Going into hypnosis feels similar to how you feel falling off to sleep at night when you are tired. We all go into hypnotic states just before sleep and are in hypnosis when we first wake up.
Your eyes tend to feel drowsy, your head, chest, arms, and/or legs may feel heavy, but pleasantly so. Yet, the experience can vary from one individual to the next, as some report having felt instead a lightness or buoyancy in their body.
Your breathing tends to slow down and deepen.
Your body gets more relaxed as your muscles get loose; you can still talk and move your body, but most people prefer to be quiet and still. But if asked questions during hypnosis, you can easily respond.
Your conscious mind tends to drift back and forth during hypnosis. You may be listening attentively at first, and then only hear me talking in the background since you no longer pay attention as you allow your conscious awareness to float or go elsewhere.
This is exactly what we want to happen since in this state your subconscious becomes directly accessible and highly suggestible to the ideas being presented.
Colours and imagery may appear more vivid. Memories, perhaps long forgotten, maybe recalled. The experience of time may slow down or speed up (time distortion).
Nearly everyone says how relaxed, calm and clear they feel at the end of the session.
Our minds work on two levels – the conscious and the unconscious. We make decisions, think, and act with our conscious minds. The unconscious mind controls our habits. In the relaxed state known as hypnosis, we can communicate directly with the unconscious mind. This is why it is so quick and easy to change the habits of a lifetime with hypnosis.
We believe that everyone has the capacity to be hypnotised and it’s the trust and rapport between you and the therapist that will provide the outcomes you are seeking. Yet many people wonder whether they can be hypnotised.
They’ve read about its benefits, know people who have been successful with hypnotherapy, and are eager to try it themselves. Yet, they are concerned that maybe they won’t “go under”. While there are various levels of depth, so that some people can achieve greater depth than others, or go under more quickly and easily, virtually everyone can be hypnotized if they want to be.
The truth is that all day, every day we all go in and out of a hypnotic state. Have you ever “zoned out” in a boring meeting until someone mentions your name? Or “drifted off “at a traffic light until you hear a horn honking you to attention? Or listened for a weather report only to have forgotten to hear the temperature forecast?
It is important to understand the difference between stage hypnosis, performed for entertainment at a club or party, and clinical hypnosis, induced in a professional and private setting for therapeutic benefit.
Stage hypnosis is a form of entertainment that typically seeks to amuse an audience by directing willing participants to engage in sometimes silly behavior or stunts under the direction of a stage hypnotist. Frequently, the subjects have been drinking, and eagerly volunteer to be part of the show as a way to ham it up in front of others.
Clinical hypnosis (hypnotherapy) is the use of hypnosis for its therapeutic value. Clinical hypnotherapists require over 900 hours of training and over 500 hours of supervised case studies to be recognised by the Australian Hypnotherapy Association.
Myths about hypnosis
Hypnosis can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.
You are always in control.
Hypnosis allows you to focus on what you WANT to change … hypnosis makes it easier to achieve what you want to achieve
Hypnosis can’t make you want to change aspects of your life that you don’t want to change.
In hypnosis you are not asleep. You are deeply relaxed and will feel refreshed and revitalized at the end of a session. According to the American School of Hypnosis, 20-30 minutes of hypnosis is equivalent to 4 hours of sound sleep.
Everyone with an Average IQ can be successful in using Bayside Healthy Living Programs. And since all sessions are custom tailored to your individual needs, it works for almost anyone.
You will be relieved and excited to notice the goals that we set at the commencement of your Healthy Living Programs have been met with ease. There is no turning back; these are your new healthy living defaults.
This system is based on the most advanced hypnosis, NLP and neuroscience available. These systems are completely safe. You are aware and in control at every moment and can terminate the session at any time. You cannot get stuck in hypnosis or NLP. You can’t be made to do something against your will! Your sessions are safe, relaxing, and enjoyable experiences. It’s like a peaceful, guided daydream.
We use a combination of hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) which can make it easier for you to achieve your goal of being a non-smoker. NLP is a simple and powerful way to turn off habits in your brain to achieve the desired goals that you are striving for.
At least half of our successful Quit Smoking clients have tried hypnosis with other therapists in the past. Many of them were told or believe ‘I can’t be hypnotised’. Anyone who can follow instructions, with an average IQ, can be hypnotised and it’s the role of the hypnotherapist to adapt their style to fit your needs. For example highly analytical minds require powerful techniques to easily experience hypnosis.
If for any reason the therapist doesn’t believe you are truly ready to make the healthy living changes or that our approach will help you achieve your goal we will advise you of this before the hypnosis begins. We will discuss an action plan to assist you to achieve your goal.
