Hypnothoughts.com (The Illusion of Powerful Hypnosis)

Hypnothought's Question

The Illusion of Powerful Hypnosis

John's Response

In my opinion, a hypnotherapist/healer's power is in his or her humility and the necessary soft skills – compassion, understanding and sensitivity to someone's suffering. Granted, we deal with one of the most important organs – if not the most important in the health profession – the brain. When we are able to heal/fix/repair/administer/assist (or whatever term one would use) the human mind, body and emotions, quite naturally, one may feel a certain power within oneself. And at no other time will this perceived power be so intoxicating than when we are successful with a client where a psychiatrist/psychotherapist was not. Compound these successes over time and his or her perceived power will shoot through the roof.

However, as soon as this hypnotherapist/healer begin to say that he or she is powerful or behave that way because of the successes, he may lose sight of the big picture.

What should he be aware of as he/she feels his/her own power?

Namely, that anyone could learn what he knows with/without any 'formal training'. That he may begin to feel that he could heal everyone or every issue with one session. That he could heal/help 1000s of clients of the same or similar issues but a client may show up one day out of the blue that will throw him for a loop. That a client may 'read' the hypnotherapist/healer's perception of his own power and feel that it is too overwhelming therefore may rebel against him causing instant failure in assisting the client (many clients have shared this kind of experience with me after visiting an arrogant/insensitive hypnotherapist/psychotherapist/psychiatrist). That he may attempt to work with a client's issue that is above his skill level. That he may begin to work on an issue that really isn't the client's issue simply because he didn't totally listen, understand or delved deep enough into the issue. That he may argue/debate/shout at another hypnotherapist/healer for successfully using a different technique/method or having a different definition of hypnosis/trance. That he may become so comfortable in his own power that he forgets to read, study, accept and search for new information to enhance/upgrade his skills.

And I am not saying humility only for hypnotherapists/healers but for psychotherapists/psychiatrists/GPs or any other professional who may get too big for his or her britches because of his own power.

....It is really wonderful (and can be powerful) to appreciate, have confidence and 'high professional esteem' in what one can do in helping others to heal but having Humility is not allowing ones power to get out of control or turn into arrogance.





John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Counselor
http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com

Hypnothoughts.com blogging

As a member of Hypnothoughts, I ocassionally respond to questions or concerns related to hypnotherapy, hypnosis or healing from new and experienced hypnotherapists. I thought I would share some of these responses (each week) on my blog site dating back to October 15, 2010. I will provide the hypnotherapist's question (just to give you background on what I am responding to) and then my response/answer to the question.


John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Counselor
http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com

John's Television Appearances

ANNOUNCEMENT: Until further notice, I will be appearing weekly, live, on NET TV in Malta. My slot is scheduled for every Wednesday during the programme "Kaxxa Jan", which starts at 6.30pm. The topics for discussion shall all be related to hypnosis and how this tool can be used in healing therapy. On July 6th, 2011, the chosen topic was Panic Attacks.

John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Counselor
http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com

New book on hypnosis and healing

In JOImethod: A Healer's Way, you will experience my transition from being strictly a hypnotist to using hypnotherapy and other tools to heal my clients and help them achieve ultimate well-being on a mental, emotional and physical level.

My method and focus have resulted in my gaining entrance as a consultant with The St. James Hospital Group in Malta (a company which owns one of the major private hospitals on the island, as well as cosmetic and oncology clinics); getting referrals from three pharmacies; and providing my services in the wellness center of a 5 star hotel frequented by international celebrities!

Throughout this book, I walk you through the new JOImethod – sharing important new things I learned in order to effectively work with all the people who walk through my door. This new sleeping hypnosis technique is biologically designed to take any person to coma or hypno-sleep in less than five minutes!


You will see how I use the Triune Brain Model with my clients, oftentimes utilizing it to place them into a waking trance. This model allows me to explain how therapy works – especially to those adult clients suffering from the debilitating experiences of child abuse and to athletes who desire more productivity from their bodies.

