SELF HYPNOSIS TECHNIQUES
Self-hypnosis is simply hypnosis done to yourself. Which elements it consists of? What is hypnosis, and how it's done?
SELF
ego, I, oneself, persona, person, identity, character, personality, psyche, soul, spirit, mind, intellect.
Many can relate to describing them with words I, person, and character, and having an ego, identity and character. But we are much more than that. Soul and spirit. We are more than the physical shell and guts. There's something powerful, yet fragile and delicate, inside us. How we treat our body reflects to our mind. The way we use our mind reflects to our emotions and will to take action. How we feel and what we do reflects to our spirit.
We can't see our mind, emotions and spirit, but we sure know how they're connected to our well-being.
What we think we are at this moment is just a peak of an iceberg. Studies have shown only approximately 10 percents of our thoughts come to our conscious mind. The conscious mind is the rational, analytical and critical part of our mind temporary working memory as it's storage of information. It is a great tool to have, when trying to solve problems, and logically connect dots to make sense of things.
That is conscious mind's strength and that skill set has brought humans far, but it's also its weakness. With it we tend to find patterns and logically solve matters where it just shouldn't happen. We get into analysis crisis, when we try to solve matters, which either shouldn't need solution, or answers to them lie somewhere much deeper. We have a possibility for a great control of ourselves with right mental tools, but the world around us is mostly out of our control - yet we try to understand and solve its illogical aspect forever with the cost of our own time and energy we could focus on ourselves. Finding a meaning and a purpose for everything is something our rational mind yearns, but sometimes it's just out of reach, and that is totally fine.
Hence, 90 percents of what we have in our mind are deeper, in an invisible subconscious mind.
That's our emotional mind, our autonomic mind which both keeps us alive by controlling our inner organs and guides us to the fridge when we're hungry, also controls our every day life more many of us would like to admit. There we have stored our every experience from womb to this day. All life lessons, attitudes and "proper" ways to act and think which our nurturers and closest people gave us. All our memories, expectations and fears. In subconscious we've formed the patterns that affect our life the most: habits and beliefs.
Is it possible to get those deep thoughts, which affect our emotions and actions, and thus our whole life, better? We are our subconscious, our psyche, but those are something we can change however we see fit. As our emotional mind giving positive attention to it is necessary for us to feel and act better. As the storage of guidelines for acting and thinking, the change for the best is possible. And that is accomplished by reaching the subconscious with hypnosis.
HYPNOSIS
mesmerism, hypnotism, hypnotic suggestion, autosuggestion, trance, deep sleep, hypnoanalysis, spell-casting.
Clock swinging in front of your eyes, snap of fingers, and instantly you will obey everything you're told to. Spiral in front of you, making you dizzy and believe everything you're told to. "Hidden" pictures and texts in commercials seen so quickly only your subconscious notices them, and suddenly you've the urge to do what they told you to.
Most of us know hypnosis from some kind of entertainment source like movies, comics or stage-shows. Little part of those is true, whereas the bigger part is quite exaggerated to add mysticism and entertainment value. There sure are instant and rapid techniques for establishing hypnosis, but especially in hypnotherapy the permissive and gentle guidance to deep sleep-like relaxation, hypnosis, is suggested.
Hypnosis as a subject is simple. We all go into light hypnosis every day. That happens for example while watching tv/netflix, driving a car or when we "get lost into our thoughts". Hypnosis as a treatment includes a state of really relaxing trance and suggestions (A.k.a Suggestion Therapy). First the target - you or another person - is guided to trance, which is like a deep sleep state, but awake. As descending to trance your brain frequencies lower down to lower beta (12–15 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz) and theta (4-8 Hz). You wind down into deeply relaxed state with hypnotic techniques like centered focus, hypnotic inductions and hypnotic speech. Those allow your critical conscious mind to step aside and subconscious mind to open up for suggestions. Being in a deep relaxed state quiets down the conscious mind and opens a way to subconscious wider.
While being in hypnosis we're more receptive to suggestions, as they reach mind's deeper level, the subconscious.
