Hypnosis treatment at home. Hypnosis treatment

The use of medications to facilitate the induction of hypnosis dates back to the late 19th century. Chambard in 1881 used ether or chloroform in small doses for this purpose. Hallauer, a Berlin obstetrician, in 1922 described a method of narcohypnosis, which consists of giving a few drops of chloroform at the beginning of induction. He came to this method because he objected to pure hypnosis, which he considered an inappropriate intervention.

In 1928, when hypnosis in its pure form had been out of favor in France for 30 years, Brotteaux proposed combining hypnotic effects with the introduction of a mixture of scopolamine and chloralose, called scopochloralose.

By that time, hypnosis had become the object of a social taboo and could be used as if in a disguised form - only in combination with medications. Brotteaux recommends two methods for this combination: 1) give the patient medications and 1-2 hours after that, when he falls asleep, make direct therapeutic or other suggestions; 2) give the patient medicine and, after he becomes drowsy, conduct a hypnotic session according to all the rules. After the session, the patient is left to sleep for several hours. Brotteaux emphasizes that he attributes the therapeutic results to these suggestions, and not just to the action of drugs. In his opinion, 80% of the effect of a narcotic drug is due to the conscious or unconscious suggestion of the doctor. Scopochloralose leads to a state of suggestibility, this is obvious, but the subsequent effect on the psyche is the result of the influence of the doctor.

Baruk (1935, 1936) and his students, who used scopo-chloralose in the same way as Brotteaux, unlike him, believed (as we already noted in Chapter 1) in the chemical effect of the prescribed drug and used it to intensify the manifestations of hysteria. Brotteaux claims that with his techniques he has been able to use hypnosis in cases where other methods have failed. But what are we talking about here - hypnosis or anesthesia? The same question is raised about subanesthesia caused by barbiturates during the so-called narcoanalysis. The issue remains controversial. Horsley (1943) managed to achieve the occurrence of hypnotic phenomena (catalepsy, hallucinations, etc.) during subanesthesia induced by pentothal. It is assumed that although the states of hypnosis and anesthesia partially overlap, then in general they are very different.

We believe that there is a significant difference between drug analysis and hypnosis in terms of the psychotherapeutic relationship. Narcoanalysis can be viewed as an “armed intrusion”, while in the process of hypnotization the doctor performs the function of “reward”. In addition, the regressive process during anesthesia occurs forcefully and roughly, whereas in hypnosis it occurs gradually and allows a person’s defense mechanisms to operate (in the form of adaptation or resistance).

The combination of hypnosis with the administration of barbiturates is carried out in various ways. Some authors advocate injection of pentothal (in small doses) followed by the use of induction techniques in the sleep phase, others use larger doses and begin induction only in the awakening phase. In this way, it was possible to hypnotize recalcitrant patients, who in the next session were able to fall into a trance without the help of medication (60% in Horslay's experiments). Some doctors do not begin hypnosis during anesthesia. They are limited to post-narcotic suggestions in order to increase susceptibility to hypnosis in the next session.

Patients who resist induction can be given a weak dose of a sleeping pill one hour before the start of the session, without leading to subanesthesia (for example, 30 mg of Nembutal). This dose will cause slight drowsiness, which in some cases may facilitate the induction of hypnosis. Taking the medication itself plays a big role. We have encountered primitive subjects in whom the administration of placebo facilitated induction: in subsequent sessions they fell asleep under the influence of this drug; there was no need to even use verbal suggestion (see observation 8)

Special hypnosis techniques

In therapeutic practice, various special hypnosis techniques are used, which we discussed in the first part of the book. The use of hypnoanalysis or even more complex methods requires special training from the hypnotist. The required depth of trance may vary. Inducing free associations, inducing fantasies or dreams can be carried out against the background of a shallow trance.

To carry out other special techniques, a state of deep trance and, if possible, a state of somnambulism are necessary. We will look further at each of these special hypnosis techniques.

Free associations. The patient is told that he must express any of his feelings, any thoughts that come to his mind, even if they seem funny or uninteresting to him. He may not be able to do this at first, but he will achieve it in the future through training.

Suggestion of fantasies or dreams. You can convince the patient that he is in a theater. The curtain is down. Curious to know what's going on behind it. The patient imagines that there is a man standing on the stage in front of the curtain, whose face expresses extreme fear. He probably knows that a terrible scene is happening behind the curtain. The patient will wonder why this person is so afraid, and then he will become imbued with his fear. A minute later, the curtain will suddenly rise and the patient will see the performance that frightened the person. Then he will have to describe the performance.

After this, the patient is encouraged to again imagine himself in the theater, but this time to see and describe a joyful, cheerful performance. These fantasies help to understand the patient's conflicts. Subsequently, you can ask to see a dream on a given topic, touching on his anxieties or conflict problems. He can see this dream during the session or the night after it.

Automatic letter. During a trance, the patient is told that he will be able to write without even knowing what his hand is doing. Then they suggest that he will be given a pencil in his hand, which he will place on a sheet of paper. After this, the patient is taught that his hand will move and write on the sheet as if it were being moved by some external force.

Because what is written will have problems and will be encrypted, the patient must be trained in interpreting the letter. They suggest to him that, without waking up, he will be able to open his eyes, read and explain what he has written. A post-hypnotic suggestion is also made that the patient will be able to write automatically while awake. What he writes in this state, of course, should be the subject of explanation under hypnosis.

Barber (1962) emphasizes the difference between nocturnal and induced dreams in hypnotized patients.

Hypnotic drawing. During trance, the patient is told that he can open his eyes and draw whatever he wants on any topic. He will then be asked to explain the meaning of these drawings and, based on them, to make free associations.

Play therapy. The patient, whose eyes are open, is given a variety of toys and encouraged to use them according to his own imagination. Sometimes he must tell stories at the same time. This technique can be combined with regression (see below).

Playing images. The patient is asked to open his eyes without waking up, then he is shown a crystal ball, a glass of water or a mirror. He is told that by looking closely at one of the presented objects, he will see a stage, as in a theater. The patient is given complete freedom to choose a scene or is asked to associate it with the problems that bother him. In this way, it is possible to revive forgotten impressions in memory and restore scenes associated with persons who played a significant role in the patient’s past.

Regression. The patient is returned to his younger years. The existence of regression remains a matter of debate. Some authors consider this regression to be genuine, but most believe that hypnotized adults act according to their idea of ​​​​the behavior of children of the age they were taught. Regression, making a “return to the past” in the patient’s memories, gave rise to a technique for resurrecting past emotions. This is the historical significance of hypnotic regression, which led Janet to the discovery of a method later called cathartic. Using the regression technique with the patient Marie and inducing her to relive the past event underlying her illness, Janet carried out “causal” treatment. Janet drew on the work of Bourru and Buret as noted above.

The existence of regression is disputed [Platonov K.I., 1933; Barber 1962; Hadfield, 1928; Reiff, 1959; Young, 1940], nevertheless, this technique is widely used. For patients in whom the state of somnambulism occurs very easily, it is enough to say that they are so-and-so old, and they follow this suggestion. But in general it is better to bring the patient to this state gradually. For example, Wolberg, making a suggestion to a patient in a deep trance, formulates it as follows.

“Now focus completely on what I am going to tell you. I will convince you that you are going back to your past. It will seem to you that you have returned to the period that I am instilling in you. Let's start with yesterday. What did you do yesterday morning? What did you eat for breakfast? At lunch? Now we return to the first day when you came to see me. Can you see yourself talking to me? What do you feel? Describe it. What were you wearing? Now listen carefully. We're going back to when you were little. You become smaller. Your arms and legs are getting smaller. I am the one you know and love. You are 10-12 years old. Do you see yourself? Describe what you see. Now you become even smaller. You become very, very small. Your arms and legs become smaller; your body shrinks. You have gone back to a time when you were very, very small. Now you are a small child. You are taken back to when you first went to school. Do you see yourself? Who is your teacher? How old are you? What are your friends' names? Now you are even smaller. You are much smaller, much smaller. Mother holds you in her arms. Do you see yourself with your mother? How is she dressed? What does she say?"

Erickson (1938, 1939) describes two other techniques. When using one of them, he begins to move the patient in time and space, in order to then again place him in the present period of his life. When using another technique, he introduces sequential amnesia to place the patient outside the day, week, month, year in which he actually is, before bringing him to the previous period.

Induction of experimental conflict. The patient is told that during sleep he will be reminded of a forgotten event that once happened to him. They add that he will again relive the feelings he experienced at the time of this event. A fictitious situation is then suggested, telling the patient that upon his awakening this situation will determine (unconsciously to him) his behavior and speech. The patient's reaction to a fictitious situation suggested in this way can provide interesting material regarding the nature of his conflicts, which will help in choosing therapeutic tactics. You can combine the experimental conflict induction technique with the technique of hypnotic dreams.

Using the methods and techniques of hypnosis described here, you can obtain interesting experimental data. As for their therapeutic value, in this regard they have not yet become the object of precise methodological study. Brenman and Gill wrote in 1947 that the effectiveness of these techniques largely depends on how skillfully they are carried out. According to the authors, the technique of conducting them is almost entirely determined by the intuition of the therapist. Mastery of special techniques is difficult to teach, they are almost unique phenomena not associated with codified psychopathology, and are closer to art than to science. The above applies to one degree or another to all methods of psychotherapy, but is most true with regard to special hypnotherapy techniques.

In 1959, after 12 years of research, the same authors stated that "the phenomena arising from the use of these special techniques, regardless of their significance for certain therapeutic problems, are one of the richest sources for the study of special, extreme forms of the regressive process." .

The use of hypnosis for medical purposes can provide much more than just relaxation and relief from headaches. Positive attitudes during a hypnotic trance can influence the very cause of chronic pathology and overcome anxiety, phobias or depression. Anxiety and stress cause great harm to the body. Thus, the basis of a psychosomatic illness is a psychological disorder in which the ability to adequately perceive one’s emotional state is limited. For the client, all psychological experiences are reflected on the physical level, manifesting themselves in pathological reactions of the body.

The importance of hypnosis in medicine is quite great; it is involved in many of its areas. Nervous reactions and paralysis are treated by suggestion. For example, hysterical loss of hearing or speech is cured by hypnosis. All “magical” healings from serious illnesses are also directly related to hypnosis for hysteria.

Some gynecological and dermatological diseases can be perfectly cured by entering into a trance and introducing the necessary settings. In medicine, the method of hypnotic anesthesia has long been successfully used during simple surgical interventions, without the use of anesthesia. There are known cases of painless childbirth using a hypnotic trance.

The use of hypnosis in medicine makes it possible to effectively influence a person’s physical and mental state, despite the mechanism that underlies hypnotherapy, which is unusual for the average person. Suggestion during a trance can relieve phobias, anxiety, addictions, and cure sexual dysfunction.

Hypnotherapy is a method of treating addicted people. It is suitable for patients with mental disorders and people with low self-esteem. A psychologist-hypnologist is a doctor who helps to cope not only with a psychological problem, but also to get rid of its root cause.

A hypnologist-psychologist is a doctor who helps to cope with a psychological problem and its root cause.

The essence of the technique

Hypnotherapy is based on direct influence on the human psyche. While the person is in a trance, the attitudes necessary for treatment are instilled in her. Trance is a state when a person is between sleep and wakefulness. Who does hypnosis treatment?

A psychotherapist-hypnologist is a doctor who masters the technique of hypnosis and uses it in complex therapy.

