What Is Hypnotherapy and How does it Work?

In order to understand Hypnotherapy it is necessary to have a basic understanding of the mind and how it works. There are three parts to the mind:

1) The conscious mind which is about 10% of the mind and works from the senses... sight, smell, touch etc.

2) The subconscious part of the mind is approximately 80% of the mind and has two main functions; one is to record all of your life experiences and the other main function is to protect you.

3) The other 10% is the spiritual mind. (see below)

Hypnotherapy deals mainly with the subconscious mind. We can look at this a little more thoroughly below.

Hypnotherapy and the Subconscious Mind

The subconscious mind is incapable of reason and thus can be influenced greatly by suggestion. Hypnosis provides a safe and comfortable gateway to the subconscious mind.

Simply by relaxing the physical body, the conscious mind (which is the critical mind) will also relax, then we are able to influence the subconscious mind by positive and beneficial suggestion. This is perfectly safe. The mind only accepts suggestions only if they do not compromise or endanger the recipient (your mind wants to protect you). People cannot be hypnotised against their will and are able to reject any suggestions given to them that are not appropriate. People who have witnessed stage hypnotherapists may be concerned at the powerful control apparently held over the participants, but this is not actually the case.

Stage performers carefully select their participants and single out those with fun-loving, "game for a laugh" attitudes. These volunteers actively try to take part in the show, though they would certainly reject any suggestions that they felt were inappropriate. In other words they make cluck like a chicken because they want to, but they couldn't be forced to rob a bank or anything else that wasn't in their nature.

As stated, Hypnosis uses the subconscious mind to offer positive suggestions. Ironically, it can very well be the subconscious mind that can cause many of our afflictions and phobias.

The Root of Our Troubles...?

The function of the subconscious mind to protect and preserve us works in the following way.

If one experiences a frightening event or an upsetting experience, or maybe guilt or embarrassment or many of the other emotions that infect our young lives (referring to childhood years because this is our most emotional time) then depending upon one's character type the subconscious mind in its endeavors to protect us will repress the memory and emotions from our conscious awareness. These repressed memories and emotions are stored in the subconscious just waiting to be triggered off (usually in adult life), then presto all of the emotions return with a vengeance. The client now finds themselves with a phobia, panic attacks or many of the other symptoms that I have listed and they have no idea why.

I am sure we have all heard about people involved in car accidents who can remember nothing about not only the accident but the five miles they drove before the accident occurred. This is a classic example of how the mind works and tries to protect us by repressing the horror from our conscious awareness. Unfortunately by doing this it creates another symptom and leaves the person with a fear or anxiety about driving. If that person comes to someone like myself and I regress them back to the time of the accident and they remember all of the gory details ( which I have done) then their fear will no longer exist.

The Spiritual Mind

It is generally accepted by a large majority of the worlds population that there is a spiritual influence in human evolution. The holistic point of view is that we are spiritual being who have a physical body, a mind, and emotions.

Through the subconscious mind we can tap into the soul, also referred to by different people as the Inner guide, or spiritual essence, others refer to it as Creative intelligence, Guardian angel, or Inner wisdom. It is a matter of personal interpretation.

- Derek Brownhill

Other Useful Hypnotherapy Links

mindmanagement.uk.com

oxford hypnosis

Lynne Hancher

retrac for change