FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
THIRTY QUESTIONS
01. WHAT
IS HYPNOSIS?
02. WHAT
IS MEANT BY ENVIRONMENTAL HYPNOTISM?
03. IS
HYPNOSIS AND SLEEP THE SAME THING?
04. IS
THERE ANY DANGER OF A SUBJECT NOT AWAKENING FROM HYPNOSIS?
05. HOW
LONG DOES IT TAKE TO HYPNOTIZE A PERSON?
06. ARE
MEN BETTER HYPNOTIC SUBJECTS THAN WOMEN?
07. IS
IT DIFFICULT TO HYPNOTIZE A STRONG MINDED PERSON?
08. CAN
CHILDREN BE HYPNOTIZED?
09. WHO
MAKES THE BEST HYPNOTIC SUBJECT?
10. HAVE
I EVER BEEN HYPNOTIZED WITHOUT KNOWING IT?
11. WHAT
DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE HYPNOTIZED?
12. CAN
HYPNOSIS PROGRAM A PERSON?
13. WHAT
TECHNICAL TRAINING DOES ONE NEED TO BECOME A HYPNOTIST?
14. CAN
A PERSON RESIST BEING HYPNOTIZED?
15. ARE
SOME PEOPLE EASIER TO HYPNOTIZE THAN OTHERS?
16. WHAT
IS MEANT BY VISUALIZATION AND VISUAL IMAGERY?
17. CAN
A PERSON STOP SMOKING USING HYPNOSIS?
18. CAN
A PERSON LOSE WEIGHT USING HYPNOSIS?
19. CAN
HYPNOSIS HELP A PERSON SLEEP?
20. WHAT
IS MEANT BY HYPNOTIC RELAXATION?
21. CAN
HYPNOSIS HELP ATHLETES IN SPORTS?
22. CAN
HYPNOSIS HELP DEVELOP TALENT?
23. WHAT
IS MEANT BY AGE REGRESSION HYPNOSIS?
24. CAN
HYPNOSIS HELP OVERCOME DRUG ADDICTION?
25. DOES
ALCOHOL MAKE A PERSON MORE RECEPTIVE TO HYPNOSIS?
26. CAN
HYPNOSIS STOP A HEADACHE?
27. CAN
HYPNOSIS BE USED IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATI0N?
28. DO
HYPNOSIS AUDIO PROGRAMS REALLY WORK?
29. WHAT
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS CAN HYPNOSIS HELPFULLY AID?
30. WHAT
PHYSICAL DISORDERS CAN HYPNOSIS HELPFULLY AID?
01. WHAT IS HYPNOSIS?
“Hypnosis is a state of magnified concentration
in whereas a person’s subconscious mind becomes receptive
to positive emotions and positive habit changes such as
helping a person stop smoking, lose weight, increase motivation
and confidence and to let go of stress and tensions”.
A suggestion under the hypnosis relaxation is nine times
more powerful and stronger because your subconscious mind
is 90% of your mind power. Hypnosis helps to put a person
in control of their mind power. Our conscious mind or will
power part of our mind is only about 10% of your total
mind power. All negative habits and emotions are all in
a person’s subconscious mind and hypnosis helps you
to reprogram your subconscious mind and emotions so that
you can reach every goal in your life and not hold yourself
back from happiness. <TOP
02. WHAT IS MEANT BY ENVIRONMENTAL
HYPNOTISM?
Environmental hypnosis is the process of being hypnotized by
the environment like driving your car and day dreaming you
are hypnotized. When you learned how to drive a car, the pattern
of driving got accepted and recorded into your subconscious
mind and when you daydream and drive, your subconscious mind
is doing the driving for you. At that time, your subconscious
is working for you.
Watching a movie we become hypnotized into the movie and feel
the effects of the movie. As you start to watch a movie, you
start to focus and concentrate on the movie, and after a few
moments you become hypnotized into the movie and start to kind
of live and feel the emotions of the movie. If the movie is
sad, people cry, if it s happy or exciting people are going
through a roller coaster of emotions. Movies can put you into
a hypnotized state of mind, and movies can produce good happy
feelings or thoughts, or movies can activate fear, hatred,
violence and other negative images and patterns. Be careful
what movies you let your children watch and be careful what
movies you watch.
