An Extreme Example of Environmental Hypnosis

            This afternoon, KABC-TV news reported that a neighborhood in Pasadena, California was host to a wayward black bear. Local homeowners were instructed to remain indoors while the animal settled on the grass behind a house and started to gnaw on the homeowner’s wooden fence. Meanwhile, thousands of viewers and, it seemed, the reporters covering the story, were glued to their respective television screens and monitors to watch and discuss what the bear was getting up to.

Even though most of the people who saw or know about this incident watched it unfold on their television sets, I still count this incident as “environmental hypnosis” because the object of fascination was an animal doing its thing in its environment. Also, until the police and officers from Animal Control arrived to order everyone to stay inside, the news feeds showed people standing around in their back yards with video camera/cell phone in hand, waiting to get a glimpse and, hopefully, a video of the bear. One man even crossed the street to talk to Animal Control officers about the situation. No one seemed in a hurry to get out of the way until they were ordered to go inside; but a patrol officer did seem nervous when the animal climbed over a fence and started to lope down the street. (He immediately sought shelter in a nearby Animal Control vehicle.) It was obvious that the bear was not under anyone’s “control”—staff from the Department of Fish and Game had yet to arrive to (hopefully) humanely return the bear to the Angeles Forest.

Meanwhile, the bear’s unusual presence in a local neighborhood, compounded by our very human curiosity about the wildlife that lives nearby, was more than enough to overload the subconscious mind of everyone watching the news or living nearby. Hundreds of message units flooded our minds: Whoa, there’s a bear in my back yard! What is it doing? Why is it doing that? Where is it going? How cute…I want to get a picture of it! Etc. The stage was set for a naturally occurring form of hypnosis to occur. Most people know that bears are potentially dangerous and unpredictable; we tend to be duly cautious if not outright terrified when we know that a large predator is so close. However, the context of this incredible incident overwhelmed and temporarily shut down the critical (analytic) part of our minds, literally freezing people to their TV screens or wherever they were in the neighborhood, waiting for the drama to unfold.

Any time you are in a situation where you think or know that you are becoming overwhelmed by what is going on around you, you are likely drifting into a light state of trance (environmental hypnosis). Simply say the following: “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. Meanwhile, it is fortunate for the people in this community who may not have known this trick that police  and animal control officers were on hand to provide a powerful suggestion (command) to the residents that they stay inside until the bear could be humanely returned to the forest so everyone can get back to their normal lives tomorrow.  

 

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/.

© 2014

Sensory-Based Communication

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

The words and metaphors you use in your speech tell
a lot about how you perceive your world.

 

                  No pun intended, but the way we use words to share thoughts and ideas is so expressive of who we are and how we take in our world. We communicate what we perceive, and we use specific words and terms to illustrate how we perceive the information we are sharing. According to Neurolinguistic Programming, we all have a preferred way to express or represent ourselves when we communicate. Following are descriptions of the different sensory representational systems.

·         Visual: This person primarily takes in information by seeing and how something looks. He or she looks up and is comfortable establishing eye contact. He or she needs to see written information or instructions to something and will use metaphors such as, “I see what you mean” to convey understanding during a conversation.

·         Auditory: This individual processes information via auditory cues and can learn by hearing and listening to instruction. He or she will use expressions like, “The message is loud and clear” or “another way to say that.” This person is comfortable memorizing sequences and is very sensitive to the speaker’s tone of voice and the words the other person uses. However, this individual can become overwhelmed by stimuli and may avoid eye contact (focusing on another stimuli) in order to listen to and understand what is being said. This person will use metaphors like, “I hear what you’re saying” to convey understanding during a conversation.

·         Kinesthetic: A kinesthetic person learns and memorizes something by rehearsing or “walking through” a scenario. This person tends to make physical contact with the object of discussion or another person in the conversation as a way of reinforcing what he or she is learning. He or she will use metaphors like, “That meeting completely slipped my mind.”

·         Auditory Digital: An auditory-digital individual focuses on whether something makes sense in order to learn and understand a concept. This person will use language like, “That’s logical” to indicate that he or she understands (or not) the principle being discussed.

During each hypnotherapy session, I pay careful attention to the words my clients use and which metaphors they choose when they speak. I know that the way they use language paints a picture of how they perceive their lives and where they are in the process of replacing an unwanted behavior. This information helps me to create the ideal hypnosis script by which I can communicate with their subconscious mind and help them achieve their goals.

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/.

