Never Trust Someone for their Title

When people discuss hypnosis or hypnotherapy, one of the first questions is, "Do you believe in it?" This is an interesting question, because when someone mentions teachers or doctors, librarians or police officers, no one ever asks that question; they simply assume that because the person has the designated role that they must know what they're doing because of their training. Think back for a second through all of your school years to your favorite teacher or police officer. Whomever it is, in whatever position they held, you felt confident that they were competent in their duties and could be trusted with the information they've retained from their training. But, have you ever dealt with someone in the identical line of work that fell below the acceptance level, regardless of claiming the same knowledge? Of course you have.

Different scopes of hypnosis are obtained by people who vary as much as the subject. Think about it for a second; would you want someone who regularly makes people cluck like a chicken assist you in overcoming phobias? Possibly, but not at all likely. And in reality, these are two variants of the types of hypnosis there are, and there are many that you may have not even considered. As a matter of fact, no one is completely immune from hypnosis--no one.

Touching on a few that you may encounter frequently are highway hypnosis, when you leave a particular place after a strenuous or exhausting day to suddenly realize you're home and don't recall the drive. There's advertising hypnosis, when you walk into the grocery store for toilet paper or coffee and grab a particular brand, not realizing that the reason is because of an advertising jingle or particular scene you recall from your television the day before--fuzzy bears or the comforting feeling of flowers on a dining table can conjure up that image for you.

Okay, I'm going to level with you: Hypnosis seems complicated, but it actually isn't. It all comes down to the way you talk to yourself. You heard me, the way you talk to yourself through habits you create. Whether you repeat, "You're so stupid," after making a simple mistake, you may come to realize an adult used to say that to you out of habit. The habit made its little nest in your head, having heard it so many times, that you subconsciously have adopted that thinking as your own, sadly. The truth is that you've made some really good decisions in your life, but that same little voice doesn't stand up and cheer for you, does it?

So you see, like any skill or trade, hypnosis can be used in a negative and unintentional way that can harm others; or, it can be used in a beneficial way by someone who's taken great pride and joy in learning to appreciate the power that comes with the knowledge. Experts who never stop gaining more knowledge and experience are the ones I trust. How about you?