It's time to put to rest all those worries about losing control while hypnotized. Check out the podcast below where I talk in detail about how stage hypnosis works and why you don't have to worry about clucking like a chicken if you're there to stop smoking.
Showing posts with label hypnotist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hypnotist. Show all posts
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Hypnosis FAQ: "Will I Lose Awareness While Hypnotized?"
This video is taken from my stop smoking hypnosis seminar on World Hypnotism Day - January 4th, 2009. Here, I talk briefly about the state of hypnosis and what it's like... and how you remain aware of what is happening throughout the process.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
How to Enjoy Flying
I thought I'd take a quick break from packing my suitcase to pass on some very simple, clear information to those of you who suffer from a fear of flying.
When I work with my clients on this fear, I always ask them when the fear begins. Usually, it begins when they plan the trip. Literally, it can be when they're online, shopping for flights, choosing the dates, etc. The fear then intensifies as each days passes and the day of the flight gets closer.
My approach to curing fears and phobias comes from a unique concept - teaching people how to think like those of us who actually enjoy flying. We think about the trip in a way that produces absolutely no anxiety or uncomfortable feelings, and that's because of what we think and how we think about it.
So here's how I do it, as I've come to discover through a bit of introspection:
Acceptance of death as a natural part of the life cycle is very empowering.
Once the flight reaches cruising altitude, I either drift off to sleep, dig into the book, or just listen to music and allow my thoughts to wander. It's a time when I have no responsibilities, so I can relax and reflect.
Taking a trip is a good time to think about your life, where you're going and where you've been. Many times I've returned from a trip and made significant changes based on those reflections and new ideas that have come to me while thinking or reading.
The point of the story here is that there are far more interesting things to think about and do when taking a trip than focusing on the terrifying thoughts in which bad things happen.
This is something that anyone can learn to do... and it is my pleasure to teach people how to do it in my office, all while relaxing in a comfortable trance.
Happy Holidays.
When I work with my clients on this fear, I always ask them when the fear begins. Usually, it begins when they plan the trip. Literally, it can be when they're online, shopping for flights, choosing the dates, etc. The fear then intensifies as each days passes and the day of the flight gets closer.
My approach to curing fears and phobias comes from a unique concept - teaching people how to think like those of us who actually enjoy flying. We think about the trip in a way that produces absolutely no anxiety or uncomfortable feelings, and that's because of what we think and how we think about it.
So here's how I do it, as I've come to discover through a bit of introspection:
- When I buy the tickets, I'm thinking about who I'm going to see. The confirmation I receive in the email is then sent off to the family members or friends who I'll be visiting, so they'll know when I'm arriving at the airport. The thought of seeing these people puts a smile on my face. [otherwise, I wouldn't be buying the ticket!]
- When I think about the trip, my thoughts are focused on what I'll be doing while I'm there. The airport experience and flight barely enter into my mind.
- When I pack for the trip (like tonight), I'm again thinking only about what I'll be doing while I'm there. This allows me to choose the right clothes for the trip! One other thought that crosses my mind is to travel light... because although I'm not afraid of flying, I have no love for waiting at the baggage claim.
- On the day of the trip, it's all about giving myself enough time to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare. This prevents any unnecessary stress due to worrying about missing the flight or getting bumped (especially this time of year).
- When I arrive at the airport, I think of it as though my vacation has already begun. Now, everyone else has to do all the work. I get to turn on the ipod, listen to my favorite music, read a book, and just turn off my brain. Occasionally, I'll glance at the time and keep an eye on the gate so I'll know when it's time to board. During this time, there is absolutely no thought about being on the plane, the actual flight experience or the possibility of a crash or terrorist attack (this is a big one since 9/11). I've trained myself so these thoughts just don't enter into my mind.
- When it's time to board, I'm usually still absorbed in music and a book. My attention is on what I'm reading... that's it. This helps with blocking out the screaming kids and impatient or sttressed-out travelers, too. I meander my way through the aisle to my seat, toss my bags in the overhead and plop down in the seat. At this point, although I continue to read, I keep the headphones off in case someone sits next to me or wants my attention. This is all as dull as can be... just the way I like it.
- When the plane begins to taxi, I might close my eyes and do some self-hypnosis... just relax my whole body as deeply as possible. During takeoff, I usually do have a passing awareness of the small possibility that there could be an accident. I don't think about this visually... it's just an awareness that allows me to mentally prepare. I might think about how great life has been... the good times I've had... and I resolve myself that if today's my day, then I've had a pretty good ride.
Acceptance of death as a natural part of the life cycle is very empowering.
Once the flight reaches cruising altitude, I either drift off to sleep, dig into the book, or just listen to music and allow my thoughts to wander. It's a time when I have no responsibilities, so I can relax and reflect.
Taking a trip is a good time to think about your life, where you're going and where you've been. Many times I've returned from a trip and made significant changes based on those reflections and new ideas that have come to me while thinking or reading.
The point of the story here is that there are far more interesting things to think about and do when taking a trip than focusing on the terrifying thoughts in which bad things happen.
This is something that anyone can learn to do... and it is my pleasure to teach people how to do it in my office, all while relaxing in a comfortable trance.
Happy Holidays.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Winona Ryder's Fear Sends Her to the Hospital
Call this "How Not to Cure a Phobia - Part III" (see the previous installments in the archives of this blog).
These examples seem to come along nearly every other day now... people putting themselves at high risk in order to combat a fear that could be dealt with much more safely and comfortably.
