Archive for the ‘hypnosis’ Category

New Internet Radio Show Empowers Listeners

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

(Seattle, WA) Joe Nunan’s new weekly Internet Radio Show, Master of Your Fate, Captain of Your Soul on Contact Talk Radio challenges listeners, both live and via podcast, to use his proven methods to make fundamental changes to themselves which they want and need. Reminding the audience that they needn’t learn to accept undesirable outlooks, attitudes and behaviors within themselves and can take control of their existence and become The Master of Their Fate and The Captain of Their Soul. Explaining in the most basic terms how our minds really work, Joe Nunan began the series by explaining a technique he developed at his Chester County Hypnosis in West Chester, PA and has used with virtually 100% success with hundreds and hundreds of clients over the years.

Joseph Nunan CH,CI“My biggest obstacle has been to overcome a client’s existing beliefs that something so simple could not achieve the results that it does. Once I get them to do it, I find that the results are virtually certain.”, said Nunan. He invites everyone to join him in using his principles and methods, which are outlined weekly on the show, and begin making changes that they want or need in their own life.

The Master of Your Fate, Captain of Your Soul show with Joe Nunan airs every Wednesday at 11AM Eastern and 8AM Pacific on Contact Talk Radio via live streaming on the internet and on HD Radio in Seattle 106.9 HD Channel 3.

Joseph Nunan CH,CI is an internationally known, fully Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Hypnosis Instructor. He sees client’s from many walks of life and is known for the quality of his results and success with clients and students alike. Chester County Hypnosis , located in West Chester, PA offers services for Stop Smoking, Weight Loss, Personal Change and Medical Adjunct purposes. The Hypnosis Academy provides training in hypnosis twice yearly for amateurs and professionals alike. We consistently provide our clients the very best services, to help them easily accomplish and even surpass all of their desired goals. Our primary purpose is to enable our clients to quickly and easily make all the changes they want and need.

Some Thoughts Worth Mulling

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

I’ve actually been listening to one of my favorite mentors, Alan Watts, and came across a wonderful talk about something Carl Jung had come across. Watts hooked up with Jung in 1958 and was greatly impressed.

The one concept that Jung and Watts spoke about was the concept of Good and Evil as it relates to the Self. The current event at the time was the trial of Adolf Eichmann and Jung, at one point, had been accused of Nazi sympathies because of the concept of Good and Evil that he had come to understand.

Jung had come to realize there was no definitive concept of it. He believed we were all a composite of both Good and Evil and that actually, if we were not to come to an awareness of that, we would seek to punish others that we saw the evil in ourselves in.

I’ve been thinking a lot about that and I think Alan Watts and Carl Jung might have been on to something. They were looking at some of the great atrocities of our world and realizing that the people responsible were convinced of the Good they were doing. The greatest Evils were done by people who were convinced of the Good of what they were doing.

Jung discovered, and Alan Watts agreed, that only if we can acknowledge the co-existence of Good and Evil within all of us can we come to an accurate realization of ourselves.

Bad people do good things and Good people do bad things and we are all just a mish-mash of both. The great tragedies occur when we conclude we are either totally Evil or totally Good.

Self Knowledge that we are all a combination of both, always, is true enlightenment.

Why You Should Learn Hypnosis

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

I really enjoy when someone asks me why they should learn hypnosis.  I always know that I can share some great experiences and benefits that they weren’t aware of.

I think I can give you 5 reasons right now:

Joe Nunan is one of the Best Hypnotists in Pennsylvania “Joe Nunan is one of the best Hypnotists in Pennsylvania” Introduction at the 2009 NGH Convention

1) With Hypnosis You Can Change Your Life – Many people don’t realize it, but by learning hypnosis they gain great knowledge and insight into how the mind works. As a result, they are able to understand themselves more and make changes that they want in their lives.

2) With Hypnosis You Can Help Others – Although we train students to be practicing hypnotherapists, one of the wonderful benefits of learning hypnosis is to be able to help family and friends in many ways.

