Hypnotized by the Grocery Store

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

A trip to the grocery store is just one example of
when you may experience environmental hypnosis.

 

                I have always enjoyed grocery shopping. Perhaps that is because some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around going to the local store with my mother every Saturday to pick up next week’s food and other necessities for the family. I have a “known” association of a familiar routine that’s relaxing and even part adventure for me, and the implied reassurance that I will fulfill a basic need to gather food while enjoying familial comfort during that trip. But more recently, my trips to the grocery store have provided invaluable insights into power of food and other domestic products to induce hyper-suggestibility in shoppers (including myself). This is what I have noticed and some tips to help you resist temptation.

·         Overload of sensory stimuli. When you walk into the store, you will likely be bombarded by a cornucopia of visual, auditory and olfactory stimuli. You will see rows of neatly stacked cans and bottles. Rings from mobile phones will compete with the cacophony of crying children and loud-speaker requests for a “clean-up on aisle six.” Most grocery stores sell fresh-baked bread, cakes and cookies, and even roasted chicken or turkey to save harried shoppers the trouble of having to cook meals at home. This sensory overload, combined with any stress or tension you are already carrying around after a long day at work or negotiating through heavy traffic, can easily push you into the (natural) trance of environmental hypnosis.

·         Free samples. Warehouse stores such as Costco® and Sam’s Club® often offer free food samples to their customers, but many grocery stores do this, too, especially on weekends. Don’t be fooled: this isn’t a gesture of generosity but a marketing ploy to temp you to purchase this item. If you are already stressed out after a long day at work or running errands, the proffered food can seem like a life-raft on a rough sea. Since the item being sampled is often loaded with sugars and carbohydrates, it affects your blood-sugar level, which can increase your suggestibility.

·         Low blood-sugar effect. There is truth to the popular warning about going grocery-shopping on an empty stomach. When we are hungry, the level of glucose (sugar) in our blood drops. A sudden drop in blood sugar can trigger physical symptoms such as shaking, light-headedness and feeling tired. People can also experience psychological symptoms such as depression, paranoia, irritability and memory problems. It can also induce a state of hyper-suggestibility to various factors in the environment, warned Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D. In other words, you may become more vulnerable to the in-store advertisements to “buy two, get one free” or to pick up a package of the mesquite-flavored potato chips that you just sampled.

·         Special discounts. Coupons and club-member discounts are other hypnotic stimuli you may encounter when you go shopping. Who doesn’t appreciate a discount, right? But these special discounts don’t necessarily save you a lot of money unless you purchase a lot of products. Furthermore, you may end up buying more of what you don’t want or don’t even need in order to “earn” that discount.

To combat the pitfalls of grocery-shopping-induced hypnosis, make a list of all the items you need and intend to purchase; be sure to bring it with you and follow it to the letter. Eat a meal that includes some protein before you go out, or at least have a snack that includes cheese or nuts (almonds or peanuts). I recommend protein-rich foods because they will lower your level of suggestibility and reduce mood swings that hunger (low blood-sugar level) can induce. Finally, if you start to feel overwhelmed or tempted to buy more than you intended to purchase, you are likely drifting into a light state of trance (environmental hypnosis). Simply say the following to yourself: “One, two, three, four, five, [Say your name]; eyes open, wide awake.” These words will count you back up to a fully alert and aware state.

 

 

 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/.

© 2014

Hypnosis to Overcome Test Anxiety

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

Hypnotherapy is a terrific process to help you prepare for tests, overcome test anxiety
and facilitate recall of the information during the exam.

 

                If you are a student, you know that you must take tests to assess what, how much and how well you have learned specific course material during the past few months. The experience can be even more intense if you are trying to earn a graduate degree, certification or license to practice those skills as a vocation. In that case, you will have to prove your aptitude and understanding of information that you learned over the past one or several years. Many people are relaxed and comfortable when they are in the “hot seat” like this. Some enjoy taking tests and even thrive on whatever anxiety testing induces, because this pressure motivates them to work harder and do well on the examination. And then there are those people who freeze during a test so that no matter how well they know the material, their mind becomes a blank slate on which they can barely write their name.