This time it's a celebrity - Winona Ryder - who decided to use powerful prescription drugs to combat her fear of flying. The result? She apparently overdosed on tranquilizers, forcing the pilot to request a priority landing so she could be rushed to the hospital.
Click here for the story from Reuters.
Thankfully, Ms. Ryder survived and is in good health. It's a shame that with all her wealth and popularity, she hasn't yet found the help she needs to address her fear appropriately.
Drugs (tranquilizers, in this case) treat symptoms, that's it. They do nothing to address the cause. Even if you never overdose on them, the best you can hope for is that you'll continue taking them for the rest of your life. It's dependency... slavery, if you will.
Fear begins in the subconscious. There are thoughts that cross Winona Ryder's mind when she takes a flight, or even thinks about flying, and these thoughts produce feelings of panic and anxiety. People who enjoy flying don't think about it the same way. If they did, they'd be as afraid as she is.
The way to eliminate a phobia is to change the thoughts that produce the feelings. Once the thoughts change, the response changes automatically. It doesn't matter how long the fear has been in place. It doesn't matter what the feared object may be.
The change can happen very quickly.
While it is understandable that to someone who hasn't studied or experienced hypnosis or NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), this may seem fanciful - too good to be true - the truth is that therapists have been curing phobias in this way for decades. Do a little Google research into the "10-minute phobia cure" created by Richard Bandler (photo, above), the co-founder of NLP.
I often tell my clients the story of how I cured my first phobia after reading a famous book co-authored by Richard Bandler and John Grinder - Frogs into Princes (pictured below). I quite literally had a couple months' worth of hypnotherapy training, added to the knowledge I gained reading Bandler & Grinder's books, when I made my first attempt. The result? I helped a 52-year-old woman lose her 33-year phobia of cats - in one session.
Now I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I instantly began to wonder why something so simple and safe would remain relatively unknown to the majority of the population. After all, even most psychiatrists these days still employ "exposure" therapy to cure fears and phobias.
Then I realized that many psychiatrists prescribe pharmaceuticals to patients for the phobias, and that large pharmaceutical companies like Merck and Pfizer make billions of dollars a year selling these drugs to people. While a hypnotherapist might make a few hundred bucks curing your fear, think about how much money can be made selling you prescription drugs for the rest of your life.
Treating phobias with drugs is profitable. It's big business.
So if you're skeptical as to whether something like hypnosis could actually work, and if so, why it remains so obscure (even though it's becoming more mainstream), consider how many billions of dollars in profits would be lost if everyone stopped taking tranquilizers and used hypnosis to eliminate their anxiety.
My hope is that Ms. Ryder, and anyone else suffering from intense fear or anxiety, will now seek help from someone who's well-trained in hypnosis and NLP, so this kind of thing doesn't happen again.
These examples seem to come along nearly every other day now... people putting themselves at high risk in order to combat a fear that could be dealt with much more safely and comfortably.
This time it's a celebrity - Winona Ryder - who decided to use powerful prescription drugs to combat her fear of flying. The result? She apparently overdosed on tranquilizers, forcing the pilot to request a priority landing so she could be rushed to the hospital.
Click here for the story from Reuters.
Thankfully, Ms. Ryder survived and is in good health. It's a shame that with all her wealth and popularity, she hasn't yet found the help she needs to address her fear appropriately.
Drugs (tranquilizers, in this case) treat symptoms, that's it. They do nothing to address the cause. Even if you never overdose on them, the best you can hope for is that you'll continue taking them for the rest of your life. It's dependency... slavery, if you will.
Fear begins in the subconscious. There are thoughts that cross Winona Ryder's mind when she takes a flight, or even thinks about flying, and these thoughts produce feelings of panic and anxiety. People who enjoy flying don't think about it the same way. If they did, they'd be as afraid as she is.
The way to eliminate a phobia is to change the thoughts that produce the feelings. Once the thoughts change, the response changes automatically. It doesn't matter how long the fear has been in place. It doesn't matter what the feared object may be.
The change can happen very quickly.
While it is understandable that to someone who hasn't studied or experienced hypnosis or NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), this may seem fanciful - too good to be true - the truth is that therapists have been curing phobias in this way for decades. Do a little Google research into the "10-minute phobia cure" created by Richard Bandler (photo, above), the co-founder of NLP.
I often tell my clients the story of how I cured my first phobia after reading a famous book co-authored by Richard Bandler and John Grinder - Frogs into Princes (pictured below). I quite literally had a couple months' worth of hypnotherapy training, added to the knowledge I gained reading Bandler & Grinder's books, when I made my first attempt. The result? I helped a 52-year-old woman lose her 33-year phobia of cats - in one session.
Now I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I instantly began to wonder why something so simple and safe would remain relatively unknown to the majority of the population. After all, even most psychiatrists these days still employ "exposure" therapy to cure fears and phobias.
Then I realized that many psychiatrists prescribe pharmaceuticals to patients for the phobias, and that large pharmaceutical companies like Merck and Pfizer make billions of dollars a year selling these drugs to people. While a hypnotherapist might make a few hundred bucks curing your fear, think about how much money can be made selling you prescription drugs for the rest of your life.
Treating phobias with drugs is profitable. It's big business.
So if you're skeptical as to whether something like hypnosis could actually work, and if so, why it remains so obscure (even though it's becoming more mainstream), consider how many billions of dollars in profits would be lost if everyone stopped taking tranquilizers and used hypnosis to eliminate their anxiety.
My hope is that Ms. Ryder, and anyone else suffering from intense fear or anxiety, will now seek help from someone who's well-trained in hypnosis and NLP, so this kind of thing doesn't happen again.
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