Different Styles of Hypnosis and

Hypnotherapy

DLScott CH.t. / CDP

            Hypnosis has been around for a long time, and during that time it has gone through phases, changes and styles that match the needs and beliefs of the time.

            Since ancient times it has been associated with Shamanism, religion, healing, magic, and in ancient Egypt it is believed that it was used in “sleep chambers” for the very reasons I mentioned above.

            In ancient Egypt, China, Jewish rituals, and Hindu ceremonies, the Trance phenomenon was used to help elicit cures and changes in people.  This style of hypnosis continued for many years.  The common man thought of hypnosis in terms of faith healing, prayer work, and supernatural powers that were attributed to holy men, or medicine men, The Shamans of the community.

            Ancient Far Eastern practices such as Buddhism,  martial arts, and meditation, were teaching people to induce trances through forms of self hypnosis, and guided imagery,  while Western philosophies were relying on forms of Prayer Work to induce the state.

            It was later found that Native American practices relied on types of Prayer, sweat lodges, and even certain herbs and plants to induce altered states which we now know as the Alpha brain wave state.

            The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, did write about “incidences of hypnotic types of trance, but primarily it remained in the hands of the spiritual leaders of the tribes.

            Throughout the ages there were military leaders and madmen who seemed to grasp the ability to utilize certain words and phrases that would incite people, actually manipulate them into a form of mass hypnosis.

            Due to the work and research of such people of Anton Mesmer; from whom we get the term mesmerism; people like Janet Bramwell, Roger Bacon, Emile Coue, and noted father of psychology Sigmund Freud, Hypnosis has slowly been brought into the modern times.

            Most people have received their knowledge of hypnosis, and hypnotherapy through the entertainment field, stage hypnotist, movies, television, and books, and generally when clients come to see me for the first time, or call me to ask questions about the process, their questions are usually based on what they have seen or heard through the field of entertainment.

            One other little discussed field of hypnosis, (in the clinic field of hypnosis that is),  is erotic hypnosis which is primarily concerned with such things as fetishes, animal training, submission, and sexual fantasies.

            Many people are not aware that the modern day movement known as New Thought Spirituality was actually started by a man named Phinneas Parkhurst Quimby, a hypnotist who lived in the later part of the 19^th century and the earlier part of the 20^th century.  Phinneas was a talented hypnotized who deduced that many spiritual healings were actually accomplished through hypnotic trance.  He went on to train such people as Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of The Church of Christian Science, and his trainings influenced Ernest Holmes, the Founder of The Church of Religious Science and Charles and Myrtle Philmore, who founded The Unity Church.  Each of these churches teaches a variation of a technique called Scientific Mind Treatment. Scientific Mind Treatment usually includes having the person close their eyes, focuses on their breathing, and use some form of words or guided images which help to induce and deepen the trance phenomenon.

            One of the more recent avenues of interest when it comes to New Thought Spirituality is the idea of The Law of Attraction. The basic idea of The Law of Attraction is that we attract into our lives, that which we focus our attention on.  There are many people and groups that have capitalized on this belief and claiming that just by using guided imagery, meditation, and specific forms of self hypnosis, you can alter or change your life by producing the physical manifestation of anything that you concentrate on in your mind.  While the idea is being shown to be true through such fields of research as Quantum Physics,  the popularizing of the effect is being thrown at the general public without including such important factors such as gaining control of your feelings, emotions, and thoughts, through such things as Emotional Release Therapy, of The Law of Conscious Attention.  All of these factors and ideas are utilized and taught through hypnosis, self hypnosis, and such techniques as EMDR.

            In the late sixties a man named Jose Silva developed a wildly successful program called Silva Mind Control.  While Mr. Silva said that his program was deferent than hypnosis, it actually trained the participant in a form of meditation or self hypnosis, and allowed the participant to lower their brain waves patterns into the Alpha brain wave state. While in this state, Mr. Silva used guided imagery to create all manner of effects that produce physical healings, allow weight loss, smoking cessation, and produce an increase in desired events and activities.  All of these same effects are documented and recorded in people who  utilize hypnosis and self hypnosis.

            More recently there has been resurgence in the practice of Buddhism, and the more modern version in our culture, Mindfulness.  Mindfulness is being taught, through programs at such places as the University of Washington, to patients in an effort to help manage their cravings to substances such as alcohol, and other chemical substances.

            In any case hypnosis utilizes specific techniques that access the incredible potential and power of the conscious and subconscious mind.

            In my own practice I teach clients to use Emotional Release Therapy, self hypnosis, and specific mindfulness techniques to help them release, manage, and eliminate beliefs and behaviors that have caused them to remain stuck in problems and issues that they have not been able to deal with through any other form of therapy.

            My clients will come seeking magic, a type of treatment that will put them to sleep and when they wake up there problems will be gone.  What they find is a way to access an incredible power that they have had all along, the power to use the energy of their subconscious mind to cure themselves.  They are taught to take control of their thoughts and emotions, to learn how to become the Master of their lives, instead of the victims of their circumstances. Call Foundations Hypnosis Seattle ~ Everett, NOW at (206) 417-4900. Everett counseling therapist and North Seattle Hypnotherapy

Emotional Release Therapy

Hypnosis & the Ego

DLScott CH.t / CDP / AASD    

            In my last blog, I mentioned that I and a fellow hypnotherapist lead a class on Saturday June 26^th, on Emotional Release Therapy.  In the past several years I have used this technique to help people move beyond their chemical dependency issues, utilizing clinical hypnosis,  and self hypnosis techniques, that teach clients how to let go of old thoughts and old behaviors, that have kept them stuck in the same patterns for years.

