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| Myths and Misconceptions about Hypnotherapy 
Hypnotherapy is the most effective method for changing the beliefs and behaviours that are preventing you from being how you wish to be. More and more people are becoming interested in using hypnotherapy and other 'alternative' methods as a tool for bringing about positive changes in their lives. Therefore anyone considering using hypnosis could, understandably, have various concerns. These could include such questions as: "Are there any side effects?" "Will I do things I don't want to do, or don't even know I'm doing?" And most importantly "Is it safe?"
These are perfectly reasonable questions that anyone would seek answers to.
The science of hypnosis, however, has an extra dimension for concern, because over many years it has been misrepresented by the media and entertainment industries. Introducing a character who commits a crime without even knowing he's doing it can add a dramatic twist to a police story or thriller on TV. Many of us have been to or seen stage shows on TV where people have been hypnotised to behave in ways that are, apparently, completely out of character. Perhaps surprisingly, the people you see on stage acting strangely are fully aware of what they are doing. When interviewed later they are very clear about this. What's more, they could stop at any time they choose to! So why are they doing it? Well, usually, simply because they're enjoying themselves and having a great time. An introverted person can make a complete fool of themselves and nobody thinks any the worse of them, because they were not ‘responsible’. It was the hypnotist's doing, so they say! Stage hypnosis no more than fun, for the audience and the participants both. Of course, when we are thinking about safety we don't need hard, measurable evidence to form an opinion. Just a suggestion that things don't always work out properly or that someone somewhere has encountered a problem because of an hypnotic experience is enough to cause us concern. So any evidence that anyone has suffered such an experience should be taken seriously. What do we find when we look for such evidence? Nothing. Not a thing! Myths about hypnosis abound. The events you see portrayed in fictional films and dramas are just that - fiction! Hypnosis is a totally natural state. So natural in fact, that all of us pass into hypnotic trance several times a day. We are still awake and conscious of our surroundings when under hypnosis, in fact many people experiencing hypnosis for the first time don't even realise they have been hypnotised. If anyone were to suggest to you while under hypnosis that you do anything you disagreed with, you would become completely and immediately aware of this, and you would respond accordingly with your own everyday convictions and moral code. If someone did suggest anything you were unhappy with, your subconscious would immediately reject any suggestions that went against your own intrinsic values and beliefs. The priority of your subconscious is to look after YOU. You can't hypnotise anyone who doesn't wish to be hypnotised; nor can you make anyone do anything they don't want to do. If anyone boasts that they are unhypnotisable that is nothing very special, simply because we permit ourselves to be hypnotised if we so wish. We are not just willing subjects, but active participants. You cannot leave your body, or your mind, or get 'stuck' in a trance. It is safe. I know that you will find hypnosis to be a pleasant and worthwhile experience. | |
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