You can be hypnotized many different times a day. Listening
to music, watching a soap opera, watching a sports event, working,
shopping in a super market, smelling a good smell to name a
few. We go into hypnosis and magnified concentration all the
time and each and every day. We are all hypnotized at times
during the day by the environment. <TOP
03. IS HYPNOSIS AND SLEEP THE SAME THING?
Psychologically speaking, sleep and hypnosis represent directly
opposite states of mind. In sleep, the attention of the sleeper
is diffused, while in hypnosis it is concentrated. In a hypnosis
relaxed sleep, your subconscious mind is receiving positive
thoughts and suggestions and in a natural sleep, your subconscious
mind in transmitting thoughts in the form of dreams. <TOP
04. IS THERE ANY DANGER OF A SUBJECT NOT AWAKENING
FROM HYPNOSIS?
The term awakening from hypnosis is what’s most generally
used, but actually the term arousing from hypnosis is more
accurate. There is no danger whatsoever of a person not arousing
or awakening from hypnosis, even if in the very deepest trance
levels of somnambulism. Now if you hypnotize a person and leave
them in hypnosis, they will naturally convert to from hypnosis
to natural sleep and awaken feel peaceful and refreshed. <TOP
05. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO HYPNOTIZE A PERSON?
The potential to enter hypnosis lies within the mind of every
person. Mind operates like a computer, so hypnosis can occur
in an instant with some subjects. The length of time it takes
to hypnotize rather depends on the situation. <TOP
06. ARE MEN BETTER HYPNOTIC SUBJECTS THAN WOMEN?
Sex does not seem to be a factor. Men and woman appear to be
equally hypnotizable. The individual them-self is the factor
depending if they are resistant to allowing themselves to get
hypnotized, and on how effectively they can learn the skill
of entering the hypnotic state of mind. Being able to be hypnotized
and using the power of mind is truly a learned skill. Some
people both male and female seem to have a natural aptitude
for it. Others take longer to learn, but both men and woman
are equal when it comes to being hypnotized. Focus and concentration
can also be a factor in person entering into hypnosis. <TOP
07. IS IT DIFFICULT TO HYPNOTIZE A STRONG MINDED
PERSON?
Actually we prefer to work with a strong-minded person, as
a strong-minded person is someone who achieves the goals they
set out to achieve. We would say that being strong-minded is
really an asset to being hypnotizable. A strong-minded person
can concentrate better and can focus better on the suggestions
of the hypnotherapist, and are sometimes the best clients in
hypnotherapy. Lawyers, doctors, teachers and even military
personal can make great subjects for deep hypnosis and hypnotherapy
sessions. Remember a stubborn person is not a strong-minded
person. Stubborn people may be difficult to hypnotize. A strong
minded person who is an open minded person, willing to allow
themselves to be hypnotized, may be some of the most receptive
types of people for hypnotherapy. <TOP
08. CAN CHILDREN BE HYPNOTIZED?
Indeed they can, and wonderfully so. Children go in and out
of hypnotic mental states often in the games they play. In
our clinical work with children, we employ a let’s pretend
or make believe we are hypnotized technique which provides
an exceedingly rapid method of hypnotizing children, as they
make a game of it. When you watch children playing you can
see that they are hypnotized almost naturally by pretending
they are cowboys or pirates or playing with pretend friends.
Children understand simple suggestions the best.
Children tend to stay in hypnosis shorter periods of time,
but they seem to also go in and out of hypnosis a number of
times during a hypnotherapy session. <TOP
09. WHO MAKES THE BEST HYPNOTIC SUBJECT?
To answer this question I would say that people who are willing
to allow themselves to be hypnotized make the best subjects.
A person who has an intelligent interest in hypnosis and has
an understanding of what hypnosis is will let himself or herself
experience it and usually make the best, deepest and receptive
hypnotic subjects. People who do not think too much about the
process of hypnosis but instead just “go” with
the flow of the process tend to make the best hypnotic subjects.
Hypnosis also depends on a person’s willingness to be
hypnotized. All hypnosis can be considered “self hypnosis”.
A person’s willing desire to be hypnotized will make
them the best candidates for hypnosis. <TOP
10. HAVE I EVER BEEN HYPNOTIZED WITHOUT KNOWING
IT?