A simple hypnotist does not know the correct techniques of hypnotherapy. He can put the patient into a trance, but is unable to find the true cause of his condition. To create the correct image of suggestion, deep psychoanalysis is used: it is determined who influenced the development of the individual, what events became fundamental for the development of a phobia or addiction.

Indications for therapy

Hypnosis is a direct effect on the subconscious. A person does not try to rethink the concepts that are instilled in him. The function of consciousness is analysis. It questions ideas, and if you turn it off, as happens during hypnosis, the attitudes are immediately perceived as a call to action. People need hypnotherapy:

• with a dangerous addiction;
• with low self-esteem;
• with complexes;
• with phobias and suppressed fears;
• with mental disorders when an incorrect perception of reality has been formed.

Hypnotherapy is necessary for people with mental disorders

The hypnotist is a guide: he delivers the necessary image to the subconscious. The doctor determines the reason for the patient’s incorrect behavior and helps to find the thought that gives rise to habits.

Hypnosis is used in combination with other treatment methods (if the addiction is dangerous and life-threatening to the patient) or as independent therapy. After the sessions, the person being hypnotized is under the supervision of doctors to prevent complications.

Benefits of hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is useful for men and women. For children, this method is used only in extreme cases when other types of treatment are ineffective. Gradually influencing the subconscious allows you to get rid of attitudes that are harmful.

A person gets rid of anxious thoughts, his resistance to stress increases, and his self-esteem improves. If you remove those thoughts that give rise to fear or complexes, if you shift the emphasis, the behavior of the individual will change dramatically. To get rid of addiction, several sessions are needed: this is progressive therapy, which does not bring the patient even more stress and anxiety due to drastic changes.

The work of a hypnologist

A hypnologist is a doctor who puts a patient into a trance and instills the necessary attitudes. Each session is carefully prepared. It is important that the patient is committed to working together. How does a hypnologist conduct treatment:

• During the initial consultation, the main problem is determined;
• there are additional problems (phobias, fears, complexes that arose on the basis of the primary one);
• the treatment is determined - the number of hypnotherapy sessions, the type of influence methods; the correct image for suggestion is found: words, phrases, events that should influence the patient’s behavior; the patient is put into a trance;
• After leaving the trance, the psychologist conducts additional conversations with the patient so that the received attitudes are correctly assimilated.

The psychologist should conduct additional conversations with the patient after leaving the trance

The hypnologist does not influence the instincts or character of the individual. If incorrect attitudes were established in early childhood, changes will affect habits and outlook on life, but they are necessary to correct the patient’s behavior.

The hypnologist guides the patient throughout the treatment. For diagnosis, simple suggestion techniques are used, and during the rehabilitation period, the patient can be prescribed home exercises - self-hypnosis and self-hypnosis.

Hypnologist and psychologist

A psychologist and a hypnologist are doctors who study the human psyche and, if possible, eliminate problems that arise at a certain stage of personality development.

If a psychologist is engaged in determining the causes and consequences of mental disorders, then a hypnologist only helps to put the patient into a trance. In a half-asleep state, a person answers questions himself and points out the true causes of the problems that have arisen.

Doctors working together

The psychologist and hypnologist work closely together during treatment: each doctor guides the patient through certain stages of therapy. If comprehensive treatment is not used, the patient receives only temporary relief from addiction or fear.

If we are talking about mental disorders or disorders that the patient cannot control, a psychotherapist is involved in treatment. In such cases, he prescribes partial drug therapy.

Features of treatment by a hypnologist and psychologist

A hypnologist collaborates with a psychologist if the cause of the patient’s problem has been developing for a long time.

The subconscious perceives such an attitude as correct and gathers habits and principles around it. This is why addiction has such a detrimental effect on all areas of a person’s life. The psychologist prepares the patient for hypnotherapy:

• psychotherapy sessions are conducted in which the main problem and the mental disorders that it created are identified;
• conditions that enhance the influence of the problem are determined: close environment, work, social conditions;
• psychotherapy is carried out to restore internal harmony and increase self-esteem.

Psychotherapy is the safest treatment that cannot harm a person. Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective. It is based on a change in fundamental beliefs: a person is asked to reconsider the thoughts that he perceives as correct. The patient independently draws new conclusions - this is the main difference between psychotherapy and hypnotherapy: a person is not instilled with beliefs, but only pushed towards them.

The hypnologist begins working with the patient after psychoanalysis. If the root cause can be identified in a timely manner, hypnotherapy sessions are prescribed. They take place in conditions that are comfortable for the patient. For advanced cases, at least 3-5 hypnotherapy sessions are necessary.

Benefits of comprehensive treatment

Complex treatment allows for a comprehensive impact on a person. At the first stage, the cause of the patient’s serious condition is found, because without it, further treatment is ineffective. For people with mental disorders, sedative drug therapy is needed to help relieve anxiety and prepare the patient for hypnotherapy.

It is important for patients with mental disorders to undergo drug therapy before hypnosis

Each case is unique, and each patient requires an individual approach. If hypnotherapy does not produce good results, treatment shifts towards traditional methods. These are drug treatments and psychotherapy, which take longer. Before any treatment, the patient undergoes a medical examination: chronic diseases and possible consequences of addiction or other psychological problem are identified.

Hypnosis in psychotherapy is used to treat various neurotic conditions. It was successfully used in ancient times. Magicians or healers put a person into a special state, during which they identified his fears and problems. In the modern world, reviews of the treatment of phobias with hypnosis eloquently say that this procedure is in demand and effective.

Hypnosis is in demand in modern psychotherapy

Until now, science cannot answer for certain what underlies the hypnotic effect.. Back in the 18th century, the German physician Mesmer created a treatise “The Theory of Animal Magnetism,” where he described the effect of hypnosis on the patient’s condition. Around this time, a detailed study of the phenomenon began.

A few years later, two schools of hypnosis began operating in France. The first gave it the following definition: hypnosis is an influence on the psyche, which is based on suggestion and imagination. Representatives of the second school argued that the patient is influenced primarily by sound, light and heat. One of the most famous French neurologists, Charcot, came to the conclusion that hypnosis is nothing more than an artificially induced hysterical neurosis.

Russian scientists Danilevsky and Pavlov also did a lot to study the influence of hypnosis on the human body. They proved that animals, which are known to have no imagination, are also susceptible to the phenomenon. This means that the theories of the first French school were wrong.

How does hypnosis work in psychotherapy?

During sleep, the hemispheres of the human brain are subject to inhibition. During hypnosis, its individual parts continue to work. They come into contact with the hypnotist and “tell” him about the patient’s psychological ailments.

During hypnotic sleep, certain parts of the brain are actively working

The therapist uses hypnotherapy to:

• remove anxiety, chronic fatigue;
• analyze the cause of stress and find a way out of it;
• normalize sleep;
• improve general mental state;
• restore functionality.

The process of going into a trance for the treatment of all diseases is the same: the patient fixes his gaze on a specific object. The hypnotist begins to speak specially selected words and phrases in a quiet monotonous voice. Sometimes unobtrusive music plays. The patient falls into a trance - the specialist begins to work with his psyche, helping to process the information that causes mental trauma to the person. It is important to find a way out of stress, to optimize the functioning of all internal organs aimed at fighting the disease.

We propose to consider the most popular mental illnesses and their treatment using hypnosis.

Hypnosis for VSD

VSD is vegetative-vascular dystonia, the most common diagnosis in neurology. It's not even a disease as such. This is a complex of symptoms that are associated with disruption of the human central nervous system. The main cause of the disease is severe, prolonged stress.

Physical symptoms of VSD:

1. Increased sweating.
2. Sudden jumps in blood pressure, respiration, and pulse rate.
3. Sudden nausea and vomiting.
4. Dizziness, general weakness.

Mental symptoms of VSD:

1. Insomnia.
2. Constant feeling of fear, panic attacks.
3. Uncontrollable outbursts of emotions.
4. Lack of appetite.
5. Frequent thoughts about illness, death.

Hypnosis helps get rid of the physical signs of VSD

Most often people suffer from the problem:

• people of transitional age, women during pregnancy or breastfeeding;
• alcohol and nicotine abusers;
• athletes with heavy physical and emotional stress;
• people after serious accidents, accidents, etc. Those who have experienced severe stress.

How does hypnosis work for VSD? The hypnotist makes a suggestion to the patient that stabilizes general well-being and relieves, first of all, the physical signs of VSD. Over the course of several sessions, work is carried out to relieve emotional stress and prevent a recurrence of the disease in the future. Treatment of VSD with hypnosis is more effective with an integrated approach. In other words, in addition to this procedure, it is necessary to apply others: taking medications, talking with a psychotherapist, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, etc.

Hypnosis for neuroses

Neurosis is an acute but reversible change in the psyche. A person is overcome by neurasthenia - a strong disorder based on the discrepancy between life values ​​and society. The patient is aware of the real world as it is, but does not see himself in it. Traditional directive hypnosis, as well as the newer Ericksonian hypnosis, are successfully used to treat this disease.

Signs of neurosis:

1. Chronic fatigue, minimal performance.
2. Pronounced mood changes.
3. Insomnia.
4. Aching heart pain, headaches.
5. A sharp decrease in appetite.
6. Constant feeling of anxiety, uncontrollable panic.

The classic form of hypnosis is very popular for treating illness. The process itself can be divided into several stages:

• diagnosis of the disease, preliminary consultations, drawing up a treatment plan by the doctor;
• directly putting the patient into a trance and working with his psyche;
• the use of techniques aimed at preventing the further development of neurotic conditions.

Hypnosis is an effective remedy for neuroses

The hypnotist finds a “point of contact” with the patient’s psyche and imparts information through it. In ordinary life, a person perceives it as a guide to action or his own beliefs.

Hypnosis for neurosis does not erase life positions. It changes the approach to the perception of the world, gives each event a different meaning.

Phobias and hypnosis

Every person experiences fear of someone or something. But when fear ceases to become panic attacks, we can already talk about the presence of phobias.

As a rule, the patient understands that he has an excessive fear of some phenomenon, object or animal. He does everything possible to avoid meeting an unwanted object: he walks significant distances, stops leading his usual lifestyle, gives up his favorite activity, etc. Dealing with a phobia can be very stressful and has a significant impact on daily life.

The most common phobias:

1. Cynophobia – fear of dogs.
2. Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders.
3. Acrophobia – fear of heights.
4. Hydrophobia – fear of water.
5. Claustrophobia is the fear of enclosed spaces.

There are several hundred phobias, but not all of them require medical intervention. It all depends on the degree of development of fear and how successfully the body copes with stress on its own. There are many reviews on the Internet about the treatment of phobias with hypnosis, there are thematic videos, even entire films. By looking at them, you can roughly understand how suggestion works on the human psyche.

Hypnosis for OCD

OCD stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is a disruption of the central nervous system, during which a person is overcome by obsessions or compulsions to act. Failure to do so causes the patient great fear. These thoughts or actions take the form of a ritual and do not bring practical benefit to a person. They take from 15 minutes to 15 hours to complete every day. The patient, as a rule, admits that his behavior does not make sense. But even the very thought that today I will not pray for exactly 2 hours at lunch, for example, causes anxiety, irritation, and reduces appetite and performance.

People who have OCD experience embarrassment and intense shame. It is difficult for them to lead a normal life, communicate with friends, and visit public places. They often withdraw into themselves, trying to hide their illness from others.

OCD is quite often treated with hypnosis.

Treatment of OCD with hypnosis is a popular and effective method. A competent specialist will be able to rid the patient of the problem even in one go. The main thing is to seek help in time so that OCD does not develop into a more complex disease, for example, neurosis.

