Frequently asked Questions
You want to experience hypnosis, but first, there are some things you’d like to know:
What is hypnosis and how is it used? The word “hypnosis” translates roughly to “beneath the awareness.” That’s a pretty accurate description of how it works. A hypnotist utilizes a kind of
guided relaxation to bypass the parts of the mind that resist change, to go beneath the awareness. With specially developed suggestions, hypnosis offers your mind new
possibilities and behaviors, untangles the knots that keep you from succeeding
and sharpens your motivation towards success.
If you’ve ever tried to make a change to yourself by will-power and conscious effort
alone, you know how hard it can be. And even if you do make the change, it
usually doesn’t seem to stick. If you’ve ever tried dieting, you already know this! Nearly a hundred years ago, Emile
Coué codified it as “The Law of Reversed Effect,” Specifically, the more will-power you apply to change yourself, the more a part
of your mind resists it. (This is not to say that will-power is always
ineffective, but,
by itself, it rarely leads to lasting changes--remember that diet?).
If you have any doubts to the effectiveness of hypnosis, just think of your
favorite brand-name product. Chances are, the moment you thought of it, a
picture, slogan or jingle instantly came into your mind, too, without you
consciously bringing it up. There you have a personal example of simple kind of
hypnotic effect: the memory just kind of “appeared” through association. It’s not some nefarious mind-control technique, rather, it’s a natural function of your subconscious mind to absorb information
beneath the awareness. Hypnosis uses this effect for your specific goals!
What is NLP and how is it used? NLP, or Neuro Linguistic Programming is a systematic amalgam of techniques based
on studies of how the mind functions. Many different influences combined to
create it: Ericksonian hypnotherapy, Virginia Satir’s Family Therapy, Korzybsky’s General Semantics, and the works of Gregory Bateson, Fritz Perls, and many
others. It’s a very practical series of transformational techniques which pick up where
hypnosis leaves off, including ways of freeing yourself to explore new
perspectives, absorbing new approaches and skills, improving interpersonal
connections, and empowering yourself and your interactions with others. Most of
the major motivational speakers today have used NLP for personal change and to
improve the lives of people around them. NLP, like hypnosis, works
quickly.
How long does it take? Compared to other kinds of modalities, hypnosis and NLP work very fast. Everyone’s issues are different, so it’s impossible to predict with accuracy how many sessions are needed, but many, if
not most people get real change in a single session, others may take several
sessions.
What’s it like? Hypnotic trance is a perfectly natural state of mind, and you probably already
do it, to a degree, almost every day. If you ever sat in a really absorbing movie, one that left you feeling uplifted and inspired to the point you forgot about the people around you, then you’ve already experienced a taste of it. Hypnosis takes that feeling and develops
it in ways that can help you achieve great changes fast.
How does it feel? Incredibly relaxing and focusing at the same time. People have described it as “running a comb through your brain.” Some people enjoy the benefits of the trance state so much they just come in
for hypnotic “spa treatments.”
I don’t think I can be hypnotized. As I mentioned before, almost everyone goes into some sort of a hypnotic state
at some point in their day, since it’s just a state of focused attention. To be hypnotized all you need is the
ability to focus. The thing that generally stops a person from going into
trance is a lack of comfort, rather than an ability to go into trance.
Generally, more intelligent, more creative people achieve deeper levels of
trance faster.
I don’t feel comfortable giving up control. Don’t worry, you won’t! Even though a person in trance may look asleep, they are actually highly focused and aware. They will only accept the hypnotist’s directions to the degree that they feel comfortable doing it. A suggestion that goes against a client’s best interests will simply cause the client to pop out of the trance. So your
secrets are safe.
But I saw someone at a hypnosis show act like a chicken! Stage hypnotists only work with volunteers, and weed out all but the most
willing ones, and especially like to choose the wildest ones. Chances are, the
person you saw would act like a chicken anywhere, anytime, if they had too many
drinks and the right audience to watch them.
Is it private? Absolutely! All sessions are conducted in a private office in midtown, and are
confidential. Sessions average one hour and are reasonably priced. All sessions
are taped for your safety.
Can it be used for everything? I’ve listed the most common things on the homepage, but really, that’s just the beginning! Hypnosis & NLP are great for improving so many things in one’s life that it’s worth trying for anything. Situations that are currently being treated by a
medical professional can be treated with a referral.
Now, what would you like to work on?
