Advantages of Self Hypnosis

Every form of healing or therapy can be said to have advantages and disadvantages. No one method is perfect. No single theory can really answer all the questions.

Properly applied self hypnosis, however, is one of the most profound forms of healing because it brings the practitioner into rapport with the deeper parts of their own mind. When you are really in rapport with the deeper aspects of yourself, when you really feel deeply accepted, you are capable of incredible healing and able to achieve much more in your life. Learning to develop self acceptance is a great advantage of self hypnosis that is not present in many healing and therapeutic methods.

How is the self acceptance developed?

Relaxation is the first part of almost any self-hypnosis routine. Relaxation is the physical portion of those feelings of deep acceptance. As the body becomes comfortable with relaxing, the deeper aspects of the mind begin to feel more accepted. This is actually another strong advantage of practicing self hypnosis: even if nothing else works, you will learn to relax, which is very healing all by itself.

What about disadvantages to self hypnosis?

The primary disadvantage of self hypnosis for most people is that consistent practice is required. To build the real momentum of self acceptance that frees up energy for healing and achieving goals takes time and sincere practice to cultivate.

Relaxation can be learned right away, but acceptance takes time!

This is actually an advantage in disguise. It appears to be a disadvantage because most people want to pay some money, take a pill, and have all their dreams suddenly come true. With self hypnosis, you keep coming back to practice and notice that things gradually get easier and easier. Your habits slowly change. Your start to feel better about yourself, your successes, and your shortcomings (you heard correctly... you start to feel better about your own perceived shortcomings, flaws, challenges, etc.).

When you make your transformation a gradual process, you are much more likely to keep the results, and continue on the journey of personal growth.

Would you like to reap some of the advantages of self-hypnosis right now?

1. Find a quiet place and sit upright. Allow yourself to relax.
2. Take a deep breath and as you exhale, say to yourself "I deeply accept and appreciate myself!"
3. Take another deep breath and as you exhale, relax a little more and say "Even though I sometimes screw up, I still deeply accept and appreciate myself."
4. Take a third deep breath and as you exhale, state "And even if I were to screw something up in the future, I choose to continue to deeply accept and appreciate myself even more."
5. Now just take a few moments to enjoy sitting by yourself peacefully. Let the deeper lessons sink in. Let the complete self acceptance flow through you.

Benjamin Langley has been studying meditation, self-hypnosis, energy work, and other healing methods for over 15 years. He has taken the time to study, practice, and integrate these methods, and he has written over 400 articles on these subjects, as well as numerous podcasts and videos that can be found on his site and others.

If you want to get a deeper understanding of meditation quickly, you can find the best free meditation tips and techniques on the web at http://PeacefulProsperity.com

10 Things You Need to Know About NLP

1) NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming

- Neuro refers to the neurological pathways in the brain
- Linguistic refers to the primary way we, as humans, share experience
- Programming refers to 'repeatable' behaviours (generally of an unconscious origin)

2) NLP is about Subjective Human Experience

How individuals respond to the 'reality' that is 'out there', turn it into a reality which is 'in here' (pointing to my head) and relate to that experience is the primary interest of NL{

3) NLP was created by John Grinder and Richard Bandler

For the most part this is true, if an oversimplification. NLP refers to the set of tools and approaches defined and collated by Bandler and Grinder in the 1970's which were directly influenced by behaviourist approaches to human learning; post-modern philosophical ideas like radical-constructivism and the Human Potential Movement.

Key in the development of early NLP 'models' were Milton Erickson, Virginia Satir and Fritz Perls whose technique and communication patterns were studied by Grinder, Bandler, Pucelik and others.

4) NLP is about Change

Change is the only constant in the universe. NLP is about supporting change within the individual, change in their behaviours and change in the way the relate to themselves and others. The various NLP tools and approaches support the individual in exploring how their beliefs, attitudes and attitudes drive their perceptions and responses to the world.

5) NLP is about 'excellence'

NLP practitioners often talk about excellence and the notion of 'modeling' it. There is a presupposition that if one person can do something, finding out about HOW they do WHAT they do could be of benefit to others. By modeling communication patterns, behavioural responses and thought processes insights into effective and affective behaviours can be gained.

6) NLP makes broad sweeping generalisations

This is true in as far as the presuppositions which lie at the core of NLP are simply statements of possibility. They are ideas about the nature of perception, behaviour and the way the world works. They are linked by a question which seeks to discover "what would happen if this generalisation were true...?" or "what other choices would be possible if this were true?"

7 NLP is Solutions Focussed

NLP is not about the historical causes of a particular issue or challenge, it is about the current responses to it and the changes that could/can be made to reach/define a more desirable outcome. In this respect NLP challenges current attitudes and possible resistance to change and helps chart a course to a more resourceful future.

8 NLP is about questioning

One of the 'key' models in NLP is called the "Meta Model". This is a framework which is used to connect what is being said by a person to the deeper meanings or truths not stated and the implied values and belief systems. What we say is a short hand version of what we could say or might want to say, feel or would like to feel, think or might want to think. An experienced NLP Practitioner will ask a series of questions, some playful some provoking a lot of thought. in order to connect the 'words' with the 'internal experience'. In doing so the individual can explore the choices they make and the behaviours they adopt.

9 NLP is generative

NLP is always about creating choices and exploring those choices. There is the fundamental belief that the person with the greatest behavioural flexibility will perform better in a range of tasks, challenges and situations.

10 NLP is Holistic

NLP considers the link between Mind and Body; Emotions and Experience; Behaviours and Values. As such it recognises the importance of an individuals belief system. As an approach it will support the individual in questioning any limiting beliefs, behaviours and attitudes and defining empowering beliefs, values and attitudes.

NLP in the therapeutic context can help support people who have a range of behavioural challenges - these would include issues surrounding habits, phobias, self-confidence, inter-personal communication skills, dealing with emotions (anger management) and so forth.

NLP in the coaching context can support individuals, teams and organisations in managing and inspiring change. It helps define targets and goals and the behaviours required to meet those targets and goals.

NLP in the educational context is about teaching, learning, memory and thinking. It is about being able to ask questions, motivate learners and define outcomes.

NLP in the business context is about communicating values, messages and ideas to others in effective, relevant ways.

NLP is an attitude to life - a way of thinking about the world which encourages reflection, focus and action.

Author Bio

Dr Alan Jones in an NLP Trainer, Motivational Speaker and Educational Coach who has worked with a wide range of clients including international organisations, education authorities, professional training providers and individuals. He is an Accredited de Bono Thinking Skills Consultant.

His colleagues recognise not only his particular skills as a trainer and presenter but also his eclectic interests. He is a magician (Member of the Magic Circle), mentalist, writer and broadcaster.

His 'pet' personal projects are Magic 4 Learning (teaching personal and learning skills through magic and conjuring); The Rational Mystic (bringing skepticism, mysticism and critical thinking together); EQUALISE (a Peer Mentoring project based upon key aspects of Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Literacy) and Mind Alignment/Achieve! - a project built upon NLP principles, aspects of Transpersonal Psychology and Emotional Intelligence which aims to inspire, motivate and encourage personal change.

You can find out more about his work by visiting http://www.aljones.net

Golf Hypnosis - Improve Your Game

If you're like most golfers you probably already know that once you learn how to swing your club, golf becomes a mental game. Here's what legendary golfer Bobby Jones had to say about his home golf course,

"Golf is played on a 5 1/2 inch course...the space between my ears."

Golf greats like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Tiger Woods, all have claimed how important the practice of their mental games were and how much they contributed to their success on the links. You probably know that 90% of golf is mental, but the fact is not many golfers know how to develop the mental strategies that are necessary to excel at the game. And of those, fewer still even continue to work at it.

Golf hypnosis is the secret of the pros. They've been using it and have kept quiet about it so they could keep it as their own edge over the competition. If you are reading this you might have already figured out that you need some help with the mental aspects of your game.

The truth is that golf hypnosis doesn't require much in the way of work. With golf hypnosis you will train to uncover the gold you already have inside and learn to use that gold naturally without "work" or effort. You can visit with a golf hypnotist who will first, train you to go into trance. After you have achieved a sufficient state of hypnosis he will then use your imagination to practice your state control. The proper state of physical and mental relaxation that's required for you to achieve your best score. And then through your continual mental rehearsal you will become familiar with getting that state in even the most difficult situations.

If you want to take your golf game to a whole new level, then golf hypnosis is the next logical step for you. Peak sports performance doesn't just happen. You need to know how to get there. With peak mental training using golf hypnosis you can knock 5 to 10 swings off your game, by unleashing your power that's been locked up inside you.

