Spirituality
Articles
Healing
the Heart:
Hypnosis and the Power of the Unconscious Mind
by Cathy MacArthur,
Mht, RHN
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Hypnosis
is a deep state of relaxation and heightened awareness, similar
to daydreaming or meditation. In this state of total relaxation,
the subconscious mind opens up to receive helpful and beneficial
suggestions. When a hypnotherapist uses the trance process, the
critical faculty and the ego are bypassed, which makes accepting
suggestions easier. Repeating the suggestions during each session,
and with multiple sessions allows the newly incorporated changes
to become permanent.
Although
the hypnotic technique allows the hypnotist to bypass the conscious
mind, it does not mean the client is incapable of rejecting one
or more suggestions if they do not fit with the client's belief
system. No one can make you do something you do not want to do
while in hypnosis. Likewise, you will not do or say something
in hypnosis that you would not say out of hypnosis.
Hypnosis
is actually a very common state of being. Throughout the day our
minds go in and out of the "alpha level" of consciousness,
which is that point right before we fall asleep. Whenever you
"zone out" while driving your car or get mesmerized
by the television set or get "lost in space" in a deep
daydream while washing the dishes, you are in a state very close
to hypnosis. Patients in surgery and under anesthesia are highly
suggestible to the comments going on in the operating room.
In
actuality, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. While in hypnosis, clients
allow their own inner minds to make changes, based on the suggestions
provided by the hypnotherapist. Therapists and clients agree to
the particular courses of action during the pre-talk. Therefore,
hypnosis is actually a "team effort." The success of
"the team" depends on the cooperation and trust between
the partners. The subconscious mind can not differentiate between
fact and fiction. It relies on the conscious mind for that ability.
Within
my work with hypnosis, I spend a great deal of time explaining
how truly powerful our subconscious mind really is. Within it,
all the memories of everything that ever happened in our lives,
everything we ever thought and all our ideas and creations are
stored. The subconscious is all knowing and is available to assist
us at all times if we but ask. However, the subconscious, having
no ego or critical faculty, relies on the conscious mind to direct
what is to be manifested.
We
can unknowingly set ourselves up for failure by thinking negative
thoughts. Because the subconscious mind cannot tell good thought
from bad thought it will set about manifesting what we are thinking
and believing. For example, if your desire is to find a more fulfilling
job but you have thoughts such as: "I'll probably never find
a better job than this one," or "Job hunting is not
my strong forte;" then your subconscious mind can only manifest
your negative beliefs and not your desire. Therefore, it is vital
to think positive thoughts and imagine positive situations for
yourself in order for your subconscious mind to manifest your
desires. This process can be used in every area of life in order
to fulfill your dreams and desires.
Cathy
MacArthur is a Hypnotherapist and can be reached at 902-394-3885
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