Hypnosis
Hypnosis is the oldest and most established of the new “power therapies” in psychology. The other counseling techniques that make up these revolutionary therapies are EMDR, NET™, TFT, and EFT. All of these treatment modalities work by accessing the deeper, subconscious part of the brain more directly than traditional psychotherapy, which relies mainly on the conscious processes that are located in the Prefrontal Cortex.
The major way that the “power therapies,” including hypnosis, differ from traditional talk therapy is they target the more primitive parts of the brain located in the Limbic System, Medulla Oblongata, and body so their interventions are more apt to slide into the brain in an unconscious manner which tends to engender less conscious resistance from the client. This fact results in two amazing ramifications.
Because hypnosis and the other new therapies work mainly on subconscious processes they are usually much less painful than more traditional counseling approaches. Often in the older therapies a client would need to relive the original trauma in vivo, which at times resulted in a lessening of pain associated with the trauma only after significant pain during the therapy. However, it is also quite common to simply abuse the client yet again with the older therapies and often any relief that was noted proved short lived and illusionary. The newer therapies are both less painful and more effective in terms of permanent relief.
The alternative therapies also tend to resolve traumas more quickly than the traditional therapy methods. This seems to be due to the direct access to the subconscious and the body. These more primitive brains seem to effect change almost immediately and therefore relief is often instantaneous and permanent, as if the memory of the trauma has moved into the deep past of long term memory. Often treatment time is reduced by half to three fourths of the usual duration.
The effectiveness of hypnosis is based on sound research that has accumulated since the early 1800’s when it was first popularized in Western Culture. Freud and Mesmer were two of the early researchers and practitioners of this art. Hypnosis was once considered radical, but it is now accepted, taught, and practiced in many of the major universities and hospitals around the world.
Hypnosis is a natural phenomenon. The brain has several different states of consciousness that can be measured and demonstrated using an EEG machine. The four main wave states are:
• Beta- which equates with the state of being awake and focused.
• Alpha- which is a pleasant state of rest and/or daydreaming. Human beings are more suggestible in this state.
• Theta- which is a state characterized by an even deeper sense of relaxation. People are most suggestible in this condition. Meditation and hypnosis are exhibited in this state.
• Delta- which is when a person is asleep.
A person goes through these four states naturally four times a day. When they wake up they quickly go through the stages and when they go to sleep they go through the stages more slowly. However, most people do not recognize that they are passing through hypnosis during these times because it is natural and they do not often linger there.
There are two main schools of hypnosis. After developing a satisfactory trance state many hypnotists use direct suggestions to the subconscious to effect change. The Ericksonian school, in contrast, utilizes stories, analogies, symbolism, and other indirect suggestions which they believe are accepted by the subconscious more easily. Both schools of thought have proved to be quite successful in eliciting change quickly and for the most part painlessly.