When you feel anxious in a stressful situation, the subconscious mind automatically goes into a fight/flight response. No matter how loud your conscious mind screams that you need to pass this test in order to graduate, the material you knew last night might as well be locked in a black box at the bottom of the ocean. In fact, the more you try to recall this information, the greater the pressure (stress) you are putting on yourself to do well on the examination and the more difficult this kind of memory retrieval becomes. This is because when we are in a stressful situation, the body’s main priority is to protect itself. Even though your conscious mind knows that there is a difference between taking a math final and trying to defend against a mugger on the street, the subconscious mind only perceives “stress,” and stress equals “danger.” The sympathetic nervous system goes right into survival mode: the heart pumps harder, breathing becomes fast and shallow, and the adrenal glands start dumping stress hormones into the circulatory system to aid in the fight/flight response. There is no room for remembering rules of geometry or laws of physics when it comes to surviving; your body is too busy prioritizing basic instincts such as breathing and circulating blood through your body. If you experience test anxiety to any degree, like I used to, you know what I am talking about.

Hypnotherapy is a terrific process to help you prepare for tests, overcome test anxiety and facilitate recall of the information that you have learned when you are taking the exam. First, the state of hypnosis is one of complete relaxation, calm comfort and control. This is because it is easier to retain and retrieve the facts that you are learning or have learned when your mind is calm and focused and your body is physically relaxed. Eventually, your subconscious mind can begin to create new associations (knowns­) between this feeling of calm with the ability to focus and greater ease of recalling the information you need for the test. Second, hypnotic suggestions to increase your motivation to succeed, willingness to apply your experience/knowledge about the topic and amplify your desire to do your best will reinforce your confidence in your ability to do well on the test. Third, during the cognitive (alert) portion of the hypnotherapy session, I will teach you practical skills and provide information to improve your overall well-being in preparation of your test, which you can practice when you are in hypnosis.

 

 

 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/.

© 2014

Inner Guidance

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

You can easily recognize Inner Guidance by how it makes you feel when
you do something that helps or harms another person—or yourself.

                I get it. It is not always easy to know what the right thing to do is. When the boundaries of correct behavior seem obscure and peer pressure and personal motivation to achieve a specific goal are competing for attention, that little voice inside can get drowned out by our internal emotional chaos. What if it doesn’t have to?

                From the moment we are born, our subconscious mind is gathering and processing information (knowns) that will serve as a blue-print for all of our future behavior and beliefs. The content of the mental scripts that are programmed into your SCM from an early age will probably be the most influential in terms of how you process new information and negotiate potentially tricky social and emotional situations. However, the outside influences such the rules and ethical standards in your environment, as well as suggestibility to yourself and other people in your social circle, will also influence how you respond to these challenges.

                There is another, powerful influence that everyone possesses. I call this sensation Inner Guidance. Some people might refer to it as an inner voice of reason; others, more cynically, might refer to it as our conscience. Whatever you call it, you can easily recognize how this influence makes you feel when you do something that helps or harms another person—or yourself. Inner Guidance floats around in our conscious and subconscious mind. It only reminds each of us of its presence by the prickly sensations we feel when we do or say something a little out of the ordinary. It is that flush of warmth and pleasure when you decide to “pay it forward” by purchasing a stranger’s coffee at Starbucks®. It can also be the sting of embarrassment or even shame when you intentionally cut in line in front of someone waiting for a great parking spot at the mall. The good news is that Inner Guidance also makes an appearance during our moments of indecision and confusion.

When we channel this faculty, we can focus the rational, will-power, reasoning and decision-making parts of our conscious mind to address (and work out) any conflict your CM may be having with the knowns in your SCM. Here are some suggestions to help you make the decision you want to make and to behave the way you want to:

·         When in doubt, stop what you are doing and listen to the voice of your Inner Guidance. It is there to protect you from saying or doing something that you may not really want to say or do—or might regret.

·         Give yourself a “time out.” Whether you can think about your choice for a couple of seconds or even overnight, take the time you need to evaluate whether that thing you want to do is really a good idea.

·         Make a handwritten list of pros and cons about the issue to help you decide. Handwriting is an ideomotor response, which means that it comes from the SCM and reinforces the knowns (behaviors and beliefs) in that part of your mind. The action of consciously writing down your thoughts and beliefs to help you come to a new decision will also create a new known in your SCM and reinforce your conscious decision, whatever it is.