You might be unsure that it's just your mental game that's at fault. Well there a few surefire ways to know with certainty. And you can start by just answering the following questions. Are you able to shoot your best games when there's nothing at stake? And then when the pressure is on, even easy shots become your worst nightmare? Are you unable to shake the bad feeling of a misplaced shot, or a bad hole easily? And does that cause your whole game to go down the tubes?

If you can identify with those scenarios, then you will benefit from the mental training tips that are offered to you by a golf hypnotist. In hypnosis you are able to do visualization drills in a profound way. You are able to repeat proper play at the speed of thought to ingrain them into your neural pathways so they quickly become habitual.

It doesn't matter if you are a seasoned pro, or an up and coming young competitor, mental training in peak performance will assist you to get the results you want. Take a moment now to imagine being the envy of others in the clubhouse. People milling about trying to find out what your secret weapon is, how you managed to break 70 or 80 so quickly and stay there. If you can use your imagination in this way, that's an indication that you already have the skills to achieve your very best.

Author Bio

Are you tired of constantly losing out on playing the game you know you are capable of? Of course you are! Take the time to get some free tips on how you can use your mind with golf hypnosis to eliminate negative feelings from your game that are stifling your advancement. Visit my website, HypnoticState.com and get your free self hypnosis course or ebook on how to use your mind correctly and learn how sports hypnosis can benefit you.

This self hypnosis info is the same stuff I wrote in the book I co-authored called Real World Hypnosis, Insider Tips From The World's Leading Hypnotists that can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

Using Hypnotic Sales Techniques on a Prospect

Anytime you are performing sales techniques which can affect a prospect's mind you should use extreme caution. Hypnosis and mind control are powerful tools that can have far reaching effects on a person's consciousness and unconsciousness.

Remember that when you place suggestions or commands into a prospect's mind under hypnosis as part of your sales techniques you're speaking directly to their unconscious mind.

While a hypnotized prospect will not do anything they would not be willing to do under any other circumstance, their judgment is impaired and they may take actions based on the ideas you give them. This can have negative consequences if your sales techniques are not appropriate.

Your memory is also part of your unconscious mind. This means it can be easy to create false memories in a prospect. It is strongly recommended you avoid giving people false memories under any circumstances.

Even well intentioned attempts within your sales techniques to give the hypnotized prospect 'positive memories' could backfire. It is recommended that you not attempt to uncover buried memories through hypnosis except with the guidance of a professional.

Sometimes forgotten memories may be repressed ones, and without the aid of a professional these repressed memories could be overwhelming.

Any use of mind control in your sales techniques must be responsible. Encouraging a person to take actions that could hurt themselves or others is extremely irresponsible and of course is not what we want to achieve through our sales techniques.

While using mind control to leave a good impression on your prospect and help close a sale is reasonable, persuading a person to steal is certainly not. Again, it is true that a person will generally not commit actions that violate their moral character - however you have no way of knowing what actions they are willing to take with the proper pushing.

There are certain techniques that can be used to change a person's core values and beliefs. Charles Manson used these techniques to get his followers to kill for him.

Remember that with mind control sales techniques you are not brainwashing the prospect to do your bidding, but instead are making the subject more agreeable to your suggestions.

Using hypnotic suggestion on a mentally ill person is incredibly dangerous, both for them and for you. Such a person may benefit from hypnotherapy by a professional. Your sales technique should bear this in mind as how will you know if your prospect is mentally ill?

If a friend or prospect asks you to help them with a problem through hypnosis always be sure you fully understand their mental background before you attempt any hypnotic suggestion.

About the Author

Marc Savage is the owner of http://www.GetHypnoticSellingSystem.com

How To Be Hypnotized

Many people have benefited greatly from the changes in their lives they have been able to make with the help of hypnosis. Hypnosis is primarily a state of combined relaxation and concentration, similar to becoming absorbed in a daydream. However one difference is that while hypnotized, one is more open to suggestions that will stay with you after returning to normal. Though you may think it is only possible to be hypnotized by someone else, it is easy to learn how to hypnotize yourself.

Hypnosis is powerful and effective and has benefited generations of people that have learned how to use self hypnosis It makes it easier to simply relax and ease stress, or just to take a break from the pressures of life. You can also use similar methods of hypnotherapy to change aspects of your life that need help. Giving yourself pre planned suggestions during hypnosis is a means with which to enforce ideas that will lead to changes later on in your habits, confidence, and even pain levels.

There are numerous ways for learning hypnosis, and it's smart to learn about other ways of practice to best fit your needs. Many books, websites, and Cd's and DVD's are available which can give you basic guidelines or a detailed program to aid you in your hypnotic journey. Below are some helpful basics to start trying hypnosis.

It's important to be prepared before trying to hypnotize yourself. If you're going to try self-suggestion, it helps to write down what you want to work on before you proceed. This helps to make the message more powerful. You could also add a visualization of your goal to make what you want stay in your mind clearly. Try to find a setting where you will be free of disruptions for as long as needed

Creating a calming atmosphere can make a real difference in your experience. Lower the lights and adjust the room temperature so that you are comfortable. Plan on whether you would be more comfortable sitting or lying down, either is fine as long as you don't fall asleep. Let your body start to relax as you close your eyes and take deep breaths, clearing your mind. Bring yourself down into your subconscious by counting or some sort of visual such as climbing down a staircase.

As you enter into a completely hypnotic state, imagine your own peaceful world with whatever you want to see. Begin to imagine or repeat the suggestion that you prepared earlier. Keep this up until you feel that the message has sunk in and become a part of your mind. Before you leave this place, you can also do a suggestion to yourself to ease coming into hypnosis for next time.

When you are ready to leave and return to your conscious state of mind, repeat the way you came into hypnosis except going the other way. If you counted down, count back up or go up in your mental elevator floor by floor until you arrive where you started. Tell yourself that you are waking up both your body and your mind, coming back to consciousness. Once you have returned to a conscious state of mind, give yourself a moment to adjust and then you can continue on with your day.

Don't give up if you feel that you didn't get to the level of hypnosis that you thought. Practice and be persistent until you reach the results you are aiming for. Meeting with a hypnotherapist can be very helpful in learning how to hypnotize yourself. They can give you advice and also hypnotize you so you can experience what it's like and have an easier time returning to it when you want to.

For much more detailed reports and resources regarding Self Hypnosis Techniques

Derek Wray has been publishing articles about many interesting and sometimes unusual subjects such as hypnosis or speed reading. Be sure to check out his site at http://www.brainkernels.com

Losing Weight With Hypnosis

The latest research figures show that forty million Americans are now classified as being obese. Take, out of the current population figures of there being just over three hundred million citizens in American, that means that almost 15% of all Americans are obese. To make matters worse there are also three million Americans who are morbidly obese. These means that their weight is considered to be an immediate life-threatening health risk. How can we reduce these figures and get America back to being the fit, lean nation it once was?

Well I’m sure you’re familiar with two out of three of my answers, healthy eating and exercise…but hypnosis? How can hypnosis help people avoid obesity? To answer this question we must first look at how healthy eating and exercise reduce obesity.

Healthy eating is easy to explain and understand, but not always as easy to do. We all know that we need to eat a mixture of vegetables, fruit, grain, dairy and lean meats. These foodstuffs are full of nutrients and generally low in calories, and the less calories you intake the easier it is to control your weight. Yet with the array of ever so tempting high calorie, fatty snack treats available seemingly everywhere we turn it can make it very hard to have the will power to stick to a healthy diet.

When you eat you take in calories, and when you exercise you burn them. When you burn more calories than you take in you will lose weight. Again that sounds simple enough in theory, yet it’s a little tougher in practice. In a world of highly advanced entertainment technology it is much more likely a person will spend the evening watching TV rather than going to the gym. In fact it is human nature to preserve energy, going back to caveman days when the food supply was not as plentiful.

This finally brings us to the third “mystery” ingredient of hypnosis. Hypnosis is becoming increasingly respected for its ability to help people lose weight. Even medical science which once mocked hypnosis as nothing more than a placebo has now finally come on board. In 1986 the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology reported findings in a group of women which showed that those using hypnosis had lost an average of 17 pounds, whilst the control group who were not using hypnosis lost only 0.5 pounds. That is a HUGE difference in results.

