Getting Caught Up In the Action

(This blog was originally posted on June 29, 2016)

Photo by Rick Hustead

According to John G. Kappas, Ph.D., founder of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, “hypnosis is created by an overload of message units, disorganizing our inhibitory process, triggering our fight-flight mechanism and ultimately resulting in a hyper-suggestible state, providing access to the subconscious mind.” In other words, when the mind is overloaded by multiple, multi-faceted physical and emotional stimuli, we actually “escape” into hypnosis to avoid the anxiety produced by this over-stimulation. In today’s blog I will share some common examples of emotional responses/reactions people make when they are in hypnosis.

• Have you ever been in love? During the peak of infatuation, it is common to adopt the preferences (e.g., musical, film, books, etc.), behaviors or even habits you have observed in your beloved. This tendency is actually a product of suggestibility, whereby we become “suggestible” to a romantic partner’s beliefs/attitudes/behaviors during the relationship.

• Did you cry when Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jack Dawson, died at the end of Titanic? Deep down, you knew that the actor was alive and well somewhere. However, the message units that flooded your mind during this scene—sounds and images of this character perishing in the icy North Atlantic Ocean—overwhelmed your conscious mind so you slipped into a light trance. DiCaprio’s on-screen charm and acting prowess sealed the deal in terms of your “buying into” the story that Jack Dawson died. Did you do on-line research after the movie let out to see if he was a real person and died on the R.M.S. Titanic? If so, the cast and Titanic writer/director James Cameron accomplished their goal of creating for the audience a realistic experience of sailing on and witnessing the demise of this historic ship.

• Do you curse Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin every time he “kills off” one of your favorite characters but cheer when a true villain meets a particularly gruesome/unusual demise? Your conscious mind knows that the individuals who populate Martin’s exciting, horrifying, creative, fantastical kingdoms do not really exist. Nonetheless, when you have a visceral (physiological/emotional) response to the words on the pages of these books, you can be sure you were sucked into this alternate reality. Yes, you were hypnotized.

• Consider the last time you went to the grocery store. Did you buy any item(s) that were not on your original shopping list? Did you take one or any of the free food samples you were offered? If so, there is a good chance that you were in a light state of trance during your shopping trip: i.e. Hypnotized by the Grocery Store.

Next time you find yourself completely engrossed in what is going on when you are watching a movie or television program or reading novel, or after you leave the grocery store laden with various item(s) you never intended to purchase, look in the mirror. If your eyes look glassy/glazed over, that is a sure sign you were in a state of trance. I also invite you to check out my blog titled, Are You Sure I Was Hypnotized? to learn about other physiological responses that your body makes 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® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2017

Inferential Learning

(This blog was originally posted on June 13, 2016)

Me with Monty Roberts at the Pomona Equine Affaire in 2008

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

The first time I heard the term “inferential learning” was at a Monty Roberts horse-training seminar at the 2008 Equine Affaire in Pomona, California. To help a horse overcome its fear of obstacles, Mr. Roberts asked some assistants to roll and lay out a blue tarp on the ground for the animal to investigate. Over the course of about 10 minutes or so, the horse sniffed, pawed at and eventually put a hoof on the tarp. With some encouragement and tons of praise, he eventually built up enough confidence to stand on the material. Mr. Roberts explained that this process facilitated the horse’s inferential learning: by allowing it to investigate at its own speed and even make a few mistakes along the way—the horse did balk at the tarp when it was first laid out—he was able to figure out how to negotiate the new stimulus and get the situation to work for him.

I went through a similar process when I started to write this blog.

For some reason, the cursor pad on my laptop stopped working a few weeks ago. The technicians at Staples deduced there was a problem with the computer but I could easily navigate the screen with an external mouse. That was no problem until tonight, when the cursor froze again. This time I was in my office waiting for a client to arrive; there was no time to go back to Staples to get assistance. If I couldn’t use the computer it wouldn’t be the worst thing—I would have to improvise creating the reinforcement track on a different machine at home, was all. However, I had a few minutes to spare so I decided to figure out a way to resolve my problem, a la inferential learning.

I knew that the remote external mouse I use worked off of a USB attachment, so I started moving the attachment back and forth to different ports. I soon discovered that one of the ports was not working at all, but I had no problem using the mouse when it was plugged into one of the other ports. Phew! At least I could get my work done this evening and deal with the defective USB port when I had more time (and no one waiting for me).

Once again, I had to credit my hypnotherapy training for helping me remain calm and using the rational, logical part of my mind to address the unexpected challenge. Ten years ago, I probably (definitely) would have become panicked and frustrated right away. I am sure that it would have taken a lot longer for me to even consider trying possible solutions for this problem. In fact, I felt like I imagine my horse does when he figures out a new movement in his dressage training. When he gets it right, his tail floats merrily from side to side and he even gets a little spring in his step when he trots off again. Whenever Galahad completes a turn on the haunches, a lateral movement he is currently learning, my trainer or I give him a lot of verbal praise and a few pats on his neck or shoulder to acknowledge his success. 

Maybe I should give myself a pat on the back for my successful problem-solving with my computer.

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/.

© 2017