How Hypnosis can Improve Your Life
Something interesting happens when people are hypnotized and when people meditate regularly. Science does not know why, but for whatever reason, people’s body and mind begin to “speak” to them in a way that makes them choose healthier behaviors. And somehow, many minor ailments and negative reactions to stressful situations seem to diminish or just go away. This article explains why this happens.
When I was a child, this would often happen to me: Needing a pair of socks, I’d ask my mother, “Mom, I need some socks.”
She’d say, “There’s a pair right on top of the dryer.”
I’d look and find nothing, “I don’t see any.”
“Look closer. I know there are some there.”
I’d fumble around a bit longer and still nothing, “Mom, they’re not here.”
She’d get frustrated, go into the laundry room, pick up a pair of socks that were right in front of my face, and say, “If it were a snake it would’ve bitten you!”
Has anything like this ever happened to you? (I know many wives that’ll tell you it happens all the time.)
Notice the phrase in the box to the right. First, I’d like you to count how many times you see the letter O. Don’t read on until you’ve done this.
Ok, how many did you count?
Highlight (or select the hidden text) after this line to see if you agree with me: FOUR
Ok, no big deal, right? It’s just the letter O. Chances are you counted the same number I did.
Now, count how many times you see the letter F.
Remember this number. We’ll get back to the card in a moment.
Have you ever purchased a car (or maybe a new cell phone or something similar) and soon you start seeing them everywhere? It’s not likely that word got around that you bought that car and everyone rushed out to do the same. For whatever reason, your mind opened up so that the information passing in front of your eyes was finally allowed through.
Our Natural Filter – Opening to Ideas
There exists a screening device located at the base of our brain called a Reticular Activating System. This net-like group of cells helps decide what we are conscious of as it filters out other information that essentially is not a threat or is not important to us.
For example, you are not aware of the fabric on your arms until I mention it; or the temperature of the room, or all the sounds in your environment. Thankfully, this filter exists or we’d go crazy having to acknowledge every color, every sensation, every blink of the eye, and so forth.
What makes understanding the Reticular Activating System so interesting is that we can shift our focus such that we can become conscious of things normally blocked from our awareness. Just as mothers can hear the slightest “peep” from their babies over many other louder sounds, just as you somehow hear someone say your name over all the noise at a party, we can soon become aware of the healthy food choices normally overlooked in a grocery store, for example.
Recall the card where I asked you to count the letter F. Most people find three. What’s interesting, though, is that there are actually SIX Fs on that card. And I even asked that you first count the letter O, which happens to be right next to those missing Fs.
Now if you really think about this, it should be pretty exciting. Right in front of you were those Fs (or the cars, or the pair of socks). Your eyes saw them, but for whatever reason, your mind did not allow it to register CONSCIOUSLY. This same phenomena can exist for you with most any change you’d like to make.
As an example: I have a close friend who never eats anything the slightest bit unhealthy. We can walk through a grocery store and she will see healthy items – items that I know about and have eaten – that, for some reason, I never realized were even in the store despite my being there many times. But after being with her and seeing the things she saw, it was like the grocery store started carrying items seen only in a health food stores.
This, too, is how your mind works.
Same thing happens with personal confidence and relationships. There are people all around you that are intrigued with you that you are totally not registering. These people are like the other three Fs that were right in front of your face. They are there. All you have to do is open up to them.
People who want to quit smoking experience the same delusion. They can quit, but something is blocking them. Athletes, people who are often sick or are in pain, people with too much stress… the list goes on and on.
The Magic of Hypnosis and Meditation
There are many misconceptions about hypnosis. Some people think that their minds are controlled, that they can be made to do things against their will, that it’s the work of the devil, and many other similar thoughts. On the other hand, many hypnotists would like you to believe that they have discovered the secret to affecting positive change in people and that they have great powers.
Actually, there is nothing mystical or magical about it. In fact, there’s very, very little difference between hypnosis and meditation or prayer. In both, you relax your mind and you focus on a goal. This is where the only mystery about hypnosis lies. No one really knows why, but for some reason, when a person achieves a certain relaxed state, the mind bypasses all the conscious limitations and is able to accomplish the most amazing things.
I’ve witnessed a Karate master enter himself into a trance-like state and then place his bare hand on a pile of just-shattered glass while a small car was driven over it. The car alone should have caused damage, but even with the glass, he lifted his hand to show no injury whatsoever.
All the phenomena and craziness seen in a hypnosis stage shows is real. There’s a small percentage of people who can achieve these deep trance states rather quickly and those are the people brought up onto the stage. People can be told that it’s getting cold, SO cold, and they develop goosebumps. These same people can then be taken to the hottest desert in the world, SO hot, and they literally start sweating. It is usually at this point that the hypnotist excuses the fakers to their seats. I don’t know anyone who can command their bodies to break into a sweat.
I can give many more examples but the point is this:
In a deep meditative or hypnotic state, there is no difference between real and imagined.
Think about that for a bit. It’s one of the amazing things about the human mind: In a deep meditative or hypnotic state, there is no difference between real and imagined.
To use health and wellness as an example:
If you can place yourself in a deep meditative state and so thoroughly imagine yourself living the behaviors and characteristics of a healthy person, then you literally become that person. Without even thinking about it, you start eating healthier. You become more active. You reduce or eliminate sweets and processed foods. Some people do all of these things at once while others accumulate these behaviors one by one. Either way, you start to live the healthy lifestyle.
How to Achieve a Deep Meditative State
The challenge many face is to achieve this deep, meditative state while also focusing on your personal goals. But what’s nice about this challenge is that with practice, it can be done.
Going to a hypnotist with an open mind is a good start. Guided meditation CDs are also helpful. I’ve written an article about mini-meditations, which can be done throughout your day in most any situation; and if done enough, you will soon reap the benefits of regular extended meditations. http://hubpages.com/hub/7-Mini-Meditations
All of these can work. They do just what’s needed – they relax you and help guide you into the deep, meditative state, then direct you to imagine your personal success.
I know it all might seem a little too simple, but it really does work this way. All you have to do is be patient enough to allow the change to take place.
Now, go see the other Fs that are all around you.