© 2014

 

With Your Permission and Only With Your Permission, Part 2

                I could not believe it.  Sunday night, right before my (and thousands of viewers’) eyes, a random hypnotist essentially ambushed a beloved character of the television series I was watching. Bam! Right in the middle of a critical scene in the episode, the hypnotist addressed the character by name, gave a command (eye fascination) and did a rapid induction to knock him out long enough for critical elements of the plot to make sense and the storyline to move along. Following are my reasons why this scene worked—and made sense—in the context of Hypnosis Motivati­on Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D.’s definition of hypnosis and the following key elements of the plot:

1.       According to Dr. Kappas, hypnosis is “[a state] created by an overload of message units that disorganizes our inhibitory process (critical mind), triggering our fight/flight mechanism and ultimately resulting in a hyper-suggestible state [that provides] access to the subconscious mind.” The character was distraught and in a state of high anxiety when the hypnotist approached him. He didn’t want to/wouldn’t physically leave the scene, but this opportunity for temporary “escape” into hypnosis was an easy way to escape the trauma and drama going on around him.

2.       The hypnotist was calm and in control—and took control of the situation. He spoke the protagonist’s name and commanded the character to look at him.

3.       The hypnotist appeared to use a variation of the direct-gaze shock induction to hypnotize the protagonist. This is a legitimate rapid-induction technique in which a hypnotist has the person look him in the eye and supports his or her upper body during the physical aspect of the induction.

4.       The hypnotist used the key phrase, “deep sleep” that is typically employed during hypnosis. At the end of the scene, once key plot details had been resolved, the hypnotist counted the character back up to full awareness.

When I saw this scene unfold every cell in my body screamed “foul!” at the irresponsible depiction and unethical/immoral application of hypnosis. The technique that the hypnotist employed, and the context in which he used it, was in no way hypnotherapy. However, considering the protagonist’s overwrought emotional state and the activity going on around him, it was easy to understand how this scene was a perfect example of Dr. Kappas’ explanation of how and why hypnosis works. I think the inclusion of a rogue hypnotist doing a rapid induction to temporarily overwhelm the character’s already-overloaded subconscious mind was an ingenious, extra detail that will keep fans talking about this episode for a long time.

 

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/.

© 2014

 

With Your Permission and Only With Your Permission, Part 1

                If you do not want to be hypnotized—whether you do not believe that hypnosis will work for you or you resist being hypnotized because you are afraid—you won’t be. I repeat the statement, “with your permission and only your permission” throughout the session to remind my clients that they can choose to be hypnotized and actualize their desired behavior changes. I also use my clients’ own words to reinforce their emotions, reasons and motivations for making these changes. As a certified hypnotherapist, I use hypnosis is a tool to help you change behaviors that no longer work for you and replace them with behaviors, strategies, etc. that you want and believe will improve your quality of life. During hypnosis, you are completely aware of everything going on around you. If you wouldn’t say or do something when you are completely alert, you wouldn’t and could not be made to do anything in hypnosis that opposes your beliefs, morals and ethical principles.

                 Therefore, I tend to be very critical of how and why hypnosis is depicted on television and in movies: a protagonist is “commanded” to do something that is completely out of character; the hypnotist erases and then replaces a character’s memory with a new, fictitious personal history and personality; or a person is “hypnotized” to behave in a particular way simply to move the plot along. In these scenarios, the character is completely unaware that he has been hypnotized; he just carries out the hypnotist’s bidding and does whatever needs to be done to move the plot along. Imagine my surprise that I not only bought the hypnosis-ambush of a character in a popular detective series, but it made absolute sense why this scenario worked and was believable.

                               

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/.

© 2014

Back in the Saddle Again

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan


Lunge-lessons are a great way to work on and improve riding
skills and rebuild self-confidence after a fall.

 

I am sure that most people—even non-equestrians—have heard the expression that you must get right back on the horse if it bucks you off. It is not about teaching the horse a lesson or proving that we won’t let him “beat us.” Contrary to popular belief, this philosophy is actually about helping riders to regain their self-confidence after a fall or other negative experience with a horse. This philosophy has even become a metaphor for picking yourself up and overcoming a challenge in various contexts (work, relationships, riding a bike). It also happens to be a perfect example of how I use hypnotherapy to help my clients replace negative associations to a person or event with a new “known” or positive association with that situation.

