn calories. Hooray for yoga and its eventual triumphant entry into our exclusive mainstream culture. Some might scoff, but I say the more practicing, the merrier (and the fitter!)

Hypnosis on the other hand has not yet had the sweeping acceptance of our former topic. It is still feared by many. It is called satanic, magic, or imaginary. Don’t worry – yoga was in the same position a short while ago. Our western culture just needs some time and heaps of education to warm up to hypnosis and its many powerful benefits. While we are waiting for this mass acceptance, we, the informed and excited, can take pride in the fact that we are in an important group that will be the leaders of the hypnotic revolution and mass adoption.

Let’s briefly look at what hypnosis is, what it does/does not do, and why we need it to improve our lives. This will be brief, not an extensive study, so you may find yourself with many more questions after we are finished. (This is good. You can post them in the comments if you like, and I will try to answer them.)

The definition of hypnosis that I most often subscribe to is “a heightened state of awareness.” I like this definition best because it highlights the fact that the reader is aware. Not asleep, or not listening/comprehending, but more aware of what is going on than he ever is on a normal basis. In normal life occurrences we only use a small percentage of our brain to focus on the tasks at hand. Most of the research I have read mentions a percentage somewhere between 5% and 15% of our brain. The rest of our brain is dedicated to subconscious activities or inactivity.

Hypnosis brings us to a place where we are so relaxed that we can use 100% of our brain to focus on a task at hand. According to Doctor and Certified Hypnotist Garland H. Fross, using this much of our brain on one task is a hard goal to achieve without hypnosis because, “95% of. . . people do not listen because they are preoccupied with their own problems and thoughts.” The only way to get all their attention is with hypnosis. “With 100% concentration of the mind power on the suggestion, there are no units of the mind power left. . . to be preoccupied with problems.” You are not asleep in hypnosis and most importantly – you are in control still. You will not do anything you do not want to do and you can come out hypnosis when ever you want.

The process of bringing someone into hypnosis is not magical or scary – it is very relaxing and simple. One just needs to be relaxed and open. When I hypnotize someone for the first time, I make sure they are completely comfortable by going through a mental whole body relaxation before I deepen them into a hypnotic state.

Now why do we want to be in a hypnotic state? Well, just think about what you accomplish using 10% of your mind. Now think about what you could accomplish using 100% of your mind! The purpose of hypnosis is to bring you a state where you can work on changing your mind to change you into a healthier person. You can use this to work on self-esteem issues, weight problems, addictions, fears, sadness, stress, success and much more. Many times you are working to take away negative thoughts and beliefs that you have built up over many years and replace them with positive thoughts and suggestions.

Your emotions and reactions to events and comments over time have shaped you. In fact, according to Fross, “Emotion concentrate the mind into a condition akin to, if not identical with, hypnosis. Hypnosis may be defined as a ‘super-concentration on the mind.’ Any idea introduced under emotional conditions will act with the force of a post-hypnotic suggestion.”

Think of all the times you have technically been hypnotized by your emotions either negatively or positively. You can see how powerful and deep concepts are that you have adopted through emotions and how just trying to think or rationalize these beliefs away (with a measly 10% of your mind) is near impossible! It takes years to do it this way. We need to use a tool just as powerful as these emotions to battle the negativity deeply ingrained in us – hypnosis or the use of 100% of our mind. Fight fire with fire and you definitely stand a better chance of conquering your fears, insecurities and failures!

Hypnosis is a powerful, useful tool that is in use in our society today by a few brave souls. We now know that this tool can be used, even on a daily basis, to improve our lives and the lives of others. Hypnosis is not magical or mystical and has nothing to do with religion or evil. It is our duty as the charter members of Hyp-Yoga to spread this message in our mainstream, western culture in order to make the lives of our friends and family more productive, powerful and positive.