·         Hypnotherapy and/or therapeutic guided imagery can further reinforce your decision and behavior by enabling you to access your subconscious mind when you are deeply relaxed. While you are in hypnosis, it is easier for the SCM to accept these new knowns and replace the old reaction or response with the new behaviors that you believe will improve your quality of life.

 

 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/.

© 2014

 

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

Making a wish at Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy in 2011.

 

                It is only June first—not even “officially” summertime—and the weather in some parts of Southern California has already been hitting the century mark for the past couple of couple of weeks. Some kids I have known since they were ten years old graduated high school, last week; a few more have just graduated from college. (I admit it, I feel old right now!) The Belmont Stakes will be run next week; I still have six days to hope and fantasize that California Chrome crosses the finish line to become the first Triple Crown winner in thirty-six years. Although most of my favorite television programs are now on summer hiatus, at least there is still Shark Week on the Discovery Channel to look forward to starting the beginning of August.

                Although Summer isn’t my favorite time of year, I do appreciate it for the symbolic respite that this season offers. As the weather heats up, time seems to slow down to the pace of thick molasses. This is the season of slathering on sunscreen, sipping iced-tea by the pool and reading a novel under the shade of a tree (or beach umbrella). Now that the school year is over—or just about over—many people will start their exodus out of town to enjoy a couple of well-deserved weeks of rest and relaxation with their families. Some will hang out at the beach or in the local mountains. Others may go to visit relatives or amusement parks in a different city or state or even travel to a foreign country. This is when we can dig into those projects around the house that we have been putting off doing earlier in the year. Or… not.

                It is more traditional to reflect on what we have done during the year, at the end of the year. But consider this: there is really no time to say something to or do something with someone during the last few hours of the last night of the year. However, the beginning of summer is an ideal time to take stock of our accomplishments and any goals we have not achieved because we still have six more months in which to make any desired changes in our lives. This is the time when we are more likely to be relaxed and to have the time to at least lay down the foundations for making that desired change. Yes, Summer time is an opportunity to recharge our emotional, physical and psychological batteries so we can be in a more productive frame of mind to reinforce those behaviors that will help us realize our goals. But this is also a great time to start making those changes so we can feel good about having already said and done a lot of the things we set out to do at the beginning of the year.

 

 

 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/.

© 2014

 

Toxic Worry

“Worry is love. How will your children know you love them if you don’t

worry about them?” -- Anonymous

 

 

                When I came upon that quote a few weeks ago, I knew I had to address this sentiment in a blog. Have you ever loved someone so much that it is physically painful to imagine anything or anyone hurting that person? Have you ever loved someone so much that, to assuage this worry (i.e., self-inflicted pain), you tried to control and even micro-manage the other person’s activities to prevent this misfortune to such an extent that neither of you could live your own, authentic life?

                Not only does this preoccupation cause anxiety in the person who is doing the worrying, it also induces stress in the object of our affection. It is can feel difficult to breathe, let alone live, when we feel as though someone else is dictating how we are going through our lives. And here is another thought to consider: if energy attracts like energy, worrying (negative energy) about a possible disaster can attract that which you are trying to avoid (negative outcome). Now imagine this dynamic in the context of toxic worry. While you are so concerned about your loved one’s well-being, your mind starts to wander to those dark scenarios in which some kind of emotional or physical disaster befalls that person. And then you might become anxious or stressed out because you’re worried that your worry caused whatever happened. And, so on.

Stop it.

While I was completing my hypnotherapy certification at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, one of my favorite instructors, the late Marc Gravelle often warned us about the perils of “toxic worry.” It is characterized by the trap (never-ending circle) of wondering “What if X happens…?” and then even worrying about being worried about that dilemma. I believe that the anxiety people often feel about whether their loved ones fully appreciate the depth and sincerity of this devotion falls into this kind of toxic worry.

Loving someone can be a beautiful experience, but it is not possible, nor should it be possible, to control whether that person reciprocates that sentiment. In an ideal world, parents love their children and want/work hard to keep them safe and secure. Parents’ behavior influences their children’s developing suggestibility and personality, as well as teaches (directly and by example) how to negotiating various life challenges and even moral dilemmas. But perhaps the most import part of raising a child is allowing that youngster to live and experiment (within reason) so that he or she can eventually leave the family home and live as an independent adult.