In this book, I explain core nature, that is, the importance of understanding the psychology of people. I use this information to help me group clients after identifying their strengths and weaknesses. It is their weaknesses that drive them to seek therapy in the first place! The weaknesses of people manifest themselves in emotional issues – anger, anxiety, depression, fears, obsessive thoughts, phobias and relationship problems.

I also explain the nature of various emotional problems and explain how negative emotions can directly cause physical pain. I will discuss the psychology of smokers and those who seek to lose weight. In addition, I will provide practical insight into the tools needed to provide effective coaching for couples. Understanding the psychology of people in addition to being aware of the impact and functioning of emotions equals the ability to heal!

Last but certainly not least, I will talk about waking and covert hypnosis. I will provide detailed steps about how to effectively use this art. Furthermore, I will share real cases – some of the most challenging ones I encountered – in which I used waking/covert hypnosis with my clients. These include working successfully with a seven year old autistic child; an incarcerated man sitting in a holding prison cell; and an agoraphobia client who had not left his house in the daytime in 3 years. I will also describe how I used covert hypnosis while pretending to be an ‘interior decorator’ to help an octogenarian who suffered from fear and insomnia.

One of the practical results of my work with these people is that it will answer in absolute terms the below questions, which professional hypnotists and hypnotherapists have been weighing and discussing for centuries:

1. Can a person be hypnotized without his or her consent? Yes
2. Can a person be hypnotized without his or her knowledge? Yes
3. Does rapport need to be established for hypnosis to work? No
4. Does a person need to be motivated for hypnosis to work? No


John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com/joimethodbook.asp

JOImethod: A HEALER'S WAY coming soon!

In JOImethod: A Healer?s Way, you will experience my transition from being strictly a hypnotist to using hypnotherapy and other tools to heal my clients and help them achieve ultimate well-being on a mental, emotional and physical level.

My method and focus have resulted in my gaining entrance as a consultant with The St. James Hospital Group in Malta (a company which owns one of the major private hospitals on the island, as well as cosmetic and oncology clinics); getting referrals from three pharmacies; and providing my services in the wellness center of a 5 star hotel frequented by international celebrities!

Throughout this book, I walk you through the new JOImethod ? sharing important new things I learned in order to effectively work with all the people who walk through my door. This new sleeping hypnosis technique is biologically designed to take any person to coma or hypno-sleep in less than five minutes!


You will see how I use the Triune Brain Model with my clients, oftentimes utilizing it to place them into a waking trance. This model allows me to explain how therapy works ? especially to those adult clients suffering from the debilitating experiences of child abuse and to athletes who desire more productivity from their bodies.

In this book, I explain core nature, that is, the importance of understanding the psychology of people. I use this information to help me group clients after identifying their strengths and weaknesses. It is their weaknesses that drive them to seek therapy in the first place! The weaknesses of people manifest themselves in emotional issues ? anger, anxiety, depression, fears, obsessive thoughts, phobias and relationship problems.

I also explain the nature of various emotional problems and explain how negative emotions can directly cause physical pain. I will discuss the psychology of smokers and those who seek to lose weight. In addition, I will provide practical insight into the tools needed to provide effective coaching for couples. Understanding the psychology of people in addition to being aware of the impact and functioning of emotions equals the ability to heal!

Last but certainly not least, I will talk about waking and covert hypnosis. I will provide detailed steps about how to effectively use this art. Furthermore, I will share real cases?some of the most challenging ones I encountered?in which I used waking/covert hypnosis with my clients. These include working successfully with a seven year old autistic child; an incarcerated man sitting in a holding prison cell; and an agoraphobia client who had not left his house in the daytime in 3 years. I will also describe how I used covert hypnosis while pretending to be an ?interior decorator? to help an octogenarian who suffered from fear and insomnia.

