Most
people have preconceived ideas about what something will or should be like.
These expectations are based on the mental scripts or subconscious associations
(knowns) that guide their beliefs and
behaviors. For example, when I ordered a plate of fish and chips at lunch
today, I was stunned to receive a plate of potato chips, not French fries, with
my fried fish. Don’t get me wrong: the chips I received were home-made and very
tasty. However, I had been looking forward to eating a serving of the British
version of chips—steaming, thick wedges of fried potato—with salt and malt
vinegar. I was initially disappointed that the restaurant didn’t seem to “get”
the fact that when “chips” are served with fried fish, they should and
traditionally are French fried potatoes. But once I got over being shocked
about this apparent misunderstanding, I also had to laugh. The menu listed fish
and chips, and in the United States, “chips” means potato chips. I expected to
receive fries because I incorrectly inferred that they were on the menu based
on my known, personal experience of what it means to eat fish and chips. The
meal was not what I expected to be served, but it was still very enjoyable.
I
think people have similar expectations and a similar kind of experience the
first time they come in for hypnotherapy. They have so many ideas about what will
happen when they are hypnotized that it sometimes takes a little while for them
to relax and appreciate all of the nuances of what they are experiencing. If
they ever watched or participated in a stage-hypnosis performance, they might
expect that they may also “have” to behave in an uncharacteristic and possibly
embarrassing way during a hypnotherapy session. Similar to the description of the food I
ordered at lunch today, many people have preconceived ideas about what hypnosis
and hypnotherapy are, and what will happen when they are hypnotized. Therefore, it is very important that I can
reassure my clients how and why this will not be the case. I explain how I use
hypnosis and therapeutic guided-imagery techniques to help them person relax and
emphasize why I include their specific words and motivations in their hypnotic
scripts to change undesired behaviors.
In
the years that I have been working as a certified hypnotherapist, people have expressed
feeling the most surprise at how completely relaxed and comfortable they felt
during the session. Many have even confessed that hypnotherapy wasn’t what they
expected in the same sentence they tell me that they didn’t know what to
expect. Once out of hypnosis, when they really start to notice (feel) the
subtle changes of physical energy that I observed during the session they
express surprise at feeling so relaxed, so focused, so good. This positive experience will create a new known in their
subconscious mind: hypnotherapy facilitates changing unwanted behaviors so they
can strive for and achieve their vocational and avocational self-improvement
goals.
© 2015
