Hypnosis is an effective coaching tool that allows you to have deeper lasting change. As a hypnotist I have no mystical, magical powers.
I am trained to help you build rapport with your subconscious mind in order for you to achieve specific goals.
Let’s look into the origin of hypnosis and some myths you may be familiar with.
Word origin from mythology
What does hypnosis mean in Greek mythology?
Hypnos the Greek God of sleep was the personification of sleep. He was also featured in ancient Roman mythology in the same capacity.
The Roman equivalent is known as Somnus. He had the ability to induce sleep in humans and in other gods.
Clinical definition of hypnosis
Hypnosis can be seen as ‘a waking state of awareness, (or consciousness), in which a person’s attention is detached from his or her immediate environment and is absorbed by inner experiences such as feelings, cognition and imagery. Hypnotic induction involves focusing of attention and imaginative involvement to the point where what is being imagined feels real. By the use and acceptance of suggestions, the clinician and patient construct a hypnotic reality.
Everyday ‘trance’ states are part of our common human experience, such as getting lost in a good book, driving down a familiar stretch of road with no conscious recollection, when in prayer or meditation, or when undertaking a monotonous or a creative activity.
Our conscious awareness of our surroundings versus an inner awareness is on a continuum, so that, when in these states, one’s focus is predominantly internal, but one does not necessarily lose all outer awareness.1
History of Hypnosis
The modern father of Hypnosis was an Austrian physician, Franz Mesmer (1734 – 1815), from whose name the word ‘mesmerism’ is derived. Though much maligned by the medical world of his day, Mesmer was nevertheless a brilliant man. He developed the theory of ‘animal magnetism’ – the idea that diseases are the result of blockages in the flow of magnetic forces in the body. He believed he could store his animal magnetism in baths of iron filings and transfer it to patients with rods or by ‘mesmeric passes’.
The mesmeric pass must surely go down in history as one of the most interesting, and undoubtedly the most long-winded, ways of putting someone into a trance. Mesmer would stand his subjects quite still while he swept his arms across their body, sometimes for hours on end. I suspect that this probably had the effect of boring patients into a trance, but it was certainly quite effective. Mesmer himself was very much a showman, conveying by his manner that something was going to happen to the patient. In itself this form of indirect suggestion was very powerful. Mesmer was also responsible for the popular image of the hypnotist as a man with magnetic eyes, a cape and goatee beard. His success fuelled jealousy among many of his colleagues and this eventually led to his public humiliation. looking back, it is quite incredible that hypnosis survived in these early years, because the medical world was so dead set against it.
Another pioneer of Hypnosis in Britain appeared in the mid-nineteenth century was James Braid (1795 – 1860). Primarily a Scottish eye doctor, he developed an interest in mesmerism quite by chance. One day, when he was late for an appointment, he found his patient in the waiting room staring into an old lamp, his eyes glazed. Fascinated, Braid gave the patient some commands, telling him to close his eyes and go to sleep. The patient complied and Braid’s interest grew. He discovered that getting a patient to fixate upon something was one of the most important components of putting them into a trance.
The swinging watch, which many people associate with hypnosis, was popular in the early days as an object of fixation. Following his discovery that it was not necessary to go through all the palaver of mesmeric passes, Braid published a book in which he proposed that the phenomenon now be called hypnotism.
Meanwhile, a British surgeon in India, James Esdaile (1808 – 1859), recognised the enormous benefits of hypnotism for pain relief and performed hundreds of major operations using hypnotism as his only anaesthetic. When he returned to England he tried to convince the medical establishment of his findings, but they laughed at him and declared that pain was character-building (although they were biased in favour of the new chemical anaesthetics, which they could control and, of course, charge more money for). So hypnosis became, and remains to this day, an ‘alternative’ form of medicine.
The French were also taking an interest in the subject of Hypnosis, and many breakthroughs were made by such men as Ambrose Liébeault (1823 – 1904), J.M. Charcot (1825 – 1893) and Charles Richet (1850 – 1935).
The work of another Frenchman, Emile Coué (1857 – 1926), was very interesting. He moved away from conventional approaches and pioneered the use of auto-suggestion. He is most famous for the phrase, ‘Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.’ His technique was one of affirmation and it has been championed in countless modern books.