Few horses are malicious in that they intend to buck off or “lose” their riders. Regardless of the cause of the incident, provided you and your horse are physically unhurt and able to do continue, it is very important (psychologically) for you to get back on your horse. This is because as more time passes between the fall and riding again, your subconscious mind is strengthening the new, negative association(s) between riding, that specific horse and any negative self-talk that may be in bouncing around in your mind. You want to eradicate and replace any of those negative associations with positive ones of enjoying yourself and riding/spending time with your equine partner. You don’t have to ride fast or even very far. If you are more comfortable riding in a smaller arena than going on a trail ride, that’s fine. Do this work where you feel most comfortable—even if it is standing still with another person or your instructor holding the horse on a line. The objective of this part of the ride is to create new positive associations between your horse, being on and with your horse, feeling comfortable, being relaxed and enjoying yourself. Focus on taking slow, deep breaths. Pat your horse and reassure him that you are still there and that everything is okay. (By the way, these actions will comfort and relax you, too.)

I hope these suggestions help you to relax and enjoy the time you spend with your horse, regardless of what is going on around you. I am not a riding instructor, and I encourage everyone to consult with a trainer or instructor to resolve riding and horse-related issues. However, I have found from personal experience as well as my hypnotherapy work with other equestrians that setting positive expectations for a good ride is the most effective way to achieve that goal. For more information about my hypnotherapy work with equestrians, please contact me via my website at www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com.

 

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/.

Stop! Negative Self-Talk

 
                From time to time, in a moment of frustration or anger or even fear, we say something negative and hurtful to someone very close to us. The incident that sparked the outburst may turn out to be inconsequential, but in that instant there is nothing more important or urgent than giving that other person a piece of our mind for causing so much trouble in the first place. We can always apologize and make amends to the other person once tempers have cooled down and the issue is resolved. But, what if the person you are so mad at is you? Do you apologize for the hurtful things you have said or thought about you, to yourself?

                According to John Kappas, Ph.D., the subconscious mind works on expectation and imagination. Over time, we learn to expect others to respond to and interact with us in a particular way based on our previous experience with those individuals. We also learn to internalize the message or emotion we perceive in those interactions, which can affect self-confidence and self-esteem. No matter what the “message” is, as you hear and repeat it to yourself your subconscious mind starts to internalize and believe that message. If people in your social circle constantly bombard you with criticism and negativity, perhaps it is time to change who you hang out with. If you are the one trash-talking yourself, it is time to rewrite your mental script to be ­­­more loving and accepting of yourself.

                During hypnosis, I teach my clients simple breathing and relaxation techniques by which to dial down or even turn off the negative self-talk. I also desensitize my clients to the stimuli that typically trigger their self-criticism and self-reproach. Finally, I use therapeutic guided-imagery techniques to enable my clients to find solutions for those situations and then visualize, imagine, picture or pretend that they have successfully resolved a conflict with self-confidence and self-love.

 

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/.

Gullibility? Suggestibility? Hypnosis.

Photo by Sara Fogan

Believe it or not, the "Winnovations" sketch on
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is a great example of hypnosis.

                Periodically, Jay Leno features a segment called “Winnovations” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. During this segment, comedian/inventor Trevor Moore sets up his Winnovations kiosk on a busy street at asks passers-by to try out one of his fabulous new inventions. For example, there is a contraption that helps your own breath to grow your hair by recirculating the carbon dioxide that you exhale in your breath into plastic tubes (the Blow-n-Grow); another mechanism increases the flavor of your food by catapulting it against a surface and into another container (the Flava-Putt); and The Brite Blast will whiten your teeth by blowing intense bursts of oxygen into your mouth.

Mr. Moore informs the studio and television audience that none of these products actually do any of the things they were created to do. However, no one on the street is told or seems to know that. One by one, they agree to test an item he has shown to them. To the apparent astonishment of the TV audience (as evidenced by laughter and some gasps), these testers are so convinced that the product worked the way they expected it to do, they even agree to endorse it.

Why do they believe him?

1.       He has authority. The inventor/vendor has a kiosk to display and market his products, he is wearing a uniform (Winnovations T-shirt) and peddles the product on a busy street in a major city. There are also video camera operators on the scene to lend authenticity to his scheme.

2.       He has a message: Mr. Moore explained what each product was supposed to do and then followed up that explanation with a logical argument about how/why the item would actually do what he promised.

3.       He overloads the person’s subconscious mind to accept what he is saying and suspend their disbelief about the product: The inventor does this by utilizing a systematic “patter” (fast talk) to convey information about his products. He uses the tone of his voice and the cadence of his speech, as well as perfectly timed head nods and facial expressions, to support and encourage the person in believing that the product is having the desired effect.

Radio and television advertisements use the same kinds of techniques to sell their wares. So do salespeople in department stores or at the mall, a card dealer in a Las Vegas Casino.  Remember, these strategies will be more or less effective—or not effective, at all—depending on your suggestibility and willingness to go along with or “buy” what is being sold.

This is 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® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.