Why Is Hypnosis So Effective?

Photo by Rick Hustead

Hypnotherapy (hypnosis) is so effective because it enables direct access to the subconscious mind to change the client’s unwanted beliefs and behaviors, thus facilitating achievement of the stated vocational and avocational self-improvement goals. During hypnosis, your mind and physical body are completely relaxed. Hypnosis bypasses the critical area of the mind, which serves a sentinel role to effectively “protect” the subconscious mind’s interests: i.e., the subconscious life script that dictates so much of our behavior. No matter how much you consciously want to make that change—lose weight, stop smoking, overcome performance anxiety, let go of an unsuccessful relationship—the SCM is too invested in the current behavior to just let it go. 

It is the critical mind’s job to immediately reject any thought or behavior that threatens the current status quo. The critical mind is so good at this job that we often don’t realize this is going on. Even if we do, there is always a logical or convenient (conscious) reason not to make the change, anyway.

The most powerful aspect of hypnotherapy is that I (or another certified hypnotherapist) can talk directly to the client’s subconscious mind to motivate the desired behavior change. Since we are all most suggestible to ourselves, it makes sense that the subconscious mind will also be more amenable to making those desired behavior changes when your words/phrases are incorporated in the hypnotic script. The subconscious mind is much more likely to accept these suggestions that are presented in language (metaphor or direct instruction) it understands using phrases or terms (the client’s ow) it recognizes. 

Added benefits of hypnotherapy to help achieve these self-improvement goals are: hypnosis is natural, safe and drug-free. In addition, hypnosis cannot “make” a person say or do anything that he or she would not say or do in an alert state. For more information about hypnosis and how hypnotherapy can help you achieve your self-improvement goals, go to the Hypnosis Facts page on my website or call me at (661) 433-9430.

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/.

© 2016

Addressing the Other Issues

Photo by Rick Hustead

To facilitate a positive therapeutic outcome, from time to time, it is necessary to identify and address other issues besides the goal a client wants to work on before we can focus on the stated self-improvement goal. Examples of such conflicts include low blood-sugar levels, passive-aggressive behavior, low self-esteem/low self-confidence and even addiction to alcohol or other substances. Following is a summary of some therapeutic approaches to resolve these other issues.

·         Prevent “bunching” the problems by helping the hypnotherapy client identify and separate each issue and deal with it separately.

·         During the pre-induction speech, incorporate Theory of Mind and the role of suggestibility in learning and unlearning beliefs and behaviors. “Expose why/when/how the problem started, and give hope it can be changed,” advised Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D. “[Provide] logical reasons why the problem started and solutions for what can be done to help him.”

·         Test the client’s suggestibility and sexual personality traits to identify how and which hypnotic suggestions will work best to communicate with the person cognitively and while in hypnosis.

·         Work on changing the person’s negative mental script and any passive-aggressive behaviors by explaining how and why they develop. Explain to the client how building the person’s self-esteem and self-confidence to correct the passive-aggressive act. client

·         Explain to the client how and why nutrition affects emotions and behavior. Discuss the benefits of good eating habits and nutrition. (In some cases it may be necessary to refer the person to a licensed medical doctor for a blood-sugar level test before continuing with the hypnotherapy.)

·         While the client is in hypnosis, suggest that the person will have a venting dream to continue working out the issues being addressed in hypnotherapy, Dr. Kappas advised.

·         Block the client’s suggestibility and make the person receptive only to the hypnotherapist’s hypnotic suggestions. “We want to suggest him deeper and deeper so we could give him ideas that wouldn’t depreciate,” the hypnotherapist said.

·         Introduce the Mental Bank to help the client work toward achievable goals and replace the unconscious negative script with a positive one.

·         If the client is dealing with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, hypnosis and hypnotherapy are great tools to help a person follow Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous, etc. guidelines during rehabilitation from a substance addiction. However, when I work with an individual to help break this addictive curve I ask that the person continues to receive support from a sponsor and/or 12-step program during this process.*

*California law allows access by California residents to complementary and alternative health care practitioners who are not providing services that require medical training and credentials. The purpose of a program of hypnotherapy is for vocational and avocational self-improvement (Business and Professions Code 2908) and as alternative or complimentary treatment to healing arts services licensed by the state. A hypnotherapist is not a licensed physician or psychologist, and hypnotherapy services are not licensed by the state of California. Services are non-diagnostic and do not include the practice of medicine, neither should they be considered as a substitute for licensed medical or psychological services or procedures.

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/.

© 2016

Halloween Masks

Photo by Rick Hustead

Every October 31, people have an opportunity to don costumes and assume temporary identities of someone or even something else. I am fascinated by the costume choices people make, whether they choose to embody Disney characters from the hit film, Frozen, favorite rock stars/musicians, monsters (werewolves or vampires), superheroes, princesses/princes, animals or even politicians. Halloween celebrations become a free-for-all of fantastical expression; even grown-ups can get in on the fun. My question is: What, or who, does that chosen alter-ego represent to the person behind the mask? 

I have observed that the costume expression that Halloween celebrants embody range from fun and good-natured to genuinely frightening or even sinister. The subconscious motivation of those dressed as heroes/superheroes, Disney characters, royalty and other generally positive or benign identities might represent the person’s abilities or personality or project an aspect of wish-fulfillment. (Who hasn’t ever wanted to be a prince or princess, or to possess a super-human skill that could save the world? I certainly did.) Perhaps the costume is even a conscious projection of an intention to attract a skill or talent into the person’s life, which is represented what he or she is wearing.

At the other end of this spectrum are costumes that are designed to trigger anxiety or even a fear response. Apparently the zombies from The Walking Dead television series are popular costume choices in the scary/monster end of the dress-up spectrum. Unlike vampires—at least, the seductive incarnation of vampires in modern Young Adult novels and movies—zombies are the epitome of everything terrifying we imagine about death. Not only do zombies appear in various stages of decay and possess untold, albeit clumsy, strength, their very survival depends on killing and eating (brains) their victims. Could there be anything more frightening than seeing your dearly-departed relative wandering around, intent on doing you harm?

Another popular costume this year honors the 2016 Presidential candidates: Democratic Party nominee, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Party nominee, Donald J. Trump (R). Do the real candidates represent a real or perceived threat that the Halloween celebrants to metaphorically exorcise before the election on November 8? Or, does the costume enable the wearer to publicly express some secretly admired behaviors or traits that the person does not want to (publicly) own?

It’s something to think about.

Happy Halloween!

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/.

© 2016

Thoughts of the Day

Photo by Sara Fogan

      Every now and then I like (and need) to take a few moments and remind myself about what is really important to me, in my life. If you follow me on my Calminsense Hypnotherapy Facebook page you may have seen some of these quotes before on this page, or will in the future. Many of these Quotes of the Day are beautiful examples and illustrations of the work I do as a hypnotherapist, so I will probably draw on them in future essays.

• “Lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at you.” – David Brinkley

• “It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.” – Winston Churchill

• “Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.” – Buddha

• “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying someplace you don't belong.” – Bruce Van Horn

• “The road to success is always under construction.” – Lily Tomlin

• “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but Imagination!” – Albert Einstein

• “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Peter F. Drucker

• “The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness.” – Wayne Dyer­

• “Always keep an open mind and a compassionate heart.” – Phil Jackson

• “Many of us do not listen to ourselves deeply enough to know how we feel.” – Lolly Daskal

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/.

© 2016