A man of enormous compassion, Coué believed that he did not heal people himself but merely facilitated their own self-healing. He understood the importance of the subject’s participation in hypnosis, and was a forerunner of those modern practitioners who claim, ‘There is no such thing as hypnosis, only self-hypnosis.’ Perhaps his most famous idea was that the imagination is always more powerful than the will. For example, if you ask someone to walk across a plank of wood on the floor, they can usually do it without wobbling. However, if you tell them to close their eyes and imagine the plank is suspended between two buildings hundreds of feet above the ground, they will start to sway.
In a sense, Coué also anticipated the placebo effect – treatment of no intrinsic value the power of which lies in suggestion: patients are told that they are being given a drug that will cure them. Recent research on placebos is quite startling. In some cases statistics indicate that placebos can work better that many of modern medicine’s most popular drugs. It seems that while drugs are not always necessary for recovery from illness belief in recovery is!
Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) was also interested in hypnosis, initially using it extensively in his work. He eventually abandoned the practice – for several reasons, not least that he wasn’t very good at it! He favoured psychoanalysis, which involves the patient lying on a couch and the analyst doing a lot of listening.
Freud’s early rejection of Hypnosis delayed the development of hypnotherapy, turning the focus of psychology away from hypnosis and towards psychoanalysis. However, things picked up in 1930s in America with the publication of Clark Hull’s book, Hypnosis and Suggestibility.
In more recent times, the recognised leading authority on clinical hypnosis was Milton H. Erickson, MD (1901-1980), a remarkable man and a highly effective psychotherapist. As a teenager he was stricken with polio and paralysed, but he remobilized himself. It was while paralysed that he had an unusual opportunity to observe people, and he noticed that what people said and what they did were often very different. He became fascinated by human psychology and devised countless innovative and creative ways to heal people. He healed through metaphor, surprise, confusion and humour, as well as hypnosis. A master of ‘indirect hypnosis’, he was able to put a person into a trance without even mentioning the word hypnosis.
It is becoming more and more accepted that an understanding of Hypnosis is essential for the efficient practice of every type of psychotherapy. Erickson’s approach and its derivatives are without question the most effective techniques.
Over the years hypnosis has gained ground and respectability within the medical profession. Although hypnosis and medicine are not the same, they are now acknowledged as being related, and it is only a matter of time before hypnosis becomes a mainstream practice, as acceptable to the general public as a visit to the dentist.
Dispelling Misconceptions of Hypnosis
Most people are familiar with “stage hypnotists” who seem to have some magic power to make people instantly fall asleep or start clucking like a chicken. The reality is they have no special power but can identify individuals who are receptive to hypnosis and the suggestions given to them by the hypnotist performing.
Here are the top 10 myths about hypnosis and the facts that dispel them.
Myth #1: The Hypnotist will be able to control my mind.
Fact: No one can control your mind, unless you let them. Your Hypnotherapist will give you suggestions that you want to be given, based on the Pre-Hypnotic Interview. At no point during your session will you lose control of your mind. If you hear a suggestion that you don’t agree with, or don’t understand, your subconscious mind will automatically reject it.
Myth #2: I will be made to perform embarrassing acts, such as bark like a dog, or walk like a duck.
Fact: This assumption is based on Stage Hypnotism and Hollywood fiction. The truth is, these people volunteer to act on stage, and they allow themselves to participate in silly suggestions. Hypnotherapy is a serious process of self-improvement, not entertainment.
Myth #3: Hypnosis comes from “Black Magic” or is “Supernatural”.
Fact: Hypnosis is a natural state that has been studied scientifically. Hypnotherapists are not Psychics or Palm Readers with “special powers”. Hypnotherapy is based on many years of clinical research by famous Psychologists such as Dr. Sigmund Freud and Dr. Carl Jung, and more recently, by Dr. Milton Erikson and Dr. John Kappas.
Myth #4: If I become Hypnotized, I may not be able to snap out of it, or Hypnosis is Dangerous.
Fact: Hypnosis is very safe and is in fact, a state of hyper-awareness. Any time there is an emergency, a person would naturally be able to come out of the Hypnotic state by opening their eyes, and stretching or speaking.
Myth #5: I have never been in Hypnosis before.
Fact: Every person naturally enters a state of hypnosis at least twice everyday: just before falling asleep at night, and upon awaking every morning, before getting out of bed. Most people easily enter ‘Environmental Hypnosis’ while at the movies, watching TV, driving on the highway, or while reading a good book.
