FAQ'S

Hypnosis: 
"Taking that part of your mind that won't listen to you, and making it more receptive to what you want."

What Is Hypnosis?

There are many different definitions of hypnosis such as, "an altered state of mind", "a trance" etc.  Although hypnosis has been around for hundreds of years, it is still one of the most misunderstood of all sciences.  Much of the misinformation can be traced back to television, movies and novels.  The average adult encountering hypnosis in a private session quickly realizes that the media is not an accurate portrayal of hypnotism.

Fortunately, the US government has given us a definition that is very useful. According to the US government, hypnosis is the bypass of the critical part of the mind and acceptance of selective thinking. For example if someone were to come into your house and say "its getting very cold in here", the critical part of your mind would analyze this statement something like this - "the door or windows are not open, the heat is at 75 degrees - therefore it is not getting cold in here".  However, if the critical part was bypassed, your mind would accept the statement as reality and send a message that your body is feeling cold.

It is this bypass of the critical part of the mind that makes hypnosis so useful.  With hypnosis we can take the part of your mind that wont listen to you and make it more receptive to what you want.  We can address the limiting beliefs and habits that YOU want to change, and make powerful changes right away.

What does hypnosis feel like?

Hypnosis actually doesn't feel like anything. It is a state of mind. Here is one example: Have you ever known something, but then suddenly you got a deeper understanding than ever before? Most people call that an "aha moment". That's how it is when you are in hypnosis. You can have access to information that you didn't know you knew and becoming aware of that helps you to make positive change. Other than that you will probably feel relaxed since we will often also be focusing on relaxing as a way to bypass the critical factor.

Do you pass out or become unconscious when hypnotized?

No. You will hear everything the hypnotist says and you will remember everything. We want you to remember because your changes will come from insight you get during the sessions.

Can anyone be hypnotized?

I have never had a client who didn't go into hypnosis in my office. It used to be believed that only 20% of the population could be hypnotized. We have since discovered that those numbers are due to lack of technique, understanding and training of the hypnotist. All you have to do is follow very easy instructions and be of normal intelligence and you will go right into a level of hypnosis to do all the processes of the work necessary to get the changes you want.

How do you go into hypnosis?

Two ways:
1. Automatically and naturally: Human beings are changing all the time in many ways on many levels, be it mood, relative health and even level of consciousness. People naturally and automatically go into hypnosis from time to time. You may have experienced "highway trance", that is driving on the freeway and because you were thinking about something else (focused attention) you may have missed your exit, or been unaware of the time passing. That state of focused attention while driving was a mind-state similar to hypnosis.  Hypnosis is simply going into that mind-state on purpose. 

2. A hypnotist guides you there: Hypnotists have a number of ways to do hypnotic inductions to help you achieve the state of hypnosis. A good hypnotist can get you into the hypnotic state in 4 seconds to 4 minutes.

Is hypnosis safe?

Hypnosis is occurs naturally in all human beings. You won't believe how many times you or your friends or family have been in hypnosis and didn't know it.  It can be pretty funny sometimes. Here's just ONE example; A friend of mine was so hypnotized when  looking for ketchup in his refrigerator that he was looking right at the bottle and couldn't see it. His wife got a big kick out of it!

Also, once again, if hypnosis were not safe you would hear news stories about the terrible things that hypnosis does or is doing to people. No one has ever been harmed by going into the hypnotic state.

In addition, hypnosis has been accepted by the American Medical Association since 1958 and is used for all sorts of issues such as helping children control epileptic seizures, overcoming infertility, IBS, controlling or eliminating pain and skin ailments, finding the cause of depression, anxiety and bad habits and the list goes on and on.

If this is so why don't more doctors tell patients about hypnosis? Most doctors just don't think about it because their training is not in this area, but more and more are embracing the idea and we get referrals from doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors and therapists all the time.

Can you get stuck in Hypnosis?

Gosh if that ever happened don't you think THAT would have made the news by now? Heaven's no! No one has ever been stuck in hypnosis. 

Can the hypnotist make me do something I don't want to do?

No. You are always in control. If a hypnotist ever gave you a suggestion that you were morally or ethically opposed to you would emerge from hypnosis immediately. And if a hypnotist gives you a suggestion that just isn't one you want, it just won't have any affect on you.

    Hypnosis Associates of Central Florida

                        407-971-0041