(This blog was originally posted on December 14, 2014)
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| Photo courtesy of Microsoft |
Scene #1: You’re sitting at your desk writing a report
for work or a term paper when you realize that you need to find one more
reference to complete your project. You steel yourself against temptation to
browse the internet for anything unrelated
to your question and type a key phrase into the Google or Bing search
engines. “This should only take a couple minutes,” you tell yourself as you
wait for the search results. Scene #2: You are answering a very important e-mail or posting a response on your Facebook page.
Then, to your exasperation (but secret delight) you notice something very interesting on the Internet and decide
to check out one more post.
In both scenarios, not only have you forgotten what
you were originally looking for but an hour (or several) has passed. Where did
all that time go? And why—how—could
so much time pass without your even noticing?
If your answer or explanation was “hypnosis,” you are
right. While you were on-line, all those images and words that you were looking
at on the screen gradually, subtly overloaded your subconscious mind with information
(message units). Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D. explained that this phenomenon occurs when sensory stimuli bombard the
inhibitory process of the mind with information (message units). This sensory overload disorganizes
the inhibitory process of the subconscious mind, which triggers the
fight-flight response and produces the hyper-suggestible state we recognize as
hypnosis.
As I explained in my blog titled “Natural States of Hypnosis,” there are many common instances of this trance-state.
I think computers and smartphones,
which have operating systems and web-browsing capabilities, likely induce a
form of environmental hypnosis whenever we go on-line. The instant we connect
to the internet, the subconscious mind is confronted with a cornucopia of
information. Somehow it must interpret and process information that often includes
audio and visual data designed to pull browsers into the virtual worlds they
are exploring. Then there’s the tactile (touch) stimuli that the mind must
process as you type on the keyboard and manipulate the cursor, whether that is
the computer “mouse” or the index finger on one of your hands. A final source
of this data overload will come from your conscious
mind: whatever you are thinking about or your motivation to conduct that
on-line search or interact with friends is an important source of subconscious
overload. Many of us eat or drink, or simultaneously talk to someone on the
telephone while we are doing internet searches or interacting with friends and
acquaintances on-line. It’s no wonder that the conscious mind temporarily
“checks out” until there is less sensory stimulation going on.
When we come out of this trance-like state, we may
feel temporarily disoriented and even forget where we are for a little while. Following
are some tips to help you remain aware of yourself and your physical
environment while you are on-line so you can be alert and aware of yourself and
your surroundings when you (finally) log off.
- Limit the amount of time you spend working on the computer. Take a break from the activity every hour or so: put the device on sleep mode (or silent mode, for the smart phones) and walk away from the screen. Work on another task for a little while or at least take a genuine break or time-out from the on-line conversations and hashtag trends.
- Regularly count yourself out of this hypnotic state while you are working on the computer, etc. Say to yourself: “One, two, three, four, five. Eyes open [say your name], wide awake and in a fully alert and aware state.” Repeat this mantra as necessary.
- Stand up and stretch and take deep breaths. Do jumping jacks or run in place for a minute to get your body moving and switch your focus and awareness to your physical environment.
- While you are working or interacting on a social-media site, eat nutritious snacks that contain protein to keep your mood even and reduce your suggestibility to things you see, hear or read while you are on-line. (For more information about the role between nutrition and suggestibility, go to my blog titled “Nutrition and the Development of Phobias.”)
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/.
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