Hypnosis
Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation during which it is possible to communicate with the sub-conscious mind and replace negative ideas with positive suggestions. The sub-conscious mind is where behaviour patterns are created. The process is perfectly safe, enjoyable and effective. The hypnotic state is a pleasant experience and most people find it similar to daydreaming. It doesn’t control your mind or change your character but is highly motivating and very often life-changing.
Hypnotherapy has many applications and is a suitable treatment for such issues as stopping smoking, losing weight, boosting confidence, building self-esteem, boosting energy, relaxation, removing fears, phobias & habits, stress relief, pain relief, anxiety relief, calming exam and driving test nerves, business motivation, managing anger and depression, removing addictions, controlling IBS symptoms, defeating dyslexia, improving concentration etc, etc. Apart from the use of hypnosis for sports motivational purposes, many of these applications are useful to athletes with personal issues to resolve.
Hypnosis is sometimes described as an altered state or a state of intense focus. It is a state with which we are all familiar as we experience such states many times during the course of a day particularly when waking in the morning or drifting off to sleep at night because it is the state in between being asleep and awake. A universally familiar hypnotic state is when driving and not being aware of the passage of time. Arriving somewhere without being able to remember how you got there. Some find it frightening but it’s perfectly safe because the sub-conscious mind contains the blue-print of how to drive your car from many repeated applications so when the conscious mind drifts into an altered state wandering wherever it will, the subconscious mind automatically takes over and drives the car for you. Should anything happen that requires the driver’s attention such as traffic lights changing or the brake lights of the car in front lighting up then the driver simply snaps into conscious awareness and is able to deal with the situation normally.
Hypnotherapy is not the same as stage hypnosis and subjects are never required to do anything embarrassing, reveal any private information or do anything they don’t want to do. During Hypnotherapy the subject is always in control and aware of everything that happens. You can’t get stuck in a trance and can leave it at will. Even if the Therapist left the room and never returned you’d simply come round by yourself in a few moments or just drift off into a restful sleep.
It is the same with self-hypnosis, the self-induced state that Peter Gilmour teaches and encourages his clients to use regularly. Should anything happen that requires your immediate attention during a session you simply snap into conscious awareness and can deal with it normally.
During Hetro-Hypnosis (that means with a Hypnotist facilitating the session) the subject is seated, fully-clothed in a comfortable chair or lying prone on the floor (often more convenient with group sessions) listening the sound of the therapist’s voice with a background of soothing music. It is sometimes necessary to respond with finger movements, nods of the head or speech. There is usually no need for physical contact however with the subject’s permission the therapist may on certain occasions shake hands, press lightly on the subject’s forehead, touch the subject’s shoulder or hand or pull or lift their arm.
People turning up for their first Hypnotherapy session are sometimes a little apprehensive because they have no idea what’s going to happen, what it will or should feel like and most likely might have seen some daft stage hypnosis somewhere. So they can be concerned about losing control, making a fool of themselves, acting like a chicken, or getting stuck in a trance. Such anxieties are completely baseless. Stage hypnosis is purely for entertainment whereas Hypnotherapy is exactly what the word implies, using Hypnosis for therapy and is carried out by competent, qualified practitioners who are bound by the ethics and regulations of the profession. Accordingly therefore, people are never apprehensive for their second session because they have already discovered that it’s relaxing, enjoyable, highly motivational and generally beneficial and can’t wait to get on with it.
Indeed, nothing bad can happen to you. Only good things happen with Hypnotherapy.
Are there any side effects? Yes, you feel great, at the height of your powers and if you play sport your performance level improves.