One of the practical results of my work with these people is that it will answer in absolute terms the below questions, which professional hypnotists and hypnotherapists have been weighing and discussing for centuries:

1. Can a person be hypnotized without his or her consent? Yes
2. Can a person be hypnotized without his or her knowledge? Yes
3. Does rapport need to be established for hypnosis to work? No
4. Does a person need to be motivated for hypnosis to work ? No



John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com

The Benefits of Hypnotherapy

The demands of the modern world—juggling career, marriage, children, family, health, and financial woes—are more than sufficient to overwhelm our senses, creating a host of emotional tests on our well-being. In our society, we have been groomed to drive ourselves to work hard and study hard without being given an understanding of how to relax and take off the stress on the road towards success. For this reason, many experience the problems which come from an overloaded brain and a too harsh, oftentimes rigid and clinical, lifestyle.

Within this demanding system that focuses on outer achievement, we are rarely taught how to react when adversity strikes. As we face the many twists and turns of life, our emotions become a burden. Left unchecked, they may spin out of control and lead to such problems as anger, anxiety, depression, fear, lack of confidence, low self-esteem, obsessive thoughts, phobias, stress and ailing relationships. Here is a troubling fact: According to Oxford University scientists, due to their stressful lives, 12% of women are less likely to become pregnant. Another stunning statistic relates to how stress and feelings such as tension, anxiety, fear, health issues, insomnia and nervousness, can cause 65% more likelihood of dementia in women. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Stress is a big challenge that impacts our lives and decisions.

Why should one use hypnotherapy? Eliminating stress is the solution. The mind must be retrained to think differently, more positively. Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool designed to provide us this essential relief and to target the emotional turmoil within us. According to research by Dr. Alfred A. Barrios PhD, a clinical psychologist, hypnotherapy is 93% successful within at least six sessions for depression – the heaviest of all emotional issues. Dr. Tracie O’Keefe, a Sydney based therapist and counselor said that hypnotherapy is the quickest therapy for curing phobias in a society that loves a quick-fix. Also, hypnotherapy has proven successful with methadone and other drug addictions, as well as reducing stress and trauma in children prior to an invasive medical procedure. These are only a few examples to show that hypnotherapy can be effective not only with gaining emotional healing and goal fulfillment, but is also used in the medical field to assist with many types of treatments and conditions – such as easing/managing physical symptoms and post-op recovery.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/life/view/20100812/medical-updates/calm-women-more-likely-to-fall-pregnant
http://www.physorg.com/news201172415.html
Barrios, A. A. (1970). Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, Spring issue.
http://www.amazingdom.com/advice_links/Cure%20that%20phobia.pdf?articleID=0008D31F-BD5B-1C6F-84A9809EC588EF21&pageNumber=4&catID=2
Mangianello, A.J. (1984). A comparative study of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy in the treatment of methadone addicts. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 26(4): 273-9.
Potter, G. (2004). Intensive Therapy: Utilizing Hypnosis in the Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis; Page, R. A. & Handley, G. W. (1993). The use of hypnosis in cocaine addiction. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 36(2):120-3.
http://stresshealthcenter.stanford.edu/publications/pub_hypnosis_stress.html


John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com

The Highly Sensitive Type

Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Fear, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and phobias among others are emotional challenges that many people face. These issues have the potential of disrupting a person's life time and time again.

Anyone could be vulnerable to these devastating ills: a CEO of a major company, a physics professor, a professional athlete or an Academy Award winner... depending on the twists and turns of life: break up in a relationship, loss of a job, the growing pains of a teenage son or daughter, or just the normal everyday adversities of life.

Nowhere are these emotional issues felt more and for longer periods of time than with people who I consider are the Highly Sensitive Types. People in this category have very complex thinking and may be moved by little things that other people aren't affected by.

If you feel you may be a Highly Sensitive Type but are not for sure, take a free self test at:

http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com/hstype.asp

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

HYPNOTIC SUGGESTIONS

In my last blog, I spoke about the first part of hypnosis – the hypnotic induction. Now, in this blog I want to talk about the second most important part of hypnosis – the suggestions. Most new and some experienced hypnotherapists spend an extraordinary amount of time focused on perfecting an induction… which is understandable considering that this is the way to help their client down the road to a hypnotic trance. However, without the proper amount of suggestions, an induction alone would be like the body of a car without its motor. This creative part of hypnosis is made up of words, metaphors, paraphrases, old folk’s tales, parallelisms or anything the hypnotist could think of to deliver a strong life-altering message to his or her client.