3) You Can Have a New Personal Freedom – As a Certified Hypnotist, you have control of how, when and where you work. If you want part-time or full-time or to work from your home, when you wish, it’s all up to you. Most students report that this freedom is worth more to them than they ever expected.

4) You Can Have a New Personal Independence -When you learn hypnosis and become a Certified Hypnotherapist, you no longer are at the mercy of an employer. Now that you have the ability to make your own way, in your own business, you can find that you now have choices and options in your life that you never had before.

5) You Can Find a New Confindence in Yourself and Your Abilities – Sometimes we do the same things every day and end up wondering if they matter. When you help others with hypnosis you can see right away that what you are doing matters, that it makes a difference. Having the ability to help someone change their life for the better gives your life new meaning and the confidence you gain with that is rewarding.

So, I’m sure you can think of other benefits that you, presonally, could gain from learning hypnosis. There may be a special friend or family member that could be helped with your new skills. There may be some improvements you want to make in your life, or some changes. It’s all possible when you learn hypnosis and I’ve found that regardless of how students use their knowledge and skills in their future, they are all ultimely glad they learned hypnosis.

NGH Hypnosis Certification Course

February 19th to April 2nd, 2011 (Saturdays)

The Hypnosis Academy in West Chester, PA is holding the Spring 2011 NGH Hypnosis Certification Class beginning February 19th, 2011 and concluding April 2nd, 2011. The class sessions are all on Saturdays at 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM.

The Hypnosis Academy provides you with the fastest, most comprehensive, hands-on way to become a NGH Certified Hypnotherapist or Consulting Hypnotist. Our Spring 2011 NGH Hypnosis Certification Class will enable you to complete your training in just 2 short months.

The course will include:

NGH Certification as a Certified Hypnotherapist or NGH Certified Consulting Hypnotist (your choice) to all students who complete the course and pass the NGH exam.

Hypnotist Training in Pennsylvania

An 11″ x 14″ Official National Guild of Hypnotists Certification in Hypnosis Certificate, suitable for framing and display.

A one Year pre-paid membership to The National Guild of Hypnotists.

An official NGH membership identification card.

A one Year membership in the Philadelphia Chapter of the NGH.

A one year subscription to the Hypnogram Magazine.

A one year subscription to The Journal of Hypnotism.

A professionally built business web site, domain name and web hosting package. *

2 Official NGH course manuals and materials, including the best NGH hypnosis scripts.

Hypnotist Training in Pennsylvania

6 NGH Hypnosis Training Videos

A Chevrul’s Pendulum

Exclusive use of the NGH video and audio libraries and member bookstore, discount prices and rates on the 2011 NGH Convention and 2011 NGH Solid Gold Weekend, hotels and special offers.

Eligibility to join American Federation of Hypnotists AFL-CIO Local 104 and enjoy all the benefits of being a union member.

The Hypnosis Academy provides you with the fastest, most comprehensive, hands-on way to become a NGH Certified Hypnotherapist or Consulting Hypnotist.

Teaching Faculty

The Hypnosis Academy believes in teaching the most effective methods and techniques that have been perfected by the masters. As a NGH Certified Instructor, Certified Hypnotherapist and member of the NGH Teaching Faculty, Joe Nunan is internationally known as a “Hypnotist’s Hypnotist” for his ability to blend the art, science and practicality of hypnosis together into a seamless package that his students can easily understand. His success with clients speaks for itself as he has helped many to make the often difficult changes they want and need. Joe will help you to learn the techniques, the methods and all of the “how” and “why” of what Hypnosis is, how it works, and how you can become proficient in helping others with it.

Our Spring 2011 NGH Hypnotism Certification Course will be taught on Saturdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM in Chester County, PA, with easy access to Philadelphia, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Berks County and Lancaster County in South East Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware.

