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When fear and concern are in control of your life, you know that they feel like they are consuming it all. You can meditate or meditate, read self-help books, or try to get by on your own – but it’s always best to admit when you need help and then seek it out.
You might consider hypnosis but don’t know where to start. We’ll take some of the stress out of figuring this out for you.
What is hypnosis good for?
For a complete look at what hypnosis is, what it can be used for, and what to expect the first time you try it, we reached out to Dr. Gigi Arnaud skillfully. She was a dentist in New York City for over 30 years but became a certified hypnotherapist and certified life coach, initially helping those patients who were nervous about dental appointments.
“Hypnosis is great for anxiety and phobias, like dentist, flies, spiders, etc.,” she told Lifehacker, adding that it is also good for changing habits (think weight loss, quitting smoking, and the like) and anxiety and Stress relief works. She sees clients looking to build confidence, self-esteem, and focus, as well as some looking for a more restful sleep.
She described hypnosis as “a relaxed state of inner absorption, focused attention and concentration”.
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“We all experience this state of trance in our daily life,” she said. “If you are going to a place and are not fully aware of the route, but since you have already walked that route, just do it without ‘thinking’ and you will be in a trance. These are the moments just before falling asleep or when you wake up, or when you are engrossed in a good book or movie (the theta brainwave state). It is a state in which the subconscious is open to positive suggestions known as post-hypnotic suggestions. “
How can hypnosis be helpful?
Dr. Arnaud said that for real, permanent change you need to connect your consciousness to your subconscious, which is even stronger. Your subconscious mind holds your beliefs, your experiences, and often your negative thought patterns, which may be conveyed to you by your parents, society, or the environment.
Whether you want to correct social fears, fear of bugs, or the habit of downplaying yourself, it comes from this subconscious part of your mind. Hypnosis can help you identify and use your conscious and subconscious mind so that you can tackle the root of your problems and make positive changes for the future.
An important step that is necessary for hypnosis to work is, according to Dr. Arnaud has a positive attitude towards the process and the meetings. A hypnotist will work with you to correct myths and misunderstandings while building a trusting relationship. Banish the idea of hypnosis as a party trick that gets people to do things against their will; it’s not that.
This is what awaits you
After an initial session that talks about hypnosis and what it really is, you will have an introduction. That, said Dr. Arnaud, implies that the hypnotist “talks the client down into a trance state that can only be a light trance”.
In a trance state, you should feel relaxed but able to focus on a goal. Your body might feel relaxed and heavy, but it might also feel “okay,” she said. You will hear your hypnotist’s voice, but don’t be surprised if it sounds far and far away. Some hypnosis – especially habit-break hypnosis – may involve therapy. In these cases, you may experience some pretty strong emotions during your session.
Don’t be afraid of a trance. You can easily rid yourself of it by simply moving around and shaking your body out. You won’t be so stuck and you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do. Also, don’t be so sure that you will notice huge differences immediately after your session.
“There is no precise prediction of how hypnosis will affect you. Maybe you don’t feel or change anything in your life or you don’t know, ”said Dr. Arnaud. “Remember that you are changing your subconscious (not your conscious mind) so you may not be aware of it. But it is often there and works somewhere in the background. “
Conversely, you might feel a “big change” if you work on quitting smoking or building your self-confidence, for example. “It’s all individual. It depends on what your subconscious is ready and able to accept, ”she said.