As a hypnotherapist, I never really know what words or set of words will be ‘magic’ for each client until I speak with him or her. Yes, I know what may have worked for others with similar issues but every person is different – they have various experiences, wants, needs and personalities. This is why hypnotic suggestions are the creative part of hypnosis and why all hypnotherapists should spend just as much time on these as on the induction.

Suggestions are so powerful that they can make the difference between just another hypnotherapist and a true healer!


John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

THE HYPNOTIC INDUCTION

I receive many queries from both new and experienced hypnotherapists who ask my opinion about the best induction to use (or the easiest way to put a person into trance). They are concerned about which induction is more effective for their clients.

I discuss with them how the hypnotic induction is the single most important factor in hypnosis and if it is done right, the client will leave with a good perception of hypnosis— in addition to a positive feeling that he or she will achieve his or her goals.

Many inductions have been developed over decades. Some examples: the Dave Elman method, Erickson’s conversational method, the arm levitation, the pendulum swing/eye fixation, and the handshake method. The Instantaneous, Rapid or Shock inductions are some of the quicker inductions that many hypnotists may employ.

Since hypnosis is both science and art, every hypnotist has a different style – some want to go for the faster inductions, some like a conversational one and yet others feel the need to test the induction (or the level of trance) on the client such as in the case of the Elman method. Many hypnotherapists think that a light stage of trance as in the pendulum swing/eye fixation is good enough in most cases, and some would rather maintain a medium or deep trance.

In my opinion, many of the inductions out today are more hypnotherapist-driven instead of client-driven.

My theory on the induction is to keep the client in mind when selecting the appropriate induction. Think about it: if you were to go into the office of a hypnotherapist for a one-on-one session – not knowing anything about hypnosis or the hypnotist, would you want this stranger shocking you (rapid or shock induction), snatching on your arm (arm bar/levitation) or boring you into trance with some long, convoluted dissertation? Would you be comfortable enough to let someone shake your hand (handshake method) and shortly after immediately hear the word, sleep, screamed into your ear?! Do you feel you would go to sleep in this manner? Do you feel you would relax enough to be at ease or even speak positively to your friends about your hypnotic experience?

Because many inductions have little consideration for the client in a clinical setting, it is the reason I developed my own induction method – The JOImethod. The goal of this induction is to get the client to a state of somnambulism or deeper (around five minutes is a good speed for the client) in the most relaxed way (so he or she can enjoy the experience) and then install his or her goals while they are at this deep level.

The idea of a great induction is to place the client in a highly suggestible state (my theory is to do it in a comfortable way for the client) so that his or her mind could receive the goals (suggestions) that he or she came in for and leave with a positive perception of hypnosis.


John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Are you Hypnotizable?

I receive many calls from potential clients who think they cannot be hypnotized. They are actually under the impression that to be hypnotized means that one relinquishes mental control to another. In other words, some people think it is a test of will between the hypnotist and the client in a hypnosis session.

This is far from the truth. There are no mental wars or battles between hypnotherapist and client – at least there shouldn’t be anyway.

Some questions potential clients have are: Can I be hypnotized? How do you know if I can be hypnotized? Am I weak if I am hypnotized? What types of people are easily hypnotized?

These questions are asked as though hypnosis or trance is some mystical consciousness that only ‘weak minded’ people can be transformed to. ‘Strong minded’ individuals however, aren’t affected as they may think.

The answer I provide oftentimes surprises them. I tell them, ‘If you can sleep, you can be hypnotized.’ I usually get silence on the other end of the line when I say this to many callers. I go on to tell them that hypnosis is a state of consciousness between being awake and going to sleep. With my induction (The JOImethod), I attempt to get my clients as close to sleep as possible. I do this for a couple of reasons. First, it is very relaxing to the client when they ‘let go’ of their stress and whatever problems they are working on at the time and ‘doze off’ for an hour or so – it is like receiving a mental massage, a release of mental and emotional tension and pressure. Secondly, the closer I get the client to sleep (therefore moving the conscious mind out of the way), the easier it is to layer in their goals (that is, the programs I give to the client according to their specific request).