Contact The Hypnosis Academy

You can contact the Hypnosis Academy at:

610-296-4929

or email us at:

info@thehypnosisacademy.com

We are located in West Chester, PA and hold NGH Certification and Advanced Hypnosis courses throughout Pennsylvania and the US every year. Course locations, schedules and pricing information are listed at our Course Schedules page. You can also request information from us by regular mail at:

The Hypnosis Academy

3001 Stoneham Dr.

West Chester, PA 19382

Everyday Success Stories

Friday, May 28th, 2010

I’m always very hesitant to bring up some of the wonderful accomplishments that clients have made with the help of Chester County Hypnosis. I highly regard and closely guard our clients privacy and don’t feel it’s appropriate of me to ask for testimonials. Some of our clients have wanted to share their experience with others who might be experiencing a similar issue and relate how hypnosis has helped them, and for that I’m always grateful. Many people do enjoy life more now and the one great benefit of making that known is to provide others with the motivation to seek change and to realize it’s not as difficult as they might think.

I spoke with a client the other day who was now 40lbs. less after just one session this spring. Chester County Hypnosis SuccessThe only work we did was on being motivated on a daily basis to reach his goals. He had the desire to be slimmer, knew what he had to do to be slimmer, but just couldn’t get the job done. He felt lousy, mentally and physically every day. Now he feels great, more energy, proud of what he’s accomplished and enjoying life so much more. It’s a great success story and is an example of what one person has done to make a big difference in his life.

Of course, we are all unique and his experience reflects only his personal experience, not yours. However, the point I wanted to illustrate was that he was tired of accepting a situation he wasn’t satisfied with, and took steps to change it. If not, I’m sure he would still feel just as lousy, physically and mentally, if not worse. He took an action to initiate the series of events that led to his change.

Now, hypnosis didn’t do any magical slimming or fat burning for him. He did exactly what he wanted to do, stopped eating junk food at night and got more active, no magic there. What hypnosis helped him with was the motivation and attitude to get started and keep going everyday. These were things he wanted to do, but kept getting sidetracked on. He knew what was happening, but knowing just wasn’t enough.

This involved weight loss, but hypnosis can really make a difference in many other situations that are similar in that we want to make a change, but just can’t seem to get it done. Quitting smoking is done easily and quickly for most with hypnosis, without suffering or cravings. Changing habits, like nail biting among others, can be changed quickly also. Hypnosis can help you overcome almost any type of fear, including flying, bridges, heights, birds or insects, needles and even most impressively overcoming the fear of public speaking. People can go to sleep easily and deeply with hypnosis and deal with chronic pain without drugs if they desire. There is a world of solutions that many do not even know exists for them.Joseph Nunan CH,CI

It’s a known fact among Hypnotists and Hypnotherapists that we are usually the “last resort” for an issue that a client will often wished they came to us first for. If only they knew.

Well, my message is that things don’t necessarily have to be the same for us, for you. You can make changes that matter and you can make them quickly and easily with the natural abilities you already have now. It’s all a matter of having your mind work for you, and not against you anymore.

Chesk out our Hypnosis Services page for information on how we can help and also our Frequently Asked Questions about Hypnosis page that answers many of the questions you might have. As always, you can call 610-296-4929 and ask how we can help you.

Don’t delay, change today!

Joseph Nunan CH,CI is an internationally known, fully Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Hypnosis Instructor and member of the Teaching Faculty of The National Guild of Hypnotists, the oldest, largest and most respected hypnotism accrediting organization in the world. Chester County Hypnosis operates according to the National Guild of Hypnotists’ Code of Ethics and Professionalism, and we consistently provide our clients the very best services, to help them easily accomplish and even surpass all of their desired goals. Our primary purpose is to enable our clients to quickly and easily make all the changes they want and need.