Assuredly you have been environmentally hypnotized. Every time
you become completely absorbed in anything you enter a hypnotic
state of mind. You go to a movie and become absorbed in the
drama and the movie makes you cry or it makes you laugh, and
yet it is only a motion picture and you know it is. But the
movie has stimulated your emotions and you automatically respond
to the way the story suggested. Even advertising campaigns
and slogans can emotionally move you in certain directions
to make purchases. Remember the slogan that went like this: “Things go better with _____. You can fill the blank. <TOP
11. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE HYPNOTIZED?
When you are hypnotized, you feel very calm and relaxed as
though nothing else matters but being in this deep peaceful
relaxation. Your entire body becomes lose, limp and relaxed
also. You can be aware of everything around you, yet you are
very peaceful and receptive to subconscious suggestions without
resistance from the conscious critical facility of mind. It
may feel like you are having a wonderful dream also. If you
have ever been caught up in a vivid dream you will know what
it feels like to be hypnotized. Even when you know the dream
is a dream, it still powerfully affects you. Dreams are very
real to the dreamer. Hypnosis is very real to the hypnotized.
And being hypnotized like I had mentioned earlier for about
15 minutes, is equal to about 5 hours a deep natural sleep.
Some people when they awaken from hypnosis may not remember
what took place during the session and other will remember
everything. When you awaken from hypnosis, you feel very calm
and peaceful. <TOP
12. CAN HYPNOSIS PROGRAM A PERSON?
Your brain functions much like your personal computer. Just
as you can program the computer on your desk, so your personal
computer can be programmed and using hypnosis is an effective
way to reprogram yourself. Just remember to program yourself
in helpful and positive ways.
Every experience one has in life has the effect of programming
a person. If the programming is good, hypnosis can be used
to amplify the programming. If the programming is harmful,
hypnosis provides a means of deprogramming that, which is not
wanted. Hypnosis provides a directed means of allowing you
to become the person that you want to be. Hypnosis can reprogram
your bio computer to work for you and for you be in control
of your mind. <TOP
13. WHAT TECHNICAL TRAINING DOES ONE NEED TO BECOME
A HYPNOTIST?
The best training for becoming a hypnotist actually comes from
gaining experience with hypnotizing. And being hypnotized yourself
too, as you then gain an introspective understanding of the
hypnotic state. In relation to technical training, college
courses in psychology are valuable. Likewise there are numerous
private schools and hypnosis institutes across the country
that give courses in hypnotherapy like the courses that we
teach at The Tom Silver Institute of Scientific & Clinical
Hypnotherapy. Training in hypnotherapy is very important and
we feel that if you are serious in wanting to become a hypnotherapist,
you should enroll in a hypnotherapy program and start taking
as many different courses as you can. The more knowledge you
have, the better you will be.
I also feel that the study of the science of hypnosis and techniques
to hypnotize a person should be taught to every person studying
medicine and psychology. The A.M.A. officially recognized hypnosis
back in the fifties and also requested medical students to
also study hypnotism. <TOP
14. CAN A PERSON RESIST BEING HYPNOTIZED?
The induction of hypnosis is a willingness on the part of operator
and subject to assist the latter to enter the hypnotic state
of mind. The operator/subject with hypnotism is a dual role
process, in which each has a specific role to play. The subject
takes on the passive role of being receptive and concentrating
on the suggestions, while the hypnotist takes on the active
role to properly present the hypnotizing suggestions. Both
devote their complete attention to the process. In this context,
one school of hypnosis states the hypnosis as a form of social
role-playing. In life, it is difficult to accomplish anything
by resisting doing it. Hypnotizing is no exception to this
general rule. Unless the subject is willing and agreeable to
be hypnotized, the whole thing is a waste of time for both
parties. <TOP
15. ARE SOME PEOPLE EASIER TO HYPNOTIZE THAN OTHERS?
Of course, just as some people are easier to communicate with
than others. Some people are able to enter the hypnotic state
almost in the instant and go into deep trance. Others take
longer to learn how to do it. Entering hypnosis is possible
for everyone, but in a way it is a talent, and the degree of
talent each person has varies with each individual. <TOP
16. WHAT IS MEANT BY VISUALIZATION AND VISUAL
IMAGERY?
