Have you ever wondered how being in a hypnotic state happens and how being in that state can help a person change their thoughts or even their behaviors?

Hypnosis is a very natural state of consciousness that we all drift in and out of several times a day. For example; when a person drives a familiar route, to or from work, school, places they go daily, they will often slip into a state of hypnosis or “alpha” brain wave state.

This happens when a person can relax and their subconscious mind can do the repetitive behavior or skill (like driving) and their conscious mind can think about other things. The driver is not closing their eyes or sleeping, they are awake and aware. The two minds are able to do two different things because the subconscious mind knows how to drive, you don’t have to learn how to drive every time you do it.

When receiving hypnosis for therapy, the therapist helps the client get into that relaxed alpha brainwave state using what is called a hypnotic induction which usually involves helping them to focus on relaxing each part of their body. Once that optimal level of relaxation is reached, the therapist can deliver suggestion to the client. During this time, the client is then in a sort of “in between” place, (alpha brainwaves) which is between total consciousness (beta brainwaves) and sleep/ unconsciousness (delta brainwaves). In this brainwave state, the client is able to accept, believe and surrender, allowing new information to enter their subconscious mind with less analysis than when they are in their normal conscious (beta brainwave) state.

People often think that when you are hypnotized, it means that you are sleeping and can’t hear what is being said. This is not the case. In hypnosis you are awake and you can hear what is being said. If you were asleep, that would be unconscious, you would not hear what was being said, you would be taking a nap and you would not benefit from suggestion at that time.

Everyone is different when it comes to their willingness to accept, believe and surrender while in the hypnotic state. For one person it may only take one hypnosis session to help them with whatever issue they are working on and for others it could take a few or even many. The therapist will use different modalities for imparting information depending on the client’s suggestibility, or the way the person learns and takes in new information.