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Hypnosis was accepted by the American Medical Association in 1958 as an effective technology for treating nervous tension and stress related symptoms. But does it definitely work? What should you look for when seeking a therapist, or ordering hypnosis recordings?

There are many diversified hypnotic methodologies that are used to reach the subconscious to cause change. Each method has its pros and cons. No two people are the same, so it makes sense that the best results will result from using methods that each individual will have the most success with.

Most companies that sell hypnosis CD's offer products that consist of standard traditional hypnosis techniques. A few hypnosis vendors offer much more fresh and effective Ericksonian hypnosis methods. And fewer still offer NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming methods.

The most powerful technique is video hypnosis. Video hypnosis relies on the latest Neuro-Linguistic Programming mind processes to create instant change in a subject. Video hypnosis methods are not subliminal in nature.

With "Traditional Hypnosis," we simply make direct suggestions to the subconscious mind. In case you are wondering, as far as I'm concerned, the term unconscious and subconscious are equivalent - they refer to the same part of the mind. This type of hypnosis works well for a subject who generally accepts what he/she is told without a lot of questions.

Most pre-recorded hypnosis tapes that are sold today are based on "Traditional Hypnosis" techniques. This is because it doesn't take much experience to create a script and just instruct a person to do something. Unfortunately Traditional Hypnotism is not very effective for people who are critical or analytical in their thinking processes.

By contrast, Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming methods work more efficiently for most individuals in today's generation! This is because today individuals are taught to question everything they see and hear, rather than just do what they are told to do. So these methodologies do work efficiently on people who are critical in their thinking processes.

These methods are much more effective at reaching and influencing the subconscious. However, it can take many years of training and experience to learn how to apply these methods with a high rate of success. This is an undertaking that is only accepted by truly dedicated therapists.

With "Ericksonian Hypnosis," we use little stories, called hypnotic metaphors, to introduce suggestions to the subconscious. This is a powerful method, because it usually eliminates the mental blockage of suggestions that is often caused by the conscious mind. There are two types of metaphors, "Isomorphic," and those of the imbedded command or "interspersal" nature.

Isomorphic metaphors offer guidance to the subconscious by telling a story that has a moral. The subconscious draws a one-to-one relationship between the ingredients of the story and the ingredients of a negative behavior. For example, if a child is telling a lot of lies, the parent might tell the child the story about the "Boy who cried wolf." The subconscious would draw a comparison between the boy in the story and the child, and realize that telling lies could lead to disaster, so the child would probably stop lying.

With the Embedded Command technique, the hypnotist tells an amusing story that engages and distracts the conscious mind. The story contains hidden post-hypnotic suggestions that are usually accepted by the subconscious. For example: While the person is in the hypnotic state, he may hear the hypno-therapist say something like: I'm going to tell you a story about ...[a beach that has feelings. Isn't that] ...strange to... [you]? It's a warm summer's day, and... the beach [feels great].

The hypnotist pauses, shifts his voice tonality, and verbally stresses the bracketed text. The subconscious recognizes a "Selectional restriction violation." Beaches can't have feelings. So it's like the subconscious says to itself: "Wait a minute, a beach can't feel anything, so that must mean that I'm supposed to feel great."

Since the suggestions are buried in a story that is misdirecting the conscious mind, it is not very likely that the conscious will realize that it has just received a direct command, so it won't block it or resist it.

Process Instructions direct the subconscious to recall an experience of an appropriate learning experience from the past where something useful to the present situation was learned, and then apply that experience to eliminate negative behaviors in the present.

With "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" (NLP), rather than using hypnotic commands, we use the same thought patterns that are creating a problem, like insomnia or stress, to eliminate the symptom. NLP in the hands of an experienced hypnotherapist can be very effective.

NLP Anchoring: Have you ever heard an old song and had it trigger feelings from the past? When you originally heard the music, you were feeling those feelings, and they subconsciously became associated with the sound of the melody. So the melody became an Anchor for the feelings. Now when you hear the song, it triggers the same feelings again.

Anchoring can be a very useful method. Suppose that you have a memory of being commended for having done something well in the past. If you go back into that memory, you'll be able to recall the feelings of self-esteem that you had at that time. If you touch two fingers together while you re-experience those feelings of self-esteem, that touch will become an anchor for the feelings of self-esteem.

Now suppose that you want to create motivation to stick to a diet and lose weight. If you make a mental image of yourself with a thin, sexy body, and simultaneously trigger the anchor - (press the two fingers together again), your subconscious will attach the feelings of self-esteem to the mental image of you with the thin body and your level of motivation to lose weight will increase exponentially.

NLP Flash: This is a very powerful Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique that can be used to flip things around in the subconscious, so that thoughts and experiences that used to trigger feelings of stress actually trigger relaxation instead.

The NLP Flash technique is also a fast way to erase conditioned responses. For example: If a smoker has a cigarette while watching TV, his/her subconscious will connect the two behaviors together so that he/she automatically gets a craving for a cigarette anytime he/she watches TV. The Flash will cause the smoker's mind to disconnect the image of a cigarette from the TV so that he/she does NOT get an urge to smoke just because he/she is watching TV.

With "Subliminal" recordings, the recording has two tracks. One track contains a cover sound that is heard by the conscious mind. The cover sound could be anything from music to nature sounds. The alternate track contains direct suggestions that are heard by the subconscious mind. These suggestions are repeated many times during a session.

Subliminal programs can be listened to as they play in the background while you are working, or talking on the phone or partisipating in any other activity. You don't have to stop what you are doing and relax like you do with hypnosis or NLP. Subliminals can be an addition to self-hypnosis programs. But Subliminals will never replace Hypnosis or NLP because they are not as effective! They do not compare in any way!! Some experts have claimed that it can take up to 80 hours of listening to a subliminal recording before it will have any effect on many people.

The last hypnotic methodology that we're going to talk about is Video Hypnosis. Video hypnosis is the most efficient form of hypnosis!

The methods used in video hypnosis are based on the Neuro-Linguistic Programming technology, which works based on the utilization of a person's existing thought patterns instead of post-hypnotic suggestion.

Over 70% of the population learns more quickly based on what they see rather than what they hear.

Think about it. If you feel an urge to eat or smoke when watching TV, it's because your unconscious recorded the video image of either food in your hand, or a cigarette in your hand, and then combined that image with an image of the TV. You never spoke to yourself and told yourself in words to associate them together, isn't that true?

And that's why the Video Hypnosis mechanism is so effective. It's not hypnotic in the traditional sense, relying on the spoken word; rather, it relies on transmitting images to the subconscious. And if you've ever cried when watching a sad TV show, then you know how powerful and effective video hypnosis can be at reaching the subconscious. With this technology, results usually start with the very first viewing!

The Video Hypnosis / NLP technique is sold under the trademark of Neuro-VISION. It programs the subconscious using a high-tech simulation process. This frees you of your cravings and tensions and allows a smoker to quit without effort or gaining weight, and a dieter to lose their cravings and appetite. Results start with the very first viewing!

(c) 2007 By Alan B. Densky, CH. This document may be re-printed as long as it isn't altered and the author's name and clickable web address links are retained.

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