On the Passing of Dr. Herbert Spiegel

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

I was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Dr. Herbert Spiegel, a distinguished psychiatrist from New York, long associated with Columbia University. While gone, Dr. Spiegel has left those of us involved with hypnosis and hypnotherapy a valuable gift that will live on indefinitely. That gift is the HIP, or Hypnotic Induction Profile as defined in his famous book, Trance and Treatment, written with his son, Dr. David Spiegel.Dr. Herbert Spiegel teaching the HIP at Columbia

The revolutionary part of the HIP was the relationship between the natural ability of a person to roll their eyes up and hypnotizability. This was the physiological part of the HIP and when coupled with suggestibility tests, produced a score that could be used by the hypnotist or hypnotherapist to better suit their methods to that particular subject.

Suggestibility tests have long been part of hypnotic appraisal and conditioning, but identifying the significance of the eye-roll in the ability to achieve trance was truly revolutionary.  If you haven’t already, do read Trance and Treatment as it is a must read for anyone who is a practitioner or student of hypnosis.

Thank you Dr. Spiegel.

Joseph Nunan CH,CI is an internationally known, fully Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Hypnosis Instructor and member of the Teaching Faculty of The National Guild of Hypnotists, the oldest, largest and most respected hypnotism accrediting organization in the world. Chester County Hypnosis operates according to the National Guild of Hypnotists’ Code of Ethics and Professionalism, and we consistently provide our clients the very best services, to help them easily accomplish and even surpass all of their desired goals. Our primary purpose is to enable our clients to quickly and easily achieve positive personal change and to take control of their lives.

Heaven and Hell, Huxley and Hypnosis

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Aldous Huxley, Hypnosis and Heaven and HellI recently re-read Aldous Huxley’s Heaven and Hell after many years and had really forgot the references he had made to hypnosis. This work is often coupled with Huxley’s The Doors of Perception and usually is most remembered as Huxley’s investigation of mystic and altered states of consciousness brought about with mescaline and peyote. However, he mentions that some of the results he had achieved were only known to have been accomplished with hypnosis or by certain deep meditation practitioners. What were those results ? The visions and hallucinations brought on by the psychedelic drug ? No, the “results” were actually the access to parts of our mind that are normally not available to us. Huxley calls them the Antipodes of the Mind and explains that only when the useful areas of the mind are rendered disabled do we have access to these.

While unnecessary for everyday life, Huxley goes on to explain these regions as the seat of the spiritual experience and the source of all of man’s religions. It is an area beyond thought.

The role of the drugs in the access is one of disabling the conscious, which he mentions was also accomplished by fasting or self-punishment by religious visionaries, altering the chemistry of the brain. So how can something like this be accomplished with hypnosis and what would be exactly happening ? An interesting question for us to evaluate and explore.

Hypnosis is a state of mind where we can bypass our critical thinking, enabling us to become very suggestible to acceptable ideas. That is the true power of hypnosis in that it works on a subconscious level with us, where our habits reside. That’s all well and good, but you may ask where the spiritual awakenings and all come in and for that we must go deeper.

As hypnotists, we strive to guide our clients to a level of hypnosis know as somnambulism. This is the state of maximum suggestibility and where our desired effects are most easily accomplished. That is the most commonly known level of the hypnotic mind state. There is, however, a deeper level; the plenary trance or hypnotic coma.

This level is lesser known because of it being of limited really usefulness, mostly for anesthesia purposes. It is a level of trance with a profound comfort, but is also known for being such a state of comfort and well being that often the subject is reluctant to emerge from it. While in this state, we usually are not amenable to suggestion, perhaps because of the profound depth, but this fact renders the state of small value in clinical work. It is also questionable whether everyone can achieve this state of mind. Certainly a small percentage have easy access, but that may certainly grow with conditioning. However, I don’t believe that this state is what Huxley was speaking about.

There is a state beyond the plenary trance known by various names as Ultra Depth®Ultra Height®, etc. Relatively little is known about the state, compared to the lighter states of hypnosis and Walter Sichort of New Jersey was the source of much of the experimentation with it. I have found it nothing short of remarkable in some of the phenomena produced. It is disassociative by it’s nature and subjects I have worked with to access this state report profound experiences. Most of these accounts are certainly in the realm of spiritual experiences, however none of the individuals I have worked with were told to expect anything of that sort.

