The Role of Hypnosis in Healing

The role of hypnosis in healing is many faceted.  Hypnosis is a trance state induced through focusing attention on any current internal or external sensory experience;  hypnotherapy is the art of utilizing this state of absorption to facilitate inner change and physical healing.

People who have experienced guided visualization or other meditative states describe it as being similar to hypnosis in many ways.

Trance states can be accessed in a variety of ways, many of which occur spontaneously.  Hypnotic trance is a normal, natural state that we move into and out of many times in our daily life.

A trance state can also occur when we voluntarily choose to focus our attention on something that interests us.  Any activity that absorbs our attention will induce a trance state, whether it is reading, watching tv, making love, praying, day-dreaming or dancing.

As well as trance arising spontaneously and voluntarily, a trance state can be induced when somebody else focuses our attention.  People are often guided into a state of hypnosis as they listen to words that help them focus their attention on the feelings of deepening relaxation.  This helps to induce a pleasurable and comfortable therapeutic trance state that has the added benefit of relaxation.

When we enter a state of hypnosis the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, giving rise to what is known as the relaxation response;  This response works in opposition to the “fight or flight response” and counteracts the body’s physical and emotional response to stress, allowing it to return to a calm balanced state.   While in this state there is a measurable decrease in heart rate, blood pressure breathing rate, stress hormone levels and muscle tension and people experience a wonderful feeling of relaxation.

Hypnosis can be experienced to varying depths and is experienced differently from person to person.

While in a state of hypnosis we can be aware of what is going on around us, although we are likely to become so absorbed in our own inner experience that we choose to pay little attention to unnecessary distractions.

While in this state we have access to our unconscious mind which is the storehouse of all our past, experiences of which  we are presently unaware.  We may be able to recall things more vividly and easily and are more likely to remember events with all our senses. The unconscious also holds our automatic behaviours as a set of stimulus-response programmes”, which have been derived from our instincts and learned experiences.  The unconscious mind is strictly habitual and will automatically respond to life’s signals over and over again.

Past disturbing or traumatic events that continue to carry an emotional charge for us can be resolved using hypnotherapy.  These experiences can be integrated so that the necessary learning remains but the emotional and energetic arousal is reduced.  Resolving and integrating these past experiences allows us to live without the negative impact of that event affecting our present life.

One of the great strengths of hypnotherapy is that hypnosis is a tool that can be learnt.  Once a person has learnt to induce a state of hypnosis on their own, they can use this tool to benefit themselves on an ongoing basis.  One can learn a variety of ways in which to use hypnosis to reinforce changes and to become relaxed when undergoing medical procedures (which will make them more effective).

Call me today on 082 929 5142 to learn how to access trance whenever you need to!