Any hypnosis has a very strong effect on the psyche. Only a responsible and intelligent hypnotist should conduct sessions, otherwise the consequences can be very dire, up to and including suicide attempts by the patient. Is it necessary to talk about how many scammers history knows who, mastering the technique of hypnosis, defrauded people of money and property? It should also be remembered that the technique is effective with an integrated approach. In addition to hypnosis, it is necessary to carry out a number of other procedures to stabilize the psyche. Only their joint work will give a good result.

Possibilities and limitations of hypnosis in medical practice

At the beginning of the 19th century, doctors continued to experiment, honing the technique of inducing trance. In England, Dr. Elliotson (1791–1868) used this technique to treat patients with epilepsy, hysteria, asthma, migraine and rheumatism. He used hypnosis for pain relief during more than 200 operations.

During the 1800s, alternative healing methods became very popular in America. One of the healers who actively used these methods was named Osko Whiteman. He worked in Lewiston, Maine. Whiteman would go into a trance and feel currents of power flowing into his body through his shoulders. The power flowed into his hands, then into his palms and fingers, he touched the sick - and they were healed.

Although many books have been written about hypnosis, the nature of its effects is not fully understood. However, hypnosis is still widely used in medical practice.

It should be said that in order to use hypnosis for medicinal purposes, you must, of course, first obtain a medical degree.

And of course, the use of hypnosis for personal gain is completely unacceptable. This will cause serious damage to the patient's mental state.

How does the hypnosis treatment process work?

First, a consultation is held with a psychologist-hypnologist, during which the reason for the patient-client’s contact with the hypnologist is clarified (during the conversation between the client and the hypnologist).

The second stage of consultation with a psychologist-hypnologist consists of conducting a test hypnosis session, and it is aimed at determining the depth of the hypnotic trance (a person’s entry into sleep): how deeply the client plunges into the trance state, in what phase he is.

The third stage is to check suggestibility (perception of the hypnologist’s directive suggestions) and find out at what speed and tempo of speech the suggestion should be carried out.

The fourth stage of consultation with a psychologist-hypnologist is aimed at instilling general positive states. This is done so that the client comes to the first working hypnosis session prepared and is able to tell what changes have occurred - this allows the psychologist-hypnologist to correctly compose textual suggestions for further productive work with the client’s problems.

After the consultation, a hypnosis session is scheduled no earlier than 2-3 days later - during this time the client can understand and notice changes in well-being.

Hypnosis treatment is multifunctional sessions of targeted influence on the cause of the disorder, through which a quick and lasting effect is achieved. Positive suggestions during hypnosis treatment lead to rapid changes.

The possibilities of hypnosis are quite extensive, and the main effect is associated with the use of internal unconscious mechanisms - such an effect makes the process completely safe and enjoyable.

The power of hypnosis is such that it allows you to set the body up for complete recovery: correct weight, get rid of anxiety, fear, worries, reduce stress, fatigue, tiredness, get rid of addictions and complexes.

Hypnosis is successfully used for therapeutic purposes; the hypnotic state has proven itself in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders and abnormalities.

The list of disorders for which treatment with hypnosis is the only option is quite extensive. These include psychosomatic disorders and diseases for which drug treatment does not produce significant results, but can be completely cured with the help of hypnosis.

Here's an incomplete one list of mental disorders that can be treated with hypnosis:

• depression;

• phobias;

• fears;

• mental trauma received in childhood or adulthood;

• aggression, hatred, resentment, envy and other destructive emotions;

• chronic fatigue syndrome;

• stress;

• anxiety;

• insomnia.

The hypnotherapist's arsenal includes the following: methods:

• mechanical methods, in which the object of suggestion is influenced by physical phenomena that are monotonous in nature: sound, light, etc.;

• psychic methods, in which verbal suggestion is mainly used;

• magnetic methods, in which therapeutic magnetism plays a major role.

It should be noted that one of the most effective methods is an integrated approach - a combination of the mental method with the magnetic one.

Unfortunately, there is a widespread misconception that suggestion in hypnosis is a panacea for all ills. Where medicine is powerless, they try to resort to the help of a hypnologist. However, among the huge number of human diseases, those that can be cured by hypnotic suggestion account for only 30%. These are so-called functional disorders, reversible diseases, not yet associated with any morphological, anatomical changes, the formation of tumors, or post-inflammatory adhesions. Such diseases usually arise, as they say, on a nervous basis.

A person is constantly haunted by troubles and misfortunes. As a result, a breakthrough may occur in a weak point of his body, causing a functional disorder. In such circumstances, one person develops pain in the heart of an angina-like nature, the other experiences severe eczematous itching (the arms, legs, and then the whole body itch unbearably). And drug treatment is sometimes ineffective. Meanwhile, several sessions of hypnotic suggestion are enough to relieve this kind of suffering.

From fear, a child sometimes begins to stutter or develops enuresis, that is, bedwetting. This disease occurs not only in preschool children, but also in adolescents. Hypnotic suggestion can also help in these cases. True, one should not think that one session is enough and a person will get rid of stuttering or enuresis. To correct speech or even partially improve it, sometimes you have to work for three to four months. Months of tireless daily work require tension both from the hypnologist and from the patient himself.

Particularly impressive is the healing of diseases that arise as a result of a powerful neuropsychic shock.

A person sees or hears something terrible and is involved in some extreme, difficult, intense events. A young woman sees the suffering of a baby, she is ready to die, just not to see this, but she does not die, but goes blind. What she sees exceeds the endurance limit of the nervous system - and a powerful, transcendental inhibition occurs in the visual cells of the cerebral cortex.

The specialist, having understood the nature of the woman’s illness, puts her into a hypnotic state, instills a calm attitude towards what happened and says: “Now, on the count of three, you will wake up and see everything as before!” Waking up, she sees everything as before. It was possible to overcome and remove the powerful inertial, stable inhibition in the visual cells. The cells have disinhibited – she sees.

This kind of healing is often perceived as a miracle by both those who are healed and those around them.

In medical practice, hypnosis is used to treat certain psychosomatic diseases, such as peptic ulcers, hypertension, bronchial asthma, suffocation, increased sweating, fever or chills, excessive drowsiness, nausea and dizziness.

With the help of hypnotic sessions, patients get rid of various types of addiction, be it addiction to the Internet, TV, or alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. They treat with hypnosis and psychological dependence on people (partner, parents, boss).

The most interesting thing is that hypnosis even allows you to get rid of skin and allergic diseases, which has become possible only in recent years thanks to many scientific studies and discoveries in this area.

A special medical aspect of hypnosis is the treatment of sexual disorders of the body, because often such diseases cannot be overcome by traditional methods. In particular, hypnosis is used to treat uterine fibroids, menstrual irregularities, mastopathy, and dependence on a partner. Men can consult a hypnologist to treat impotence, premature ejaculation, fear of women and sexual addiction.

The effectiveness of recovery when using hypnosis depends on many factors, primarily including the complexity and depth of the disease, and then the duration of the sessions and the depth of hypnosis. Thanks to the variety of modern methods of hypnosis (computer, verbal, erotic, audio), you can find the right combination of ways to introduce a patient into hypnosis for a quick recovery.

With the help of various hypnosis techniques, almost any effect can be exerted on the patient, but there are a number of restrictions.

The suggestion should not contradict the moral values, ethical principles and personal beliefs of the hypnotized person.

Hypnosis is contraindicated in mental retardation, drug addiction, schizophrenia or other acute reactive conditions, as well as in acute somatic diseases, such as myocardial infarction, infections in combination with high fever, acute appendicitis. If there are notes on such cases in the medical card, the use of hypnosis is strictly prohibited and can have extremely negative consequences. Hypnosis is not recommended for hypertensive and hypotensive crises, cardiovascular failure, bleeding and mistrust of the hypnologist. For all other diseases, hypnosis may well serve as the main or auxiliary means of treatment.

Practical application of hypnosis in medicine

Hypnotherapy for psychosomatic illnesses

Statistics confirm that people who practice self-hypnosis or undergo hypnosis treatment have better physical and mental health than others. As a result of undergoing a course of hypnosis, most people are able to completely get rid of or reduce the severity of symptoms of diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, gastritis, stomach ulcers, hypertension and many others. And although many people still associate hypnosis mainly with mysticism, a magical session or something supernatural, every year more and more people resort to the help of a hypnotherapist in order to quit smoking, relieve stress symptoms, lose weight, and also for treatment diseases that are considered psychosomatic.

Psychosomatic diseases are diseases whose causes lie in the psyche, and the consequences are reflected in the “soma,” that is, in the body. According to various studies, 40–90% of all diseases can be classified as psychosomatic. Official data from the WHO (World Health Organization) is 38–42%, and the famous Italian scientist-practitioner specializing in the treatment of psychosomatic diseases, Antonio Meneghetti, claims that almost everything in life is psychosomatic.

The most studied psychological factors of the following diseases and symptoms: bronchial asthma, gastric and duodenal ulcers, essential arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, headache, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, tension, dizziness, autonomic disorders (often called vegetative-vascular dystonia).

So, with the help of hypnosis you can treat all these (and not only) diseases. How does hypnosis treat diseases and why does it improve health and well-being? When exposed to hypnosis, a person is immersed in a trance. This state is already therapeutic in itself: the activity of the whole organism is normalized (cardiovascular and digestive systems, breathing becomes rhythmic and deep, restoration processes are launched in the body). Also in a hypnotic state, the ability to “unconscious learning” opens up, strengthening the personality and releasing unconscious fears and restrictions that may prevent you from moving towards your goals or being healthy. Patients suffering from diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular disease, arthritis or any other disease may not realize that deep down they have feelings of denial, guilt or resentment that seriously affect their physical well-being and ability to heal and recover. health.

The two most common obstacles to recovery and freedom from disease:

• the patient/client exaggerates the severity of symptoms and his condition, he is constantly tormented by thoughts of dire consequences and complications;

• the patient/client pretends that nothing is happening to his health, that everything is fine, and does not take any action to treat the disease.

These emotions and actions only complicate the symptoms and development of the disease and lead to very serious consequences. Hypnosis can provide relief and promote recovery by releasing negative feelings and emotions and helping to find the inner strength to make the lifestyle and thought changes necessary for recovery.

Such changes may include switching to healthy eating, physical activity, and refusing to think of yourself as a victim and blaming others for your situation. While all of this may seem insignificant to someone suffering from, for example, heart disease, you will be amazed at the changes that will occur once you change your lifestyle and your thinking.

The most important tool of hypnosis for the treatment of illness is the ability to help the patient re-evaluate his/her self-image and replace the old way of thinking that led to pain and illness with a new, positive one that will promote recovery and establish harmony of mind and body. This new positive and healthy image of yourself that you create in your mind will help you let go of the pain that you are most likely focusing on now and focus your attention on what really matters - life itself!

It is very easy and natural to feel angry or to fall into a deep, lingering depression if you have been given a serious diagnosis and told that you may have to suffer from this illness for the rest of your life. You may not realize it, but these kinds of negative feelings, constantly living in your unconscious, undermine your health day after day, weakening you and robbing you of the energy you need to recover.

Besides this important and necessary work, there is something else. To treat diseases with hypnosis, positive suggestions are given to the patient in a state of hypnotic trance. It is known that the trance state, among other things, is characterized by increased susceptibility to suggestions that correspond to the goals and objectives of the patient. In this case, post-hypnotic suggestion occupies a special place.

