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Healing
the Heart: by Cathy MacArthur, Mht, RHN Hypnosis is a deep state of relaxation and heightened awareness, similar to daydreaming or meditation. In this state of total relaxation, the subconscious mind opens up to receive helpful and beneficial suggestions. When a hypnotherapist uses the trance process, the critical faculty and the ego are bypassed, which makes accepting suggestions easier. Repeating the suggestions during each session, and with multiple sessions allows the newly incorporated changes to become permanent. Although the hypnotic technique allows the hypnotist to bypass the conscious mind, it does not mean the client is incapable of rejecting one or more suggestions if they do not fit with the client's belief system. No one can make you do something you do not want to do while in hypnosis. Likewise, you will not do or say something in hypnosis that you would not say out of hypnosis. Hypnosis is actually a very common state of being. Throughout the day our minds go in and out of the "alpha level" of consciousness, which is that point right before we fall asleep. Whenever you "zone out" while driving your car or get mesmerized by the television set or get "lost in space" in a deep daydream while washing the dishes, you are in a state very close to hypnosis. Patients in surgery and under anesthesia are highly suggestible to the comments going on in the operating room. In actuality, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. While in hypnosis, clients allow their own inner minds to make changes, based on the suggestions provided by the hypnotherapist. Therapists and clients agree to the particular courses of action during the pre-talk. Therefore, hypnosis is actually a "team effort." The success of "the team" depends on the cooperation and trust between the partners. The subconscious mind can not differentiate between fact and fiction. It relies on the conscious mind for that ability. Within my work with hypnosis, I spend a great deal of time explaining how truly powerful our subconscious mind really is. Within it, all the memories of everything that ever happened in our lives, everything we ever thought and all our ideas and creations are stored. The subconscious is all knowing and is available to assist us at all times if we but ask. However, the subconscious, having no ego or critical faculty, relies on the conscious mind to direct what is to be manifested. We can unknowingly set ourselves up for failure by thinking negative thoughts. Because the subconscious mind cannot tell good thought from bad thought it will set about manifesting what we are thinking and believing. For example, if your desire is to find a more fulfilling job but you have thoughts such as: "I'll probably never find a better job than this one," or "Job hunting is not my strong forte;" then your subconscious mind can only manifest your negative beliefs and not your desire. Therefore, it is vital to think positive thoughts and imagine positive situations for yourself in order for your subconscious mind to manifest your desires. This process can be used in every area of life in order to fulfill your dreams and desires. Cathy MacArthur is a Hypnotherapist and can be reached at 902-394-3885 |