WHAT IS HYPNOSIS?
By Fonya Lord Helm, PhD, ABPP
We are all in and out of hypnosis or trance states every day.
Hypnosis is something you have experienced many times. You are used to being in trance states and you often don’t know when you enter and leave a trance state.
Every time you experienced vivid images when you were very tired
Your state of awareness was extremely vivid and visual without your needing to do anything conscious except be there.
Every time you have fallen asleep
Hypnagogic images can occur during the period of falling asleep and hypnopompic images occur during the period of waking up. These images are vivid.
Every time you have been in “zone” while running
This trance goes with high performance athletic activity where focused concentration is very helpful.
Every time you have lost track of the time while working on a creative project
The deep involvement in focused concentration during serious intellectual work is another kind of trance.
Every time you missed your turn when driving
You are probably already familiar with “highway hypnosis.” You are driving along, enjoying your drive, thinking, and you miss your turn. You “forgot” momentarily where you were supposed to be going.
Every time you were deeply absorbed in a project of any kind
Focused attention is operating here. You are watching a movie or reading a book and you become so engrossed that you don’t notice that someone is talking to you and trying to get your attention.
Hypnosis is a form of very focused attention that makes it possible for to access the helpful part of the unconscious mind. This focused attention can also be combined with a form of dissociation that helps one part of the mind recede and another part come to the fore in a sharper focus.
No one can program a hypnotic response. Our conscious intentions are very different from what is in the unconscious. It’s important to have an attitude of discovery as both people work together. Whatever turns up is the right thing at that time and place.