Another well-studied phenomenon of hypnosis is partial or complete loss of sensitivity, immunity to various stimuli (both external and internal) - hypoesthesia (a significant decrease in sensitivity) or anesthesia (complete loss of sensitivity). In hypnosis treatment, this feature of the hypnotic state is used to teach the patient to control pain, reduce it using their own mind, and experience less pain.

With the guidance of a hypnotherapist or through self-hypnosis, you can understand how your accumulated negative feelings and emotions affect your entire life and health, and learn to control your thinking and manage your feelings. Most people, when thinking about the future, often imagine the worst-case scenario, instead of imagining positive images and embodying positive thoughts and hopes.

Hypnosis will help you get rid of both negative thinking and the pain that such negative thinking leads to. It doesn’t matter what your diagnosis is or what your condition is today. More than likely, if you also think like this, then it is negative thoughts and ideas that create those chronic diseases that should not exist. Let healing come by learning to think positively and manage your emotions!

Getting rid of a bad habit

There is a simple but incredibly powerful method that you can use to make lasting changes in your habits.

Physiologists have found that on average it takes 28 days to change a habit. This means that you need to consciously dedicate four weeks of your life to focusing on the changes you want to make. After four weeks, you will have achieved your goal. Isn't this wonderful?

It could be anything: you could stop eating chips, start getting up earlier, learn to motivate yourself, get into exercise, quit smoking, or even become more generous. If you consciously and persistently do certain things every day, after four weeks they will become automatic actions. It's really simple.

What prevents most people from making useful changes in their lives and getting rid of bad habits?

Many people are afraid. They are afraid that all this serious effort will have to be done endlessly, while leading a life full of restrictions, and as soon as they loosen control, all the work done will be in vain and all the bad habits will return.

But this is a misconception! You have a certain period of time - 28 days - to unlearn a bad habit and form a new, useful habit. This will help you relieve most of the tension and feel more comfortable when facing difficulties.

Plus, you can continue to enjoy life while you make some changes. In fact, life can become quite boring and meaningless if you don't change anything about it. 28 days will pass regardless of whether you work on yourself to change your life for the better or not. Why not make the most of these four weeks?

Think of a habit that you really want to change. You should want to change this, not someone else and not what others want to change in you. Close your eyes and think about it.

Now think about how your life will change for the better...

We all want to improve our lives, we all want the best for ourselves, don't we? Well, you can enjoy your success. Make a decision: do you want these changes right now - yes or no?

What to do to get rid of a bad habit now?

Act immediately. Note what day it is today and what date it will be in 28 days. Mark this date wherever you can: in diaries, calendars, on a piece of paper pinned to the wall, on your computer - everywhere. This will remind you that you are working towards change. Now be persistent and courageous. You will work to make these changes happen for 28 days.

Realize this in advance. Accept any pain and discomfort, it is all temporary. After 28 days, one of two things will happen: either you will return to your old bad habits, or you will reinforce the changes.

Even if you go back to your bad habits, you won't lose anything. In fact, you will most likely gain a lot. For example, by quitting smoking for 28 days, you saved money and gave your body a break and recharged your health. You've also likely learned a lot about yourself during this process and will be able to use your new knowledge in the future to help break other bad habits.

If you were able to consolidate the result, even better. In this case, you have invested your time and effort well. These four weeks would have passed anyway, but now you can reap the benefits of your efforts throughout your life. This is a very good investment!

If you don't want to make these changes right now, ask yourself why not? Find a good reason why you need to postpone the change or abandon it altogether. If you really don't want to change anything, that's fine. But think about it, will there ever be an ideal time to make these changes?

Yes, this requires some effort from you, yes, there is no absolute guarantee of a sustainable result, but why not do everything you can? You have nothing to lose. If you want your life to change for the better, you can't expect it to magically happen on its own. You need to make a conscious decision right now to change and stubbornly stick to that decision.

You will be surprised, but for many people everything turns out to be much easier than it seems, once they confidently decide to change their habit. Don’t allow yourself any “buts,” “ifs,” or half measures. You need to make a positive and determined decision to follow through with your changes for 28 days, no matter what happens. If you leave yourself any room for maneuver, you will not follow through with your decision. It's wrong to tell yourself, “I'll try this for two days and see what happens,” or “I'll stick with this resolution unless I get into trouble at work.” With this attitude, you are setting yourself up for failure.

So tell yourself that you are determined to change your habit for 28 days. You will make every effort for 28 days to make these changes. Don't leave an iota of uncertainty in your mind. Commit to yourself that you will make these changes within 28 days. Tell yourself right now that you will stick to your resolution for 28 days no matter what.

If you do this, then everything else will be much easier than you probably think. Your brain won't try to find a way to break your promise because you won't give yourself a choice. This essentially frees you from internal struggle. You do not need to lead it, because you have set yourself a clear and clear goal, without leaving any ambiguities and uncertainties.

You will quickly learn to live with these changes, as a result of which your life will rise to a qualitatively different level. In fact, you can even learn to enjoy the way you cope with challenges—for example, by marking each day on your calendar that brings you closer to your goal. Very soon life with these changes will become normal. It's amazing how quickly we humans adapt to change!

So boldly go forward, confidently work on yourself in order to change your life for the better and get from life what you really want. You deserve it!

Healthy sleep, or How to cope with insomnia

Insomnia. This condition is familiar to everyone. You turn from side to side, get up, maybe read a little or watch TV. Then you toss and turn in bed again, still unable to fall asleep, and finally, completely exhausted, you fall asleep. Or you fall asleep, only to wake up 2-3, maybe 4 hours later and not be able to fall back asleep. You ask yourself: “What to do with all this?”

These two situations are the most common forms of insomnia: difficulty falling asleep and inability to maintain sound sleep. When either or both of these symptoms become chronic, insomnia can easily impair our ability to cope with daily activities. The good news for those who suffer from insomnia is that understanding the dynamics of sleep can help you decide what to do to get rid of insomnia.

How do we fall asleep?

Let's figure out how a person who has no sleep problems falls asleep. Most people have never thought about the fact that the person who goes to bed and falls asleep is actually going through four stages of sleep: thinking, fantasizing, drowsiness or light hypnotic trance and unconscious sleep.

Stage 1 – reflection. Going to bed, we begin to think about the events that happened during the day, or, as often happens, about what could happen tomorrow, or something else.

Stage 2 – fantasy. Whether you realize it or not, your random thoughts then turn into thoughts that we associate with relaxation (for example, about a future vacation or some place that you already associate with relaxation).

Stage 3 – dormant state. As your mind and body relax and tension releases from your muscles, you enter a mild stage of hypnotic trance known as the drowsy state. When you are asleep, your brain switches to working in the alpha rhythm. When your consciousness is in this state, you are still aware of what is happening, although you already perceive time distorted and periodically experience amnesia. Essentially, you need to go through this light trance stage because it is what gives you the opportunity to move into the next stage of deep sleep. No one can say absolutely exactly the time of falling asleep, for example, no one can say: “Yesterday I fell asleep at 11 hours 57 minutes 20 seconds.” It is the amnesia and time distortion that are inherent in this stage that make it impossible to clearly determine the moment of transition from the stage of drowsiness to the stage of unconscious sleep. We move smoothly from one state to another.

Stage 4 – unconscious sleep. Your consciousness is not aware of what is happening around you.

People who have difficulty sleeping find it incredibly difficult to move from rumination to daydreaming, or they simply stay in the rumination stage for too long. This usually happens because they worry too much about something or simply don't know how to control their mind.

Now that you know the four stages of sleep, you'll understand why those who have difficulty falling asleep may benefit from skipping the rumination stage entirely. In order to fall asleep, such a person needs to immediately begin to visualize some pleasant, comfortable place, which he clearly associates with relaxation. One way to do this is to start remembering a place or situation where you were in a state of deep relaxation.

This could be while you were relaxing or doing something that you associate with relaxation. Some people visualize themselves lying on a beach by the sea, while others imagine themselves taking a walk in the forest, or fishing, or something else. It is important that you remember your real experiences, which you already parallel in your consciousness or subconscious with relaxation. Next, it is important to spend some time in this comfortable place or develop the process of fantasy. This will ultimately lead to a drowsy state and then to deep unconscious sleep.

The second common form of insomnia is problems maintaining sleep. Let's think about this question: what can cause a person who has already fallen asleep to suddenly wake up in the middle of the night? This is usually what can be called toxic anxiety. When we worry about something that might happen tomorrow or something that means a lot in our lives, it can interrupt our sleep in the middle of the night. This is similar to how a child, overexcited by waiting for Santa Claus on New Year's Eve, cannot fall asleep for a long time or constantly wakes up during the night. We can call it toxic anxiety because at night when we experience it, there is little we can do to influence the source of the anxiety. At night it is impossible to solve any business, because the people with whom we want to talk are sleeping, and, exhausted by a sleepless night, we ourselves are by no means at our best.

How to cope with insomnia: help from a hypnotherapist.

Post-hypnotic suggestion can be an effective method for combating insomnia. When the patient is in a hypnotic sleep, the hypnotist says:

“I will give you a paper with which you yourself will plunge into a healthy, refreshing sleep. You will fall asleep when you take this paper out of your pocket and look at it.”

The hypnotist writes on a piece of paper in black ink: “Sleep.” He orders the patient to look at the paper he places in his hands, and insistently repeats that whenever his gaze falls on the paper, he will immediately fall into a deep hypnotic sleep. At the same time, he will hear the hypnotist’s voice: “Sleep.” Many years may pass and this paper will still be valid.

The hypnotherapist can also help with a post-hypnotic suggestion about good health after a hypnosis session: “After waking up, you will be healthy, and your health will improve in the future.” This setting will also have a positive effect on healthy sleep.

Coping with insomnia: a strategy for maintaining sleep.

This strategy for maintaining healthy, sound sleep throughout the night is based on two features of human nature.

First: by entering the stage of drowsiness or light hypnotic trance, which occurs right before sleep, we become more suggestible. Our brain gradually begins to reduce its frequency of operation, switching to the alpha rhythm mode, consciousness gradually fades away, but access to the unconscious appears. This is why a person becomes more susceptible to suggestions (for this reason, you should not watch programs or films that provoke depression and fear before going to bed).

The second feature: there is one person in your life to whose suggestions you are especially receptive - yourself! You constantly convince yourself to do something or not to do something, to believe in something or not. Whatever we say to ourselves, there is a high probability that we will follow our words. Given that toxic anxiety can trigger premature awakening, a good strategy for maintaining sleep is to give yourself a suggestion right before you fall asleep.

Say to yourself (out loud or silently): “I refuse to worry while I sleep. This worry is useless. I deserve good, sound, restorative and restful sleep.” When you give yourself a suggestion like this right before bed, there is a very good chance that you will accept it.

Hypnosis is a natural sleep aid with no prescription or side effects!

How to fall back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night? Everyone sometimes wakes up at night - for example, to go to the toilet, or if the cat wakes them, or the temperature in the room changes, or some loud noise wakes them up, or a bad dream, or toxic anxiety. At such moments, you should not focus on insomnia and worry that it has happened again.

A great strategy for falling back to sleep is to focus on your breathing (which actually puts you in control of your thoughts). Become aware of how you feel as you inhale and exhale, and begin to take deeper breaths in for a count of 5 and even deeper exhales for a count of 10. This will take a little practice, but once you learn to focus your attention on your breathing, begin repeating a series of words of affirmations only on exhalation: restful sleep, relaxing sleep, sound sleep, healthy sleep, deep sleep. You can add any affirmations that will associate you with sound, restful sleep. What does this repetition of affirmations actually do? It prevents you from going back to stage 1 - thinking.