There is no way to guarantee that the information, wisdom and example you provide will completely protect your child from any of the possible misfortunes that you are worried might affect him or her. In fact, some of our greatest life lessons are those painful or challenging ones we all have to go through at some point. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and avoid the trap of toxic worry about possible consequences of a situation that have not and may not even arise. Instead, spend that valuable time talking to and teaching your child to behave and follow the morals and ethics that are important to you. Take an emotional step or two back and remove yourself from the very center of your child’s life to give him or her that opportunity to prove that the youngster deserves your trust and can/will make good decisions. You may well find that your willingness to allow your child to live his or her life will not only alleviate your toxic worry, but will also motivate him or her to want the guidance you long to provide.

 

 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/.

© 2014

 

The Systems Approach in Hypnotherapy

 

                The basic idea or premise of the Systems Approach is that every part of the social/emotional system will affect the entire system. In other words, you cannot separate one component of the system from the sub-total or entire system. It doesn’t matter whether one spouse returns to college and completes the Bachelor of Arts degree she abandoned long ago to have children or whether her husband loses weight to improve his health and suddenly attracts a bevy of female admirers. The changes in behavior can affect the basic structure of the relationship or system and create resistance within it. The ultimate goal of the Systems Approach is to bring the System back into balance.

                For example, if a man comes in for hypnotherapy his “presenting issue” is marital discord, and the hypnotherapist is working only with the man (husband). However, if the hypnotherapist doesn’t keep the client’s wife in mind during the therapy, she is liable to walk out of the marriage because she has not been taken into account within the “system.” Ideally, both spouses would come in for hypnotherapy to work on their marital issues. If this is not possible or the spouse refuses to come in, the hypnotherapist could work just with the client to specifically teach him how to deal with her.

                According to Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., no matter what the client’s problem or issue happens to be, the systems approach infiltrates all areas of therapy. Even if only one member of the family or one spouse or partner in a relationship is seeking therapy, that issue must be dealt with within the context of the client’s own system. Therefore, the hypnotherapist must address components in the person’s work, relationships, family past, the hypnotherapy he or she is receiving, plus aspects of the entire social system or relationship. If these other issues aren’t taken into account, the therapy won’t be successful and only the issue being addressed in therapy will be “treated” (improved or eliminated) per the client’s goal, Dr. Kappas warned.

 

 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/.

© 2014

 

People Live Everywhere

Photo courtesy of Fotolia

 

                One of my grandmothers used to say, “People live everywhere!” She would emphasize the “every,” but not the “where.” We used to laugh when she said that; the trill in her voice reminded me of the sensation of being tickled. This expression typically followed her observation about something that someone did which she had never seen or heard of before. When I was little, I had no idea what she might have meant by this; of course people live everywhere, I thought. At the time, I didn’t get that she wasn’t referring solely to geography. She was including her observations about how similar people were, despite the differences in their behaviors. In all honesty, I have only recently begun to truly appreciate what Mama Lil was talking about in the context of my hypnotherapy practice.

                No matter where you live or what beliefs you hold, you are a product of the social environment and culture in which you were born and raised. Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D. held that we all begin to write our mental script from the moment we are born. Our subconscious mind categorizes each one of our early experiences as a positive (pleasure) or negative (pain) “known.” Family, friends and peers may continue to influence our behaviors to various degrees during our lifetimes. Each one of us may become more or less open than our peers to tolerate or accept other belief systems even while, deep down, we will probably always hold that our way of doing something is “better” than anyone else’s. (Until proved otherwise, that is.)

                No matter whom you are or where you are from, your beliefs, perceptions and experiences are valid. They are yours—but, they are also products of your environment and what you know or have learned. As you live your life, you will have dreams, set goals and follow a path that you set—a path that is not only made for you, but one that you (your SCM) designed. Meanwhile, remember that somewhere along the way, you will encounter or hear about other people that live very near or very far away, who happen to share similar interests and have similar aspirations. Like you, they will be more or less amenable to changing their behavior or adopting a new belief system in relation to their suggestibility and whether their subconscious mind will accept that new known.

                Wherever you go and whatever you do as you fulfill your life script, you are likely to meet someone who shares your interests. You are equally likely to discover that you have absolutely nothing in common with that person. Just remember: you are still sharing the same planet with other people, even if you don’t live in the same metaphoric world. When you meet, they may also marvel, “People live everywhere!”

 

 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/.

© 2014