Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 'state' of hypnosis?

It is a natural state of relaxation where your concentration becomes more focalised. During hypnosis the brain produces ‘alpha’ waves, which naturally occur as you are drifting off to sleep, similar to the condition experienced when meditating. It can be compared to a daydream, or when you are concentrating on a T.V. program or book, oblivious to your surroundings. People are often not aware that they are in hypnosis.

I'm worried that you won't be able to hypnotise me.

Anyone can hypnotised, if they want to be. As it is a perfectly natural state, that we all experience more often than we realise, there is no reason at all why nearly all of the population shouldn’t be treated with hypnosis.

There are a few exceptions: Drunk or drugged people, mentally ill people and those who really don’t want to be.

Please explain what you mean by 'subconscious'.

It is the part of the mind which has the role of controlling the automatic functions of the body, like heartbeat and breathing, along with being an information storehouse. Unlike the conscious mind, the subconscious does not reason and accepts information offered to it at face value. It is therefore open to suggestions made to it.

Will I be aware of what is going on?

Yes. Your awareness is actually heightened and all your faculties remain intact. If you so wished, you could get up and walk out at any time.You cannot be made to do anything against your will. You will remember what you experience under hypnosis.

What is meant by 'regression'?

When you regress, you are taken back in time through your life’s memories. The hypnotic state greatly enhances your memory as it is accessing the subconscious where an exact record of everything is held. Regression techniques are very useful in hypnotherapy as you can be taken back and re-experience certain important events.

How does this compare to stage hypnotism?

It doesn't.

I keep seeing the word 'repression', please expain more.

To actively exclude a thought from conscious awareness, memories of a highly traumatic event can be sent directly into the subconscious mind. The conscious thinking mind finds the experience too unpalatable to accept, so it passes it on. This is why people lose parts of their memory when they have an accident. A repressed thought carries with it the highly charged emotion experienced at the time of the event, and it is this that can cause psychological and emotional problems.