Would every client go to sleep while in session? No, they will not. I usually get about 98% of my clients into this level of trance. I cannot speak for other hypnotherapists. Even if the client doesn’t make it to this deep level, he or she is still deep enough to have the goals programmed in for success.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

HYPNOTHERAPY BY TELEPHONE

When I first considered working with clients outside of my home area, I had ambivalent feelings. Yes, I wanted to be able to help people anywhere in the world with their challenges and their goals, just as I did in my office; yet at the same time, I thought no one would ever feel comfortable doing a session over the phone as they would in person.

Let’s face it, fraud is running rampant in the world; people are holding their money close to their chests and I cannot blame them. Even though the world has become smaller due to the Internet, international travel and globalization of businesses and mindset, many people still share an old school philosophy when it comes down to their personal choices made toward resolving an emotional or career issue.

When I get calls from potential clients for phone sessions, they are usually concerned if the session would work just as well over the phone as in person. They would wonder how in the world one could be hypnotized over the phone if they couldn’t see or be seen by the hypnotist. After I generally explain to them how hypnosis works in conjunction with their mind and specifically how my induction works, they become more comfortable with the thought of a phone session.

Furthermore, I would let them know how easy it would be for them to do hypnosis sessions in the comfort of their own home and not have to worry about rushing through traffic to make the appointment and take time away from their home duties. Even different time zones won’t cause any problems with phone sessions – I have worked with clients on the west coast (I am on the east coast) and even in other countries. Moreover, after a relaxing session one can simply sit back and sleep if they wanted to, rather than have to leave my office, get in the car, and drive home. Because driving – or doing anything that requires one to be fully alert – is the last thing one desires to do after a session of deep hypnosis!

Phone hypnosis is certainly in line with the latest article on WebMD http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20080923/phone-psychotherapy-fewer-hangups?ecd=wnl_day_092508 regarding psychotherapy over the phone. In this article, it was discussed that the attrition rate for phone psychotherapy was lower at 7.6% when compared to that of traditional psychotherapy – 46.9%. In other words, these phone clients are less likely to ‘drop out’ of therapy than a face-to-face client because they didn’t have to deal with the issue of finding enough motivation to attend a session. This is so especially if the client suffers from problems such as anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, panic attacks, a fear of driving or some other emotionally based issue which may even preclude them from getting out of their home to go to the therapist’s office.


John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

101 Lessons I Learned From My Clients

I am happy to present my newest book released just in time on my new remodeled website (www.hypnotizeanybody.com). Book 1 in the Lessons Learned Series contains little sayings/teachings I learned or used at some point as an individual and alternative health professional. As a hypnotherapist and coach, my clients gave me the opportunity to recall these long forgotten lessons – at the appropriate time – while in session with them. These analogies (scenarios, metaphors, old folk’s tales and common sense stories) allowed me to communicate with my client’s subconscious mind, to indirectly affect change in their lives for the long haul.

These little lessons are meant to entertain and educate, and it doesn’t matter whether the reader is a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, personal coach, motivational speaker, alternative healer or layperson. In my field, they were invaluable to me and the people I worked with. They often helped me place my clients in a ‘waking trance’ while mulling over these analogies. When their conscious mind is busy going over the parallels between these tales and their lives, the subconscious mind is being programmed (persuaded, influenced and motivated for change) with the acceptance of the logic contained therein.

You can learn more about the book or you can purchase it by clicking here: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com/books_101lessons.asp

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

CAN ONLY WEAK-MINDED GET HYPNOTIZED?