Visualization and Visual Imagery, is the picture-forming power
of the mind. In relation to hypnosis, the hypnotherapist has
the client see in his mind a visual picture of what he wants
to accomplish. The client visualizes his goal in his mind while
he or she is hypnotized. The hypnotist now gives direct suggestions
to the client of reaching this goal or he the therapist may
give the client some positive affirmations to repeat silently
to him or herself of reaching this goal. We use this principle
of visual imagery continuously in our work. Visualization of
a positive change is one of the most important processes we
know for the production of successful hypnotherapy. Having
a person visualize in their mind a goal and than seeing themselves
achieving this goal all under hypnosis, has helped thousands
of people achieve their goals in life. Athletes before competition
utilize the powers of visualization. To use visualization,
you do not even have to be hypnotized. The power of creative
visualization is available for all of us to use. You should
always use it in your private hypnotherapy practice because
it works. Later on in our training manual we will teach you
some visual imagery techniques that you will find very valuable.. <TOP
17. CAN A PERSON STOP SMOKING USING HYPNOSIS?
The use of hypnosis has helped many people to stop smoking.
Trying to stop smoking using your Will Power is very difficult.
Stopping smoking by using your subconscious motivation to stop
smoking often does the job quickly. One thing we must tell
you about this though, we never hypnotize a person to stop
smoking unless stopping smoking is their personal wish, and
never because someone outside tells them to. Smoking is a habit
activated by a tobacco addiction. To master such a habit requires
personal desire in that direction which motivation is amplified
by the hypnotist. Cigarettes contain nicotine and sugar and
it is a two chemical addiction not just one. Most people do
not know that each cigarette contains about a half a teaspoon
of sugar. Hypnosis can help you to let go of the chemical addictions
and also to let the habit and addition go. The person who wants
to stop smoking must be consciously motivated and willing to
stop smoking and needs to follow the hypnotherapists program. <TOP
18. CAN A PERSON LOSE WEIGHT USING HYPNOSIS?
Yes hypnosis can help in directing the hypnotic motivation
towards goal of regulating proper eating habits and body metabolism
and to handle a smaller intake of food while increasing a person’s
energy. <TOP
19. CAN HYPNOSIS HELP A PERSON SLEEP?
While hypnosis is not the same as natural sleep, it can definitely
be a great aid in helping a person sleep. What disturbs sleep
most is an over-active mind when one is trying to sleep, and
an over active mind comes from an over-active body, that is
to say a restlessness that comes from stress of some kind or
other. The body affects the mind and mind affects the body.
It is a vicious circle. Hypnosis breaks the circle. Hypnosis
provides a pathway to relaxing both mind and body, and when
both work in harmony, healthful normal sleep is always the
result. <TOP
20. WHAT IS MEANT BY HYPNOTIC RELAXATION?
The entire process of hypnosis is directed towards the ends
of relaxing the mind through relaxing the body. What is meant
by hypnotic relaxation is a deliberately directed process that
interrupts the circle of mind disturbing body and body disturbing
mind syndrome. What is very interesting to us is that just
the entering of the hypnotic state alone brings about wonderful
relaxation. That is what hypnotic relaxation means. It directs
mind towards being at peace with itself. A hypnotic relaxation
is very healthful in restoring energy and vitality. <TOP
21. CAN HYPNOSIS HELP ATHLETES IN SPORTS?
Hypnosis can definitely increase athletic ability in sports.
It removes apprehensions of failure to win and increases motivation
to win. Hypnosis has been used by many famous sports figures.
Hypnosis can increase focus and concentration and put an athlete “in
the zone”. Hypnosis in sports has become a popular use
for the art. Lot’s of golfers utilize hypnotism. We have
helped many an athlete reach their sports goals with the use
of hypnosis, visual imagery and conscious affirmation. <TOP
22. CAN HYPNOSIS HELP DEVELOP TALENT?
Hypnosis can very much help develop talent in persons who
have talent. It’s used by artists, musicians, singers,
dancers and actors, and has proved wonderfully successful.
Hypnosis does not create talent, but if talent is there
it can amplify the talent. We highly recommend that talented
people learn The Art of Self-Hypnosis. It will prove of
great value to all talented people who wish to increase
their talent. Hypnosis can help you to reach your true
performance peak level and ability. Hypnosis can help a
person let go of fears and explore their own creativity
and imagination. <TOP
23. WHAT IS MEANT BY AGE REGRESSION HYPNOSIS?
Age Regression hypnosis deals with bringing forth experiences
and memories, which have occurred in the subject’s current
lifetime. Mostly this form of hypnotic regression deals with
surfacing childhood experiences and traumas which have occurred
in the past and which have a bearing on the behavior of the
person in their current space and time. If you have had a traumatic
event in your life at any time, that event may be affecting
the way you feel and act.
