Frequently Asked Questions about Hypnosis

frequently-asked-questions

In 1958 the British Medical Association officially approved hypnosis as a form of treatment in all areas of medicine and surgery. Hypnosis is one of the oldest forms of treating people dating back to ancient Egypt. The Ebers papers, one of the oldest human writings, dating to 3000 BC describe the use of hypnosis in the treatment of human illness.

There are many misconceptions about hypnosis that have been impressed on us by books, movies, and television plays. Hypnosis has been exploited by charlatans and quacks who practice privately or for entertainment, such as stage hypnosis. Hypnosis therefore has been associated in the minds of people with magic, and the supernatural.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Hypnosis is a very natural state that we all have been in before. The person who wants to get up at an unusual time because it is really important to him to wake up 10 minutes before the alarm goes off responds to a post hypnotic suggestion. As we drift off to sleep, just before falling asleep, every night, we pass through a phase that is similar to hypnotic suggestions like the mother who sleeps through a thunderstorm but awakens when her sick child faintly moans.

Hypnosis is a state of mind and whereas the word "sleep" is sometimes used to describe the trance state the patient is far from being asleep. A person in hypnosis is aware of his surroundings in a detached sort of way and is more receptive to acceptable suggestions. The mind is concentrated on the suggestions and pays little attention to anything else (like being involved in a movie, or reading a book). Conscious critical thinking is more or less temporarily suspended and yet available at a moment's notice to cope with any emergency. If the Clinical Hypnotherapist should have a heart attack, or the patient hear the cry "fire" or smell smoke, the patient would immediately come out of hypnosis.

Many people expect to feel something special or different despite the fact that it is a normal state of absorption of the mind, that we have all been in many times before. Each person's experience is different and will change from time to time. As a matter of fact , it seems so normal to the person that he will often deny that he was in hypnosis. He has no reference to differentiate this form from the waking state (not unlike daydreaming). In general it is a pleasant feeling of relaxation where he feels very little inclination to move or open his eyes, although he could if he really wanted to.

Sometimes a patient will report that he couldn't move, or open his eyes, or that he didn't hear what was being said. This is similar to having a vivid dream yet forgetting it immediately upon waking. The mind and the body responds to it's own innermost needs and experiences.

This is perhaps the biggest misconception that the public has about hypnosis. The opposite is true. During hypnosis, you will hear everything the hypnotherapist says to you and everything happening around you (e.g. dog barking or a car horn sounding in the street). What is different during hypnosis is that you will be keyed into various physical sensations in your body that you normally don't pick up on. These sensations are discussed following hypnosis.

You cannot be hypnotized against your will, or without your consent. It is a state that is gone into willingly and with full awareness. A hypnotized person will not accept any idea or suggestion that is against his religion, upbringing, morality, or against his "grain". The clinical hypnotist is like an instructor or orchestra conductor. The patient achieves his own hypnotic state.

People who say they can't be hypnotized often make the best subjects. Permanent inability to go into hypnosis does not exist. There may be temporary unwillingness, just as people can force themselves to stay awake at night. If you are willing to cooperate you can learn to let yourself go into hypnosis. People of above average intelligence make the best subjects.

Hypnosis can enhance learning, develop motivation, build confidence and improve relationships. It has proved effective in countless physical and mental illnesses, dealing with fears, degenerative conditions, anesthesia requirements, and especially attitude modifications.

Relaxation can be induced to relieve pressures of stress at home and at work or to alleviate sleep problems; problematic habits can be brought under control, whether smoking, overeating, alcohol, or unwanted mannerisms.

Hypnosis is a method of mental re-focusing; an altered state of highly focused consciousness in which the conscious mind is by-passed and access is achieved directly to the subconscious mind.

Facts, information, and causes of feelings can be revealed through the subconscious mind. Behaviors and attitudes can be created, strengthened, modified or eliminated according to client's needs.

