Basic Hypnosis Techniques
Hypnosis is a state of mind brought about by intense relaxation. The feeling can be compared to lying in bed and not wanting to get up. It is a natural state for the mind to be in. During this state, the conscious mind drifts off, the analytical left side of the brain switches off, and the reason is focused. It is believed to be a different state and awareness from everyday waking. (Karle and Boys p9)
The state of Hypnosis goes that step further to awaken the sub-conscious mind, which responds to suggestions from the hypnotist. Throughout the process, the client is in complete control and wants to change some behaviour about themselves. The purpose of Hypnosis is to change old beliefs by planting positive seeds, therefore, re-programming negative patterns or behaviour. Some people believe the process is just a temporary fix; others think it can be more long-term with repetition and consistency.
Negative beliefs are all held in the subconscious mind, so with suggestion under Hypnosis rather than everyday life, these beliefs will respond and eventually change. We have all been subject to self-hypnosis but did not notice because it is such a natural state. For example, whilst driving down a familiar road and arriving at the destination, then wonder how you got there without being aware because the mind would have gone to auto piolet. In the case of driving, it is classed as a skill, and the subconscious knows what action to take because it has been stored. However, if you were to drive a new car, your conscious mind would be entirely focused because the skill must be re-learnt and practised before it becomes part of the subconscious.
The earliest evidence of Hypnosis was found within the shaman culture. Shamans were also known as ‘witch doctors’ or ‘healers. They practised their own ritual before beginning the hypnotic process to feel focused and in the right frame of mind. The shamans would find a quiet space to carry out the process, then begin descending using visualisations to what they called the ‘lower world’. They were sometimes assisted with the beating of drums, chanting or singing. Chanting repetition allowed the subconscious mind to awaken and the negative to be released. (Hadley & Staudacher p11)
Hypnosis is becoming more accepted in the health care system; depending on how willing and accepting the client is, it can be very effective. Hypnosis can also complement other healing practices or combat issues such as weight loss, anxiety, phobias, and sleep problems, to name a few. How long these issues take to work depends on the individual’s willingness.
During the hypnotic process, psychological aspects are non-visible to humans. These aspects will be discovered by enquiring about information from the client, such as describing what the experience was like for them and how it made them feel. Were there feelings of floating, heaviness, drifting? Were they able to engage in the process successfully?
Everyone experiences Hypnosis differently hence the reasons for finding out everyone’s experience. In my experience of Hypnosis, I found it difficult to relax because it was my first time, and I was unsure of what to expect. Halfway through, I still found that I wasn’t as relaxed as I could have been, so I went with it anyway. I struggled to accept the suggestions because I was in quite a low place, so I just used my imagination to get through the experience. I had three sessions, and I was more accepted by the third. On the opposite side, with me being the hypnotist, I felt slightly anxious with my first client, DJ; I was apprehensive about talking slowly because I already felt out of my comfort zone. However, once I got started, I began to feel more comfortable. DJ moved around within the first 5 minutes, and then I noticed his body sinking deeper into relaxation.
Halfway through (when I got up to the safe place), I heard DJ breathing quite heavily, so I assumed he had fallen asleep. I carried on as usual, but when I did the countdown to return to the room, on the command, ‘wiggle your fingers and your toes,’ I noticed a slight movement in the toes. When I got to number 5 which was to open the eyes, DJ took a while to do so, which led me to think he was asleep. DJ explained that he enjoyed the experience and felt very relaxed, hence the heavy breathing. DJ commented that he did not fall asleep.
He mentioned that he got distracted in the safe because I said, ‘notice your surroundings.’ He took it literally and became aware of his surroundings, which may have interfered a little with the experience mentally but nothing that I could see physically. DJ explained that he had no safe place; even though I gave examples, he said he found it difficult to use his imagination and focus on something. He was happy to lie down and enjoy the relaxation with no expectations.
The physical aspects of Hypnosis can be monitored; an example is observing the client during the process. So, notice their breathing; is it slow and steady or fast? Do they appear to be relaxed? Does their appearance attend to be expected, or do they seem to be off-colour? Is it easy to pick up on their emotions regarding facial expressions? The development over the years has enabled scientists to measure the brain’s activity for specific conditions. It was called EEG and recorded the electrical activity, otherwise known as brain wave activity.
There are four main types of brain waves, beta waves being the one that contributes to the waking consciousness. Some characteristics associated with beta waves are reasoning, focus, logic, and decision-making. (mindvalleyacademy.com 2017) The frequency measured will be 15-40 cycles per second. Alpha waves are slower than beta waves, measured at 9-14 cycles per second. These waves are present during guided meditations and creative activities. Theta waves are associated with the subconscious mind; the waves are current during deep meditation and sleep, including dreaming.
Delta waves are the slowest of the four; this can be experienced when dreamless sleep occurs. In this state, awareness is detached and will be the only wave active. The most recently discovered gamma wave with the fastest 40 cycles per second frequency. It is known as the insight wave with high-level information processing. (Mindvalleyacademy.com 2017)
The role of relaxation in hypnotherapy is the process of relaxing a person by listening to suggestions for a problem that they would like to work on, whether it be long-term or short-term. The relaxation starts at the top of the body, and with each suggestion, the client works to relax each part of the body mentally. It is done this way because the subconscious is deep down within and knows where all the deep dark stuff is stored. Conscious humans may not like to go there; however, they realise it could be beneficial to the healing process in their life, so they choose to. So, the relaxation process starts at the top going down to reach the subconscious in opposition to some regular relaxation meditations, which create from the bottom of the body and work their way up.
References
Hellmut W.A.Karle and Jennifer H.Boys, (1987), Hypnotherapy, A practical handbook, Great Britain, Short Run Press Ltd
Josie Hadley and Carol Staudacher, (1996), Hypnosis for change, third edition, United States of America: New Harbinger
Mindvalley academy, (2016) This is how brain waves contribute to the state of mind, (online) last accessed on 24th October 2017 at https://www.mindvalleyacademy.com/blog/mind/brain-waves