Thus, focusing on breathing and repeating affirmations (out loud or silently) replaces the hypnotic trance stage. Over time, you should hopefully be able to fall asleep after 5-10 repetitions of these series of words.

Treatment of phobias with hypnosis

If you have a phobia, you may well be aware that your fear is inadequate, exaggerated, but are unable to do anything about your feelings. Just the thought of the subject of your phobia makes you feel anxious. And when you encounter the subject of your phobia, fear arises automatically and can be almost unbearable.

Fear can be so pervasive that you may go to great lengths to avoid it. You can agree to many inconveniences and even completely change your lifestyle. Agoraphobia (fear of open spaces), for example, can cause a person to give up a good job if it is necessary to take public transport to get to the office.

If a person has a fear of heights, he may, for example, drive an extra ten kilometers every day to avoid driving over a bridge. And if someone has a strong fear of flying on airplanes, this can overshadow any, even the most long-awaited and romantic trip, or even force them to abandon the trip. You may not know it yet, but there is a simple and effective way to get rid of a phobia.

What are fears and phobias? Almost every person has some kind of irrational fears. Some are afraid of the sight of medical needles, many are afraid of dentists, women are afraid of mice, and some get dizzy when looking down from the window of a high-rise building. For most of us, these fears are minor and do not affect our daily lives. But it also happens that such fears become so strong that they begin to prevent a person from living and enjoying life.

Exaggerated fears that disrupt a person's normal life and activities are called phobias.

Phobia– this fear is imaginary and very strong. A person knows that there is no danger or it is very small, but he is afraid as if the danger is real and poses a threat to life. For example, someone who is afraid of spiders knows that spiders are not dangerous. However, when coming home, such a person can check all corners of his apartment to see if there is a spider somewhere. And if a spider is nevertheless discovered, a person may begin to panic, the heart will begin to pound furiously, and breathing will become intermittent. The person runs to other people for help and is afraid to enter the room where he found the spider until he is assured that the spider is not there. The phobia most often appears in childhood, but can occur later, at almost any age.

It is important to understand what is normal fear- This is a protective reaction of the body that protects a person from dangers. It is normal and even healthy to experience fear in truly dangerous situations. Fear mobilizes a person and helps him act effectively - to run away or confront danger. If you have a phobia, then your fear is greatly exaggerated or has no basis at all. For example, it is normal to be afraid of a Doberman pinscher growling at you, but it is irrational to be terrified by a friendly poodle on a leash, as is the case with people who suffer from a fear of dogs.

Symptoms of a phobia , which may appear when you come face to face with an object or situation that causes fear and is the cause of a phobia:

• lack of air, shortness of breath, or a feeling of suffocation;

• chest pain or discomfort;

• shiver;

• increased sweating;

• nausea or stomach problems;

• rapid heartbeat and increased pulse;

• dizziness, emptiness in the head, weakness or a feeling that your legs are giving way;

• loss of a sense of reality, as if you see yourself from the outside;

• fear of losing control or going crazy;

• fear of death;

• numbness or a tingling or tingling sensation;

• cold or hot flushes;

• fear of losing consciousness.

Typically, the closer you are to the thing you fear, the stronger the fear. Fear will also be stronger the more difficult it is to get out of the situation that causes the phobia.

What are phobias? Today, more than 600 different types of human phobias are known. They differ in the subject that causes fear. The most famous:

• claustrophobia (fear of closed spaces);

• agoraphobia (fear of open space and transport);

• social phobia (social phobia);

• fear of public speaking;

• Fear of heights;

• fear of flying on an airplane;

• fear of dentists;

• fear of driving a car;

• fear of tunnels, bridges, hurricanes, depth, water, spiders, snakes, dogs, rodents, insects, darkness, sunlight, dirt, germs, blood, injections, doctors and operations, AIDS, etc.

When should you seek help? You should seek the help of a psychotherapist if:

• your phobia causes you severe and disabling fear, anxiety or panic;

• you understand that your fear is excessive and unfounded;

• you avoid certain situations and places because of your phobia;

• your phobia interferes with your daily life or causes significant stress;

• you have had the phobia for more than six months.

Here is one such example. Evgeniy is afraid of flying on airplanes. Unfortunately, he often has to go on business trips, and every time the trip turns into a nightmare. A few weeks before his business trip, he begins to feel his stomach tighten and becomes increasingly anxious. On the day of the flight, he wakes up feeling like he's about to throw up. When Evgeniy boards the plane, his heart jumps out of his chest, he feels empty in his head and begins to suffocate. And every time it gets worse and worse.

Evgeniy's fear of flying became so overwhelming that he eventually had to tell his boss that he could only go on business trips that could be reached by car or train. The boss was not too happy about this news, and Evgeniy is worried about the current situation. He is afraid of being demoted and even fired. But it’s better than going through all the horror of traveling on an airplane again, Evgeniy tells himself.

If your phobia doesn't have a similar negative impact on your life, you don't have to worry about it. However, if in order to avoid an object, situation or activity that causes fear, you are giving up something important in your life that could bring you pleasure or benefit, it is time to seek help.

How to get rid of a phobia? The steps to overcome phobias are extremely simple. One man thinks he is afraid of elevators. Another thinks he is afraid to fly. Some people are afraid of driving a car, while others are afraid of bees, spiders or snakes. There are those who are afraid of heights. People think they are afraid of all this, but in reality they are not. It is not some external object or condition that makes them afraid. It's all in their brain. We know this because other people are at the same height and have no fear. The question is what goes on in the head of a person gripped by fear. And what is even more important is what happens in the same situation in the mind of a person who remains calm and confident.

There are effective methods for quickly getting rid of phobias and fears. With the help of hypnosis and self-hypnosis, you will be able to influence on an unconscious level the cause of your fear or phobia and get rid of them forever. You will begin to think like the person who has always remained calm and confident in the situation that now causes you great fear. In order to completely get rid of a phobia, 2-4 sessions are usually required; sometimes one longer session may be enough, depending on the degree of fear.

Many people say: “Well, yes, this remedy for phobia turned out to be effective. But what if the phobia returns after six months?” It's very simple: spend another 20 minutes fighting the phobia, and it will disappear again. The phobia returns only when you start doing what you did before, thinking exactly the same way as before. If this does not happen, the achieved result will remain forever. Moreover, something wonderful will happen to you. You will have more time to enjoy life.

Treating depression with hypnosis

Psychotherapy, in particular hypnosis, is widely used today to treat depression. There was once an opinion that hypnosis and depression were simply incompatible, but the use of the latest techniques gives very good results. It has been proven that depressive conditions can be successfully treated with hypnosis. As you know, depression sometimes occurs unexpectedly, causing a depressed mood. Moreover, at this time it seems to a person that it will never go away. Activities and hobbies that seemed important lose their relevance and do not bring the same satisfaction. In addition, sleep is disturbed and a feeling of fatigue haunts you.

Also, in a state of depression, a person extremely acutely feels his own inferiority and attributes non-existent vices to himself. It seems to him that he is to blame for something, and this feeling is strongly expressed. All this happens against a background of decreased concentration, and thoughts of suicide often arise. Almost every person has experienced certain disappointments, losses, humiliation, and a number of other painful experiences at various periods of life. And in this case, it is extremely important how such events are interpreted by the mind and affect the state of mental health.

As a rule, if a person suffers from depression, his view of current events changes radically and he takes any situation to heart. At the same time, unpleasant events are perceived as permanent, not temporary. It seems to the patient that what is happening takes over his whole life, and not a certain part. Experts believe that although such beliefs are rooted in the depths of the subconscious, they can be changed and corrected. A person may well learn to relate to what is happening more superficially, to realize that the world around him is rather uncertain, existing beyond a person’s control. Everyone can learn that events do not affect his entire life, they affect only a certain period of it.

When using hypnosis, behavioral and cognitive techniques are used to teach the patient new skills to interpret life events, while using optimal ways to help solve the problem. You should know that the greatest risk for depression is stress, family conflicts, physical or sexual violence, even if it occurred in the past. Economic restrictions, that is, lack of money, play an equally important role. At the same time, experts consider the presence of inadequate self-management skills, dysfunctional thinking styles and other complicating conditions to be a risk. Among them we can definitely name alcoholism, excessive anxiety, and drug addiction.

With depression, a person plunges into dark thoughts. Sometimes the patient tries to actively fight, but only gets more and more bogged down in this state. Each attempt made consciously is only a confirmation of depression and focuses attention on this factor. During this period, you need to focus on something positive and inspiring. If you constantly try to find a way to get out of the whirlpool of depression, you can achieve the opposite result, since, unfortunately, it is quite difficult to do this consciously.

Through hypnosis, it is possible to create new habits that are unconscious, resulting in new thinking, the new habits simply remain in the subconscious, and conscious thoughts are focused elsewhere.

Scientists have proven that modern methods of hypnosis can be considered the most effective means recommended for the treatment of depression. The peculiarity is that the patient needs to focus on the good moments and not try to find the key to solving problems, while the patient must fully use his imagination. For example, you can take your favorite episode from a movie and make it a personal memory, just as if it were your dreams. You should know that dreams are no less powerful than real memories. All your attention should be focused on what you would like to achieve in life. Based on this, the mind will begin to realize your desires. Focus on the future, think less about the past.

In psychotherapy, the importance of hypnosis cannot be underestimated. The patient should prepare positive thoughts in order to focus on them and thereby block negative thoughts and control their thinking. The fact is that consciousness is capable of concentrating on only one thing, so you need to choose positive content. Thus, this process can be compared to an imaginary positive switch and can be applied when required and as often as necessary. At the same time, the old pattern of behavior should be abandoned so that in difficult circumstances you can behave differently. Learn to relax when you're depressed and turn off the inner voice that keeps you stuck in negative thinking.

Through hypnosis, you develop ways to integrate the behavior you want, and depression subsides. Many patients do not notice that the changes that have occurred to them arose under the influence of hypnotherapy, and only by looking back, remembering their previous perception of the world, are they convinced of this. Actually, such a reaction is considered normal, since the healing process is not directly perceived by the mind. Modern psychotherapists widely use hypnosis in medical practice. It has been proven that the psyche is capable of self-regulation during a hypnotic trance and this has a positive effect on mental health. This is one of the best ways to combat depression, since several sessions are enough for a person to cope with this illness.

How to Deal with Grief Using Hypnosis

When we lose someone we love, it is often difficult to understand why it happened. And it can be even more difficult to understand how to live on after this. Hypnosis can help you accept and cope with this grief so that you can continue to live a happy life, even if it seems impossible today. You don't have to be a deeply religious person to accept death and get rid of negative thoughts.

It can even be difficult to imagine how deeply our thoughts and beliefs are rooted in our unconscious. Some people think that if they start thinking differently, they can change their unconscious thoughts, but this is just a mask. It is necessary to influence directly the unconscious mind, and hypnosis is one of the fastest, most effective and safest ways to establish contact with a person’s unconscious mind.

When we grieve for someone who has passed on, we may wonder how we will live without them, or even be angry that they were taken from us. In order to change these thoughts and truly accept death as a given, we need to visit our unconscious mind and change our beliefs.

The principles of hypnosis are easy for anyone to understand; you will discover this when you open your consciousness. If your attitude towards hypnosis is skeptical or negative, then you should not expect any results from practicing hypnosis or self-hypnosis.

Below are some affirmations for coping with grief.