The first visit, approximately two and one-half (2 1/2) hours in length, involves an inventory of the client's problems and concerns, a clinical history to see where the client is coming from, medically, socially, emotionally, and personality wise, a discussion of hypnosis, the actual hypnosis session for client's problem followed by a feedback session, and a lot of suggestions and handouts. During the initial 2-1/2 hour session, every client is shown how to do self hypnosis so that they can reinforce, on a daily basis, what Dr. Mulhausen has done in the office (Dr. Mulhausen believes that this, alone, is worth the price of this session in itself). For many clients, those with a high degree of motivation and cooperation, one session proves to be sufficient. However, repeat visits may be beneficial in reinforcing suggestions given during the initial hypnosis session. These follow-up sessions, to reinforce an initial problem, or for a new proble in the future, tend to be about one and one-half (1 1/2) hours in length.

Actually, of all therapies, hypnosis is the safest. It has never harmed anyone. It has no side effects, but like any therapy it should only be done by a qualified practitioner who is trained and experienced in clinical hypnosis. It is certainly foolish to permit any unqualified person to hypnotize you.

This is an old myth which just isn't so in modern clinical hypnosis. Years ago authoritative hypnotic techniques were used and clients were ordered to let go of their symptoms before they were psychologically ready. They would sometimes unconsciously defeat or punish their therapist by switching the symptom to something else.

Today we use a permissive approach which allows a person to go at his own pace. Sometimes an underlying cause may need to be analyzed in hypnoanalysis. A symptom that may have been useful at one time can persist. Whether physical or organic after one failure the fear of failure can lead to further symptoms. Hypnosis can frequently help in such various diseases as migraine, asthma, impotence, premature ejaculation, frigidity, fears and phobias.

Self-esteem and self-confidence are essential to human progress. A person must like, respect and admire the person he/she sees in the mirror. Self-confidence is necessary for achievement; however it requires self-esteem to be effective.

Life events, in childhood or adult years, can damage the self-esteem and destroy confidence in anyone. The chances of reaching one's full potential thus can be minimized. Hypnotherapy and hypnoanalysis can reveal the causes, create understanding and modify self-doubts and beliefs, enabling individual potentials to be achieved.

Being able to think and act positively is achieved through an awareness of being in control. The individual who feels in control of life, events, emotions and personal progress is relatively free from problems involving stress, nervousness, fear, inadequacy and other characteristics of "out-of-control" people.

Hypnosis can create or enhance the confidence, assuredness and sense of personal competence that go with being in control. Self-doubt, negative imprints from events in childhood, effects of past failures can be converted to positive, aggressive outlooks and awareness of control.

Fear reactions may range from simple "hang-ups" to specific (or non-specific) fears which affect the activities or enjoyment of life, to full-blown fears which may be a part of serious mental illness.

Hypnotic suggestions can replace catastrophic thoughts with truthful facts explaining existing problems. Exposing the causes can diminish anxieties and alleviate symptoms, relieving distress.

Stress and/or nervousness can be caused by factors which are known or unknown. Problems or insecurities can foster mental and physical conditions which adversely affect the progress and enjoyment of life. Other causes may include events, contacts or traumas which may be repressed or suppressed, creating anxieties the sources of which appear totally unknown.

Stress that begins to debilitate or produce depression needs attention. Stress management hypnotherapy is powerfully effective. Causes can be revealed and in cases where stress-causing situations cannot be changed, hypnotherapy can modify perceptions so as to make possible tolerable living conditions.

Each time you go into hypnosis your body goes more deeply into a resting state. As a result of conditioning the body learns to maintain this state and healing takes place. Repetition of proper thoughts helps recondition the patient. For example, in hypnosis we can suggest to a client with fear of flying that as the plane is moving he will feel as if he is sitting in the movies. This is the way he will respond. For this reason, once we have determined what the problem is we spend very little time on conscious talking, because it has so little treatment impact.