Ultra Height HypnosisThese experiences are often visual and contain symbols and characters sometimes known and sometimes unknown to the subject, often people who have passed. These characters often pass information which is many times not recalled in the conscious state. It is extremely different from past life regressions, not only in the depth of state, but the viewpoint of the subject. This state has been associated with healing also and there is work that has been done in that area and results obtained.

But is this the state that Huxley spoke about when he mentions the antipodes ? Perhaps it is. Accessing a region of the mind that is ordinarily inaccessible and biologically unnecessary for life, yet is there. He speaks of disabling the conscious ego in a physical manner, yet possibly this deep state of hypnosis is also achieving the same result in a purely mental path. Very interesting thought and concepts and perhaps two routes to the same destination.

Do we have somewhere in our minds like this, the antipodes that Aldous Huxley spoke of ?

Joseph Nunan CH,CI is a Certified Hypnotherapist and Hypnosis Instructor and has been trained in Ultra Height® Hypnosis by Gerald Kein. He owns and operates Chester County Hypnosis and The Hypnosis Academy in West Chester, PA. His work is available on MP3 Hypnosis Downloads and he is featured on The Best Hypnosis Guide on the Web. He is a convention instructor for the National Guild of Hypnotists.

5 Ways Hypnosis can Help You in a Recession

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Can Hypnosis and Self Hypnosis really help me in a recession ? Sure it can, and I’ll give you 5 easy ways that it will.

  1. To keep a positive attitude and be optimistic.
  2. It’s natural to get down when times are tough, however, the tought times are the times when we most need to be positive and optimistic. If we are in a situation where our employer is cutting back, the positive and optimistic people are a commodity that a company wants to keep. Morale is a problem when layoffs occur and an employee with a good attitude is needed to keep a company going. A positive attitude, under all circumstances, can separate you from the crowd in the view of management and place you in a position of being noticed for advancement in the future. Optimism and a positive attitude are contagious and can often be overlooked by all of us as assets that we bring to our job. Hypnosis and Self Hypnosis are valuable tools to keep us in a good mental attitude to be resilient and benefit from those tough times.

  3. To overcome fears and uncertainty.
  4. Recessions are definitely scary times. At my age, I’ve lived through them before, but our recent times have been quite good for a long while and many people have never lived through these events. They do end, but that doesn’t help the fears that we have during them. Distressed economic situations cause many personal, family and social problems. People lose jobs, houses, cars and sometimes even worse. Now, that doesn’t mean that will happen to you and it doesn’t do you any good to lie awake at night worrying. In tough times we all need clear thinking, not worrying. Hypnosis and Self Hypnosis can help us to overcome our fears, think clearly and make wise decisions.

  5. To be at your best in situations that you need to.
  6. Recessions present all types of situations that we wouldn’t expect and it helps to be at our personal best when they arise. If something would happen that would really change our situation, such as a layoff or a family member laid off, we might need to make some tough decisions and take some new actions. If we would need to look for another job, we will need determination and motivation. If we get a job interview, we need to present our best to a prospective employer. All of these types of situations require being at your best and Hypnosis and Self Hypnosis can help you to be at your best when you need to be.

  7. To relieve your daily stress.
  8. Tough times are tense times, make no mistake about it. Stress can make us depressed, make us get sick, weakens us and takes away our drive and attitude. During a tough time we really need strength and stamina and to be free from draining stress. Hypnosis and Self Hypnosis are the best ways to deal with our daily stress so that we can rest and relax when we need to.

  9. To keep your motivation and determination high.
  10. Just as optimism and positive attitude are contagious, so are pessimism and negative attitude and you may find yourself surrounded by it. If we don’t have methods like Self Hypnosis to use, it’s very easy to buy-in to all of the above mentioned dilemmas. However, Hypnosis provides us with a proven method to keep us on the right track and going in the right direction, regardless of what the rest of the world is doing.

