23/06/2022
Through the use of an electroencephalogram (EEG) - stick with me here! - it has been found that during hypnosis Alpha and Theta brain waves dominate.
These waves are characterised by relaxation and calmness, whereby the subconscious is most easily accessed.
The subconscious itself takes up 10/11ths of our total mind, this is where our deeply held beliefs reside, beliefs that have been made via experiences and information learnt throughout our life. It’s incredibly powerful and will generally always win out over the conscious mind as its major function is to keep you safe, so when something new is learnt it logs it, look for confirmation that what is learnt is correct and then essentially rejects anything that goes against that belief.
The barrier between the conscious and subconscious mind is the Conscious Critical Faculty (CCF). The role of the CCF is to “‘protect’ the mind from that which it knows to be untrue or judges to be ‘bad’ – almost like a bouncer at the door to your subconscious. Issues occur when unhealthy beliefs are stored, as even when the conscious mind is aware of the right thing to do, if the CCF rejects the prospect of change then core beliefs remain intact and old behaviour patterns are unaltered.
This is where hypnotherapy has a major part to play as in hypnosis one is able to bypass the CCF and access the subconscious.
By connecting with the relevant ideas cemented in the subconscious, hypnotherapy can assist via differing techniques, to help change the messages stored deep within, look at the issues through an adult mind and identify flaws in the beliefs previously held thereby assisting to facilitate positive change.
It's important to know that the hypnotherapist never controls you, they cannot make you bark like a dog (unless you truly want to), but they simply become your guide during the hypnotic experience. At any point you can decide to open your eyes and come out of hypnosis.
A willingness to engage in the therapeutic process is key, if you have that along with true motivation, hypnotherapy can be a most powerful therapy.
