The conscious mind represents only 10 percent of the total capacity of the human mind. The two most basic functions of the conscious mind are its ability to direct your focus and imagine that which is not real. This mind sleeps when you sleep and is more logical in its functions. For the majority of the people the activity areas for conscious mind functioning are located in the left side of the brain. The ability of your conscious mind to direct your attention and awareness is one of the most important powers you have. To create a positive change in your life you must learn to select and control what you focus on because that is exactly what you will manifest in your life. Viktor Frankl and Nelson Mandela are testaments to this power. Their stories tell us that a man can be trapped physically in a prison under the most inhumane conditions but can still be free in his own mind.
Coming to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind represents 90 percent of the total capacity of the human mind. It is focused on the right side of the brain and is associated with activities of the autonomic nervous system, heart rate, homeostasis, memories, emotions and habitual behaviours. As a new born when your conscious mind had not yet fully developed it was the subconscious mind that was at work forming logical patterns of association for you that helped you to survive. This is the reason why the patterns of thoughts and behaviours learned in early childhood years are repeated by an individual later on in life because they have become embedded within the fabric of the subconscious mind. This mind is awake when you are asleep or under the influence of an anaesthetic. It stores information going on around you even when you are not consciously aware of it. The great thing about this mind is that it is extremely obedient! It is a misconception when people feel that they are at the mercy of this mind in terms of what manifests in their life. The truth is that the programs running in your subconscious mind are subject to change. One of the most potent methods to change subconscious programming is through Hypnotherapy.
James Braid, a Scottish neurosurgeon in the 1800’s invented the term “Hypnosis” from the word “Hypnos” which means “Sleep” in Greek. He is widely considered as the first hypnotherapist and was responsible for making it more widely accessible. Hypnosis is considered a safe process by the scientific and medical community. It is a trance like state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject. During this process the client is so intensely relaxed and focused that it allows the infinite potential of the subconscious mind to go beyond the limitations of the conscious mind that results in psychological and physical changes. Even without undergoing a hypnotherapy session we all have had this experience. For example, have you ever been so absorbed in your work that you have lost track of time? Or lost yourself in a book or movie that you forgot about everything else? Or missed a turn while driving after being so engrossed in your thoughts? All of these are very common instances of a self-induced hypnosis. A guided hypnosis is the same kind of state under a professional set up conducted by a certified practitioner keeping a specific aim in mind. There are some very common misconceptions floating around about hypnotherapy which are simply not true.
- Hypnosis is a supernatural state. There is nothing “spiritual” or “otherworldly” about this process. It is a totally natural state where the client has control whether or not to enter the state and when to exit.
- A hypnotist can control your mind and make you do something against your will. The truth is that a client can reject any suggestion made to him or her by a hypnotherapist during the process.
- Hypnosis is like a truth serum where information can be extracted from the client. During hypnosis the client maintains his or her moral compass and can lie or withhold any information that he or she does not want to share.
- Only mentally weak people can be hypnotised. The reality is that every time we day dream, use our imagination or do a task with complete concentration we enter a hypnotic trance. So all people are subject to hypnosis.
- People can get stuck in hypnosis forever! No one ever gets stuck in hypnosis.
- There is not much proof to support the effectiveness of hypnosis. Not true. The effectiveness of this practice has been proven and endorsed by organizations like American Medical Association, British Medical Association, British Psychological Society and the like.
So there is actually no reason to feel nervous while visiting a hypnotherapist! Relax and embrace the process for great results!