What do the Boogeyman and Hypnosis have in common? At first glance they are both the recipient of bad press. Mr. Oogey Boogey, is a recluse who is probably affected by some form of sun allergy which precludes his ability to be seen in the daytime. Hypnosis remains dogged by a belief that it is somehow harmful, otherworldly, and potentially detrimental. If either of these negative beliefs takes root in your psyche, you are rendered incapable of a good night's sleep and unable to avail yourself of all of the tools in our mind body arsenal to change our lives. Hypnosis, contrary to popular belief is a naturally occurring state. We go in and out of hypnosis throughout our daily activities. We use focused concentration to achieve our goals in many aspects of our lives, from landing Mr. or Ms. Right, to buying a new outfit, to beating an opponent in a friendly game of tennis. We focus, we foresee, and we accomplish. Veni, Vidi, Vici--we came we saw we conquered. Hypnosis as a technique can be traced back to before the birth of Christ. We can use hypnosis to cure ailments, replace anesthesia, and to control pain. We can master our own shortcomings by rewriting the scripts we play over and over in our own minds. When these messages are negative, or flawed, they result in aberrant behavior and we are often unaware and confused by our behavior. More importantly, we are reticent to fix the problem fearing mind control, faulty rewiring, or somehow losing who we innately are through the hypnotic process.
Like the myth of the Boogeyman, these myths persist pertaining to the efficacy of Hypnosis. There are many empirical studies citing the multiple benefits and uses for hypnosis. In fact the American Medical Association first recognized the benefits of Hypnosis in 1956, and in Great Britain several years earlier. Hypnosis is pain free, effective, and readily accessible. I have seen it change life long problems in a matter of hours. Some of the greatest people in our present and history have used Hypnosis such as Mozart, Freud, Jung, Henry Ford, Jacqueline K. Onassis, Shaquil O'Neal, and even Tiger Woods ( who is the greatest golfer of our time!) Whether to improve creativity, conquer bad habits, recover from trauma, or improve sports performance--Hypnosis has worked for each and every one of them. Each client has to weigh the pros and cons and to weed through the myths and untruths that persist about Hypnosis. Today Hypnotists or Hypnotherapists are skilled professionals who have to undertake a rigorous education and certification process. They assist the public with issues and problems people are either too embarrassed about, or too frustrated with traditional treatments to seek additional help. Many are at their wits end and find that Hypnosis is a viable treatment option. As with any therapy ask questions of your hypnotist. Ask for recommendations, treatment styles and questions about what it feels like. Investigate research studies and make an informed decision. Oh and by the way, Hypnosis can even help with that boogeyman problem, when you are ready of course...
