Below you will find some various Questions and Answers that I have received and responded to from clients. If you have a question about hypnotism or anything on this site, send me an email at diane.emira@hypnochoice.com
Question: from J.C.– Salt Lake City, UT
Diane,
I always thought hypnosis was a fascinating subject and every now and then I think about going under to see what's stuck in my brain. So I wanted to ask your thoughts on the whole subject.
The only time I saw a hypnotist was at one of those performances at the Murray Theater. I'm not really sure if I totally believe those shows where people are talked into acting like bears, or balancing huge weights on there chests, I think it's just all for show.
I always wonder about the movie 'Stir of Echoes' though. Would you say that there are people who are more susceptible to hypnosis than others? And if so, why?
Anyway, I know it's been quite some time sine we've spoken, and these questions kinda come out from left field and all, but any light you can shed on the subject would be helpful ;)
Answer: I am so happy that you have reached out to me on this subject. I will start by talking a little bit about what hypnosis is and is not.
First off, what we term hypnosis is a natural state of mind. In fact, most people experience the state of hypnosis every day. Our brain is an electrochemical organ and as such, it goes through many different stages each day. These stages, or electrical activity emanating from the brain, can be displayed in the form of brainwaves; beta, alpha, theta, delta.
The beta stage could be considered the waking state. This is where we are when we are actively engaged in mental activity.
The next stage is alpha. When in alpha, a person could be sitting reading a book, walking in a garden, or just simply doing a task that does not require much active thinking. Meditation can also happen in the alpha state. It is simply a relaxed, reflecting state of mind.
Next is theta. Theta is the state one would be in when daydreaming and it is also the state where ‘waking hypnosis occurs’. A person could even be in this state of mind and be operating a vehicle, thus the term, ‘Highway Hypnosis’, when you find yourself spacing out and missing your exit or suddenly realizing that you haven’t really been paying full conscious awareness to the surroundings. In most cases, you are still perfectly safe and unharmed because our subconscious and conscious minds are always working to protect us and would alert us of harm at any time (like the saying, ‘snapping out of it’).
The theta state is typically a very positive state of mind and often we get great insights and ideas when our minds are in this place of relaxation and free-flowing thought, not a state of forced thinking.
Finally we have delta. Delta is the deep, sleep state. The state when you are in deep, dreamless sleep.
We all cycle through the various states throughout the day and night and it is even possible to experience all at once, where different parts of our mind is working on separate tasks, yet one is usually more predominant in a given time.
So, ‘Hypnosis’ can occur in the Alpha, Theta and even Delta states. As to your question as to whether or not some people are more susceptible to hypnosis or not, the answer is yes. First of all, 90% of the population is hypnotizable. The difference is that some may be more easily able to reach the deeper levels of the hypnotic states or trance states than others. This does not mean that a person who can only be hypnotized to the Alpha state has any less chance of benefiting from hypnosis because the trance level is not the determining factor in how much benefit one can gain from utilizing hypnosis.
The determining factor of whether or not someone gets the most benefit out of their hypnotic experience is based on the individual themselves and how willing they are to accept the suggestions received while in the hypnotic state. Also, please note that no one in the hypnotic state will do anything that goes against their morals or belief system.
The incredible thing about hypnosis is that just as in waking consciousness, we always have choice. We can choose whether or not we accept the suggestion to stop smoking, for example, or to not. The trick is that when in the hypnotic state, our conscious thinking has taken a back seat so the critical thinking and ego are not part of the decision making process. As such, our subconscious mind has the ability to more easily make decisions because all of the chatter and noise has been silenced for the time being.
So, if we look at stage hypnosis, the interesting factor here is that ultimately the people performing the ‘tasks’ on stage are really doing so because their subconscious mind has accepted the given suggestion. Does this mean that they have been tricked into these acts? No. The reason the answer is no is because although the subconscious mind is in this instance the one in control, the conscious mind is always present and can at ANY TIME take back control. All it really means is that the person acting like a chicken on stage has allowed themselves to do so with the blessings of their conscious mind, under the auspices of the subconscious. It may be easier for them to do this knowing that they can use the excuse of being ‘hypnotized’ but truly, it is something that they choose to accept to do.
I think that it is interesting that you brought up the movie, ‘Stir of Echoes’. The thing about this movie is that they used a hypnotic suggestion that he would be “more open” and what that did was allow his mind to more freely open to his already present gift of spirit communication. In this case, it wasn’t that the hypnosis caused the phenomenon it was that the hypnosis just opened the doors for it to be more present in his life.
On this topic, I will say a few things. I have found, personally and also with the people that I have worked with, that once we open the doors to our subconscious mind, many life changing things begin to happen. Even to the extent that our natural abilities and gifts become more apparent to us and others. We of course have the choice to be more receptive to these gifts and of how to use them in our lives. As we all have ‘psychic’ abilities, sometimes these senses are also heightened once we have accessed them through the use of the hypnotic states.
I also believe and can attest to the fact that the subconscious is the avenue to the soul. From this place, our soul memories and knowledge can be accessed. It is also the place where we can go to communicate with not only our spirit but also what I will term ‘spirit guides’ and angels, as well as our higher self consciousness.
It is from this place of higher consciousness that I work with my clients, always taking into account that we are not alone in our journeys and that we always have assistance and guidance from this higher realm. I could go on and on about the amazing experiences that I have had personally and those of clients that I work with. Ultimately, I would like to invite you to experience it for yourself. If this is something that you find intriguing and would like to pursue, let me know and we can work this out. And, I would be honored to work with you and your higher self in this manner.
I hope that I have answered some if not all of your questions and would be happy to discuss further any of the things that I have covered here or any other inquiries you may have about hypnosis and the hypnotic experience. I realize that I have just written an entire article to answer your simple questions, yet I feel that there is still so much more that I can say on the matter.
Hypnosis is one of the most fascinating tools that I know of which can be used and applied to literally every single part of our lives (past, present, future) for nearly everything.
Give me a call if you are interested in having your own hypnotic experience.
Diane
(801) 604-6627