Many people may wonder if they can be hypnotized. I even receive calls from potential clients wondering if they can be ‘put under’, as they call it. There have been some to think they are too mentally strong to be hypnotized and they can resist any outside forces to put them in trance. They think hypnosis is for weak minded people. Where would they get such a thought? Much of it comes from television programming and stage hypnosis shows that you can now see on YouTube. When you see a person walk across the stage seemingly like a zombie or doing things that you feel he or she wouldn’t ordinarily do, you may get the impression that this person is mentally weak. Therefore, no wonder you would want to separate yourself from such “types”.

Contrary to these beliefs, however, clinical hypnosis is beneficial for everyone. There is a difference with what you see in stage hypnosis and what is practiced clinically. The stage show is strictly for entertainment purposes just as any magic show would be. You pay your money, you are impressed with different stunts, you laugh, ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over the feats of the entertainer and you leave walking away feeling as though you got your money’s worth – hopefully, at least.

What types of people volunteer for stage hypnosis? Since I am not a stage hypnotist, I can only speculate on the personality of a stage show ‘subject’. These shows may take place in a comedy bar, club, high school, college or at a corporate event. Mass psychology (individual boldness born from the dynamics of being in the midst of a group of people) probably has a lot to do with it. A little booze to cloud the judgment may have its place in the scheme of things, as well.




Nevertheless, I would think that these types of subjects are more interested in the entertainment part of the show rather than having a personal or professional issue resolved through hypnosis (as in clinical hypnosis). If they are ‘lucky’ enough to be left on the stage after the filtering process (that is, the process the hypnotist conducts of weeding out the ones who will not go into deep hypnosis in five minutes or less) of all of the volunteers, I would also say that they are probably a ‘good subject’ or a person who can easily be hypnotized – in the industry lingo, we call this type of subject a ‘natural’ or ‘true’ somnambulist. These types of volunteers are the bread and butter of the show and what stage hypnotists comb the audience for.

It is interesting that since 2000, I may have had less than a handful of my clients who have been a ‘volunteer’ in a stage show. If they have, they would tell me that it was many years ago when they were in high school or college and liked to do things on impulse.

Now, all the above considered, I must stress that clinical hypnosis is neither for weak minded people nor for anyone who would want to relinquish their control. People use clinical hypnosis to enhance their lives. This goes for my clients as well. Some of the types of issues that people seek to resolve with this form of hypnosis are: addiction, anger, allergy problems, confidence issues, depression, fear, memory enhancement, panic attacks, smoking cessation, sports/talent enhancement, motivation to start a business and weight loss/management.

Want to do something fun? If you would like to know if you are hypnotizable, you can go to this link on my website and take the free test: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com/hypnoprofile.html

"Second picture courtesy of How Stuff Works".

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Dream Interpretation

Many of my clients ask me to interpret their dreams when they come to a session. When they ask about their dreams, they usually think that these interpretations will provide answers to key issues in their lives. They have normally consulted or looked up one of the various books on dream interpretation or some radio program they may have heard where the subject was discussed – a dog means this, a cat means that, and a nightmare could mean many things depending on the many views of the writer.

As for me, I don’t take this type of approach when I am analyzing someone’s dream. The reason why is because a dog, cat, or horse, and even nightmares, have different connotations for different people. For example, some people grew up loving dogs while others grew up fearing dogs – the same applies to the image of cats and other animals that may appear in your dreams. Nightmares, on the other hand, are a whole different ball game.

My approach to dream analysis involves a more scientific basis – it is a communication between the conscious and the subconscious mind or the interpretation of the outside world by your mind’s internal world. According to scientists, we have at least three dreams per night for approximately 90 minutes. These dreams are comprised of processing, predictive and venting dreams. The first dream of the night is the processing dream. At this stage, we process all of the information that filtered through our brain that day. If we watch a scary movie one evening before we go to sleep, for example, it may flash through our mind in the form of a dream or nightmare. The second dream of the night is a predictive dream. This type of dream’s meaning is just like it sounds – it predicts. Have you ever treasured a thought, person or thing so long or so often that it came up in your dreams? This is part of the predictive dream which means you may be predicting something about your future or something you want to happen in your future. The last dream of the night is a venting dream. With this type of dream, the subconscious mind may be dealing with a negative thought from the past in the form of blame, guilt or emotional pain, a thought that is “bothering” it. This dream – which often manifests in the form of a nightmare – may reoccur night after night unless it is consciously acknowledged and the issue is resolved or accepted.