            It brings to mind the question just what is the subconscious mind, and why does it create such problems for people?

            There are basically three parts to your brain, The first part is the reptilian brain, this part of your brain is primarily in control of all automatic and autonomic functions of life, such as breathing,  pulse rate, and blood flow,  all those bodily functions that we have to have to live, and yet we never have to think of.

 The second part of your brain is the sub cortical or subconscious.  From the moment you are first born all of the events, experiences, and information are downloaded into your subconscious through your senses; sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell. Each and every one of these images is neatly tucked away and utilized as part of our unique personal programming.  In many cases this programming becomes outdated and corrupted throughout time.

As an example, you when you were younger you may have had an adult grab you and pull you out of harm’s way, (such as being pulled from incoming traffic), this was actually a very good thing, but your young mind perceived it as someone manhandling you, or pushing you around. The recorded memory was there, it stayed there, and over time the message you received became corrupted and told you that people were going to restrict your movements, try to control you, etc. The subconscious simply does its job and keeps playing this memory over and over again, you may have even gotten to the point where you don’t consciously recall the incident, but you do feel the emotions that have gotten attached to that image.

In the present time, you constantly feel like you are constricted, controlled, pushed around, not listened to, and you exhibit behaviors that might temporarily make you feel better, BUT once the temporary fix is over, you are still in the same spot trying to deal with  memories and images that create feelings of low self worth, lack of control, etc.  

The Ego is that collection of memories and images contained in your subconscious, your thoughts, where these often times buried or masked images play over and over again, and we are unaware that we have given our control and power away, allowing these things to guide and create our life.

With the techniques of Emotional Release Therapy, and Mindfulness Training, you will be astounded at the speed and ease in which you will let go of the emotions attached to those thousands and thousands of random and often useless thoughts that fill our subconscious.

If you had to monitor each and every thought that make up your Ego, you would never have time to do anything else. With Emotional Release Therapy, and Mindfulness training, you will be able to let go of the idea that you are those thoughts, that you are your feelings, and instead you will become the absolute master and controller of your own brain.

By becoming single minded you will be able to utilize the third part of your brain, the Cortex. The Cortex is that part of your brain, in which you are able to bypass the Ego, or the subconscious, and experience pure thought without the trauma of emotion that keeps you stuck.

Just listen to what one student of the class had to say:

“After taking the Emotional Freedom Therapy class I noticed several breakthroughs!  The process is so simple yet very profound.  I had a deeper sense of self choice and self forgiveness in every area of my life as well as releasing stress.  The idea that I can discover if I am single minded (eliminate the subconscious saboteur) with every issue I want to address was powerful.  I now have a new tool in my tool belt! Thank you for sharing your passion and your gifts.”
Lorayne Ham
Health and wellness facilitator
Shoreline, WA
In Lighten Wellness  

            Once we learn to connect with our true selves, and utilize that part of our brain called the Cortex, there is nothing that can hold you back.

            Kathie and I will be representing this class this fall, but in the meantime you can give yourself the gift of a new life, in which you can experience, increased self worth and esteem, you will easily eliminate phobias, stress, fears, and anxiety. You will free yourself from addiction to cigarettes. You will be able to eliminate chemical dependency issues, and you will be able to create and live the life your dreams.

If you are wanting to know more about this powerful life altering experience, if you are dealing with emotional stress, and behavioral issues that have you kept stuck, then don’t delay, call Foundations Hypnosis Seattle ~ Everett at (206) 417-4900 today. Everett counseling therapist and North Seattle Hypnotherapy

DLScott CH.t. / CDP

One of the most frequent request that I receive from potential clients is help with obsessive compulsive behaviors or addictions. This can and does include, stop smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse / addiction, eating addiction, and some form of behavioral issues such as sexual addiction or performance anxiety.

Hypnosis is not a magic bullet, it will not magically cure any condition or eliminate any behavior, but it what it will do is increase your own ability to eliminate or manage any issue or condition that you are trying to deal with.

One of the most well known hypnotists of the twentieth century was Dr. Milton Erickson. He often told clients that “you have tried to solve the problem at the conscious level of your mind, and have failed miserable, now it is time to resolve the issue at the subconscious level of your mind”.  Dr. Erickson’s statement is based on the fact that there is a well known rule of the mind called the law of conflict. When the subconscious and the conscious portions of the mind are in conflict, your subconscious will always win. This fact has been proven over and over again by smokers who try to quit smoking without outside help, or substance abusers who can’t quit by just will power alone.  Along with these common addictions there are dieters who can’t seem to lose weight, or people who are frozen by the fear of public speaking, or people who suffer from performance anxiety while engaging in the sexual act. (Just look at the sales figures of such drugs as Viagra to get an idea of how prevalent these issues are).

 People are paying millions of dollars a year on prescription medications to help them alleviate their obsessions, addictions and compulsions, and yet the problems persist.

 The American Medical Association, and the American Psychological Association recognized hypnotism as a valid medical procedure in the year 1958, and in the year 1995 the National Institute of Health recommended hypnotherapy as a treatment for chronic pain, both physical and emotional.

Hypnotherapy is an effective tool in reducing the fear and anxiety that accompany pain and uncomfortable medical or dental procedures, and has also proven very effective at eliminating the root causes of stress and anxiety associated with a variety of behavioral issues such as substance use, sleep walking, nail biting, smoking cigarettes, eating disorders, phobias, and even thumb sucking.

Don’t Delay, cakk for your first session now, and start living the life you have always dreamed of. Foundations Hypnosis and Chemical Dependency Seattle ~ Lynnwood ~ Everett (206) 417-4900