What is Hypnosis

Hypnosis suffers from many myths and misconceptions. For instance, who hasnt heard the stories of people under hypnosis being forced to act like a chicken? However, hypnosis is actually a natural state that we move in and out of many times a day.

Have you ever driven somewhere only to arrive with no memory of parts of the trip? Or how about sitting in a lecture and realizing that you stopped paying attention to the speaker because you were daydreaming. At times like these, your conscious mind becomes engrossed in other things but your unconscious mind still keeps active.

This is known as natural trance and happens to all of us. Research shows that the left side of our brain, the rational, analytical side, tends to operate in 90-120 minute blocks. After this length of time we find ourselves daydreaming or lacking concentration. This is simply our brain taking a short break, refreshing itself. When this happens, the creative, less analytical, side of the brain takes over. Hypnosis mirrors this process by tapping into the creative part of the brain to make lasting changes.

Rather than losing control during hypnosis, most people simply end up feeling very comfortable and relaxed. During this relaxed state, a person suspends critical judgment but the subconscious mind remains alert. This allows access to the subconscious mind which is receptive to suggestion. However, you cant be forced to do anything you dont want to do. Rather, hypnosis can be used to allow a persons conscious and subconscious minds to believe in the same positive message.

It is important to note that the root cause of most physical and emotional problems is in the subconscious mind. These negative beliefs are formed from past experiences, often ones that are outside conscious memory or awareness. Hypnosis is a way of accessing and releasing that information and the accompanying emotional distress. Because hypnosis accesses the subconscious mind, it can also be used to enhance personal capabilities and performance. Hypnosis has been used successfully for a wide range of applications including improved memory and creativity, stopping unwanted habits, and controlling stress and anxiety.

Hypnosis and Creativity

True creativity seems to happen by itself because it is a product of the unconscious mind. In fact, the harder you consciously try to be creative, the poorer your creative problem solving skills become. The problem is made worse by self-limiting beliefs (Ill never come up with a good idea) and the tendency to analyse and reject any ideas too quickly.

Hypnosis can help bypass these barriers that exist at the conscious level and let your unconscious mind come up with the sorts of ideas, solutions and innovations that it is so good at.

It is also important that you are relaxed to be creative. In fact, you are most creative when you are asleep when you dream. Hypnosis allows you to enter this relaxed dream-like state on demand.

It used to be that the only way to experience hypnosis was to be hypnotized in a clinical setting. Now, a number of good hypnosis CDs exist that allow you to get the benefits of hypnosis in the comfort of your home. Using a combination of relaxation techniques, visualisation exercises and positive affirmations, these CDs can boost your creative problem solving abilities in many aspects of your life.