Dreams and Phobias

Photo by Rick Hustead

An individual works through events and conflicts that he or she experienced earlier in the day by venting them out in early-morning venting dreams, Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., explained. A dream recurs if the subconscious mind does not resolve the issue/content through this process. Furthermore, a recurring dream can cause a phobic reaction if its content induces anxiety. When this occurs, the individual may subconsciously resist sleeping or if the person only sleeps very lightly to avoid having the dream again. Paradoxically, avoiding sleep also reduces the possibility of venting the original issue that keeps showing up in the disturbing dream. 

In addition, a person may incorporate stimuli that he or she experiences during sleep—such as the sound of a barking dog or a slamming door—into the content of a dream. Low blood-sugar levels are associated with the development of phobias, so it is also reasonable to conclude that someone whose blood-sugar level drops during sleep may develop a phobia about a recurring dream. In this case, the person’s nutrition must be addressed to ameliorate the phobic response in addition to helping the person resolve the issue(s) presented during the dream.

You’ll still have to solve the dream and the subconscious motives and fears that aren’t being expressed consciously, Dr. Kappas said. “[Dreams] send signals when something is wrong. These signals must be taken into consideration. Even though the signal (dream) is fantasy, the event that precipitated it is real.”

During this process, the hypnotherapist should provide plenty of suggestions to help the person vent the original fear in addition to desensitizing the client to specific content of the recurring dream. “It might frighten you a bit, but that’s okay because it’s the last time you will ever dream it. You will feel the dream fading and disappearing,” Dr. Kappas advised.

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2017

Handwriting Analysis

(This blog was originally posted on February 5, 2014)

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

 

                Handwriting is a manifestation of what we consciously think, but it is motivated by a subconscious ideomotor (automatic physical) response. The way you write—the shape and size of each letter, whether you connect the letters and even the speed of your writing—are literally a reflection of your behavior and personality traits.

At the beginning of their first hypnotherapy session with me, I ask my clients to write a few sentences that describe their reasons/motivations for seeking hypnotherapy to change a specific behavior. Handwriting does not reveal the age or gender of the writer; nor will it enable me (or anyone else) to determine whether the person is right- or left-handed or to predict the writer’s future. However, handwriting will reveal the person’s mood, personality traits, suggestibility and subconscious motivations at the time of writing this sample. I analyze specific characteristics of the writing, not the content of what is written, per se, to identify, confirm or negate the writer’s specific personality traits and how those traits affect behavior.

I use these observations plus the information that the client provides for me during the pre-hypnosis component of the consultation to create a powerful hypnotic script that will help the person achieve specific, vocational and avocational self-improvement goals. Handwriting analysis is also useful to help a client identify other issues (e.g., stubbornness, low self-esteem/self-confidence) that may be impacting the presenting issue, and which the person may want to address during this or a future hypnotherapy session.

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015