Some specialists who use this form of interpretation as described in the previous paragraph may focus primarily on the venting dreams. My method is different especially if the client isn’t experiencing some type of pesky dream. What I primarily focus on is the predictive kind of dream. Instead of being so concerned about what my clients dream at night, in fact, I am more interested in finding ways to trigger their dreams. Why is this, you may ask? If my client’s goal is to become a successful portrait artist, I would program his or her mind to dream not only at night about it, but also to start daydreaming about being a successful artist. The idea behind this technique is that the more you eat, sleep and ‘dream’ about a goal, the closer you will be to transforming this goal into reality.

So if you have an aspiration, stoke your desires and dream big, because In Descartes' words, "Desire awakens only those things that are thought possible."

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

The Restless Spirit

Last week's blog was about sleep and why it is so important that we get the recommended hours of rest each day. So I thought to write this week's blog about what happens when many people cannot get to sleep – basically, when they suffer from insomnia.

"What are you thinking when you should be asleep?" I ask after an insomniac comes to their first hypnotherapy session. Oftentimes, the sleep clinic they attended didn't find anything wrong physically while monitoring his or her brain. After I pose this question, I usually get a surprised look as though they want to say, "How do you know I was thinking about something while I was lying in bed trying to sleep?"

Eventually they would tell me about the issues they’d be dealing with – personally or professionally – which is primarily the culprit for all the sleepless nights. Oftentimes their problems with insomnia started when they began having these issues. They do everything to fall asleep: 'count sheep', read to bore themselves into a slumber, undergo acupuncture, take some herbal remedy or 'old folks' potion or a combination of the above. Some of these techniques may work for a while – if at all – and then they go back to the rhythm of “not sleeping”. This is because the real problem behind their inability to sleep was never targeted.

As their hypnotherapist, I usually go after the mental and emotional reason why they are not sleeping as opposed to the strictly scientific or medical method—going after the condition of insomnia and dealing with it by itself. Once I find out what their problems are, literally those that keep them up at night, I consciously coach them or use behavior modification to solve their problem, which may be career related or otherwise. After we determine a plan to correct it, I hypnotize them on the spot and give them the much needed rest (many go to sleep because they are so sleep deprived) they deserve.


John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

SLEEP, why is it important?

Do you remember the times when your parents used to tell you that it was your bedtime? But you were afraid that if you did go to sleep, you would miss out on something important. Sleep was boring to you back then and you felt you didn’t need much of it. So you would say, “I am not sleepy,” or “Can I stay up for a little while longer?” Yeah, there were times you could barely keep your eyes open but it was just something you took for granted and you felt it wasn’t important. If you are like many people, the more you stayed awake as a child, the more you created the habit of staying awake as an adult. But why would you need to ‘rest your eyes’ so much? You have so much to do, so many people to see and so many places to go, right?

Why is sleep important? Sleep is good for children’s growth. It also helps fight weight loss and diabetes and increases those gray cells for enhanced productivity.

Lesley Stahl of the hit television show “60 Minutes” researched the importance of sleep in her piece – The Science Of Sleep. In this study, she found that the purpose of sleep is not just to rest our eyes but also, more importantly, to improve our health and well being. Furthermore, she discussed that memory is improved after one learns a new task and later goes to sleep – after sleep, memory actually registered 20 to 30 percent improvement.

We all think we need to stay awake so we can get more done, but this study goes against the grain of this old thinking. In fact, staying up late each and every night may have more negative effects on a person than just being a detriment to memory capacity.

One issue discussed on the program was that of Diabetes – in fact, the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who slept only five hours a night were 2 ½ times more likely to have diabetes as those who slept seven or eight hours.

Another issue is Growth – ‘beauty sleep’ or deep sleep allows the secretion of the growth hormone to help repair and rebuild body tissues like muscle and bone.

