Hypnosis Up Close: Explanation and Benefits

Please welcome Jessica E. Bergkvist to beYOUmag.com. Jessica is a Certified Hypnotherapist and Personal Trainer in Long Beach, CA. Jessica will tell us more about hypnosis and how it could help us be Healthalicious.

In my 17 years as a Hypnotherapist, I have found that there are many common misconceptions and beliefs about what hypnosis is, and what it isn’t. Many of these beliefs come from movies, in which you see a man swinging a watch and a person goes immediately into a deep trance and seems to be controlled by the hypnotist.

Stage shows are fun, but they also give the impression that the hypnotist is controlling the subjects to do his or her will.

I’m here to tell, that as hypnosis is concerned, nothing could be further from the truth. In this article I will dispel some of the myths about hypnosis and explain what hypnosis is and how it can be a powerful tool for self change.

What is Hypnosis?

Contrary to what many people believe, hypnosis is not “mind control,” and you do not surrender your will to the hypnotist. Nobody can control your will. Hypnosis works with the imagination, which is a bridge to the subconscious mind. Hypnosis is a stated of heightened awareness and intense focus. In this state, you can plant the seeds for success. These seeds begin growing into natural behaviors.

There are many ways to explain what hypnosis is and what it can do, and although some things about hypnosis are very complex, I am going to give you the “nuts and bolts,” and explain it as simply as possible

First, all hypnosis is self hypnosis. It is a relaxed state of mind and body, in which the conscious mind is slightly distracted, making the door to the subconscious open and ready to accept suggestions for change.

Whether you are totally conscious, or what seems to be a sleep-like state, your subconscious mind is always awake and aware and will only accept suggestions that are within the boundaries of your personality to accept. Hypnosis cannot make you do anything that you do not want to do. Hypnosis can, however, help you to do things that you want to do, such as let go of unwanted behaviors, or create new, more productive ones.

Hypnosis can help with many things, such as:

• Weight Loss/Exercise Motivation
• Performance Enhancement (Sports, Stage, Music, Personal, etc…)
• Memory/Concentration
• Overcoming Fears
• Health and Healing
• Nail Biting
• Sleep Issues
• Self Esteem/Confidence
• Organizational Skills
• Sales/Business
• Stress Reduction
• And so much more…

How does hypnosis help?

If you have been trying to change a behavior (for example, lose weight, quit smoking, overcoming stage fright, etc…), you know that mere “will power” is not usually enough to make the changes you desire. This is because the will is simply a “want.” The imagination, which is like a bridge to the subconscious, has more ammunition than the will. It recalls every time you have tried and failed, and can come up with all the reasons why you should keep the unwanted behavior.

As general rule, when the will opposes the imagination, the imagination wins, every time. Why? The imagination has much more power. Hypnosis can help by getting your imagination in line with your will. When both are going in the same direction, change happens easily, naturally, and effortlessly.

Written by: Jessica E. Bergkvist

For more information on services from Jessica, call 562-761-2945, or leave her a comment here.