Hypnotherapy for Happier Living

Over the last few decades hypnosis has become increasingly recognized as a valuable therapeutic tool, not just by the public but also by the medical profession. As a consequence, research funds have been made available to run clinical tests to investi-gate the workings of hypnosis. Most research still comes from the US, but tests under laboratory conditions have also been carried out in Canada, Australia, Germany and other European countries.

Research has focused on a variety of physical functions which are measured before, during and after hypnosis. It has been found that, while a subject is in hypnosis, the breathing rate and heart beat slow down, the bronchi of the lungs dilate, blood-pressure drops and the production of stomach acid is reduced. In addition, no stress hormones are released into the bloodstream. Scientists at the University of Constance have observed that, even in subjects in only a light trance, white blood cells cling more firmly to blood vessels, which is thought to increase the body’s immune efficiency. The body also seems to produce more of these immune-enhancing lymphocytes while under hypnosis, which could explain why hypnosis has been used successfully in the treatment of cancerous cells.

These scientific findings make it clear why hypnosis (used either as self-hypnosis or induced by a therapist) is an ideal tool to help alleviate physical problems such as asthma, tension headaches, stomach disorders, high blood-pressure and many other stress-related problems.

We all carry positive and negative memory traces with us. These come from past experiences, and we react to any given situation according to these memories.

Memory traces can go all the way back to childhood, although sadly we do not necessarily consciously recall the original incident.

We may have forgotten that we were frightened, or perhaps even bitten, by a dog as a child – but our subconscious will remind us of this incident indirectly by emitting a feeling of fear or discomfort whenever we see a dog.

Feelings don’t just happen out of the blue, they are always linked to a real incident. The stronger the feeling that is triggered by an event, the more likely it is that will produce a strong memory trace which will result in an automatic reaction to similar future events.

This is where hypnosis can help: uncovering the original, triggering event  and breaking the pattern of negative responses that are shown to certain events, situations or people.

Hypnosis is thought to work by altering our state of consciousness in such a way that the analytical left-hand side of the brain is turned off, while the non-analytical right-hand side is made more alert.  The conscious control of the mind is inhibited, and the subconscious mind awoken.  Since the subconscious mind is a deeper-seated, more instinctive force than the conscious mind, this is the part which has to change for the patient’s behaviour and physical state to alter.

For example, a patient who consciously wants to overcome their fear of spiders may try everything they consciously can to do it, but will still fail as long as their subconscious mind retains this terror and prevents the patient from succeeding.  Progress can only be made be reprogramming the subconscious so that deep-seated instincts and beliefs are abolished or altered.