Now we know that hypnosis has a positive effect on weight loss, we must look at why. The answer to this is the subconscious mind. It is in this part of the mind that such things as eating habits and exercise motivation are stored. A hypnotherapist can use hypnosis to talk directly to the subconscious, rather than the conscious, and plant suggestions to eat more healthily and to exercise more. These suggestions stick and cause an alteration in the behavior of the person so that they take in less calories and burn off more which, as discussed earlier, result in weight loss.

This is the right kind of weight loss too. You may have tried crash or fad diets in the past where you lost 6lbs a week for a couple of weeks…then immediately put it back on after you had finished the program. This is not the case with weight loss hypnosis. Because you are eating a rich, varied, and above all else healthy, diet you can live on it for the rest of your life. Not just a few weeks. This leads to long term weight loss.

If American were to start implement a weight loss hypnosis program I am sure that those shocking obesity rates would decline rapidly.

Hypnosis as a Headache Cure

A study in 2007 found that during the course of a year 90% of people will suffer from a headache at least once. Besides the obvious pain in the head and neck region, headaches can also cause nausea, dizziness, blurred vision and loss of balance. Fortunately the vast majority of headaches aren't symptoms of a more serious problem. Only 1% of people who visit ER suffering from headaches actually have a deeper seated health concern.

There are many well known cures and remedies for headaches but one that is not so commonly known is hypnosis. Historical evidence shows that people as far back as those of Ancient Egypt used hypnosis as an effective form of pain relief and it is still being used to this very day.

More recent scientific research has confirmed that hypnosis does indeed work as a "pain blocker". Brain scans were taken of volunteers who had been hypnotized (as well as a control group who had not) and then made to suffer pain from a source of heat. Those who had been hypnotized had less activity in the pain sensors of the brain. This means that hypnosis actually blocks pain signals from reaching the brain. In the last few years people have even been using hypnosis as an anesthetic in surgeries with great success.

Now I'm sure that you can already imagine how hypnosis can be used to cure a headache but there is also another reason why it is so powerful at alleviating the pain. The majority of headaches are caused by stress and tension, particularly around the neck and shoulders. You may have rolled your neck around to help release some of the pain of a headache, if so you know this to be true. Well hypnosis is also a remarkably great way to relax and loosen muscles.

Although there are some differences, hypnosis is very similar to a deep state of relaxation. Typically you are lead or sat down, while the hypnotherapists guides you through a hypnotic induction. This induction often comes in the form of deep breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation. After this comes a deepener (just to make sure the client is properly hypnotized) and then a series of hypnotic suggestions. These suggestions can be about whatever you want, the hypnotherapist will cater for your needs. You may just simply want to relax and unwind, or perhaps you'd like to take part in a creative visualization exercise such as swimming with dolphins.

Hypnosis is actually quite an inexpensive headache remedy too. You may think that hiring a hypnotherapist every time you have a headache would be expensive...and you'd be right. However now you can find hypnosis sessions on MP3s at a fraction of the cost, these also hold the advantage that once you have paid once you can listen to the session over and over again at no extra cost. In the long run this will actually be cheaper than buying bottles of aspirin!

So next time you feel a headache coming on don't reach for a bottle of pills. Try hypnosis, the natural remedy for headache relief.

Jake Rhodes runs HypnoBusters, your leading resource for hypnosis products and information. For headache relief you can learn self hypnosis with this collection of hypnosis scripts. Each script has been written by clinical hypnotherapist Jon Rhodes DHyp.

NLP Techniques for Sales Improvement

We take meaning from our experiences, this is what NLP is about. Being able to change the meaning of your products in the eyes of a prospect would be extremely useful to sales professionals. Following are a few of the many NLP patterns that can help do this.

NLP Rapport in a Sales Environment

Building responsiveness in your prospect is what NLP Rapport is really about in a sales situation. Using pacing and leading, opening anticipation loops and covert hypnosis are some of the techniques used to build responsiveness above and beyond usual matching and mirroring.The advantage of a good NLP practitioner course is developing systems that are specific for you and you can use specifically to your environment.

Emotions through NLP Training

Being able to turn negative feelings into positive motivations would be an advantage in a sales environment. NLP tell us that we can have the choice about how we feel about an event and there are many NLP tools that can help you do this.Maybe you would like to put down all your fear of rejection, failure and low self esteem and replace them with excitement and confidence in yourself, the product and your sales process.

It might be useful to be able to use these NLP tools for yourself, but consider the possibilities when you have learnt to do that same with others whether your sales team or customers. Every sales professional would like the ability to be able to get people interested, curious and excited about themselves, their products and their company.

Using NLP Processes to Understand People

A route to more and better sales would be to understand the values, beliefs and motivations of your customers. The basics of NLP are about being able to uncover just these sorts of things. Underneath a person's behaviour is the answer to why they might buy one product and yet reject another. A good NLP Practitioner Course could teach you how to uncover the deepest needs of your customer and then attach your product or service to that need.

Hypnotic Language Patterns for Sales

There are many great applications for Hypnotic Language Patterns in any influencing situation. Sales provides one of the best. Once you take away all the false expectations and hype NLP Training can give you a great insight in using hypnotic patterns.

Language is just one filter that we use to encode meaning on our experience. The word is that we use and the way that we use them set the direction in our minds. The same is true for anything that I might say and see you to listen to will set a direction in your mind. By understanding this process you can move the minds of your prospect in particular directions. What this means in practice is that you can get people excited about things, bypass arguments and objections and even change beliefs. A simple NLP Hypnotic Language Technique such as future pacing can eliminate buyer's remorse or bypass expense to focus on results and returns. Having hypnotic persuasion tactics is a powerful addition to a sales professional's tool kit.

Sales, the perfect NLP Context

A good NLP Practitioner Course will give any sales professional a significant edge in every area of your life. For example we have not yet discuss NLP Modelling to learn from experts nor NLP accelerated learning skills to rapidly assimilate information about your products, competitors and your market. The question is not can NLP help Sales Professional but Can Sales Professional survive without NLP Techniques?

Rintu Basu set up The NLP Company, the NLP Training provider of choice for the NLP Scotland community. NLP Hypnotic Persuasion Skills Training is undertaken in Scotland exclusively by Rintu. As well as maintaining a private NLP Coaching practice he delivers high quality NLP Training Courses. More NLP Sales applications can be found at The NLP Company website.

NLP Pacing and Leading Techniques

NLP pacing and leading is a strategy often used to take control of situations. It's quite revolutionary actually. When used correctly, you'll be able to diffuse arguments, win over people and generally avoid trouble.

Read on to learn more...

NLP Pacing and Leading Technique # 1: Mirroring To Build Rapport

This is very simple and easy. All you have to do is mirror a person subtly whether through gestures or speech patterns.

Once you have established some sort of rapport with the person, then that is the time when you can take control of the situation and turn it around as you see fit. You'll see how quickly that other person will follow your lead.

For example, if the person you're talking to likes to start a conversation by putting both hands on the table, you might want to copy that gesture as well (but do it very subtly). If that person speaks in soft tones, soften your voice as well!

NLP Pacing and Leading Technique # 2: Stating Facts And Then Taking Over

This involves you stating something true about the person you're talking to - or the situation you're dealing with - and getting said person to agree with you before swooping in to take control.

For example, if you want to convince somebody to donate to charity, tell that person something factual like, "You're here in this restaurant, listening to me talk about charity..." and then implanting new thoughts into that person by adding, "and perhaps you're wondering why you should donate to this cause..." Insert what you will after that phrase and I'm sure you can take it from here.

Everyday Usage Of NLP Pacing And Leading

See how easy these techniques are? You can virtually use them on anyone and for any situation! For everyday practice, why don't you test them out on someone whose behavior you want to change?

For example, if your brother has a tendency to talk too quickly, you can easily use the first technique to control his speech speed. When he talks to you, answer him back in the same speed. Do this for three times before eventually slowing your speech down. In turn, your brother will follow your lead!

NLP pacing and leading can be very easily enacted. Anyone can do it! Now that you know how to deal with situations accordingly, I trust that you'll use this knowledge positively. Use it to improve your persuasion skills and help others as well!

Discover the ultimate NLP practitioner training that allows anyone to master NLP in just 2 short hours! Go to http://www.squidoo.com/nlp-practitioner-training

Improving Your Confidence Using Hypnotherapy

Confidence can be hard to pin down at times! Most people have had the experience of observing someone they know at a party or in a work situation, communicating with ease and naturally, without a hint of self-consciousness and have thought, "Why cant that be me?" It may be that you lack confidence within specific relationships and want to learn how to be more assertive, perhaps certain situations give you trouble or you may want to become a better public speaker, or at least find it less anxiety provoking! Perhaps you want to be able to share some of the knowledge and ideas that you have inside your head, which you hold back because of lack of confidence or you find it difficult to speak up in front of groups of people or lack confidence in all areas of your life. All these experiences are common and can be helped by hypnotherapy.

