What is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is focused concentration with relaxation. It is a natural state we go in and out of several times a day. Most people are not aware of this true definition of hypnosis.

Examples of our natural hypnotic state include:

• Watching a movie and focusing so intensely that you are not distracted by external sensation
• Being at dinner, reaching for the salt and so engrossed in a friend’s story that you stop yourself in mid-reach
• Driving a car and day dreaming
• Reading a good book and not hearing the kids playing in the next room

Another word for theses states of being is trance, and the trance state varies in depth. Hypnosis is a word that has many negative connotations and yet it is a natural and totally safe opportunity to focus inward. A therapist can stimulate the trance state, but only with the individual’s agreement. If you are not in agreement with moving into a trance state, you will not get there. And you will only go as deep as you desire. No one can make you go there.

Alternative Labels for Hypnosis include:

• Guided Imagery
• Guided Meditation
• Deep Relaxation
• Visualization

As a Clinical Hypnotherapist, I help clients intensely focus inwardly while deeply relaxing. I believe that there is all you need to help you “be the best you,” within your own subconscious. The hypnotherapist can guide you in accessing your own power to heal from within.

Who is In Control in Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy?
Because your consent is the cornerstone of allowing yourself to go to this deep level, your trust in the hypnotherapist is extremely important. Without trust, your subconscious will block you from accessing important and often immediate transformational information.

Will I know What is Happening During Hypnosis?
There is a great misconception to hypnosis and that is while in a state of trance, you are unaware of what is going on. This is absolutely not true. Just like when watching an enthralling movie and you block out the phone, or the kids next door you may not consciously be aware of the possible distractions but if the kids came in the room with a bloody lip, you would immediately stop what you are doing. It is the same with being hypnotized. If the hypnotist asks you to do something that is out of alignment with your wishes, you will immediately be aware and can choose to comply or not.

Subconscious Mind
The subconscious mind has a natural protective ability.  For example, another hypnotherapist tells a story of before he became a hypnotherapist, he was going to a hypnotist and while in the deep trance state, she told him to update his look by shaving his beard and moustache and getting rid of his glasses. He was not in agreement with directive and suddenly was fully alert and told her that that was a wrong thing to do. I could not agree more! It IS wrong and unethical to direct clients where it was never their intention to go. Luckily your subconscious protector, sometimes called “the overseer” is always at work.

Will I Remember During Hypnosis?
Another misconception is that you won’t remember. Many times people will say “I wasn't hypnotized, I remember everything you said.” Unfortunately, there is no signifying bell that goes off telling you, “now you are hypnotized.” Most of the session will be remembered.

After a session with my clients, we do a review where I go over my notes of what happened and my assessment. By going over what occurred, most people then recall any missing details.  Sometimes information comes in so fast that remembering anything, without a review with your Hypnotherapist can be a blur.

Hypnosis helps with many issues such as:

• Stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Fears and Phobias
• Sleeplessness
• Grief and Bereavement
• Career Guidance
• Pain Management or Removal
• Enhancing Relationships
• Bring Out Latent Talents
• Reconnecting with Happiness
• Weight Loss

Is Hypnosis Safe?
Hypnosis is natural and completely safe. While some results may come in the first session, it may take several sessions depending upon how deep the pain and your ability to open yourself to the process and to the hypnotherapist. As long as you are able to trust your Hypnotherapist and your desire is in agreement with your deepest self, you WILL see results.

There is great healing available from within yourself, we all have it. You can access it yourself through meditation a good hypnotherapist is simply a vehicle to open this access to your highest self.

The more you are able to practice meditation on your own, the more you will be able to open up to the deeper parts of yourself and thus allowing the Hypnotherapist to take you to an even deeper place of self-healing. The access is within you and the healing comes from you.

Original Date Published:  Date Published:  April 27, 2011

From a counseling perspective, of course our past effects our current state of being. Those things in our lives that have traumatized us can create deep long lasting responses. Just as someone who has been abandoned by a loved one, this abandonment will rise up when a similar feeling occurs in the present moment.

