RESOURCES

I don't want to be controlled by a hypnotist

By: Sharon Stiles

Hypnosis is a way of allowing you to change your mind at the deepest level. It deals with your emotions, not the rational, logical thought processes that we often try to change our minds with. We usually try and work out what would be the best thing to do or the most sensible thing to do, rather than what we want to do deep down. However, when it comes to the important things we are governed by our emotions and that's why it can sometimes be difficult to follow the sensible path.

If you have a fear or phobia of something, the fact that you're not behaving rationally doesn't stop you reacting in a fearful way. Your mind just wants to get you out of the situation and so you go into an emotional response.

One of the most common comments I hear about being hypnotised is "I'd be too frightened of losing control". Is being in control always the best state to be in if you're not actually achieving what you want? If I'm in an aircraft and have the option of a pilot, who knows the aircraft inside out, or me being in control of the plane then I know which one I'd choose. Just having hold of the controls doesn't mean you're actually in control. Even in a more mundane situation, I'd prefer to let someone else give me directions when I'm driving somewhere that I don't know, rather than rely on taking the route I think might be right.

Two hypnosis techinques are repetition and suggestion and a lot of people are experts in this type of self hypnosis. "I can't do that", "I'm not good enough", "That will never work", "I need to smoke". Do you want that sort of limiting control or would you prefer to let someone else give you more valuable suggestions in a way that will enable you to feel more confident or more motivated? In fact, sometimes those repeated suggestions are already coming from other people and you're taking them on board.

Childhood is where a lot of negative self opinions come from and they just stick because at the time you didn't know that things could be any different. Those feelings then become a habit and feel normal so, although you may recognise charateristics in other people that you'd like, you don't think you can change. Sometimes experience manages to overturn those feelings of lack of confidence or inability and people manage to break out of the rut, but often the feelings just become more entrenched with constant reinforcement.

Just because you've allowed someone to help you using hypnosis doesn't mean you are forced to do exactly what they suggested. It's not in anyone's interest for clients to feel forced into doing something. How do you feel when you have no control over a situation? Resentful, unhappy, annoyed? How can a hypnotist help a person achieve the change they want when they don't trust the hypnotist or feel comfortable with them? I don't consider hypnosis to be control, I consider it a partnership between the client and the hypnotist. Partners work better together and achieve much more.