HYPNOSIS AND THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
- whereemotionsflow
- Dec 25, 2024
- 3 min read
By:Divyanshi Singh
What is the subconscious mind?
The subconscious mind lies below the level of conscious awareness. It contains all the stored information from all our experiences, thoughts and feelings. This part of our consciousness remains mostly hidden from our everyday awareness. The subconscious influences how we think and act when in the conscious state.
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation and focused meditation. It is also known as hypnotherapy. It is usually done using mental imagery and verbal repeated cues. It can be seen as ‘a waking state of awareness, (or consciousness), in which a person’s attention is detached from his or her immediate environment and is absorbed by inner experiences such as feelings, cognition and imagery. It is a helpful tool for treating issues such as anxiety, insomnia, phobias, depression and stress.
What happens during hypnosis?
There are four stages of hypnosis: induction, deepener, suggestions and emergence.
Induction
During this stage, you begin to relax and focus your attention. Your therapist will guide you through this stage with specific techniques such as controlled breathing (breathing in over a count of seven, then breathing out over a count of 11), progressive muscle or focusing on a visual image.
Deepener
This stage takes your relaxation and focus to a deeper level. It involves counting down or using descending imagery such as walking down the stairs or slowly sinking deeper and deeper into a comfortable bed. These first two stages are focused on easing your openness to suggestions.
Suggestions
This is the stage for actual change in behavior and perception. Your therapist will use imagery and carefully chosen language. The suggestions are usually symptom focused
(to resolve a symptom) or exploratory (to explore experiences associated with the start of symptoms).
Emergence
During this stage, you come out of hypnosis. Your hypnotist may use reverse deepeners, such as giving you the suggestions that you’re climbing up stairs or counting up.
Myths about Hypnosis
1. Hypnosis makes you lose control
Hypnosis is actually a state of heightened focus and suggestibility, but it does not render an individual powerless or under the control of the hypnotist.
2. You won’t remember anything after hypnosis
The assumption that hypnosis results in total memory loss is inaccurate. The extent to which memories are retained can vary, and the phenomenon is tied to individual differences in suggestibility and the therapeutic goals set during the hypnotic sessions
3. Hypnotists need to be highly skilled to produce responsiveness. The image of the hypnotist as a magician who can hypnotize any random person is a myth. Hypnosis requires only the ability to administer procedures and basic social skills (e.g., to establish rapport).
4. You are not hypnotized if you can hear the hypnotist
Each person has a unique experience of hypnosis. Some people consciously hear the hypnotist, whereas others do not. This has no bearing on the success of the session whatsoever. It is usually down to choice. You can choose to allow your mind to drift away, or you can choose to listen carefully to what the hypnotherapist is saying
5. Hypnosis comes from “Black Magic” or is “Supernatural”.
Hypnosis is a natural state that has been studied scientifically. Hypnotherapists are not Psychics or Palm Readers with “special powers”. Hypnotherapy is based on many years of clinical research by famous Psychologists such as Dr. Sigmund
Freud and Dr. Carl Jung, and more recently, by Dr. Milton Erikson and Dr. John Kappas.
REFERENCES
Ananda.org. (n.d.). Levels of consciousness and what they represent. Ananda. https://www.ananda.org/ask/levels-of-consciousness-and-what-they-represent/
Williamson A. (2019). What is hypnosis and how might it work?. Palliative care, 12, 1178224219826581. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178224219826581
Penn Medicine. (2019, January). Hypnosis: What you need to know. University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Brown, D. (2021, February 22). 21 myths about hypnosis. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/finding-a-new-home/202102/21-myths -about-hypnosis
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Hypnosis. Cleveland Clinic.
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