Myth #6: Hypnosis is a “Miracle Cure”.
Fact: While Hypnosis is a relatively quick method of making permanent improvements, there is no such thing as a one-time “Hypno-Miracle”! Every individual makes progress at his or her own rate. Be weary of those who make wild claims of overnight success.
Myth #7: Hypnosis is a great tool to get someone to “confess”.
Fact: Hypnotherapy sessions are kept private and cannot be used for court testimony. It is not an alternative to lie detector tests. Hypnosis cannot force anyone to “tell the truth” or to confess.
Myth #8: When Hypnotized, I will lose all sense of my surroundings, and will have no memory of the session.
Fact: hypnosis is not an unconscious state of sleep. In fact, most people report having a heightened sense of awareness, concentration and focus, and can even hear more acutely during a session.
Myth #9: Self-Hypnosis is safer, better, or more effective than going to a trained professional.
Fact: Self-Hypnosis can be detrimental when not taught by a trained professional, as a negative attitude or belief about oneself will be reinforced regardless of suggestions given. This can cause more stress and problems in the long run. Hypnotherapy directly accesses the subconscious mind, while Self-Hypnosis cannot.
Myth #10: I can’t be hypnotized because my mind is too strong/disciplined.
Fact: this is an archaic belief that has, in recent times, been proven untrue. It was thought, long ago, that only 50% of the population could be hypnotized. Over the last 30 years, Dr. John Kappas developed methods to induce hypnosis in 100% of the population. During your first session, we utilize Dr. Kappas’ methods, and will be able to determine what type of suggestibility you have, and hence, how to hypnotize you. Because it is your decision to use Hypnosis for self-improvement, your mind has already accepted the idea of Hypnotherapy.3
High Profile Individuals Who Have Had Success with Hypnosis
David Zelon, EVP at Mandalay Pictures, known for producing films such as “Never Back Down”, “Soul Surfer” and “Big George Foreman”, says during hypnosis he can visualize his goals playing out before they happen, which has helped him achieve them faster. He also finds he is more focused at work after sessions.4
Image credit5
“It was through hyperemesis that I really realized the power of the mind over the body because I really had to try everything and everything to try and help me through it.”
Kate immediately connected with hypnobirthing, which involves various relaxation and self-hypnosis techniques to help relax the body before and during labor and birth.6
Image credit7
When Tiger was 13 years old, his father decided to have a friend and military psychologist, Dr. Jay Brunza, hypnotize Tiger to help him to “be in the zone” allowing him to have his full concentration on what he is doing on the golf course. He was never distracted for his full attention was on his swing and hitting the ball perfectly.
Tiger used the power of self-hypnosis to visualize every swing and stroke in his mind before executing it. By quieting his mind, letting go of any anxiety and being hyper focused on what he was doing, he was able to become what many believe to be as the best golf player in the world.8
There are probably hundreds of other high profile people who would attest to the power of hypnosis and thousands of entrepreneurs who are ultra successful from this technique but not so famous.
Would you be ok being a rich superstar but not famous? 🤩
If your ready to unleash the superstar inside of you then schedule a call NOW!
- Williamson A. What is hypnosis and how might it work? Palliat Care. 2019 Jan 31;12:1178224219826581. doi: 10.1177/1178224219826581. PMID: 30728719; PMCID: PMC6357291.
↩︎ - A practictioner of Mesmerism using Animal Magnetism. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection ↩︎
- Starks, A, Starks, T. (2004, Sep 30).Hypnosis – Dispelling the Top Ten Myths. HMI College of Hypnotherapy. https://hypnosis.edu/articles/myths ↩︎
- Scipioni, J. (2019, Oct 4). Business leaders turning to hypnosis for performance help. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/04/business-leaders-turning-to-hypnosis-for-performance-help.html ↩︎
- Ian Jones, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons ↩︎
- Hill, E. (2020, Feb 15)People magazine. https://people.com/royals/kate-middleton-reveals-she-did-hypnobirthing-for-all-three-kids-and-quite-liked-labor/
↩︎ - Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons ↩︎
- Kellner-Zinck, S. (2013, July 25). Tiger Wood’s Secret to Success on The Golf Course: Hypnosis. Dawning Visions Hypnosis. https://dawningvisions.com/tiger-woods-secret-success-the-golf-course-hypnosis/
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