Relaxation of the mind reduces the anticipation of the pain and relaxation of the body raises the pain threshold. Putting our attention on pain makes it worse. The reverse is true also. We can distract our mind away from pain. Ever been so busy that you didn't feel a bruise or a toothache until things quieted down? Remember your son sliding into third in little league practice and skinning his knees and never noticing it because his team was winning? Hypnosis can help the nervousness and depression that often accompanies pain, making it easier to bear and less likely to interfere with life. Self-relaxation is a way of relaxing every muscle...When we are in pain, we tense, not consciously, but as a coping reflex against pain. But muscle tension magnifies pain. So the secret of pain relief is total relaxation, a warm comfortable feeling, a stretch of time that can last as long as you wish and be almost pain free. Many dentists now use hypnosis to reduce fear and the need for anesthesia.

Do you have enough willpower to stop smoking? No! You don't! Like moods and emotions, willpower fluctuates. On a down day you will go back to the habit which in the past you thought made you feel better. It didn't and it won't.

Hypnotherapy can help you reject smoking, not because you are strong, but because you have no interest in it, you don't enjoy it. You will not be giving up something you like. You'll be getting rid of something you can't stand. You will be giving up a poison to your body (there are over 60 cancer causing chemicals in cigarettes, and 4000 + chemicals in cigarette smoke).

Statistically speaking, a person who quits smoking adds between 5 and 20 years to their life span, with a better quality of life as well.

Most people are aware that hypnotherapy is one of the most effective means of overcoming the habits of smoking and excessive eating. People often do not realize that hypnosis is also highly useful in dealing with addictions to drugs or alcohol, bed wetting, nail biting, gambling and other habits or compulsions.

Hypnotherapy is rather unique in its ability to ferret out causes of problem behaviors, using where appropriate, the techniques of regression therapy. Healing often requires the causes to be known and understood. Hypnotherapy can deal with the causes of problems, with related feelings and anxieties, replacing the emotional satisfaction, the habit provided, with desirable, beneficial alternatives.

People don't realize that gaining weight, or the inability to lose weight is due to unresolved emotional issues, such as anxiety, depression, stress, boredom, anger, lack of live (physical or spiritual, sexual abuse or molestation, fear, nervousness, etc.

By overeating, people are making themselves feel good dealing with those emotional issues just like the alcoholic, drug addict, gambler, shopaholic, etc.

Most people are aware that hypnotherapy is one of the most effective means of overcoming the habits of smoking and excessive eating. People often do not realize that hypnosis is also highly useful in dealing with addictions to drugs or alcohol, bed wetting, nail biting, gambling and other habits or compulsions.

Hypnotherapy is rather unique in its ability to ferret out causes of problem behaviors, using where appropriate, the techniques of regression therapy. Healing often requires the causes to be known and understood. Hypnotherapy can deal with the causes of problems, with related feelings and anxieties, replacing the emotional satisfaction, the habit provided, with desirable, beneficial alternatives.

Regression is the door to the past. Perhaps you have a habit, a fear, a reaction or an attitude which creates a problem in your life. It may be that you have no idea why this problem exists or where it came from. But problems tend to have had beginnings or causes. Quite often, simply knowing and understanding the cause is in itself sufficient to effect a cure.

Hypnotic regression can ferret out cause of problems even when the causing event, experience or trauma has been suppressed, repressed or forgotten. In the light of understanding, appropriate hypnoanalysis or hypnotherapy can be undertaken to resolve, explain or otherwise deal with the problem.

Call us at (440) 899-1680 to receive additional information or request a free brochure. Subjects covered by our brochures include:

  • Athletic Performance
  • Career Advancement
  • Children: The Best Subjects
  • Fears
  • Hypnotherapy in Sex Problems
  • Insomnia
  • Sleep Well
  • Learning Enhancement and Memory
  • Memo to Sales People
  • Personal Development
  • Relationship Therapy
  • Seniors - How to Stay Young
  • Smoking
  • Stress Management
  • The Truth About Hypnosis
  • Weight
  • Why Fear Physicians and Dentists