When I tell people I am a Hypnotherapist, reactions are varied.  Many conjure up visions of the old stage hypnotist who makes willing victims act silly by making them cluck like a dog and bark like a hen.  Others tell me they "don’t believe in hypnosis," or "they can’t be hypnotized," or that hypnosis is somehow linked with the Occult, or whatever.  There is a misconception among the general public as to what this powerful healing modality, is in fact, all about.

In order to explain what Hypnotherapy is, it is crucial to understand how your mind works.  True, most of us don’t spend a lot of time consciously thinking about how intricate the mind is, but for now, let's simplify the matter and just say we really have three very separate and very distinct minds.  They do different things and at times have a hard time inter relating with each other. 

The conscious mind is the state you are in as you read this article and somewhere just below this level of conscious awareness,  we have something called the subconscious mind.  There is also a very intricate and highly complex communication of what Dr. Chopra calls the body mind, or the unconscious, or superconscious part of the mind.  But for now, we’ll focus on the conscious and subconscious minds.

… most of us don’t spend a lot of time consciously thinking about how intricate the mind is …

The second function of the conscious mind is the rational part that sometimes get us into trouble.  This is the part of us that must give us a reason why we do the things we do.  Without a reason for why we behave in a particular fashion, we can become anxious, nervous, frustrated and mentally imbalanced.  It’s a fact that mental hospitals are filled with people who do things and don’t know why they do them!

Willpower is the third part of the conscious mind and its effect is rather like the adrenal glands, a little adrenaline kicks in when we need it fast, but this tiny endocrine system cannot produce high levels of adrenaline over a long period of time.  Likewise, willpower is a short-term fix and we just can’t rely on it to permanently change our behaviors.

The last part of the conscious mind is what we call the temporary, or the working memory; the memory we need just to get through an average day … "what’s my PIN number at the bank?" … "what’s my girlfriend’s name?" … "what’s my computer password?"  and so on.

The conscious mind is where we spend most of our time.

For example, if that subconscious computer of ours, based on its programming, says we’re fat, then we’re fat!  And if it says we’re thin or a smoker, or a success or a failure, that is what we are.  It adds up all the programming then makes a decision about us, and the type of person that we are. Our operational software is our memory from the time we were born.  It is as if our subconscious mind records our life like a video camera.  You never forget anything on a subconscious level.  Try to consciously remember this!

The inner subconscious mind controls habits; good, bad, or utilitarian.  The subconscious also holds emotion and protects us from danger, whether it be real OR imagined. Most importantly, the lazy subconscious level, also the most negative part of us and doesn’t like to do the work required to accept positive suggestions to give us the chance to change in areas we would like to change.  It likes to keep things the way they are and change takes too much work.

Finally, we can begin to understand what hypnotherapy can do for us.  In the hands of a skilled and certified hypnotherapist, you are enabled during an extremely alert state of mind, not sleep, to redirect or alter behaviors.  Using the therapist as a guide, hypnosis can break through the critical barrier of the conscious mind and provide positive suggestions accepted by the subconscious mind.

Smokers stop smoking.  Overeaters stop overeating.  Fears and phobias dissolve.  Chronic pain is managed and controlled while unhealthy habits come to a halt.  Confidence returns, and the overall quality of living improves with an added dimension of self acceptance.  All this because of the simple power of suggestion.  The mind, it’s a wonderful thing. 

Lois Prinz is a Certified Hypnotherapist and Designated Trainer and Examiner for the National Guild of Hypnotists.  Lois also practices the Thought Field Therapies of Neurolinguistic Psychology and Emotional Self Management with EFT.  She can be reached at 505-292-2237.