www.theblisspages.com - now look into my eyes...
www.theblisspages.com - now look into my eyes...Links on this page: the myth : the aim : previous experiences of hypnotherapy : the reality : what is it like? : i've half a mind to listen : but enough of theory : what next
I went to a Hypnosis Day on 3 July 2004 in Preston Park at the Isis School of Integrated Hypnotherapy.
I received Hypnotherapy eighteen years ago and found it very helpful and powerful.
Hypnosis is a way of accessing the inner resources of your unconscious mind.
A lot of people are put off hypnosis by the stage- and stage-managed hypnosis show, where people run round pretending to be chickens and such like. You can see from shows like Big Brother, that this is more to do with the people selected from the audience than any mystical force. I see hypnosis as akin to guided meditation - the difference is mainly in intent, in that you are aiming to allow the subject to change - their behaviour or even their bodies.
I went to a Hypnosis Day on 3 July 2004 in Preston Park at the Isis School of Integrated Hypnotherapy.
The aim of the day was to:
The course notes include some easy-to-use scripts.
For more information, see The Isis Centre.
I received Hypnotherapy eighteen years ago after the failure of my first marriage, when I was at a very low ebb, and found it very helpful and powerful.
Before one of my sessions, I mentioned that I rarely remembered my dreams, and asked for a post-hypnotic suggestion that I would remember them clearly. This was successful beyond my wildest ... umm ... dreams. They were so clear that I had trouble distinguishing dream from reality, and when I dreamed that a friend had died, I was really freaked out when I next saw them! The dreams settled down after a few weeks (and a further post-hypnotic suggestion that I wouldn't remember them too clearly).
The course was held in Garton House, near London Rd Station, and right next to Preston Park , which we visited during our lunch break, but of that, more anon.
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I knew one of the course tutors, Christopher, from Salsa dancing, but had not met his partner, Christina, before. Christina is the principal and a co-founder of the Centre.
After coffee and biscuits, we started with a brief introduction about the aims of the course. Learning hypnosis in a day is obviously a very ambitious undertaking, so Christina explained there would be an emphasis on experiential learning, with a minimum of theory.
We next spent a couple of minutes talking to the person sitting next to us, and I had an enjoyable conversation with Katie, as we swapped life stories and experiences of hypnotherapy. An opportunity to find out about the other participants was lost though. I would have liked to know who they were, why they were there and what their interests were.
The lecturing was predominantly one-way - probably inevitable given the short time-frame - but still a shame, as I'm sure others would have had valuable insights.
Christina and Christopher alternated, and Christopher explained how hypnosis felt like daydreaming, how you could hear everything when you're 'under', how time can seem distorted, so a thirty-minute session could seem like ten, and how relaxing hypnosis is, when the body can totally relax.
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In fact, we don't even use half our minds. Nine-tenths of our memories are not in our conscious mind, but in our subconscious, and are mainly submerged to protect ourselves from the minutiae of our everyday lives.
Can you imagine if you could remember everything?
Memories of cleaning your teeth, emptying the trash and dusting, thousands or tens of thousands of times... Yet it's all in there somewhere. Meet an old friend, swap stories and they all come flooding back. "Remember the yellow dish we got out of the fridge that day, and Alma said..." it's all there, waiting.
But it's not just memories in the subconscious, but processing power. All the time, awake or asleep, our mind is sifting, sorting, making connections.
Christopher then led us in a guided meditation, or group relaxation session, or hypnosis. Yes, we were in a meditative state, the group was relaxed, and yes, we were in a state of hypnosis. We could have moved if we wanted to - we just didn't want to.
We then looked at the sample hypnotherapy scripts.
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First was the Induction, which enables the subject to get into a deeply relaxed and receptive state.
Next was the Post Hypnotic suggestion. This is where it can be suggested you may wish to stop smoking, eating, or whatever you hope to accomplish during the therapy.
Lastly is the awakening script. Don't worry - even without this you would wake up in your own time, perhaps after a short sleep.
Lots of techniques are important here. You need to establish rapport with your subject, being aware of both your and their body language. You need to find an appropriate tone, timbre and volume for your voice, and vary your approach as they move between the different states of consciousness.
I found this fascinating, and enjoyed both the giving and receiving.
All too soon it was lunchtime, and we went to The Rotunda in Preston Park.
We ordered, and waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually we had to get a refund, then raced to the local deli', where I ordered a BLT baguette and Danish pastry with strawberries. Sidling in late, I sneaked down my lunch - if I don't eat when I need to, I get very ratty, especially since I became diabetic.
After lunch, we had some more discussions and another chance to experience both sides of the hypnotic fence, as it were.
Finally, we had some discussions on how we could take the hypnotherapy further, if we should so want.
I am very tempted, and would love to find out more, but realism intervened. I'm planning to divorce soon, which will take a lot of time and energy. I am about to move (I hope), with all the redecorating and disruption that involves. I'm also in a full-time job, and have three young children, who I want and need to give a lot of time too. Oh yes, and a demanding website! And far too many hobbies ... Salsa dancing, yoga, the reading group, wine tasting, but I'm sure you've already read all about them already...
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: © Mike Bliss 2011