For example, say as a young girl, Lisa’s father left her family or died. This may leave Lisa with a deep fear of abandonment. This fear and hurt if left unresolved will pop up in very negative ways for Lisa. Like if a friend calls to cancel a date, these old feelings may make Lisa overreact or become depressed. So to say the past effects us if left unresolved is accurate and profound.

Believe in Past Lives, or Not
No matter what your belief in past lives is you can still heal from Past Life Regression Therapy. Think of it this way: the subconscious mind, also known as your higher self, is always guiding you; whether you choose to listen or not is another issue. The subconscious can use imagination and metaphors to provide you with the answers you need to gather deeper understanding of yourself and your motives. So you can think of past life regression as just imagination. It doesn’t matter. By going with the imagination and just allowing thoughts and images to flow to you, amazing revelations can occur. These revelations can have lasting effect on your present and future state of being and how you operate.
While I personally have always believed in past lives, I use to think there was no use for those memories. Since working with clients and Past Life Regression, I realize the depth of healing that can occur from these memories. Just as, quite often the past experiences (this life or others) effect our current, deep healing occurs by acknowledging the past.

Creative Imagination in Past Life Regression
Past life memories can also be thought of as creative imagination, your subconscious ability to bring up issues and create metaphors for growth and healing. Just like dreams can be metaphor, or other types, allowing your subconscious to speak to you give opportunity for growth.

Your subconscious is your true self, your highest self, your Soul Self. You can tap into your subconscious on your own by meditating, praying, listening inwardly, and hypnosis (the deep state of relaxation and focused concentration). Practice helps. You can access healing much more quickly with practice.

I respect all points of view. For my clients, it doesn't matter if they believe it to be real, what does matter, is that healing and change occurs in this life and moving ahead. This takes being open to the experience, even if it is viewed as just imagination.

Don’t get caught up on words and semantics, just evaluate from the standpoint of "Am I behaving and feeling different, better, than I was before the session?"

Altruism is defined by Merriam Webster as an unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others. But this definition is not complete for me. I like the definition that the Dalai Lama offers.

"Altruism has two aspects. Loving others does not mean that we should forget ourselves. When I say that we should be compassionate, this does not mean helping others at the expense of ourselves. Not at all. Sometimes I say that the [God/Source/Buddhas] are the most selfish of all. Why? Because by cultivating altruism they achieve ultimate happiness.

We, in our selfishness, are very foolish and narrow-minded. All we do is create more suffering for ourselves. The selfishness of the [God/Source/Buddhas] is functional and efficient (regarding altruistic behavior). It allows them not only to achieve awakening, but also the capacity to help others. That is really worthwhile. For me, this proves that to create maximum happiness for oneself, one needs to develop compassion, this is Buddhist logic. If compassion induced misery, then it would be questionable. Why practice something that brings us more trouble? But that is certainly not the case with compassion.

Just imagine if we all lived with NO compassion, thinking only of ourselves. We would suffer greatly. The more you think of others, the happier you are." Dalai Lama

We must not forget ourselves in cultivating altruistic behavior. In our compassion and assisting others we are still allowed to set boundaries and allow or disallow how we are treated. Our compassion can and does exist separate from behavior we allow as acceptable from others.

For example, I was in a situation with a co-worker recently and I was altruistically offering my time, assistance and ear on a personal level when the co-worker's behavior turned provocative and unacceptable to me. I was not judging him; however, in discernment of the situation it made me uncomfortable thus unacceptable. In a firm manner, I set the boundary that the behavior was not appropriate and recognize that his desire of my time and attention had ulterior motives. With this new understanding I was able to back away from a desire to help him without guilt. Yes, I still have unconditional love for him as Soul learning his own lessons in life. I have no anger or judgment; however, nor will I place myself in a situation where I assist him again. That is the balance.

Altruism is a key to developing happiness; however, it must be done with just as much love, care and concern for self and boundaries as we offer others. Then giving freely of self is a beautiful experience. Again in the words of the Dalai Lama "Loving others does not mean that we should forget ourselves." Altruism should not create negative circumstance.

Wishing you ultimate happiness via cultivating altruism full of self love!