Of course, in life there will always be natural differences among people. Some people just seem to be more introverted, whilst others seem to enjoy the limelight and draw others towards them with ease. Whether confidence is a problem, must be self-defined, by the individual. If it impacts on your life in subtle or more obvious ways and you feel frustrated or held back by lack of confidence, then hypnotherapy, Hertfordshire could benefit you.

Hypnotherapy is an application of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. Hypnotherapists at Hypnotherapy, Hertfordshire, utilise hypnosis to help people solve personal problems, such as lack of confidence. Hypnosis is a state of mind, typified by deep relaxation, a narrowed focus and heightened sensory awareness. This state of mind occurs naturally and people slide in and out of this state, known as 'trance', all the time, in everyday life. Examples of trance states include fantasising about someone you are attracted to, becoming deeply absorbed in reading a book, being anxious about an event causing you to re-live what could go wrong over and over in your head and daydreaming. As you may see from the examples given, trance states can be positive or negative, depending on what is being focused on.

Hypnotherapists induce deeply relaxing trance states and utilised them to bring about positive change. This is because, when a person is deeply relaxed, as they are during trance, access to the unconscious mind is enabled. The hypnotic process is wonderfully pleasant and relaxing, which in itself is beneficial for people who lack confidence and experience stress and worry on a regular basis. Being free of stress and worry, during the hypnotic process, allows the therapists to pack your unconscious mind with positive suggestions of confidence. Whilst in this state you also get to practice situations in which you will act with confidence and conviction, through a process known as visualisation.

Hypnotherapy can also be effective in removing negative associations that you have developed between situations and feeling unconfident and it can also be used to remove and free you from negative emotions from the past. Sometimes self-esteem can be related to childhood experiences and these can be dealt with through hypnotherapy at Hypnotherapy, Herts.

During your hypnotherapy treatment at Hypnotherapy Herts, the hypnotherapist will also work with you to achieve confidence through a process called anchoring. Anchors are naturally occurring associations between an external stimulus and a behavioural or emotional response. They occur because the human mind constantly seeks to make sense of the environment by looking for patterns and associations between things. It is likely that you have had the experience of hearing a certain piece of music that reminds you of a person or event from the past. Not all anchors are positive. People learn to make negative associations between things, such as feeling anxious or worried when they are asked to go to their bosses' office or when they are required to give a presentation to colleagues.

During confidence sessions at Hypnotherapy, Herts, the therapist deliberately makes use of anchors in order to empower people to have control over their emotional states. There are specific techniques in which a stimulus is used to trigger and link an emotional state. The stimulus is usually external and may be a sound or touch. Through these techniques it is possible to for an individual to build up a resource of positive emotional states, which they can access in any situation in which they need them. This will mean that by activating your chosen trigger, such as squeezing your forefinger and thumb together, you will be able to access confident feelings, when you need them. It is also possible to completely collapse negative anchors so that external stimuli that cause you negative emotional states will no longer be a problem.

If you are fed up with being held back or not being able to do what you dream of doing because of lack of confidence, book your appointment with a hypnotherapist now!

Karen Hastings is a NHS experienced mental health occupational therapist, Master NLP practitioner and hypnotherapist. Karen uses hypnotherapy in Hertfordshire, along with cognitive therapy approaches. For more information about Hypnotherapy, Herts visit http://www.karenhastings.co.uk

Choosing a Self Hypnosis CD Or Download

Hypnotherapists have long given their patients hypnosis recordings to listen to between sessions either as a supplement for treatment or instead of teaching them self hypnosis.

Commercial hypnosis CD's should not be seen as a substitute for live, one-to-one hypnosis sessions but on the other hand they enable you to benefit immediately from hypnosis, sometimes just by clicking a few buttons. You can occasionally you can get considerable benefit, especially from repeated listening. In fact the great advantage of these recordings is that you can enjoy listening to them again and again and the in many cases the hypnotic suggestions will become even more deeply embedded each time.

So if you're thinking of buying a hypnosis recording what are the most important things to look out for?

Insist on hearing an audio sample. There are so many sources of hypnosis CD's now that you'd think the days of buying one without having listened to at least a small sample are over - but this is far from the case! Even some of the largest, longest established websites offer no listening facilities.

Make sure you can listen to at least a segment of the recording, or an example of the author's work regardless of all the hype, advertising rhetoric, and offers of money back guarantees. Otherwise there is a strong risk you will have purchased something dreary at best and at worst unusable. It's so straight forward for any web designer to set up audio samples on the internet these days - like cooking a can of beans! Ask yourself...what have some of these large providers of hypnosis audio got to hide when they make it so difficult or impossible to listen to a sample of their work?

Make sure you like the sound of the hypnotist's voice. If there's anything about the voice that jars or irritates you - it's almost certainly best to stay clear and go somewhere else. The typical Hollywood or media portrayal of a hypnotist is mostly fiction - there's no such thing as a set type of voice for a hypnotist. Some people are impressed by weirdness - don't be, because this has nothing to do with genuine hypnosis!

Voices can be high or low and regional accents are fine - so long as you find them pleasant. It's probably best to go for someone who sounds friendly, relaxed, natural and sincere. Theatrical voices are okay, (like say a professional actor reading out a 'talking book') however, steer away from someone who is obviously trying hard to sound 'mysterious', 'hypnotic', powerful or 'overly soothing'. Also you might want to avoid those who adopt an unnaturally deep vocal delivery.

This kind of thing may sound impressive to some, but it is most likely affectation and has nothing to do with the usual vocal delivery used by most hypnotists in a therapy setting, or for that matter by stage hypnotists. You may like voices that seem to have been made to sound 'thicker' using studio techniques, or that adopt an authoritative tone - if any of this stuff impresses you or appeals to you then fair enough...go for it...but you should be aware that it's unlikely to make the hypnotic experience itself any more powerful or effective than a natural voice

Above all, if what you hear sounds occasionally sounds stilted because it's someone obviously reading from a script...stay well clear! This is an indication that you may not listening to a competent, or even a genuine hypnotist.

Be wary of recordings that have a lot of emphasis on special effects. This doesn't mean you should steer clear of them altogether but some titles bombard you with echo effects, reverberation, panning (side goes from left to right) and similar studio tricks. Though fine in moderation, don't make the mistake of assuming that these effects necessarily make the hypnotic suggestions any more powerful or the content more effective. More likely than not, they are being used to conceal the poor quality of the content, or a lack of real life experience on the part of the hypnotist! Once again, these effects have little to do with real hypnosis and are far more likely to be favoured by the newcomer than the professional.

The quality of music and sound effects - if any - in the background is important. Some seasoned and talented professionals can get away with no musical accompaniment whatsoever, but if music is absent completely, it is more likely to be down to the fact that little time, trouble or dedication have gone into the production. Getting hold of suitable music for hypnosis is tricky to say the least - for many reasons:

i) If a hypnotist publishes several titles it will become boring for the listener if an identical, or almost identical music backdrop is used for each title. Imagine buying the whole set and finding the same music on each title! (It happens). It would be like watching several films on DVD and finding they all had the same soundtrack! This scenario is an indication that the whole approach and production has had little thought or effort put into it and/or is being done on the cheap. Some hypnotists use the sound of the sea for every recording they produce....this can be boring!

ii) Expense. Copyright laws mean that the hypnotist may have to pay royalties of up to 50% for the right to use somebody else's music in the background, so to get round this some use no music or poor quality music.

iii) Some recordings use 'royalty free' music that you'd normally hear playing in supermarkets - known as 'muzak' - which you should avoid at all costs as it is usually pretty dreadful. If you listen to a number of hypnosis samples you'll soon come across music that sounds so corny even your granny wouldn't like it! Be open minded though, remember, as with the voice, if you like the music or sound backdrop, that's what counts.

iv) Make sure you get to hear some of the music or sound effects before you buy. The right kind of music to accompany hypnosis could come from almost any kind of musical genre but the best stuff is likely to create an effect rather like a gentle film score can do. Simple, evocative music that can powerfully enhance hypnotic content and visualisation.