A regression therapy back to a negative event to let go of
the emotional scars of that event may be very therapeutic.
Some hypnotherapists also practice the therapy that is called
Past Life Regression. We have personally conducted over 1000
past life regression therapies. This is the process of hypnotizing
a person and taking them back to a past life memory so that
they can learn and change from that memory. Age regression
therapy is used extensively and successfully in hypnosis. <TOP
24. CAN HYPNOSIS HELP OVERCOME DRUG ADDICTION?
If the person shows enough good sense to want to master
a drug habit, hypnosis can definitely help as hypnosis
through the proper handling of suggestions, can increase
the subject’s
motivation to kick the habit and to even get over the chemical
addition that the drug might create. When a subject has an
open mind to want to stop, while hypnotized we present a barrage
of good solid reasons and suggestions of why they should stop.
These are positive hypnotherapy suggestions and visual images.
When such suggestions and visual images are accepted by the
subconscious mind, drug addiction can often be curbed and even
eliminated. There also might be a number of factors involved
that have created the drug addiction. The addiction might be
the symptom and the cause something else. With therapy, sometimes
when the cause of a habit is revealed, the symptoms will disappear.
Addiction to drugs or alcohol might just be a temporary bandage
that the client is putting over the wound, which might be the
emotional scar from the past. <TOP
25. DOES ALCOHOL MAKE A PERSON MORE RECEPTIVE
TO HYPNOSIS?
Actually there is no need for it. We prefer to avoid its use.
However, remember a little alcohol is a far cry from drunkenness.
Drunkenness is a very unpredictable state, and sometimes hypnosis
is difficult. The focus and concentration of an intoxicated
person is very weak. A person who is not on alcohol or drugs
make the best candidates for hypnotherapy because they can
focus better and as you now know hypnosis is magnified concentration
and focus of attention. <TOP
26. CAN HYPNOSIS STOP A HEADACHE?
We would say that hypnosis could relieve the pain and discomfort
of a headache, especially if the headache is created by stress,
tension, worry, anxiety or any other negative emotion. Over
60% of all physical problems or what we call “body syndromes” which
are physical pains, caused by mental anxiety. Using hypnotism
has neutralized many a headache. Even some migraine headaches
have been drastically reduced by also using hypnosis. <TOP
27. CAN HYPNOSIS BE USED IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATI0N?
Truly amazing results are possible. Most academic learning
is a matter of recalling the learned information that has been
given in the classroom. Everything you have ever learned is
right there for recall in that wonderful mental computer in
your head called subconscious mind. Hypnosis can bring in spontaneously
recall of what one has learned. Used for educational purposes
it can turn one into a scholar. We have used hypnosis with
students and professional people to increase their focus and
concentration on what they study, and to increase their long-term
memory. All long-term memory is subconscious. Hypnosis can
help you to increase your focus and concentration when you
study, it can also increase your long-term memory receptiveness.
Hypnosis has been very effective in helping students be more
calm and relaxed during test taking so that the correct answers
can easily come up. When my (Tom) daughter Nicole was in elementary
school, I hypnotized her first grade teacher to pass a bilingual
exam. A stimulating teacher, who captures the attention and
emotions of her students, is practicing waking hypnosis without
even knowing it. <TOP
28. DO HYPNOSIS AUDIO PROGRAMS REALLY WORK?
Hypnotic audio programs of worthwhile suggestion formulas have
definite value. Both of us have hypnosis audio programs that
we have created and we sometimes give to our clients. Some
people do not have a clinically trained hypnotherapist in their
area and a good self-hypnosis behavior modification program
might work great for them. Usually these are designed to commence
by a relaxation series of suggestions, which are followed by
the recording of the desired suggestion formula, for purposes
such as overcoming stress, developing confidence, increasing
memory, losing weight, stopping smoking etc. Many such tapes
or CDs can be found on the public market, and their consistent
use has proves successful. It actually took me (Tom) five years
to create self-help hypnosis programs that I felt were as good
or even better than most hypnotherapy sessions. <TOP