• My loved ones are with me spiritually.

• I can feel good again even though they are not with me.

• Grief is a natural process, but it has a beginning and an end.

• I am grateful that this person was in my life.

• My loved one would like me to be happy again.

You can argue that people have told you all this before and it didn't help, but the difference is that when these affirmations are used in self-hypnosis, in a trance state, they reach the deeper layers of the psyche and take hold there.

Relieving headaches with hypnosis

Thousands of people suffer from headaches every day and are trying to find a remedy that will be effective not only today, but also tomorrow. Migraines can greatly impact your life. In order to prevent and control pain in different parts of the body, including migraines, self-hypnosis can be effectively used.

Whether you choose to study the principles of hypnosis and self-hypnosis on your own, or make an appointment with a qualified hypnotherapist to help you manage this type of chronic pain, the end result will amaze you either way.

To get rid of a headache, a professional hypnotherapist will first try to establish a connection with your unconscious mind, because this is where the root of almost all pain lies. The hypnotherapist will take the necessary steps to change your perception of pain through your unconscious mind.

So, first the client is helped to enter a trance state so that the hypnotherapist can communicate directly with the unconscious mind. The next step is for the hypnotherapist to negotiate with your unconscious mind to replace negative thoughts about your headache with positive ones. You've probably heard that hypnosis can remove the psychological triggers that cause a person to crave a cigarette. Likewise, hypnosis can remove the triggers that cause your persistent migraines and their symptoms.

By communicating directly with the unconscious part of your mind, a hypnotherapist can discover the triggers that cause migraines and adjust them in a way that benefits your entire body. Migraines can be considered a chronic disease, and conventional medicine fails to address its triggers in the same way that hypnosis can. Therefore, traditional methods of getting rid of headaches are only a temporary relief from symptoms, but you need to get rid of the underlying causes that led to the development of these symptoms.

And although many different types of medications can be found in pharmacies today to relieve headaches, including migraines, more than half of people who suffer from migraines do not get relief from traditional drug therapy. Very often, the root of the problem that causes headaches turns out to be much deeper than traditional medicine can determine.

Many people, unfortunately, do not realize that problems often originate and develop in our unconscious, and therefore this is where we should look for the cause and solution to these problems - to get rid of and control many types of pain. Strengthen your consciousness. To cope with migraines, you can listen to an audio hypnosis session to get rid of headaches. This way you will take your health and well-being into your own hands and, by plunging into yourself, get rid of chronic pain. With this strategy, you will eliminate migraines from your life forever.

Hypnosis as an alternative to painkillers

At the end of the 19th century, chemical anesthesia was developed, and this discovery marked the end of the use of hypnosis in medicine for this purpose. Doctors began to rely on chloroform, ether, and nitrooxide, which were easier to administer and worked on a much larger number of patients. It was only in the 1950s, with the development of holistic medicine, that interest in hypnosis was reawakened.

Hypnosis is an effective pain reliever that can be used as an alternative or adjunct to traditional medications.

Many people suffer from chronic pain. We are talking about pain that a person cannot get rid of and which becomes too difficult to endure. People suffering from acute or chronic pain, pain that is difficult to explain and determine its causes, are increasingly choosing to use hypnosis as an alternative remedy to relieve and eliminate such symptoms.

Although many people have never seriously considered this type of problem-solving option before, they eventually decide to try something new and different from what they have tried before. Learning the principles of hypnosis and putting them into practice can greatly relieve your pain and control it on a deeper, unconscious level.

Anyone who suffers from chronic pain knows that doctors mostly focus on superficial forms of treatment, when in fact the problem needs to be addressed on an unconscious level. Clinical hypnosis is becoming more and more popular, objective information is becoming available, after studying which you can understand and apply it. Yet many people still associate hypnosis with having fun, without even realizing how these techniques can actually help.

One of the biggest problems with pain medications is that after a while the pills stop working because your body gets used to them and you end up right back where you started. You are also at risk of all sorts of side effects. Hypnosis works in a completely different way. By using hypnosis to relieve chronic pain, you directly target the source and relieve it. Pain pills only mask the problem and cannot be used as a long-term remedy.

You may be surprised to discover how easy it is to learn self-hypnosis and put these skills into practice. With the help of hypnosis, you can eliminate pain from your life, preventing it or managing it as soon as it occurs. For many people, learning these principles involves visiting a hypnotherapist, who teaches them the basics in a hypnosis session and helps them apply them in their life to solve problems. You don't have to live with pain - take matters into your own hands and give up medications by learning to use an alternative method to relieve pain that gives lasting results!

It is difficult for many to imagine how significant the influence that the unconscious part of a person’s psyche has on his physical condition and immunity, but in reality, the unconscious contains all the sources of various kinds of physical or mental pain. Your unconscious mind is the source of both pain and pleasure of all kinds; If this part of the mind is filled with negative thoughts about yourself and your well-being, such as pain, then no other means can help you get rid of pain forever, they will only be temporary solutions. In this sense, hypnosis has an undeniable advantage - with the help of hypnosis, you can establish a connection with your unconscious and effectively replace negative attitudes with positive ones, which will forever relieve you of the need to experience pain.

Hypnosis, this interesting alternative treatment, will help you discover what is hidden within you and put your abilities to use. Throughout the history of mankind, hypnosis has brought relief from physical and mental pain to a huge number of people, and it will do the same for you!

Hypnosis instead of anesthesia. Years of experience confirms: this method works!

Did you know that in many countries, particularly in France, hypnosis has long been used instead of anesthetics to relieve toothache? Imagine an average dental client who needs two teeth and four tooth roots removed. In France, the cost of this work is over four hundred euros. To avoid such a high fee, the client can choose to pay or refuse anesthesia and use the power of his own mind to eliminate pain. In this case, a professional hypnotherapist accompanies the tooth extraction procedure, helping the patient manage their pain.

On average, it takes about 45 minutes to enter the required state of relaxation, then the patient is given instructions to imagine a scale with divisions from 1 to 10. These marks correspond to the level of pain that the patient is experiencing. As soon as the patient experiences intense pain corresponding to the upper marks on the scale, he, with the power of his imagination, immediately reduces the pain level on the scale to level 1; At the same time, the pain will decrease physically. Our brain controls many processes in our body, and pain is one of these processes.

Direct communication with the unconscious mind can only be done through hypnosis, and the unconscious is the only place in the human body where pain can be replaced by relaxation, skillfully using suitable methods. As a result, a patient who does not resist hypnosis, but accepts it as an alternative therapy throughout the entire tooth and root removal operation, feels nothing more than a needle prick. All this occurs as a result of the hypnotherapist helping to eliminate pain from the patient's unconscious mind. A person who is open to the effects of hypnosis has a huge advantage: such a person can refuse painkillers in favor of hypnosis. If you are not sure that hypnosis will help you manage pain as severe as a toothache, you can try it on less intense pain first and gradually use hypnosis to relieve more severe pain.

Hypnosis can be highly effective for you if you take the time to learn how it works or visit a hypnotherapist who can help you achieve a trance state for the first time. After this, you will learn to understand what state of consciousness you need to achieve in order to reap the full benefits of hypnosis.

Hypnosis works on the unconscious mind and changes the way you think to not only relieve pain, but also get rid of negative thoughts, stress, anxiety and much more. Hypnosis can change the way our brain and unconscious mind process and interpret information throughout the day and help you live a relaxed and peaceful life. Relief from pain is not the only benefit of this alternative method of pain relief; With hypnosis pain relief there are no side effects and risks are reduced. When you choose a therapy like hypnosis over medications, you are choosing an alternative that is more natural for your body and eliminating the risk of dangerous side effects.

Nowadays, numerous studies have been conducted that confirm that additional therapy with hypnosis can significantly reduce the side effects that occur after surgery for breast cancer. An article published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute states that a 15-minute hypnosis session is all that is needed to significantly reduce the intensity and overall manifestation of side effects. effects after breast cancer surgery. Side effects such as nausea, pain and emotional distress were completely eliminated in many patients.

The study involved 200 women, and each of them had to undergo a breast biopsy or have a tumor removed. Half of these women were given a 15-minute hypnosis session before surgery, and the other half were treated by a psychologist before surgery. A hypnosis session helped the women replace their thoughts with pleasant and relaxing ones, while a session with a psychologist provided support. After surgery, those women who underwent hypnosis felt much less pain, nausea, fatigue and emotional instability than those who were interviewed by a psychologist. Hypnosis has not only helped relieve much of the symptoms after surgery, but also reduced the amount of anesthetic required for surgery.

Professionals argue that hypnosis is an excellent solution for a much wider range of problems, and not just a means for those who want to get rid of a bad habit such as quitting smoking; hypnosis can be a real boon for surgeons. Since hypnosis has no side effects, it is an absolutely reliable remedy for patients of any age and health status.

Modern research has shown that about 11% of people resist hypnosis. If hypnosis is accepted by a person, he can use it to change his ideas and thoughts about pain, thereby changing sensations. You will find that you no longer focus all your attention on the pain, so the pain either disappears completely or becomes much less intense than it was before.

So, medical hypnosis can be used in a variety of situations: Whether you are planning surgery or suffering from chronic pain, you can successfully use hypnosis as an alternative or complementary therapy.

To illustrate the possibilities of hypnosis for pain, here is a description of the following technique. This is best done when the subject is fast asleep. Take the subject's hand, make several passes along it from the end of the fingers to the shoulder, saying: “Your hand is completely dead, it no longer feels anything; no matter what I do with your hand, you won’t feel anything.” Repeat the suggestion persistently several times and then calmly stick a previously sterilized needle or pin into the subject's arm. At the same time, repeat to the subject that he does not feel pain, and suggest that there will be no blood afterwards.

Now we can appreciate how valuable a tool in the hands of a skilled hypnotist hypnotism can be during operations, for example, when opening abscesses, removing teeth, etc. But at the same time, one should not abuse these experiments unnecessarily, out of simple curiosity.

Many will ask, how then to produce them? Those who truly seek knowledge will find it everywhere and will be able to apply it exactly where it is required. You can perform this experiment by removing a splinter from someone, piercing an abscess, etc.

Hallucinations

Sometimes in medical practice there is a need to work with hallucinations. This need arises in two cases:

1) hallucinations are symptoms of the disease and cause discomfort to the patient;

2) it is necessary to temporarily form hallucinations using hypnosis for therapeutic purposes.

If the subject truly mistakes some objects and phenomena for others, then he will also perceive non-existent objects and phenomena suggested to him, that is, you can cause various hallucinations in hypnosis. Say, for example, this: “You and I are walking into a dark, stormy autumn night in a deep forest. The wind howls; the forest is noisy; it's raining heavily; we are cold... Brrr... You are completely wet... Chu!.. Somewhere the wolves are howling... Do you hear? Closer and closer... Look: their eyes are already flashing... How many, a whole pack of wolves! Scary! What to do? You are afraid, you are trembling...” The hypnotized person will see and feel all this. Inspire him to remember all this even after waking up; but at the same time try to drive away all unpleasant sensations through suggestion.

So you can suggest any pictures you like, but your imagination should also work with the suggestions vividly and clearly, as if you were experiencing all this yourself. After all, the main role here is played by the powers of thought and feeling of the hypnotist. Never paint unpleasant pictures in front of hypnotics, because this leaves an unpleasant mark on his soul. You can suggest to the hypnotic that he is a general, a priest, a tree, an animal - in a word, whatever you want. In this case, you will cause hallucinations; therefore, it is not a fairy tale, but a hypnotic experience.