Generally speaking the music should be fairly simple with minimal percussion so as not to detract from what is being said. Some hypnotherapists still insist that music should be absent, but used properly it can elicit very powerful feelings and emotions. It's a bit like the movies - silent movies have their place but films are usually a lot better with a good soundtrack.

Satisfy yourself that the recording is by a reputable, qualified, professional hypnotherapist.

This is no small matter. A badly phrased hypnotic suggestion can do considerable, permanent damage. During hypnosis the subconscious mind can often take instructions quite literally, even extracting the wrong part of a phrase.

If an unskilled hypnotist were to say:

"Everytime you wake up you will feel ablaze with happiness"

He or she may have the best of intentions, but the subconscious mind may take it all literally and take the 'feel ablaze ' bit as a command. Consequently, on waking up a good hypnotic subject may feel as if they are actually on fire! An extensive knowledge and experience of avoiding damaging suggestions is vital. Even stage hypnotists with phenomenal hypnotic talent have sometimes not had sufficient training or experienced in using hypnosis as form of therapy before embarking on making a series of CD's or tapes - so beware. (It should be pointed out that there are many stage hypnotists who have considerable ability and experience as therapists in addition to being entertainers).

As with any other field, whether it is acting, music, or medicine -you are much more likely to get quality from a professional hypnotist.

The hypnotist is qualified, but does he or she have genuine experience of successfully treating people in one to one situations?

This should never be assumed. Is there a way, for example that you can currently arrange a live hypnotherapy appointment with this person, regardless of price? If not, beware, it is possibly an indication that the hypnotist is not practicing and may have in fact never treated more than a couple of people since they did their training.

Cheap v. expensive recordings

A good quality recording (say a hypnotic relaxation or de-stressing CD) can be a life investment - not just for yourself but possibly your entire family!

Be especially careful before you opt for a very cheap recording - because it could quite easily end up doing you more harm than good. It may seem like a bargain - but you would be well advised to treat your mind with the respect you would treat your body. Ask yourself, would you let a cheap plastic surgeon with doubtful credentials operate on your body? It may work out okay but is it really worth the risk? As with everything else in life, you usually get what you pay for. Remember, hypnosis is not a gimmick, it is a real and potent power - treat your mind with the respect you would treat your body!

Did you know that there are now many entrepreneurial amateur hypnotists on the internet and on eBay who have purchased hypnosis scripts from extremely doubtful sources? They have then made their own amateur recordings and franchised out the rights to these recordings to hundreds of other individuals who are busy marketing these recordings for a few dollars or pounds, some even believing that they are selling quality products. Things to watch out for are CD labels which have a very gaudy, basic design and/or are of the 'stick it on at home' variety.

You might be wondering why this kind of situation isn't outlawed. This is because it is extremely hard - and many are now even saying impractical - to regulate hypnotherapy in the same way as we regulate say, medicine or dentistry. After all, who is to say what makes a good hypnotist/hypnosis script and what makes a bad one? Some believe that hypnosis is as much of an art as it is a science. Also, there are so many different, conflicting approaches and techniques plus new methods being developed all the time that standardisation is not only impractical but possibly even undesirable.

Imagine a hypnosis recording designed, written and vetted by various committees of hypnosis experts! Chances are it would be safe.... but also incredibly dull, unimaginative and far less effective! Let's hope it never comes to that. Thankfully, there are no set 'hypnosis procedures' like there are medical or psychiatric procedures, and hopefully there never will be. Some hypnotists will rely on hypnotic suggestions or commands, others will simply regress you, while others will talk to your "inner child" and so on, and so on....you will have to take your chances from those who are releasing their hypnosis recordings. As with most forms of therapy....who is to say which approach is the best?

Hypnotic content can be a complicated area for lay people - well beyond the scope of this article - but remember, today's maverick may have some brilliant new ideas that will someday become mainstream.

Ironically, free hypnosis recordings are more likely to be safe and effective than cheap ones! But again, be very cautious...are you really serious about overcoming whatever problem you are seeking help with, (e.g. self confidence?) Isn't it worth investing a few pound or dollars in something decent? If some talented individual has produced an effective, commercially viable solution to your problem - maybe following years of experience and dedication - do you really think they're going to just give it all away free?

Free offerings tend to divide themselves into three categories:

i) Quality recordings given away to entice you to join a newsletter or mailing list to promote the main titles in a catalogue. These may be perfectly acceptable and give you a good opportunity to audition the hypnotist fully before making a purchase. A bit like a promotional music single, released in order to get you to buy the album. However, if there are a large number of free titles being offered - be a little more cautious, they may fit into the next category below.....

ii) Recordings given away because, quite honestly, no-one has wanted to listen to them, let alone purchase them! The quality of sound is likely to be poor. As with the cheap stuff, look out for hiss, uneven vocal sound, clicking or saliva sounds, and poor content. This is more likely to put you off hypnosis for life - so steer well away. It's the hypnosis audio equivalent of completely legal free music sites on the internet...it's unlikely you'll find anything you like!

iii) Recordings released by academic and intellectual type hypnotists who have no commercial interests or aspirations. If you are lucky you might find a gem or two here...but it's a bit like spending two hours hunting for something in a public library...why not just invest £12 or so and buy a quality commercial release!

Cheap and free hypnosis recordings often have poorer quality audio but In fact audio quality isn't such an important issue. The quality of the hypnosis content itself is what matters and whether you like the sound of the voice, music and so on. Some recordings go on about being made in professional studios but a small degree of audio 'hiss' and the odd click shouldn't matter that much.

Ask yourself....will you enjoy repeated listenings?

Apart from those titles that are only aimed at one listen, such as for stopping smoking, there needs to be to be something compelling and enjoyable about the content, music (or visualisation if employed) to encourage you to play the recording on a regular basis to obtain the full benefit. Repetition is often a key element in hypnotherapy and possibly the greatest advantage of recorded hypnosis. If you are using hypnosis audio in the hope of overcoming a serious issue you may think that you'll be motivated to keep replaying the recording, but in the real world it's unlikely you will bother unless you really enjoy the experience. Listening to some of the best stuff is like experiencing a brief but very pleasant holiday from the comfort of your armchair, at worst, it can be like receiving a long winded, dry and bossy lecture on self help, whilst being subjected to symbolism or some other technique (favoured by the hypnotist) that simply doesn't appeal to you or work on you.

Should you judge a book by its cover?

The first thing you may notice when visiting a website selling hypnosis audio is the quality of the CD cover artwork - more often than not it is surprisingly plain and amateurish. That shouldn't matter though, you might think...so long as the content does the job? Actually it does matter - sadly, poor artwork is frequently a reflection of the quality of the product itself which you will soon notice in the sound and content of the recording. It's a bit like reading through a dull uninspiring, hastily put together brochure for a therapist. Don't be surprised if this reflects the quality of the therapy.

Sometimes artwork for individual titles is missing altogether. Also, if you opt to purchase a CD instead of an Mp3 download, don't automatically assume you will even be getting 'luxuries' such as a proper CD case, (or any CD case!) inlay card, or different covers for each title (if you are filling up your shopping cart with a number of CD's). Years ago I worked for a music publisher and used to feel a little resentful that the A and R department would spend little time listening to cheap demo recordings sent to them by songwriters and bands who were hopeful of signing a publishing deal. I observed that when demo recordings were made in much higher quality and at more expense they would get far more time and attention from the A and R people.

I used to reason that "surely one of the cheaper demos could just as easily be the star of the future", but after a year in the job I realised I'd been naïve. Where there is talent and quality you will almost always find that more trouble, investment, time and bother are put into things. It's the same with hypnosis audio. If the creator of the recording just puts together cheap artwork on an old computer then they are either in a hurry, or more likely, not taking their product seriously - and neither should you.

Bear in mind though that a CD scoring zero for packaging and presentation could still contain a great recording. This is another reason why it is so important to be able to listen before you buy.

This brings me to comment on the recent internet fashion of releasing hypnosis audio only in Mp3 format and dispensing with CD's and individual artwork altogether!Some of the retailers concerned publish dozens or even many hundreds of Mp3 titles, offering you help with every ailment under the sun. This approach has its advantages, for example, if you have a particularly unusual problem you may find they have just the right title for you. But again, be cautious - quality is by no means a sign of quality. In fact a lot of this stuff is actually made to a formula. Sometimes, a common script is used for the introduction, the 'deepener' and awakening sections and a few minutes of appropriate suggestion are slotted somewhere into the middle of the recording.

