Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy

Recognizing and changing subconscious behaviors, thoughts and habits has become more and more popular, as people begin to realize that they have literally picked up things, which don’t really serve them. However, the quest to changing those patterns is not easy and especially if that relates to hard-wired behaviors, emotions and thoughts.

Nevertheless, the change is best induced in the proper state of mind, one that has nothing to do with your belief about situations, people, or even your own inner biology. Hypnotherapy has gained a lot of traction as a way for a person to tap into their subconscious programs… and change them!

In this article, we’re going to give you some insight on hypnosis, hypnotherapy and how you can use it for your own greater good.

What Is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a technique which helps you enter an altered state of mind, where you can direct your attention to specific goals or toxic thoughts and beliefs that you hold within. Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis isn’t woo-woo magic but rather a scientifically proven method for psychological intervention.

With the right approach, a hypnotherapist can help you understand yourself to a deeper extent, in what appears to be a deep meditative state. The best thing? You are actually conscious throughout the entire process meaning that you are in control.

Hypnosis & The Conscious State

Wait, what? You are actually conscious and in control during hypnosis? Aren’t you supposed to be borderline asleep? Well, not really! These are just some of the commonly asked questions so allow us to further clarify for you, what the difference is between the hypnotic-conscious & normal-conscious states.

The MAIN difference is your brain activity – In hypnosis, the brain is tuned to different brainwave frequencies, thus entering a more playful state of mind, that does not follow the main thought & emotional sequence. This state of mind gives you easy access to the subconscious and therefore allows you to more easily change thought, emotional and behavioral patterns.

What Can Hypnosis Do For You?

If you know a thing or two about the brain, you probably know that the majority of your wake time is governed by the subconscious. On there, you have a recorded version of what appears to be a reasonable picture about the world in all of its aspects, as well as your regular habits.

That story and all of its scenes are strongly supported by your beliefs about them. Hypnosis can practically tap into any existing beliefs and help you change those for the better.

For instance, through hypnotherapy, you can do the following:

1. Quit smoking
2. Quit alcohol
3. Overcome fears
4. Overcome phobias
5. Overcome anxiety
6. Develop discipline/motivation

Those are just a part of the things you can do with a hypnotherapist but before you rush into it, let’s discuss why that ACTUALLY happens.

The Different Modes Of The Brain

As we mentioned, in hypnosis, the brain works on different brainwave frequencies, each of which is associated with a certain state. These so called “modes” of the brain, change throughout the day and generally follow a cycle.

Let’s have a look.

Beta Brainwaves

These brainwaves are of the highest frequency and the brain is tuned to them during your wake life, as this mode makes you more alert of the environment. Think of beta as the brainwaves on which you think and do tasks in your wake life.

Alpha Brainwaves

The alpha brainwaves represent a more mellow state and you usually tap into those in the process of falling asleep. Think of alpha as the brainwaves on which you reach a more relaxed, day-dreaming state. This state is the primary goal of a hypnotherapy session, as well as meditation.

Theta Brainwaves

This third type of brainwave is of a very low frequency, where you reach a very deep, unconscious meditative state. In theta you’re usually past the conscious point and up into sleep, which is why working in those frequencies with a hypnotherapist is probably suboptimal.

Delta Brainwaves

Finally, delta brainwaves are of the lowest frequency and represent a full-blown state of deep sleep. This is a totally unconscious state, where you are in your deepest recovery, which is why it is not applicable during hypnosis.

Take-Home message

There are a number of rumors about hypnosis – Some people say that hypnotherapists can instill in their patients things against their will, but the truth is that hypnosis only works with states you can naturally tap into, while being conscious. Think of hypnosis as a playful, day-dreaming state that can help you neutrally analyze and change behaviors, thoughts and emotions.

This is perhaps one of the best approaches when you want to change hard-wired beliefs and emotions that are no longer serving you well. Have you tried hypnosis and if yes, what was your experience? Share with us in the comment section below!