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Hypnosis was accepted by the AMA in 1958 as a viable approach for treating anxiety and stress related symptoms. But does it really work? What should a person consider critical when looking for a hypnotherapist, or purchasing hypnotherapy tapes?

There are many different hypnotic methodologies that are used to reach the unconscious mind to invoke change. Each method has its strengths and its weaknesses. Every person is different, so it only stands to reason that the best results will be obtained by utilizing the techniques that each individual will react favorably to.

Most companies that sell hypnosis CD's and tapes offer products that consist of standard traditional hypnotic methods. A few hypnosis vendors offer much more up-to-the-minute and effective Ericksonian hypnosis techniques. And fewer still offer Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques.

The most powerful method is video hypnosis. Video hypnosis utilizes the latest Neuro-Linguistic Programming thought processes to produce instant changes in a hypnotic subject. Video hypnosis techniques are not subliminal in nature.

With "Traditional Hypnosis," we simply make direct commands to the unconscious mind mind. In case you are wondering, as far as I'm concerned, the term unconscious and subconscious are equivalent - they refer to the same part of the mind. This type of trance works well for a person who generally accepts what he/she is told without questionning everything.

Most hypnosis tapes sold today are based on "Traditional Hypnosis" techniques. This reason is because it really doesn't take much training to write a script and just command a person to do something. Unfortunately Traditional Hypnotism is not very effective for people who are critical in their thinking processes.

By contrast, Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques work more effectively for most people today! This is because today individuals are taught to analyze everything, rather than just do what they are told to do. So these methods do work efficiently on people who are critical or analytical in their thinking processes.

Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP are much more effective at reaching and influencing the unconscious mind. However, it can take years of training and experience to learn how to apply these techniques with success. This is a challenge that is only accepted by truly dedicated hypnotists.

With "Ericksonian Hypnosis," we use little stories, called metaphors, to present post-hypnotic suggestions to the unconscious mind. This is a compelling avenue, because it usually eliminates the resistance to suggestions that is often caused by the conscious mind. There are two types of metaphors, "Isomorphic," and those of the imbedded command or "interspersal" nature.

Isomorphic metaphors offer direction to the unconscious mind by telling a story that offers a moral. The unconscious mind draws a one-to-one relationship between the contents of the story and the contents of a bad behavior. For example, if a child is telling a lot of lies, the parent might tell the child the story about the "Boy who cried wolf." The unconscious mind would draw a comparison between the boy in the story and the child, and realize that telling lies could lead to disaster, so the child would probably stop lying.

With the Embedded Command technique, the hypno-therapist conveys an amusing story that engages the conscious mind. The metaphor contains covert direct commands that are generally accepted by the unconscious mind. For example: during the time that the client is in hypnosis, he/she may hear the hypnotherapist say something like: I'm going to tell you a story about ...[a beach that has feelings. Isn't that] ...strange to... [you]? It's a warm summer's day, and... the beach [feels great].

The hypnotist pauses, shifts his voice tonality, and verbally stresses the bracketed text. The unconscious mind recognizes a "Selectional restriction violation." Beaches can't have feelings. So it's like the unconscious mind says to itself: "Wait a minute, a beach can't feel anything, so that must mean that I'm supposed to feel great."

Since the suggestions are hidden in a tale that is misdirecting the conscious mind, it is very unlikely that the conscious will realize that it has just received a direct suggestion, so it will not resist it.

Process Instructions direct the unconscious mind to recall an experience of an appropriate learning experience from the past where something appropriate was learned, and then to apply that experience to correct negative behaviors in the present.

With "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" (NLP), rather than using post-hypnotic suggestions, we use the same thought processes that are creating a problem, like insomnia, to get rid of the symptom. NLP in the hands of an experienced practitioner can be very effective.

NLP Anchoring: Have you ever heard some old music and had it remind you of feelings from the past? When you originally listened to the song, you were feeling those feelings, and they unconsciously became associated with the sound of the song. So the music became an Anchor for the feelings. Now when you hear the song, it triggers the same feelings again.

Anchoring can be a very effective technique. Suppose that you have a memory of being commended for having done a great job in the past. If you get back inside of that memory, you'll be able to recall the feelings of self-esteem that you had at that time. If you touch two fingers together while you re-experience those feelings of self-esteem, that touch will become an anchor for the feelings of self-esteem.

Now suppose that you want to create motivation to stick to a diet and lose weight. If you make a mental image of yourself with a thin, sexy body, and simultaneously trigger the anchor - (press the two fingers together again), your unconscious mind will associate the feelings of self-esteem to your mental image of you with the thin body and your level of motivation to lose weight will increase exponentially.

NLP Flash: This is a very powerful and effective Neuro-Linguistic Programming method that can be used to flip things around in the unconscious mind, so that thoughts and experiences that used to trigger feelings of stress actually trigger relaxation instead.

The NLP Flash method is also extremely effective for erasing conditioned responses. For example: If a smoker has a cigarette while driving a car, his/her unconscious mind will connect the two behaviors together so that he/she automatically gets a compulsion for a cigarette anytime he/she sits behind the wheel and drives.

The Flash will cause the smoker's mind to disconnect the image of a cigarette from the steering wheel and dashboard so that he/she does NOT get an urge to smoke just because he/she is driving.

With "Subliminal" recordings, the recording has two different tracks. One track contains a cover sound that is heard by the conscious mind. The cover sound could be anything from music to nature sounds. The second track contains direct suggestions that are picked up by the unconscious mind mind. These suggestions are repeated many times during a session.

Subliminal programs can be played in the background while you are working, or driving or partisipating in any other activity. You don't have to stop what you are doing and relax like you do with hypnosis CD's. Subliminals can be an addition to self-hypnosis programs. But Subliminals will never replace Hypnosis or NLP because they are not as effective! They don't even come close!! Some studies have claimed that it can take up to 80 hours of listening to a subliminal recording before it will have any effect on many people.

The last hypnotic technology that we're going to talk about is Video Hypnosis. Video hypnosis is the most efficient form of hypnosis!

The techniques used in video hypnosis are based on the Neuro-Linguistic Programming technology, which works based on the utilization of a person's existing thought patterns instead of direct commands.

Over 70% of the people on the planet learn more quickly by seeing, rather then by hearing.

Think about it. If you feel an compulsion to eat or smoke when watching TV, it's because your mind recorded the video image of either food in your hand, or a cigarette in your hand, and then combined that image with an image of the TV. You never spoke to yourself and told yourself in words to associate them together, isn't that true?

And that's why the Video Hypnosis technique is so effective. It's not hypnotic in the traditional sense, relying on the spoken word; rather, it relies on transmitting images to the unconscious mind. And if you've ever cried when watching a sad movie, then you know how powerful and effective video hypnosis can be at reaching the unconscious mind. With this technique, results usually start with the very first viewing of the video!

The Video Hypnosis / NLP modality is offered under the tradename of Neuro-VISION. It trains the unconscious mind by way of a high-tech digital process. This frees a person of their urges and allows a person who smokes to quit without effort, and a dieter to lose their urges and appetite. Results start with the very first viewing!

(c) 2007 By Alan B. Densky, CH. This document may be re-printed as long as it isn't changed in any way and the author's name and clickable web address links are retained.

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