Have you ever wanted to try self hypnosis to change your life?

Whatever it is, that you feel could make you a better, happier and more productive person, is within you.

That is (ad) the premise of hypnosis, to draw out that which is within you.

Your own capabilities and strengths are innate, yet sometimes there are obstacles to achieving your highest potential.

What is hypnosis really?

Hypnosis is not what the movies have made it out to be. In reality, hypnosis is the act of achieving an induced state known as Alpha.

Everyone enters a hypnotic state every day, several times per day. It’s that state you are in when you are watching TV, reading a good book, playing video games and, yes, sometimes even when driving.

The lightest state of hypnosis (Alpha) is achieved easily.

Alpha is the state you are in when you are just waking up or just going to bed. You are not fully conscious, yet you are not fully unconscious either.

In this relaxed and focused state, you may be more open to suggestions than you are during your normal busy, fully alert state. This is one reason hypnosis can be useful for exploring new ways of thinking, developing helpful habits and reinforcing positive intentions.

You may already know what hypnosis feels like

Many people, when they hear about hypnosis, say, “Well, I can’t be hypnotized”.

These people have been misinformed, mostly by television shows, about what hypnosis is and is not.

It is not necessary to be in some sort of an otherworldly trance to be in hypnosis.

Hypnosis is a natural experience that many people can enter under the right circumstances and it does not necessarily involve losing awareness or control.

Many of our everyday normal activities are actually performed under hypnosis without us being aware of it.

Hypnosis can feel surprisingly familiar because it shares some characteristics with experiences we have in everyday life.

Think about driving along a familiar road and suddenly realizing that you have travelled several kilometres without consciously noticing every turn or landmark. Your attention has been concentrated on the task while many other details have faded into the background.

Something similar can happen when you are completely absorbed in a video game, working on a computer or reading a fascinating article. You become deeply focused on what you are doing and less aware of distractions around you.

These experiences aren’t necessarily hypnosis, and they shouldn’t automatically be described as being in an Alpha state. However, they can help explain one important aspect of hypnosis: the human mind is capable of becoming highly focused while remaining responsive to what is happening around it.

That is one reason hypnosis may not feel anything like the dramatic trance portrayed in movies and television. You can be relaxed, focused and aware of your surroundings while still being deeply absorbed in the experience.

So if you’ve ever become completely engrossed in a book, lost track of time while working on something interesting or found yourself travelling along a familiar route almost automatically, you’ve already experienced something that can help you understand the idea of focused attention.

Most people have either driven a car, played a video game, worked on a computer, or read a really good article; therefore, to say that you cannot be hypnotized is to misunderstand the true nature of a hypnotic state.

What happens during self hypnosis?

In alpha, your mind is slowed down just a little, your focus is narrow, your breathing is slow and you are relaxed.

In that state of mind, responses to important stimuli are still possible.

It is also a time when constructive suggestions may be particularly useful, especially when they are repeated regularly and connected to a change you genuinely want to make.

In this relaxed and focused state, you may be more open to suggestions than you are during your normal busy, fully alert state. This is one reason hypnosis can be useful for exploring new ways of thinking, developing helpful habits and reinforcing positive intentions.

You can have an extremely effective hypnosis session while being aware of and able to recall every word spoken by the hypnotherapist.

Interestingly, you don’t necessarily have to remember every moment of a hypnosis session for it to be useful. Even when you become deeply relaxed, you may still notice sounds and other sensations around you. If you happen to drift into sleep during a session, simply return to the practice when you wake and continue with your regular routine.

How to try simple self hypnosis

You don’t need to wait for a special occasion to experiment with self hypnosis. You can try a simple session of your own in about five minutes.

First, choose a quiet and comfortable place where you will not be interrupted. Never practise self hypnosis while driving, operating machinery or doing anything that requires your full attention.

Sit or lie down comfortably and take several slow, easy breaths. Allow your attention to settle on your breathing and let the muscles in your body become progressively more relaxed.

Now choose one simple, positive suggestion that relates to something you would genuinely like to improve.

For example, “I am becoming calmer and more confident each day” or “I am capable of taking one positive step at a time”.

Repeat your chosen suggestion slowly several times while imagining what it would be like to live it. Rather than simply saying the words, picture yourself behaving differently in a real situation. Notice how you would stand, speak, think and respond.

Spend a few minutes enjoying that feeling and mental picture. Then take a couple of deeper breaths, count slowly from one to five and bring your attention back to the room around you.

That’s it.

You don’t have to achieve a dramatic trance or feel something unusual. The purpose is simply to become relaxed, focused and receptive to a constructive suggestion.

Choose one change at a time

One of the easiest mistakes to make is trying to use self hypnosis to change everything at once.

Instead, choose one behaviour, attitude or quality that matters to you right now. Make your suggestion positive, realistic and specific.

“I am becoming more patient when things don’t go my way” gives your mind something much more useful to work with than “I will never get angry again”.

You can repeat the same short session regularly and pay attention to small changes in the way you think, feel and respond.

The goal isn’t to control your mind. It is to give your attention a direction that supports the person you want to become.

You can change the way you think about yourself and even change your physical health and appearance through directed hypnotic methods.

If you have ever wanted to know more and been curious about hypnosis, I recommend you take a look at (ad) this hypnosis web site with many subliminal tracks for you to try.

A gentle reminder

Self hypnosis can be a useful relaxation and self reflection practice, yet it isn’t a magic solution and results vary from person to person. It is also not a substitute for appropriate professional care when you are dealing with a significant physical or mental health problem.

For everyday personal development, however, you can think of self hypnosis as a way of deliberately creating a quiet, focused moment in which you give your mind a constructive direction.

Sometimes a few quiet minutes and one helpful thought can be a worthwhile forward step.

Hi, I'm Thea Westra at Forward Steps (forwardstepsblog.com)

Since March 2003, I've been sharing practical, positive, thought provoking and inspiring self improvement content online. My aim is simple - to offer tips and resources that help us enhance our daily experience of life and to keep stepping forward. Perth, Western Australia is the place I call home and I'm the author of "Time For My Life: 365 Stepping Stones". You might also know me from the Forward Steps personal development blog and the daily series of "365 Forward Steps Notes", all designed to add wings to our unique life journeys.

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