Hopefully those give you a few ideas of some of the great benefits that Hypnosis and Self Hypnosis can bring you in a recession. Always remember that recessions are times of great opportunity. While we are always told of the many people who were ruined in the Great Depression of 1929, there were also many who were able to take advantage of situations that arose to become greatly prosperous. I would imagine that those people possessed some of the same things we just talked about.

Joseph Nunan CH is a Certified Hypnotherapist and Hypnosis Instructor and sees clients by appointment at his Chester County Hypnosis in West Chester, PA USA.  He offers Professional, Personal and Business Hypnosis Training at The Hypnosis Academy and audio hypnosis sessions are available for download at MP3 Hypnosis Downloads. He is also featured on Best Hypnosis Guide and frequently appears in the media. He can be reached at info@chestercountyhypnosis.com.

Losing Weight for the Holidays

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Unfortunately, many of my clients find a need to wait until after “The Holidays” to start making changes and losing extra weight they may be carrying.  They feel as if they will miss something or not enjoy their fun. Nothing could be further from the truth and I’ll give you 5 good reasons why you can lose weight during the holidays in 2009.

  1. Making changes in your attitude immediately about eating is important before you make your situation worse.
  2. The time to make changes in the way you eat is definitely before you go out and repeat all the same behaviors that got you in your situation in the first place. Eating in a positive manner is a big advantage in the holidays because it helps you feel better, both mentally and physically. Food is to be enjoyed and celebrated, that is not our problem. What we do with it and how we use it is.  With hypnosis we can change the way we eat and how much and be free to really enjoy it, without the unhealthy side effects. Now is the time to change with hypnosis, not later.

  3. Hypnosis is an easy, quick and effective way of changing your attitude without changing your enjoyment.
  4. Hypnosis makes quick changes easy for us. As long as we want the changes, they happen for us. Something as simple as eating slower and letting our sense of “fullness” kick in during holiday meals is a simple change, but can have big results on your weight. Just eating smaller portions and enjoying them more helps also. These are all easy changes you can make before the holidays and enjoy the benefits after.

  5. Good Eating Habits will help us survive and thrive in the holidays.
  6. We need our strength and endurance during the holidays. Whether it be visiting family, shopping, traveling or attending parties, we need to keep up our energy level and get all of our obligations done. Eating in a positive manners helps us by giving us energy, keeping us fit and alert and allowing us to enjoy all of these special times. It’s like running your car on premium gas, you can feel the difference.

  7. Good Eating Habits will prevent us from getting sick on the holidays.
  8. Have you ever run yourself right down into an illness right at the holidays ? Did too much and just crashed and burned when the big days came ? Poor eating opens us up for illness. Our immune system is under stress anyway from everywhere when we are in contact with thousands in stores, at parties and around town. The holidays are the worst time to not be strong and resilient and using hypnosis and self hypnosis to eat right can mean the difference between a good time and a bad time this holiday season.

  9. You don’t have to lose any weight that you haven’t gained.
  10. If you don’t gain weight, you have no reason to lose weight. It sounds simple and it is. Any extra weight that you do not gain over the holidays is weight that you don’t have to worry about losing, feel guilty about having and stand in the way of you looking and feeling good all winter.

Well, there is 5 good reasons why you can, and should, lose weight this holiday season. Hypnosis makes weight loss simple by helping us to change eating habits in a positive way. We can enjoy ourselves and enjoy life while feeling better and looking better. Take a moment and rethink your ideas about losing weight this year and consider starting before the holidays to make your 2010 better already.

Remember, January 4th 2010 is World Hypnotism Day. You can be well on your way to your ideal weight by then. Call Chester County Hypnosis at 610-296-4929 for details.