This certainly does not mean that all retailers with very big catalogues are guilty of this or that they should be avoided... but I leave it to you to judge whether you think a 'conveyor belt' type of operation is likely to be conducive to quality. Perhaps it was inevitable that this big business trend would evolve, but to me it represents the least attractive end of the current hypnosis audio spectrum and is furthest away from the thoroughness of the traditional, live hypnotherapy session.

You are more likely (but by no means certain) of finding quality nearer the other end of the scale. Here you will find hypnotists who focus on producing a much smaller series of CD's, (or ideally both CD and Mp3 versions). Ideally they will have had individual, imaginative artwork designed specially (as you'd expect if purchasing a music album). In this scenario you are also more likely to find that the hypnosis content for each individual title truly is individual has been produced with appropriate care. In fact the content may have evolved with the benefit of research and experience before being released. In some cases you can confidently purchase several titles from the same series and expect a variety of inductions, visualisations, musical accompaniment and so on.

Remember, hypnosis recordings should not be treated as a substitute for live sessions!

However convenient and powerful, they cannot be tailored to your individual needs and situation like one to one hypnotherapy. Human beings are complicated and it is always worth investing the proper time and money (assuming you have it) in overcoming problems using the best tools available.

Hypnosis recordings are a great tool, and in many cases can help you completely overcome your problems and release your full potential but don't expect miracles every time!

At the end of the day go for what you enjoy

Ignore all the hype and boastful copy you will come across on the internet. Even if feedback and testimonials are available - read it all with caution because the internet is rife with fake feedback. Genuine testimonials tend to contain less clichés or slang and are also less neat and tidy.

At the end of the day YOU are the best judge of a hypnosis recording whoever it is made by. If the first one you get hold of doesn't work, don't give up on hypnosis, try another, or why not consider seeing a professional for a series of one to one live sessions? Hypnosis really does work.

Robert Matthews has been practicing hypnotherapy in London (Ealing Broadway and Harley Street) since 1995. He has taught psychology at Thames Valley University and has published several self hypnosis audio titles. Website: http://www.hypnosiscdsdownloads.com

What Happens During a Hypnosis Session?

Are you wondering what happens to a person during a hypnosis session? To give a clearer insight below are the things which normally occurs during a hypnosis session.

The first part of the process is the pre induction phase. It is the time wherein the practitioner interviews the subject. No hypnosis is involved during this point. It only involves a thorough conversation to establish rapport with the patient. This part is significant as this is the venue for the practitioner to discuss the patient's problem and its cause. Then the problem is diagnosed, afterwards the idea of hypnosis is introduced to the client explaining carefully its advantages. Several suggestibility tests will also be given that will confirm a patient's hypnotizability.

Following this stage is the induction. Usually when we speak of induction it refers to the stage wherein a patient undergoes the trance state. During this condition a patient is relaxed and focuses on deep breathing.

For this specific duration of a patient eyes might close may it be naturally of as suggested by the hypnotizer. It is believed that when the eyes are closed it can progress the trance state however, one can still experience a hypnotic trance without having their eyes closed.

The third stage during a hypnotic session is called the deepening. At this point of time, a superficial hypnosis is brought to a deeper level. A practitioner may directly suggest anything to a client during this time. He or she may suggest directly to the client to go deeper and deeper into the trance state. Afterwards the scale of hypnosis is used to lead a patient. Like for example giving out an instruction to imagine that number five if for deep trance and number 10 is for being wide awake. When the client is being brought in and out into the trance state this kind of method is called as the fractionation.

The fourth part involves direct suggestions such as changing one's behavior during the therapeutic session.

In the last and final stage of a hypnotic session a patient will normally return back to its consciousness.

According to those who have experience going into hypnotic session they would various kinds of sensations during the said event. Others claim to have a drifting sensation, numbness or lightness, rocking and tingling. Most of these individuals also admitted that during they hypnotic session the feel at peace, more relaxed and calmness.

For those who are of interest in trying hypnotic sessions, bear in mind that being relaxed is significant during the session. One must completely allow its self to go into the trance state and must never hold back. Rest assured that your hypnotherapist will do anything to make the session a successful one. Also take note that it is only by working side by side not against him or her and trusting your hypnotherapist that you can fully achieve your goal may it be overcoming a phobia, getting rid of anxiety or just you just simply want to feel serenity.

Learn More About Hypnosis Session And Secret Hypnosis.

Stress Reduction NLP

Following on from our previous article, Reducing Stress - Key Success Factors, we will now look at practical ways in which you can reduce stress and anxiety, without recourse to drugs or other expensive and time consuming treatments.

These practical ways are based around NLP - Neuro Linguistic Programming - and we must first understand what this is.

Neuro Linguistic Programming is a collection of techniques that allow us to understand how our minds work, and apply this knowledge so that we can achieve greater success in life and make positive changes to better ourselves.

It is unsurprising therefore that NLP has its basis in Psychology. NLP was founded by John Grinder and Richard Bandler back in the 1970s. Working together, they found a way to turn excellent behaviour into a process. They then sought to teach that process to others, so that anyone can learn excellent behaviour. Their work is based upon their study of eminent experts in human behaviour, including Virginia Satir, Gregory Bateson, Milton Erickson and Fritz Perls.

Bandler and Grinder initially studied these eminent therapists and found them to be excellent communicators - they all generated amazing changes with their clients purely through their conversations and the clever use of their language with their clients. This is where Bandler and Grindler came up with the term Neuro Linguistic Programming:

Neuro - How we use our nervous system to experience the world around us. All the information that enters into our brain using our five senses of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

Linguistic - How we use language and other non-verbal communication systems to interpret this information - pictures (is it focussed and clear or hazy), sounds (is it a loud or quiet noise), touch (does it feel rough or smooth), smell (does it smell fresh as a daisy or is it an odour of decay), taste (does it taste too salty or too sweet).

Programming - Once we have interpreted all this information, we run programmes (often unconsciously) to get things done. We are not aware that we are running them; they are just part of our routine. For example, brushing our teeth twice a day, or washing our face, or our daily drive in to work. Using all the information in our mind we can find out what is in that programme. If there's something that needs changing we can do so. For example if you can write presentations easily but get anxious about standing up and actually presenting, or you find it easy to talk to your boss informally but get nervous when you ask for a promotion or pay rise, or you play sports excellently for fun but always lose in competitions, NLP can help.

NLP teaches you how to change your unwanted actions into excellent actions and behaviours, so instead of feeling anxious about having to lead the client presentation and how you might mess this up, your behaviour would be to feel excited and motivated about how well you will be able to lead the client presentation.

NLP is formed around the concept that all behaviour is rooted in the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is the bit of the brain that is always functioning, and runs all our necessary programmes, even though we are not aware of this, like making sure we keep breathing when we are sleeping.

The unconscious mind stores all our memories, processes all our experiences, filters everything we feel, hear, see, taste and smell, and it attaches emotion to everything we do.

NLP shows us how to access our unconscious minds, and also provides techniques for making changes at the unconscious level. Because the change is unconscious, it is easier, faster and more permanent.

Consider this example - A few years ago I was standing in my friend's garden with her, her husband and her two year old son, who was playing at her feet. A large cat suddenly jumped onto her garden wall. She screamed and grabbed her son. He instantly picked up on her fear and started crying. The cat stayed immobile on the wall. Her husband, annoyed that she had taught their son to be frightened of cats, took him from her, and tried to show him that the cat was friendly, but his son was terrified, even though the cat had not attacked anyone. He had learned, in an instant, to be afraid of cats.

Anxiety is a learnt behaviour. The brain does not differentiate between a wanted or unwanted behaviour. It just does things to get results. So, where you have learnt to feel anxious in a situation, you can unlearn that too.

You can also learn positive behaviours instantly. If you change your hair style and everyone tells you how great it looks, you automatically style it that way more often.

Every time you have a moment of realisation like this, your brain makes a new connection and you are learning.

And it is in this ability to use NLP techniques to unlearn unwanted behaviour, and learn desired behaviour, that one solution to anxiety lays.

Look out for the next article in this series shortly.

Heena Pattni, Anxiety Treatment Specialist, is committed to providing professional women with tailored, painless, effective and long-lasting solutions to their anxiety, stress and related issues, using powerful NLP Therapy, Time Line Therapy™ and Hypnotherapy techniques. She is committed to providing them with the ongoing resources to maintain the positive changes they make during their time with her, freeing her clients to pursue their goals with increased confidence, motivation and determination. Visit us at http://anxietytreatmentspecialist.co.uk

How Does NLP Work?

