What is Hypnosis/NLP?

Hypnosis happens to each of us during normal day to da activities. Daydreaming in one instance and the twilight feeling before drifting into sleep is another.

Perhaps you’ve driven in a car while preoccupied with one thing or another, and after a few minutes look up and feel surprised about how far you’ve driven. You can’t recall the last several miles at all. You were daydreaming or in a state of “freeway hypnosis”.

The state of the most profound hypnosis is when you are drifting off to sleep but not quite asleep. Sometimes this is referred to as being “half asleep” Perhaps you can recall being in this twilight state when the telephone rang or someone called you. You may have been vaguely aware of the disruption in the background but still half asleep. This is what you can expect to experience when you go to a hypnotherapist.

Hypnosis doesn’t have any particular feeling to it. It is simply a state of deep relaxation. Some people feel profoundly relaxed. They may feel in a deep day dreamy state and lose awareness of their environment to some degree. Some people feel like their limbs are very heavy or very light. Others visualize more vividly than when they’re in normal waking state.

In a trance, you may be totally aware of what is being said. A prominent hypnotist, Hildegard, refers to this awareness as the “hidden observer.”

To illustrate: under hypnosis you might receive this suggestion, “your eyes are shut tight and you can’t or won’t open them. It’s as if they are glued together.” Because of your receptive nature in a trance, you want to believe this. The part of your mind that controls the opening and closing of your eyes cooperates with the suggestion. The result: your eyes respond as if glue is holding them together. At the same time, the “hidden observer” might notice what is happening. You might find yourself saying to yourself “wow, I’ can’t believe I can’t open my eyes.”

Is this blind obedience? And is there danger in it? While individual judgment may be temporarily suspended, it is not banished from existence. Imagine, for example, the part of you that knows how to drive a car. While you are engaged in some other activity, such as reading or watching TV, is the part of you that knows how to drive erased? Of course not. When you need to call upon your driving capabilities, they automatically come forth. By the same token, if there was danger such as a fire or some other need for judgment, a natural survival mechanism would bring the person out of hypnosis fully capable of responding.

Can anyone be hypnotized?

Yes. Because it is a normal state, anyone can experience trance. Those with an analytical mind, or a hyperactive mind may need a special advanced technique in order to help them achieve hypnosis. This is where the Ericksonian, NLP, and Dave Elman techniques help. As your therapist, I use whatever method is necessary for you to experience hypnosis.

What is NLP?

Neuro -Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a therapeutic process which enables you to break old patterns and generate unlimited potential using language patterns, posture, breathing, specific exercises, awareness and communication skills. It is a useful model of beliefs and techniques that offer a way to use the mind and body to achieve excellence in learning, business, counseling, relationships, sports and other experiences of life.