Suggestions tend to stick longer and be stronger in hypnosis, which makes it effective way for new habits or quitting bad habits. In a good hypnosis we're gently leaded to trance and then while still deepening the relaxation the hypnotist tells you positive suggestions, like: "as you sensation of easiness grows , you might notice yourself feeling really good about yourself". The topic of hypnosis can be universal or focused on certain area of life needing improvement. At the end of a hypnosis the hypnotist gently talks her or his target to wake up, so she/he can still continue her/his day, but feeling much better because of enjoyable relaxing moment and new better words in subconscious to make one feel better and achieve easier the thing that was hypnosis' goal.
Hypnosis explained above is the usual hypnosis we all can learn to do for ourselves. To be assured, hypnosis is always safe, as the worst that can happen is you falling asleep. With trained hypnotist it is possible to achieve great beneficial advantages within your mind, emotional matters, motivation, confidence and many other matters.
Brain frequencies
| Gamma (γ) | +35 Hz | Concentration |
| Beta (β) | 12–35 Hz | Anxiety dominant, active, external attention, relaxed |
| Alpha (α) | 8–12 Hz | Very relaxed, passive attention |
| Theta (θ) | 4–8 Hz | Deeply relaxed, inward focused |
| Delta (δ) | 0.5–4 Hz | Sleep |
TECHNIQUES
approach, art, capability, capacity, craft, know-how, manner, means, skills, style, system
Techniques are the toolbox of manners and means to approach the desired goal. Because of mysticism around hypnosis its techniques might be considered artful and like a secret craft. And it is true. The language, words, intonations and structures of sentences; they are all thought and built up carefully to affect your mind the best way possible. Hypnotic speech includes lots of metaphors, odd syntax of sentences, presumptions and certain ways of speaking. That is because the aim is to wear out and confuse your conscious mind so it would step aside in front of subconscious mind. The most famous and skillful man considering hypnotic speech was Milton H. Erickson. A great thing is, this craft can be learnt, and eventually it will be quite easy.
Hypnotic speech aims to tire the conscious mind and concentrate focus.
In addition, the environment for hypnosis should be as silent and relaxing as possible - although, it's not necessary, as with practice it's possible to perform self-hypnosis even in a crowded football stadium. Requests to breath deeply during relaxation is to tell the body to calm down. And as the target of hypnosis is often asked to concentrate on something external or internal, for example to her/his breathing, the conscious mind gets tired and focused, so hypnotist can bypass the critical mind and reach the subconscious mind.
Important techniques in hypnosis are inductions and deepeners. With different kinds of inductions the client's mind and body are led to relax and calm down with the help of the client's imagination. Deepeners, as the name refers, aim to both maintain and enhance the relaxation much more. When the target of hypnosis is a deeply relaxed and silenced mind, hypnotic suggestions take place.
Hypnotic suggestions consists of any positive sentences and orders for subconscious which help you feel and act better.
If the purpose is to feel better, all positive words do: "I am feeling so good, and the feeling of good just grows and grows the more I breathe, and the more and deeper I breathe, the more stronger and pure my self-esteem is, and as I hear my breathing I can really see how lovable and amazing person I am." If the goal is to for example stop smoking, the speech can be like this: "I see myself in a smoking cabinet and the smell is awful, it almost makes me sick. I walk outside and right away I feel great, clean and healthy. The longer I consider myself non-smoker the better I feel. I can hear a crowd cheering for me. I feel so proud of myself."
The trick is to repeat means to goal with synonyms of forth-guiding words and using as many senses (vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste) as possible, so your subconscious gets the desired information via as many pathways as possible to strengthen the result. We people are different, and our system emphasizes different senses more than others.
SELF HYPNOSIS TECHNIQUES
Self hypnosis can be really simple and quick, and really deep and complex. All hypnosis and hypnotherapy is self-hypnosis, as hypnotist merely guides you, but you have to be willing and accepting to follow instructions given, and collaborate with hypnotist.