Chester County Hypnosis – Stop Smoking, Lose Weight, Self Hypnosis inWest Chester, King of Prussia, Valley Forge, Exton PA

Friday, November 28th, 2008

Hypnosis and the Subconscious/Conscious question

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

Most of my clients are familiar with the term “subconscious” and generally believe that it’s a spooky place deep inside your mind that holds all your deepest, darkest fears and inhibitions. This is a place where there is constant turmoil, repressed urges, dreams, taboos and fantasies.

Pierre Janet, the famous French Psychiatrist is credited with the term, which has now become almost extinct in usage in modern psychology. Janet was also one of the early teachers of Hypnosis in Psychiatry and trained at the Saltpierre under Jean Marc Charcot and was a colleague of Freud’s; some credit him as the Father of Modern psychotherapy, instead of Freud.

The Saltpierre school of thought worked under the premise that hypnosis is but a form of hysteria, which is somewhat understandable since hysteria seemed to be very much a part of everyday life back then.

Today, we hypnotists, not being the theorists that psychologists are, consider the subconscious as any of our human processes that exist below the level of our ordinary awareness. Some of us further separate that into the “subconscious” and “unconscious” which reflects on the workings of our body and nervous system. A good everyday understanding of it would probably be to say, “All of the stuff we do, that we don’t actually do”. That would include our beating heart, to a lesser extent our breathing and the mental concepts that guide our operation in daily life.

Say for example you see a fireplace with a nice warm fire going on. It makes you feel warm and safe. However, you won’t go over and put your hand right into it, the thought would never occur to you, why, you would, of course, burn your hand. When we are small children, we might do exactly that, usually only once or twice, before we learn that while fire is warm and comforting, more is not necessarily better there.

As we become older, we often forget the incident but remember the lesson. We don’t stick our hand in open fires, we don’t even think of doing it. We don’t have to think about it, it just is an operational guideline anymore to us. Same thing with, hopefully, running out in the street before looking both ways and playing with dry cleaning bags around our heads. They’ve become generalizations to us that we operate on below a conscious level, we don’t have to sit and think and reason to come up with those guidelines, they just “are”.

And that is what our subconscious does for us, it runs our daily life, much as an assistant would handle all the mundane details of an important executive. Now, the primary task of this assistant is to keep us safe. That is the main goal, protection and safety.

I read recently how De Boeff (European psychologist of the early 20th century) believed that man had developed this “assistant” through evolution to satisfy the need for it, where most animals today exist solely on the conscious level. When you look at a squirrel, everything about his existence is right on the surface, beating heart, search for food, everything. He lives in the moment, to his peril.

When we, as hypnotists deal with the subconscious we don’t deal with the dark, hidden labyrinth of mental dungeons that we imagine. We deal with something that resembles a 10 year old child. Literal in interpretation, unable to reason or deduce, but always there to protect us and make us safe.  We must be careful to be be simple and succinct in our words, be precise and completely understandable without coloring our words with colloquialism, innuendo or hidden meanings.

We don’t really get involved in the “why” as much as psychologists do, we don’t have to and don’t really want to. We deal with the subconscious in the place it lives, under the surface and below awareness. We deal with the misdirected generalizations we have acquired over our lives and try to bring them to a conscious level and create new generalizations we desire.

For example, if you were dangled out an upstairs window as a child by a bully, you’d most likely have a fear of heights. You might also be afraid of air travel. That has absolutely nothing to do with being dangled out of a window by a bully, but the 10-year old sees no difference. Height=Fear, regardless of the method, if we go up, we won’t be safe. Through Hypnosis, we can bring reason and clarity to our subconscious and allow ourselves to now generalize that the window and the airplane are two different experiences and have more differences than similarities. We can now believe that air travel is much safer than being dangled out of a window, in fact, it’s quite different and much safer.

Now this person can fly fearlessly and travel the world and have a greatly enhanced life-experience, thanks to hypnosis and the subconscious. And, it was not a matter of dealing with somewhere spooky, it was all done by explaining to the 10-year old assistant, their protector, that it was acceptable.