The skill and techniques utilised by practitioners of NLP enable them to break learned behaviours or habits and create new ones. If you force yourself to get up early and go for a run, before work or the kids then this requires effort. If you persevere for 30 days then it will become a habit which requires very little effort. Through NLP you can learn how to shortcut this habit forming process. Your mind and the minds of others are there for the training. NLP allows you to see other peoples learned responses to stimuli such as how they behave in different social situations. Whilst, also giving you control to manipulate their behaviour and influence their thoughts.

If you want to use NLP for motivation it teaches a technique called, 'anchoring' which essentially allows you to trigger whatever emotional response you desire e.g. determination or euphoria. Say for example you want to make regular exercise a part of your normal routine without it being a huge effort. You can use the anchoring technique to induce enthusiasm whenever you think about exercising. So, you can make the transition from can't be bothered to have to! To want to try and get up for that early morning run is simply not enough you have to want it so much that you need to get up and NLP helps with that.

Another excellent use for NLP techniques is to cure people of their phobias. These situations require the use of the 'swish' technique, which allows you to replace the feelings of fear and repulsion that you have learnt to associate with spiders, snakes or the dark and relearn new emotions such as delight or just being comfortable. The 'swish' technique allows you to switch a happier thought for the learned fright response. So, that when you next encounter a spider you respond with your new learned emotion.

Many of the people who are successful have learned how to 'read' peoples use of language to be empathetic and increase rapport. Typically people use descriptions with their dominant sense incorporated into their language patterns, e.g. someone whose primary sense is visual will say," I see" or "It looks good". Whilst another person whose dominant sense may be auditory could say, "Sounds good" or "That rings a bell". Then a third person (kinaesthetic) will likely say, "That doesn't feel right" or "I can't put my finger on it". To establish rapport in a conversation with these individuals an NLP practitioner will then mirror their use of language depending on the observed primary sense. One of the keys to success in life is to establish good rapport with the people that you interact with in your life, whether they are family, friends, colleagues or strangers.

The key thing to remember is that NLP works and anyone can learn how!

For more information on NLP please visit: http://www.introducingnlpneurolinguisticprogramming.info/

Learning Hypnotism Tips

If you are interested in how to learn hypnotism so that you can use it with maximum effect, there are some things you need to master before you can actually hypnotize someone correctly and successfully. While learning the techniques to hypnotize people, you need to become aware of your of your own capabilities and limitations and work on improving yourself. You also need to know the consequences associated with the use of different hypnotic techniques.

This article focuses on the fundamentals of hypnotizing others and the mistakes you should avoid making at all cost. Keep reading to gain insightful information on the subject of avoiding the mistakes and learning to hypnotize with success.

Among the first steps is to properly learn some of the basic phrases that hypnotists commonly use to put others in a trance. These phrases have to literally roll of your tongue; they should not be written down and read out, it will sound stilted. When speaking to the subject to put the person in a hypnotic trance, you will need to speak calmly and fluently in a soft soothing tone. When you read you will not sound natural and this kind of tone will not help the person to relax. Compose yourself even if you feel nervous, take several deep breaths and then get started. Your calm and confident manner will inspire trust and confidence in the subject, helping the person to relax into the hypnotic trance state.

Also, inducing the hypnotic trance state in a person should not be done with the use of forceful words like must or have to. Words of those type have an adverse affect on the subject and will not bring forth the kind of response you are seeking.

Do not use any kind of medication to induce the hypnotic state, this is a very wrong practice and can have seriously unpleasant side effects for the subject. More importantly medication does not induce a hypnotic state in a person.

Also, while on your journey of how to learn hypnotism, an important point to focus on is the atmosphere that you and your subject are in when you try to conduct the session. You need the right kind of atmosphere that will make the subject feel comfortable and relaxed. If you have the wrong kind of atmosphere then your subject will not feel properly at ease. If that happens, then you have failed even before you got started. The room you use should have comfortable seating and a pleasant and soothing decor. It does not mean that you have to redecorate on a grand scale, simply to ensure that the room is a pleasant one; you can achieve this by a few simple decorating ideas. You definitely need a dimmer switch to dim the lights to an agreeable ambient glow.

If you want to learn how to learn hypnotism, discover the secrets of a rebel psychologist enabling you to put someone in a covert hypnotic trance in seconds, without them even realizing it. Visit http://www.hypnosismysteries.com today.

Easy to Learn Self Hypnosis Techniques

If you want to learn self hypnosis techniques there are a number of different ways to go about it. If you're the kind of person who learns well from books, you could start your quest with Amazon. There's a good selection there and you can check the feedback from other people as well.

But if you prefer to learn using a mixture of reading, audios and videos then here are some suggestions for you.

1. Start with pre-recorded MP3s

These are available inexpensively and are an excellent place to start learning self hypnosis. For less than the price of a pizza, you have access to a professionally recorded self hypnosis session that tackles the precise problem you're trying to cure. A lot of people don't go any further than this when they realize just how easy it is to hypnotize yourself with these hypnosis downloads. But they can also be an excellent model for your own hypnosis sessions. They allow you to test out different hypnotic induction methods and see which works best for you.

2. Get hold of a pre-written script

Again, these are a great place to start as - providing you're careful where you buy them - you can be certain that they're professionally written and will contain the right series of commands to put you into a hypnotic trance and carry out the instructions that you want to happen. All you need then is to record the session on your computer - the built in microphone is OK for this although if you're doing regular recordings it will pay to get a better model - and transfer the file to your iPod or burn it to CD. Your version of Windows may have some sound recording software but if it doesn't then get hold of Audacity which is free and top quality.

3. Start writing your own inductions

The hypnotic induction is the method you use to put yourself into a hypnotic trance. These are probably the easiest place to start when you move away from pre-written scripts as the wording isn't as critical as the main hypnosis session itself. Model your hypnotic induction on some of the recordings you've already bought or ones that you've enjoyed using. Most of the time, you'll start with breathing deeply as this will begin to relax you. Then find a peaceful, tranquil location. Explore it, notice the feelings, sights, sounds and smells. Heighten your sense of awareness of these but also allow yourself to relax and go deeper into hypnosis. Maybe use a deeper such as going down a set of stairs and moving deeper into trance as you progress down them.

4. Move on to the main scripts

These need to be carefully worded. Make sure that any commands you place are unambiguous. Our subconscious mind has great difficulty processing negatives - if I say to you don't think about that white rabbit racing around saying "I'm late" then you have to bring that image to mind before you can dispose of it. Keep everything positive wherever possible and make sure that there is only one potential outcome of any statement. If you begin to use negatives, go through and re-word them. This is really important!

5. Maybe start hypnotizing other people

OK, so this isn't self hypnosis any longer but it's the logical extension. Like everything else, it's something you need to practice. The good news is that the other person will have their eyes closed for most of the session, so there's nothing stopping you having some notes to refer to while you're doing this!

Find out more about self hypnosis techniques and claim your free hypnosis secrets report.

Hypnosis and Your Fitness Goals

Everyone's heard of using hypnosis to "cure" your fear of public speaking or flying, or to "make" you stop smoking or biting your nails. But, can it actually help you to ___ (insert your personal fitness goal here)? First, let's take a look at what hypnosis is, what it isn't, and how it works - then we can explore how it could help you achieve your fitness goals.

Hypnosis is a natural state of being that everyone passes through at least a couple of times, every day. If you've ever lost track of time or felt like you were in the zone, you were probably in hypnosis. Hypnosis is usually experienced as a state of physical relaxation and mental alertness. During this time, your subconscious mind is acutely receptive to positive suggestions and that's what makes hypnosis an effective behavior modification tool.

Hypnosis is not a form of mind control. Despite what you may have seen in the movies, you cannot be programmed into doing anything against your will. You don't need to worry that you will cluck like a chicken every time a phone rings, or that you'll have a sudden compulsion to commit armed robbery. In fact, most people will spontaneously exit the state of hypnosis if they are given suggestions that are counter to their morals, beliefs or standards.

How does this help you reach your fitness goals? Simple: exercising (or not exercising), and eating more fruits and veggies (and fewer French fries and pastries) are behaviors, and behaviors can be changed. Using hypnosis can increase your awareness of unwanted behavior, and accelerate the process of changing to a new behavior. Most of your behavior is driven by two motivators, pain and pleasure. You avoid pain and seek pleasure. How much or how little exercise you get and your cake to cucumbers ratio are determined by the amount of pleasure and pain you associate with each.