In self hypnosis you're the one leading yourself to deep relaxation, hypnosis, and giving your subconscious positive instructions. It's important to give positive suggestions instead of negative.
Self hypnosis techniques are easiest demonstrated in practice. Here are two free audios for you as examples of hypnosis made for self. Naturally you would say in your mind all inductions and suggestions I'm saying out loud here. The purpose is you can learn and get more familiar to self hypnosis by listening what I say, and then repeat same kind of phrases whenever you want to by yourself.
The longer example is based on a meditative hypnosis I've originally made to another person, but I've recorded it again for you using "I" and "Me" instead of "You". It includes lots of hypnotic language and techniques.
In the first longer audio you will hear really specific and detailed explanation, what I think and do during the relaxation phase. There are many sentences you don't have to say internally to yourself, but just do. And the better you are at relaxing yourself, the less you have to use time for that.
Don't worry if at first you find it difficult to believe your positive affirmations; the mind will take in everything despite of your conscious critic side. Especially at trance-like state it doesn't matter what your conscious mind says to you - your subconscious will harbor those praising words you deserve to hear.
Essential elements in self hypnosis
Take a note of how to talk to yourself: slow, low and kind voice (it's always good to speak kindly for yourself even when not doing hypnosis).
Notice how the hypnosis starts with calming down, relaxing and taking deep breaths.
Mind works the best way, when it's given lots of different kind of stimuli. Listen how I use all five senses in my speech. In addition to that I use visualizations, metaphors and hypnotic speaking techniques like when-then, the more-the more and presumptions of how I feel.
It's always good - if you want to - to use calming and enjoyable music in a background. Whatever boosts your relaxation is good to put to use.
Slow and quiet music can cause a great relaxing effect on our minds and bodies. It slows the pulse and heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and decreases stress hormones.
You can close your eyes the same time it's done in a recording and give yourself in to this hypnosis: your mind will mirror and represent everything I say to myself, so it will be effective for you likewise.
Allow yourself quiet 17 minutes to enjoy and experience the hypnosis below.
Self-hypnosis can be quick and simple
Self-hypnosis can be a lot simpler and easier: all you need to do is to relax and tell yourself positive suggestions which is basically enough to do self-hypnosis. Sometimes though, it might be tricky to say, whether you're doing meditation or hypnosis. In meditation the point is to relax, calm down and focus inwards, just like in hypnosis. The biggest comparison between them is - in my humble opinion - that in hypnosis you have a goal, a target, which you attempt to achieve: positive emotions, courage, confidence, weight-loss, get rid of phobia, stop bad habit etc.
Showing you the both versions demonstrates well, how hypnosis can both be an amazing self-boosting trip and just really simple, easy and fast way to help you feel better. In conclusion, it's all about getting into a trance-like-state and establishing positive affirmations and emotions inside you.
Listen this 2 minute audio below to hear how quick and easy it is to use hypnosis in every day life. It's all about your ability to relax (in which you'll get better every time you do it) and enhancing positive things in you.
Click the play-button below.
Hopefully you learnt something here to help you find more serenity in your life!
Want to learn or experience more?
Hypnosis course
Teachings above are a great start, but there are lots more to learn to enhance your self-hypnosis techniques - and even ability to hypnotize your friends!
I have put together a quick efficient course for you to:
- Learn more about hypnosis
- Learn more hypnotic techniques
- Gain tasks to practice your hypnotic skills
- Learn to relax yourself quicker
After buying the course you will get an email once a day (excluding weekends) regarding the course. Each day you will get for example more information, examples, demonstrations and explanations of techniques, few tasks to strengthen and test your skills, and much more in the theme of self-hypnosis.
The course lasts 30 days.
Why exactly 30 days? I've noticed it's a good time period to really learn and dive into a new area of interest, but it's also a short enough time which everyone should be able to easily afford to make their lives better.
Ready to learn to enhance yourself through your subconscious, feel great and help you become whatever you want to be?
If that's the case, you're warmly welcomed to dive in!
Do contact me whether you find yourself interested!
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