Here’s another one…Lack of productivity – when a person is sleep deprived, getting less than eight hours each and every night, the brain may become dysfunctional and not operate at its optimal level.

I like to tell people this – “Please do not operate heavy machinery if you are sleep deprived!” And this is not a joke – I’m perfectly serious when I give this warning! It has been said that many of the world’s manmade disasters have been caused by the lack of sleep – Exxon Valdez oil spill, Chernobyl disaster, The Three Mile Island disaster and many others.

One other factor which is negatively affected by lack of sleep is Weight. The lack of sleep lowers the level of leptin (a hormone which suppresses appetite) and raises grehlin (a hormone which increases the level of food intake). The result of this would be often undesired weight gain.

The illustrative image above (courtesy of the WHO Regional Office for Europe) demonstrates the effects of sleep and the lack thereof. This picture is posted under an article on the organization’s website on ‘Noise and Sleep’. Does it ring a bell? So the next time you want to stay awake to see that late night movie, depriving yourself of rest just because you don’t want to sleep, think about your health!



John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

PERFECTION - trying to get it right!

In my opinion, “perfection” is one of the most unattractive words in the dictionary. Why do I think this, you may ask? As a hypnotist, I see many of my clients carrying around this perfectionist thinking. This type of thinking typically started out in their childhood and now wreaks havoc in their adulthood. Some of these perfectionists are usually dealing with specific types of problems – OCD (minor issues), lack of confidence, strained relationships and procrastination. But after breaking down their situation, I discovered that either one or more of these type of behaviors was part of the underpinning of this problem—the pursuit of “perfection”.

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a compulsion to do it right every time – be it washing, cleaning, organizing or many other compulsive behaviors. However, daily life changes so much, this pursuit of getting it right is very frustrating and will drive a person senseless.

In their pursuit of perfection which almost never comes, one must continue doing one act over and over again until they feel that it is as should be. Fact is, this person doesn’t know when to stop because perfection never arrives. And let’s say for argument’s sake that perfection does arrive – the person is so confused and so entrenched into their compulsive behavior that they may miss their golden moment – perfection!

Confidence stems from completing tasks on a consistent basis and after that, moving on to bigger and brighter things. Perfectionists have a hard time completing tasks and moving on because they are too busy ‘trying’ to get it right.

Perfectionists take issue with their relationship because their mate is not perfect (in his or her look, their love for them, their cleanliness, etc), which eventually puts a muzzle on the relationship and causes divide.

Procrastination, or putting things off, has a perfectionist foundation. It takes valuable time to get things right – hours in certain cases. Sometimes, these perfectionists have so much to do; they know how much time and effort it takes to put into a task and putting it off seems to be the best answer until they feel they have sufficient time to devote to making it perfect. In a busy life with a tight schedule, ‘sufficient time’ is a rare thing to come by – thus the act of procrastinating often.

Another underlying factor with many perfectionists is control. They love to be in control – at all times. Psychologists, in their research in an Australian university, polled 252 participants and asked them questions like “I think of myself as either in control or out of control” and “I either get on very well with people or not at all.”

If the participants answered favorably to the questions of being in control, they were more likely to display the type of extreme perfectionism that lead to mental health problems.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com/
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com/
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com/

Welcome to my new blog!

Well folks, I have finally decided to join the millions of tech-savvy Internet junkies and create my own blog page. The reasons for this are several, but most of all, I want to have a place, a forum, where I can communicate thoughts and knowledge to my readers - and get instant feedback for it.

I hope to be able to entertain you, and at the same time make you think about the many issues we face in the modern world. This blog is not just for fellow hypnotherapists or therapists in general, it is also for the billions of people who want to connect with themselves and those around them in some way.

Here I will be discussing hypnosis related topics, alternative therapies, and every day situations that affect people and require healing.

Of course, I will also be shamelessly promoting my products - my hypnosis and self-enhancement books and CDs - which are getting very positive feedback, I must say. I hope that you will find this blog interesting, informative, and fun.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com