A skilled hypnotherapist will work with you to determine exactly what you want to accomplish and why. Together, you'll come up with an action plan and contingency strategies. You might spend some time exploring what you've tried and why you haven't been successful in the past. Armed with this crucial information, your hypnotherapist will guide you into hypnosis and offer suggestions to help you implement your plan and sustain your motivation.

Let's say your goal is to lose weight and your previous strategy involved running and green salads. If you think running is only a good idea if someone is chasing you and you're pretty sure you weren't meant to live on rabbit food, you probably won't stick to the plan. If you don't stick to the plan you won't lose the weight you want to lose. You and your hypnotherapist can come up with other ideas (tennis, anyone?) and figure out what works for you and help you stay focused.

The bottom line is hypnosis can be a powerful tool to help you make changes in your life. But your hypnotherapist can't make you do anything, and she's not doing anything to you or for you. There is no magic wand. You still have to do the work. The good news is work doesn't have to be painful and when you have the right partner, it might even be enjoyable.

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What Happens in Hypnosis?

I saw a hypnosis show on TV. Several volunteers were up on stage and each just dropped their head when the hypnotist said "Sleep" and clicked his fingers. They seemed totally unconscious. They were moving and speaking like zombies. Their eyes were closed and they did the most ridiculous acts on stage. They were clearly unconscious, and that was just amazing.

The "unconscious" mind is a relatively new term used in the hypnosis world. It used to be called the "subconscious" mind. When you see something on TV that reaches the unconscious mind, it is only natural to assume that it is accompanied by a state of unconsciousness. This assumption is easily perpetuated by good stage and TV hypnotists choosing volunteers that are more likely to go into a deep trance. And so, this increases the drama of what we see. And volunteers who go on stage in this environment where they see others before them fall under the spell, sometimes also tipsy from alcohol, do go more deeply into hypnnosis and may describe this state to their friends afterwards as having been unconscious. This is thought by seekers of hypnosis to be a physiological state of unconsciousness, hence the confusion.

However, the fact is that a state of unconsciousness in hypnosis is pure myth. This is why:

1. An unconscious person is hard to wake up. However, the hypnotist on the show easily awakens their volunteers.
2. An unconscious person cannot be made aware of their surroundings. However, if the hypnotist asks the volunteer to sit on a chair for example, the volunteer easily obliges.
3. A physiological unconsciousness is caused by illness, an injury or a traumatic emotional shock. None of these are present in a hypnosis show.

What actually does happen, even in deep hypnosis, is that you are relaxed and in a state where your mind is more likely to accept suggestions. Some people are almost in a deep sleep in hypnosis and some feel relaxed but awake. And there are many variations in-between. The power of hypnosis comes in the way the suggestions are delivered, not in a physiological state of unconsciousness. Being physiologically unconscious is unnecessary and would even be a cause for concern.

If you are due to attend hypnosis or hypnotherapy for the first time, go with the expectation to be lightly relaxed during the process. Then if you go deeper, that is fine, and if you feel lightly relaxed, then you have achieved the state of trance just as you were expecting. And a good point to also remember is that the depth of trance has absolutely no relevance to the effectiveness of the treatment. Just go ahead and enjoy your session!

© Suzanne Zacharia 2010. My name is Suzanne Zacharia and I am committed to spreading the word about health options. A virus caught at university at the end of 1986, plus medical negligence, meant that I got smokers lung at a relatively young age. In desperation for help with my symptoms and quality of life, I turned to complementary therapy and am now a complementary therapist, author and trainer, helping others achieve health and happiness. Want to use this article? You can, as long as you credit me with it and invite your readers to get my FREE book "7 Real Truths of Energy Psychology" at http://www.newagetherapies.com or my free course "5 Days To Change Your Life" at http://www.NewAgeInternationalTraining.com

5 Hypnosis Inductions

There are lots of different methods of hypnosis induction. Most every hypnotist has their own favorite methods but if you're just starting out these ideas for a hypnosis induction are a good starting place. Of course, if your patient has any preconceived ideas - for instance, if they're a fan of old movies and think that looking at a swinging watch causes hypnosis to happen - then that may be the best form to use.

Unless you're performing a rapid induction, it's probably a good idea to get your subject to take a few deep breaths and then allow their eyes to close.

1. Confusion method

If you've bought any of Paul McKenna's books or CDs, you'll know this method. Our mind can't concentrate on too many things at once. So start with asking your subject to count backwards in their head, starting at 300 and counting downwards. Count with them for the first few numbers, then put in the suggestion that they may lose count and that it doesn't matter if that happens. While they're concentrating on counting backwards, you continue with another induction, causing confusion in their mind and making the whole hypnotic induction process easy.

2. Forest and stream method

Talk your subject through this, making the images, sounds and feelings as vivid as possible. They will find themselves in a clearing in a forest. Ask them to notice the feeling of the grass below their feet, maybe some dew on the grass as well. Then get them to see how the light plays as it shines through the brances above them. Introduce the sound of birds singing and other animals (but nothing too scary!) around. Then they notice the stream that is babbling near them, the noise the water makes as it runs over the bed of the stream. Maybe they can dip their hand in the water to feel how cool and refreshing it is. All this leads to a state of relaxation after which you can use a deepener method to take them even further into trance.

3. Arm drop method

Start this hypnosis induction by getting your subject to raise their arm above their head. It doesn't matter whether this is their left or right arm. Get them to stare at one of their fingers and allow their eyes to close just as soon as they are ready. Then tell them that their arm is getting heavier and heavier and that they will notice it gradually dropping down. As their arm gradually falls, they will fall into a deep hypnotic state which gets deeper and deeper until their arm has come to rest on their leg or lap.

4. Hand to face method

There is a bit of confusion in this method as well. Start as though you are going to shake your subject's hand then, just before this happens, grab their hand (rather than shake it) and raise it to their face, telling them to close their eyes at the same time. You can use this in conjunction with the arm drop method if you like.

5. Arm levitation method

This is quite often use by stage hypnotists when they are choosing their subjects as it can be quite fun for an audience to watc.h. Tell your subject that you have tied a balloon around their wrist and that they will find that the balloon is slowly lifting their arm upwards. As their arm gets higher and higher, they'll find themselves deeper and deeper in trance.

Find out more about hypnosis induction methods and claim your free hypnosis report.

Stop Smoking With Self Hypnosis

As anybody who has been a smoker will know, giving up is a constant fight of the will, verses your next cigarette. This is why self hypnosis is such a potent weapon in boosting a persons resolve, in beating the fiendish weed.

Smoking is a combination of different things that all affect a person, making giving up so difficult. Stop smoking with hypnosis can be the key to a permenant success. The first step in any type of therapy is the fact that you want to give up. Without this initial desire, it will always be an uphill struggle to succeed in any therapy.

First there is the influence of nicotine, this has quite a pernicious, if overrated affect on the body and is usually the reason why we light up the next cigarette. In truth, its affect only lasts for three to four days in the body and if you can go 'cold turkey', so much the better. There are a variety of nicotine products, gum, patches etc., that are used quite extensively but these have the added problem in that you can then become addicted to them instead of cigarettes, which totally defeats the object.

Habit is possibly an even stronger pull for the smoker, it certainly was for me, and just the fact that there are special times in the day or certain things that you do will trigger a desire for a cigarette makes it an incredibly strong influence that could be the most difficult to master. The one most people know about, is that first cigarette after dinner which is the most enjoyed and the most missed. Of course, some might argue for the first cigarette of the day or having a cigarette with that evening drink, everyone is different.

Self hypnosis could be the key in mastering these strong desires and urges as it helps you to re program yourself to resist them and improve your self esteem. By doing this, your subconscious will get a mind makeover which will really help in stopping those desires in the first place.

The problem with giving up smoking is that you will often find yourself eating more both to compensate for the lack of cigarettes and also because smoking helps to curb the appetite. This is why, a good stop smoking hypnosis program will also help you not to eat to compensate for not smoking.

One of the great advantages of using a self hypnosis program is that should you find yourself really wanting a cigarette. I mean really wanting a cigarette, you can just listen to your program again and the desire will go away. You will be able to use it just whenever the need arises, making it the most cost effective way to quit smoking. Whether you use it as an MP3 for your iPod or on a CD, stop smoking with hypnosis and you will always have a helping hand to stop you slipping back into the evil clutches of the wicked weed.

Author, Ian Richards, says if you want to lose weight, stop smoking, improve your sporting performance or want to change any of your negative traits, go to http://www.mindmakeovers.co.uk where you can find a range of self hypnosis solutions.