Hypnosis is a relaxed, yet highly focused state characterized by an intentional pause of the internal dialogue and analytic mind, so that new suggestions are not deflected by mental action. In essence, the ego is less actively controlling and more receptive, while the body is relaxed, and focusing systems sharpen. By entering this passive, yet receptive state of awareness, we gain deeper access to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is the storehouse of the thoughts and beliefs that we've picked up through experience over the course of our lives. It houses the heuristics we use to make quick decisions in daily life but it also carries the core beliefs that can become limiting when it comes to more complex or emotional decisions.
We are largely unaware of the subconscious's beliefs, yet it informs and dictates most of our actions and inactions. By working directly with the subconscious and giving our analytic minds a break, we can breathe new life into our sense of self and what's possible.
Once back in normal waking awareness, our conscious mind and ego can draw on the new suggestions we offered the subconscious to make tangible change much much easier, and this method is not new to humanity. In fact, many cultures throughout history have used trance like states to enter through doorways of new perspectives and perception, deeper truth, and healing. And while our modern culture relies heavily on scientism as a means to prove and validate our experiences as reality, our modern method of hypnotism is in many ways the scientific secular descendant of these trance traditions. Both could be described as altered states of consciousness which allow for a journey of transformation.
Hypnosis helps soften the tension, the polarity between our conscious and subconscious minds. It allows for a non-dualistic state of coherence between two powerful aspects of self, meaning a unified, coordinated effort amongst the ruling powers of the psyche, so that our decisions, actions, and beliefs can align to manifest that which we seek. In essence, we're creating a sense of wholeness, of coordinated effort, and agreement.
For example, I recently had a client- who said I could share her story- who wanted support with weight related goals. Through discussion, we discovered that she associated food with safety and security. Our work together focused on helping her conscious mind recognize that safety and security can come from sources independent of food, while offering her subconscious new, supportive suggestions around the same idea. The result was that her subconscious was no longer sending messages to her body based on old patterns formed in childhood. She realized she had no idea her subconscious was operating under that premise- but that's how the subconscious works. It acts on the beliefs and impressions we gave it long before we were old enough to understand them. Thus she was able to allow herself to release the weight.
Why does it work this way?
The conscious mind uses inductive reasoning- it compares, analyzes, questions, and draws conclusions from evidence. The subconscious does not analyze- it only accepts impressions, images, and suggestions and then deduces beliefs based on them; it is the yin, receptive essence of mind. So as a child, when this client was living in a food unstable environment, her conscious mind gave her subconscious the suggestion that it needed to make sure the body stored energy in case there was no food. The subconscious didn't question, it just accepted. Even though her circumstances changed, her subconscious never accepted the new message. The belief it held was a protective force, keeping her safe. Working together, we were able to get her into a receptive state in which her subconscious was open to new suggestion.
When we align conscious truth and intention with the feelings and beliefs that reinforce them, we create coherence. And that coherence allows life to flow more effortlessly and in our favor.