Next, you can unfold before the imagination of the hypnotic pictures where he himself would be the actor: you can make him sing or give a speech to the public, command troops, etc. However, everything must be suggested in accordance with the abilities and development of the hypnotic; if you begin to suggest to a fisherman to command an army, it is unlikely that your suggestions will be successful, although some hypnotists preach the opposite.

If you want your suggestions to be well received, suggest to the hypnotic person what he could do while awake, although with difficulty. The state in which the hypnotic does everything that you suggest to him is called active somnambulism. Here illusions, hallucinations, and activity are intertwined in the same way as in natural somnambulism or sleepwalking; the only difference is that in natural somnambulism the somnambulist acts on his own initiative, while in hypnotic somnambulism he acts under the influence of the hypnotist’s suggestions.

The same thing happens under the influence of certain reasons in ordinary dreams; but in them everything is limited to illusions and hallucinations, and there is no activity, and as soon as such begins to manifest itself, natural sleep turns into somnambulism.

Heightened senses and memory during hypnosis

Suggestions in a hypnotic state can also sharpen your senses. Thus, the sense of smell can become so acute that a subject at a distance of many steps will detect and identify such odors that he could not feel in an ordinary state and at a very close distance. Many people use a handkerchief or other items to easily find their owner. The sense of vision can be so refined by suggestions that the hypnotic will read such small print at a far distance that he could not read without a magnifying glass at a close distance. The sense of hearing under the influence of suggestions is so enhanced that often the deaf, or rather the hard of hearing, if their eardrum is not completely damaged, begin to hear more clearly the ticking of a clock at a distance of several steps. Again, this speaks in favor of the use of hypnotism in the treatment of weakness of vision, hearing, etc.

Of course, the success of the experiments depends on the ability and experience of the hypnotist. The more you practice, the faster and better you will achieve success.

In many hypnotics, under the influence of suggestion, physical strength also increases, sometimes to an incredible degree: they are able to lift such weights that in an ordinary state they would not budge. But such strong muscular tension cannot be harmless, therefore such experiments should not be carried out by anyone unless absolutely necessary.

Scientific experiments are only truly scientific when they tend towards the good of each and every person.

In a hypnotic state, memory is especially sharpened, more like a subconscious than a conscious ability. Under the influence of hypnosis, it is often possible to recall in the hypnotic the most distant events from his past life, which were completely erased from his memory in the waking state; You can inspire him to retain something in his memory for a long time. It follows from this that through hypnotic suggestions one can develop and strengthen memory, having first weighed, of course, what exceeds the benefit or harm of such experiences.

Multiplicity of “I”: split personality

Have you ever heard of split personality? Surely yes. Most likely, the source of information was films... He suffers from split personality and is not aware of the actions of the second personality, does whatever he wants...

But all this seems to apply to people with mental disabilities, what does this have to do with us? We are now talking about normal people, about you and me!

Did you know that each of us contains many personalities? Otherwise, with whom could we conduct an internal dialogue every day?! Think about a difficult situation. Surely you consulted with yourself first! One part of you said that you need to do this, and the second, as always, acted as a critic. We always tend to consult with ourselves first, and only then bring our thoughts to the judgment of people close to us and the public.

If you were trying to acquire or, conversely, get rid of a habit, you probably had conversations with yourself. Wanting, for example, to lose weight, they told themselves: “That’s it, from tomorrow I will eat less to become slim!” And in the evening, while eating a donut, you already think: “This is the last one, and starting tomorrow I’ll definitely go on a diet!” At the same time, your first inner voice says: “Well, again, I couldn’t restrain myself as much as possible, you’re a rag!” And so all the time!

So how many of us are there within us? In fact, we are like an intellectual nesting doll, a kind of intelligence within intelligence.

It is probably impossible to fully study this topic, but what is known for sure is that we have consciousness and subconsciousness. What does consciousness do in this case?

Consciousness is our stereotypes, habits, experiences. Consciousness has logic. Thanks to consciousness, we can build complex logical connections, reason and put forward hypotheses. Consciousness is the part of our Self that makes decisions.

What then is the subconscious? The subconscious is the emotional component of our Self. The subconscious controls the work of all systems of the body. Before you raise your hand, you don’t think that “now I will send an impulse to the cerebral cortex, and there will be excitement in the area responsible for the movement of the hand...” All these processes occur on a subconscious level.

The subconscious has access to all corners of our memory. The activity of the subconscious is largely dictated by the instinct of self-preservation! And if the subconscious sends some kind of signal, then the consciousness picks it up and begins to interpret these signals as the subconscious needs. The subconscious and consciousness always act in concert. The subconscious gives a signal to the conscious mind in accordance with the survival program embedded in it, and you act consciously. In emergency cases, the subconscious can completely turn off the work of consciousness, and then the person exclusively subconsciously performs those actions that should save his life - sometimes this happens literally at the edge of human capabilities. There are known cases when a person was able to jump over a tall fence while running away from bandits. But then he will not be able to even completely recall all the events in his memory second by second, much less repeat the trick with the fence. And all because in that situation a subconscious self-preservation program was activated, which temporarily turned off the work of consciousness.

So who controls a person? Of course, the subconscious. Why is it so hard to disassociate yourself, to give up your habits and desires? Because all this is controlled by the subconscious. And consciousness offers us a logical justification for all this: “I ate a donut today because I was very tired and nervous, but tomorrow I’ll go on a diet.” Good excuse...

So, we are controlled by the subconscious. This means that in order to learn to manage yourself, you must first learn to manage your subconscious. When you try to change some of your habits, your consciousness tries to go against the desires of the subconscious. And this is always uncomfortable and very difficult. And this completely explains why it is so difficult to change habits.

If something hurts you emotionally, you begin to live under the influence of emotions. So it turns out that if someone wants to evoke a certain behavior in you, all they need to do is evoke the corresponding emotion in you. And then you, like a puppet, will do what your subconscious tells you. This often happens in politics: there is someone who is visible, talks a lot, shouts, declaims, but in reality there is always someone who controls this speaker, but this manager usually remains in the shadows.

The subconscious mind wisely controls all body systems, the functioning of blood vessels, the brain, all somatic processes, and muscles. But it also controls the mind through our emotions, and all this is only for the purpose of self-preservation!

That is why it is so important to learn to control yourself, your emotions and, with the right thoughts and logic, cut off from yourself those people who are trying to influence your subconscious and manipulate you.

Let's look at an example of a chain: situation - emotion - logic - action.

You are waiting for your husband to come home from work. The usual time has come for the spouse to return home, but he is not there. The phone doesn't answer. An emotion of worry and anxiety arises in you. Your consciousness begins to build logical conclusions that will fully justify your emotion. You begin to imagine where he might be staying, what might have happened. In a few minutes you managed to think about hospitals, an accident, a mistress, separation and separation. These emotions and thoughts trigger your muscles and affect your entire psychosomatics. You cannot relax, you are losing sleep, you cannot sit still, and your subconscious is constantly pushing you to action: call, run, search!.. But if you look at this situation without emotions, calmly, what is called soberly, then It’s easy to discover that there are no reasons for such terrible thoughts and assumptions. And in just a few minutes you will see your husband alive and healthy!

This is precisely the pattern that gypsies use, telling you something that will affect you emotionally - then you are hooked... This is how they ensure that you have the thoughts they need, get into your subconscious, and now you are very likely to You will justify your behavior yourself and do what they want from you.

Now think about what emotional state you are in right now. If you feel good and calm, then your subconscious is good and calm, all processes in the body are working normally! But if you are irritable and restless, tense, it means that your subconscious is alarmed by something. And if all this is so interconnected, does it mean that our subconscious can be controlled not only through emotions, but also through our muscles and breathing?

So, if you can choose the right language for your subconscious, then through adjusting your thoughts, through your muscles and breathing, you can gradually change the program in your subconscious. And then, given that the subconscious controls our behavior, you will be able to give up a bad habit, develop a different stereotype of behavior and learn something new! And the main thing is to resist the influence of others on your subconscious!

Most scientists who study hypnosis acknowledge that normal social and cognitive phenomena play a role in the phenomenon, but they also believe that hypnosis is more than a simple act of imagination. First, hypnotized people sometimes do what the hypnotist tells them to do, even when they think no one is watching. And this indicates that it is not only about their desire to be “obedient.” Secondly, many of those who practice hypnosis are convinced that certain phenomena are characteristic only of hypnosis, and only the specific state of the state in hypnosis can explain the relief of pain and the disappearance of hallucinations.

True, skeptics, in turn, argue that hypnotists create a kind of aura of mysticism around themselves, since their well-being depends on it.

According to experienced hypnosis researcher Ernst Hilgard, hypnotic phenomena are caused not only by social influence, but also by a special state of consciousness, defined as dissociation. Hilgard believes that the dissociation that occurs in hypnosis sessions represents a more distinct form of everyday dissociation. So, we can read a fairy tale to a child for the fourteenth time before bed and at the same time think about the routine for the next day. If a dentist puts me under anesthesia during an appointment and then asks me to “open my mouth wider,” then while my conscious self is considering the request, my mouth opens on its own. “Turn to me,” says the dentist. And immediately some amazing force turns my head. With a little practice, you can learn to read and understand the content of a short story and at the same time write words from dictation, you can also hum a melody while listening to a lecture, or talk while playing a well-known piece on the piano. Thus, when hypnotized people write answers to questions on one topic while simultaneously talking or reading on another, they are merely demonstrating an enhanced form of normal cognitive dissociation. Therefore, hypnologists believe that modern researchers understand hypnosis as a subjective hypnotic experience, and not as a unique trance state.

Hilgard's discovery of hypnotic dissociation occurred during a curious experiment. During a hypnotic session in the presence of his students, Hilgard suggested to the subject that he could not hear anything, and then began to demonstrate to the students the absolute deafness of the person, his lack of any reaction to questions, ridicule, and even sharp sounds. One of the students asked Hilgard if this person could hear with any other organ of the body, and the scientist decided to demonstrate a negative answer to this question. He quietly asked the participant to raise his right index finger if any organ of his body could hear. And, to the great surprise of everyone present - including the subject - the finger went up. When the man regained his hearing, he said the following: “I was bored sitting here... And suddenly I felt my finger go up. Explain to me what happened." This incident accelerated further research.

As already noted, hypnotized people feel, according to them, significantly less pain than ordinary people when they put their hands in ice water. But when asked to press a button if “some part of the body feels pain,” they always do so. According to Hilgard, this indicates that the split consciousness - the hidden observer - passively perceives everything that happens. This theory of splitting consciousness during hypnosis reveals a contradiction: what the “hidden observer” says does not coincide with what the experimenter wants to see. But this can also be understood and explained: we all process a lot of information at the same time without realizing it.

There is no doubt that the social factor plays an important role in hypnosis. So, can we combine the two perspectives on hypnosis - social influence and split consciousness? Scientists John Kihlstrom and Kevin McConkie believe that there is no contradiction between the two approaches, and with their help it is possible to create a “sound theory of hypnosis.” In the meantime, in their opinion, we can understand hypnosis both as a normal manifestation of social behavior and as a splitting of consciousness.

Interesting facts about split personality. One of the most famous “textbook” cases of split personality is the story of Miss Beauchamp. This girl had four separate selves, completely different from each other - in terms of health, level of knowledge and the nature of memories.

Dr. Morton Prince, who investigated this phenomenon, noted that the third personality of Miss Beauchamp called herself Sally and claimed to be a spirit. She dominated the others and knew how to hypnotize them, sometimes subjecting them to merciless torture.

