That’s right, because I’m sure you would have noticed.
But here’s the thing, hypnosis is an everyday occurrence and a natural state of mind.
For example:
- Highway Hypnosis – Have you ever driven home, reached your driveway and realized that you did not recall a conscious thought about the whole drive? Scary, isn’t it? Then who was doing the driving…maybe your unconscious mind?
- TV Trance – What about watching TV and getting into a binge trance that’s hard to stop? The flashing light from the TV changes your brain waves dominance and leads you into a TV trance.
- Prayer and Mantras – Spiritual traditions often use repetitive prayer or chanting to connect you with the Divine. It is something done through words, music and intonations and leads you into a trance state that is usually experienced with others. It is one of the most enchanting because this trance feels imbued with a precious sense of connection.
- Music – How about when you put on earphones and listen to your favorite music? Talk about getting lost in the Zone! Your surroundings matter less and less when the music comes alive within you and you are focused on just being one with it.
In essence, hypnosis is entered through a focused concentration. You can’t be made to do it if you don’t want to. But, when you do, you have the opportunity to go deep into your unconscious to change a trance you might not want. That could be something like smoking, weight problems, over-anxiety, low self-esteem, phobias and much more. These are common problems that you do not need to have.
Some clients tell me that they do meditation to enter into the zone. Well, that is a wonderful thing to do. As a matter of fact, I do it myself. However, the biggest difference is that with meditation you are focused on being in the moment. But with hypnosis you have a goal…something you want to achieve or change.
In 2016 Stanford Medical School did some research and used brain imaging to see what happens in the brain under hypnosis. One of the things they found was that people were less self-conscious and able to do things that were not what they normally do. They recognized the therapeutic potential of being able to change the way people react to problems and enable them to see solutions from a different perspective. This is invaluable problem-solving.
Rather than something that suggests loss of control, as some people fear, hypnosis is a way that people can learn to have more control over their mind and body. Cluck or no cluck, you decide.