It happened, however, that she was simply “frolic”, putting toads or spiders in the box, so that another Miss Beauchamp, upon opening such a box, would simply go into hysterics - from fright and complete surprise.

However, Sally could do something even cooler: for example, take the last night bus out of town, get off at the last stop and leave her first Miss Beauchamp there, who then had to return to the city on foot.

Sally especially disliked the fourth Miss Beauchamp, constantly bullying her in every possible way.

When Dr. Prince tried to use hypnosis sessions to integrate all four individuals into one whole personality through suggestion, it was Sally who turned out to be the most stubborn of all: she continued to insist that she was a spirit, and therefore could not unite with anyone and would remain independent.

The doctor had to change tactics: he began to deal with Sally alone - to convince, exhort, cajole, persuade her so that she would leave the other three alone. In the end, this was successful: Sally left Miss Beauchamp’s body, after which her three other selves were safely “fused” together. By the way, the hypnosis used by the doctor helped.

Another amazing and very old case is associated with the name of Doris Fisher. She had five separate selves known as True Doris, Sick Doris, Sleeping Doris, Margaret and Sleeping Margaret.

Margaret was the most independent. She had a habit of stealing something and setting it up so that the blame would inevitably fall on True Doris. She hid her books, could put on her dress and jump into a dirty, stinking river, she scratched her body until she bled, but it was (and only!) the true Doris who felt the pain.

All this went on for years. The doctor who treated the girl, Walter Franklin Prince, came to the conclusion that this is not entirely similar to the projections of the subconscious: most likely, some alien, non-physical entity from the outside is involved, which has seized power over Doris Fisher’s own self and which must be gotten rid of in some non-standard way.

The doctor turned for help to James Hislop, then a professor of logic and ethics at Columbia University, who studied such phenomena as hysteria, split personality, etc. In the end, desperate scientists were forced to resort to the help of a medium and everything ended well: Doris Fisher became monopoly owner of her own body.

Not only popular rumor, but also the history of psychiatry provides rich material for the study of this phenomenon - the plurality of the Self. In the same physical shell, that is, in one human body, two, three, five or more mental doubles coexist. They can “cohabit” for years, decades, or even their entire lives. One by one, a “change of power” occurs and one of the competitors seems to seize dominance over the body - for several hours, days, or even months.

After some time, something like a short-term fainting happens, which is not always even noticed, and the person suddenly becomes a completely different person - with a different character, different interests and attachments. However, often he does not know that a minute ago he was different, that is, he does not even suspect the existence of several doubles within himself.

One I may not know how at another time the second (or third) I behaves and what it gets up to. Sometimes, of course, it happens that by some indirect signs, from the stories of relatives or acquaintances, one double guesses or is even well aware of his other “neighbors,” but perceives them not as different manifestations of his own self, but as separate, independent people: knows their names, character, habits, likes and dislikes. As we have already seen in the examples given above, such mental doubles can be friends with each other, or they can be unkind or even hostile towards each other.

The very possibility of the coexistence of such multiple selves is a firmly established fact, but the cause of the phenomenon is still being clarified. To get to the essence, we must learn to dissect consciousness “layer by layer,” but it seems that even the most talented psychiatrist still cannot do this, so we can only build versions: either this is a special kind of contacting, or strangers are involved here souls or something else.

But what is especially interesting are the differences that are often observed in the abilities (knowledge, abilities, skills) of individuals coexisting in the same body: one of the mental milkers may turn out to be very gifted in an area where the other simply does not know or understand anything. An analogy with a computer inevitably comes to mind: the same “box” contains several independent programs, and you can use or change each of them without affecting the others. Likewise, within one person there are several individuals, each of which develops according to its own separate program.

Over the past 80 years, more than 150 cases of split personality have been described, and each time disputes arose on this issue between psychologists and psychiatrists on the one hand and the so-called spiritualists on the other.

Spiritualists of various kinds in such cases tend to talk about the entry into the body of someone else’s soul (or souls) or about possession, moreover, in different eras and among different peoples there were a variety of methods and rituals for driving out demons, getting rid of possession, etc., sometimes quite harsh and even cruel. If the demon, or devil, or unclean spirit did not want to leave, the person could be killed.

Doctors believe that split personality is a mental illness in which, under the influence of emotional shock or other reasons, the harmonious whole of the human Self is broken, like a crystalline structure, into separate fragments, and the fault line runs through the most vulnerable parts of the psyche. Such a vulnerable area can be, for example, unfulfilled ambitions, long-suppressed desires, etc.

And then an ordinary person, in whom such traits as optimism and pessimism, generosity and selfishness, love of nature and the need for comfort coexisted quite peacefully, suddenly turns into a conglomerate of several separate components of himself, each of which is independent of its antagonist.

It is also curious that the second (or third, etc.) personality can hide inside the human I for quite a long time and not manifest itself in any way, that is, remain, as it were, in a latent state. It is discovered completely unexpectedly - in the event of a special set of circumstances, stress, nervous shock, etc.

Be that as it may, it turns out that several different personalities can have not only the same set of DNA, but even the same body! Why are their moral characteristics, abilities, sympathies, etc. so strikingly different? Does this mean that several different souls coexist inside one body? Where, then, is their abode?

What should we make of the intricate experiment conducted in 1949 by Dr. Robert True? Using hypnosis, he made volunteers relive Christmas and their birthdays when they were 10, 7 and 4 years old. He asked each of the participants in the experiment what day of the week this holiday was on and their birthdays. Without hypnosis, the probability of correct answers would be one answer in seven. Surprisingly, hypnotized people gave 82% correct answers. Other researchers have not been able to replicate the results of True's experiment. When Dr. Martin Orne asked Dr. True why this was so, he replied that Science, the journal in which his article was published, had “edited”, that is, shortened the key question, and it became: “What day is it?” » But in fact, Dr. True asked the experiment participants a question in the following form: “Is it Monday? Is it Tuesday? etc., until the subjects stopped him with the word “Yes.” When Ornn asked Tru if he himself knew the correct day of the week by asking questions, Tru replied that he knew, but did not understand why Ornn was asking such a question.

Do you now understand why Robert True was successful in his experiment? “His experiment is a wonderful confirmation of how a hypnotist can influence people's memory without their noticing (and in general how experimenters can suggest their intentions). If we take into account the readiness with which the hypnotized subject wants to do everything that is required of him, writes Orne, then it is only necessary to slightly change the form of the question (ask: “Is this the environment?”) for the subject to answer: “Yes.” .

Finally, the devastating blow to Dr. True's experiment was a simple question Martin Orne asked 10 children aged 4: "What day is it today?" He was very surprised when none of the children answered this question. It turns out that four-year-old children do not know the days of the week, and if this is true, then we can conclude that the adult participants in Robert True's experiment were giving information that they should not have known when they were 4 years old.

Relaxation techniques: health prevention

At the end of the section on the use of hypnosis in medicine, I would like to dwell on relaxation techniques, which will become an important tool for the prevention of most of the disorders described above.

Problems in the family and at work often create difficult, sometimes unbearable conditions. At the same time, the quality of life decreases sharply. Many of us begin to relax and brighten up our lives with cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. This is a typical example when the lack of natural trances, with the help of which the psyche should regularly be discharged and restored, leads to a “thirst” for artificial ones. It’s no secret that psychotropic substances also cause a relaxing and high effect, but everyone knows what the consequences can be.

The deficiency of natural trance can be effectively and without negative consequences compensated with the help of special psychotechniques used by psychologists and psychotherapists. These are meditation, autogenic training, self-hypnosis, yoga, qigong, tai chi and many others, with the help of which you can, having mastered self-regulation, independently relieve psycho-emotional stress.

If the name of a technique has a psycho-root, it means that with its help specific conditions are created for communication between consciousness and subconscious, soul and body. There are various psychological trainings that use special trance techniques, with the help of which you can quickly and effectively fill the trance deficit.

Remember that trance not only has a positive effect on almost all functions and systems of the body, but also creates new access to a resource that you can use in life.

Exercise: Absorbing Uncertainty(takes 25 minutes).

Milton Erickson had a deep conviction that the unconscious could help a person overcome difficulties. But how exactly can it help? It is unknown, and Milton Erickson fully embraced the unknown. Over and over again, his answer to this question was: “I really don’t know how it will happen, but I’m very curious to know about it.”

Curiosity and a genuine interest in the emerging process of change and problem solving allow the therapist to remain open to the client's world. As confidence and certainty grow and curiosity subsides, there is a tendency to perceive the client as an object rather than a person in his own rights, to manipulate him, to depersonalize him.

This exercise reflects these ideas from Erickson. It allows you to connect with the feeling of uncertainty that people experience before going into trance.

Formula: X, or X, or X, or X, but Y

X– statements about actions that the client can begin, stop, continue or change.

Y- a specific statement about the desired action.

1. A vague statement about some action of the client.

2. A vague statement about another action of the client.

3. Vague statement about the client's third action.

4. Vague statement about the client's fourth action.

5. A specific statement about the client's desired action.

Example:

1) I don't know if you will continue to look at the floor,

2) or you look at me,

3) or perhaps change your position to a more comfortable one,

4) or you will begin to breathe even more relaxed,

5) but I know that your subconscious mind can start to go into a trance and that is good for you.

Instructions : Use this formula to join and maintain a client to:

1) inducing a trance;

2) experiencing a situation from the past when the client acted successfully, feeling confident.

Techniques for using stories to induce trance(takes 60 minutes).

In this exercise, you can use simple stories to induce trance, deepen it, recall pleasant experiences, and bring the client out of trance.

1. Overview of situations in which trance naturally occurs. Partner 1 (the client) reviews a list of situations in which the trance state naturally occurs and tells Partner 2 (the hypnotist) which situations he prefers for himself.

2. A story about a naturally occurring state of trance. Partner 2 begins by focusing on themselves for a while, then on their partner, connecting to their physiology and breathing. At this stage, you will be joining and leading without saying a single word out loud. When you feel that a strong connection has formed between you and the client, begin to tell a story about your friend who had such and such experiences while in a situation where a trance state naturally occurred. Partner 1 “pretends to go into a trance.”

3. Deepening trance. Partner 2 asks Partner 1 to give him a signal (raise his finger) when he is in a place where he can accept the suggestion. Partner 2 then begins to tell a simple story about the experience of a person going down more and more flights of stairs, or walking through a sheet of fog, or through a door, plunging deeper and deeper into trance with each step.

4. Searching for memories of a successful situation. When Partner 1 raises their finger, Partner 2 makes the following suggestion: “Look at your past experiences and choose one situation when you felt confident and did an excellent job at something. When you find such an experience, raise your finger again.” Partner 2 then continues, “And because you can remember so much, you can also remember your sense of confidence in your own competence and skill.” Invite partner 1 to pay attention to what he sees around him, being in that situation, what sounds he hears. Let him fully feel this situation.

5. Reorientation. Partner 2 brings Partner 1 out of trance by talking about the experiences that person experiences every morning when waking up.

6. Feedback. Partner 1 tells Partner 2 what helped and what hindered the development of the trance state.

One of the great thinkers said: “Wisdom is the recognition of a fact.” Trance is a real thing, determined by our physiology, affecting our psyche. We need to become aware of our trance culture. This is the first step to health and happiness. After all, for some men, going fishing is truly a trance culture, and not just a reason to “crush the bubble.” For some women, knitting or crocheting is as important as meditation to a yogi, no matter that no one uses her creation.