Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Beyond Human trouble with hypnosis

maybe someone on this site can help:
there are a lot of positive changes that im ready to make in my life through hypnosis, but i have a problem. I cannot be hypnotized. Well, although not completely true because we all experience some level of hypnosis every day of our lifes. i just cannot reach a level deep enough to experience any changes. i have seen a professional hypnotist and have tried self hypnosis countless times. what the hell is wrong with me? ive read so much about hypnosis for so many years and i just cant get it to work for me. is it true that different people reach different levels of suggestability? can people be extremely hard to hypnotize even though the they know so much about it? ive been dealing with depression for almost my whole life, and i want to change. hypnosis seems like the route i wanna travel, but i just cant get it to work. i also have a hard time visualizing things with my eyes closed. what wrong with me and what can i do? please help!!!

What makes you think that "depth" has anything to do with making changes or that being able to visualize with your eyes closed has anything to do with hypnosis?

You've lived your whole life being able to make your decisions and to make changes at least here and there without hypnosis, going deep, or not having a hard time visualizing with your eyes closed.

Your expectations aren't realistic. You aren't an expert on hypnosis, so why are you putting so much faith in your diagnosis of yourself and your ability?

You're getting in your own way.

Maybe hypnosis will help you, maybe it won't. But you really, at this point, don't know the first thing about it, otherwise you would have been successful. So give yourself a break and admit to yourself that you don't really know and that that is ok.

Are you, right now, using a book and self-hypnosis, or some tapes, or what?

Why not let go of all your preconceptions and just discover what happens when you use hypnosis and explore that?

It might do what you want, it might not. Hypnosis is not the magic pill, however.

Sounds like the hypnotist you had wasn't very good.

People have varying levels of suggestibility but, honestly, suggestibility is just one of the factors in hypnosis and isn't always worth going for. Suggestibility in individuals isn't fixed, either, it varies.

Hypnosis can provide you with a "special learning state" in which you can make changes. If you just let go and let yourself experience whatever you're experiencing, you might learn from that.

It's like you've built up all these brick walls around with with your expectations and your reasons why it isn't working, and when you reach for whatever it has to give you, you're blocked. Tear down the walls and let yourself experience whatever happens and learn from it.

Start wherever you're at right now and accept that as a necessary beginning. Don't cheat yourself by saying, "Well, I can't make any changes because ...." Because that's just an excuse. Turn the expectation knob down as many notches as it necessary to match where you are right now, and accept wherever you are as your starting place. Might not be glorious, but it's something real.

It's so easy to say "tear down those walls". Well how do i do that? I'll admit im no expert. I'm just a guy who wants to make a lot of changes in his life, but after trying so many different things with so much failure, ive just lost motivation to change. if i am creating these walls, what can i do to tear them down? what works!?

People think when they go into hypnosis they are going to feel different. The mind switches off and new programming takes place. Not so. You keep you free will to accept or reject everything that is said.

The person who has been most successful in hypnotising you is yourself.

When You come out of that relaxed state after a session with a hypnotist or yourself you still need to intend for the desired changes to take place.

Habits are habit and take a while to change so while you may have been to a hypnotist to quit smoking and only successful for half a day after that. You need to reinforce your intent to quit because habits are just so easy to fall back into.

To break down walls of habit you need to apply the Natural Brilliance model. Release, Notice, Respond and Witness. Hypnosis can speed up the process but it cannot ultimately replace the effort you need to put into making a change entirely.

Alex

Like Alex said, just notice.

It IS easy for me to say "tear down the walls," because I've done it. At one time I had no knowledge of hypnosis and believed as you did. Now I am starting to have more of a clue as to what it is about for me personally.

It's really simple. Just keep doing it until you learn what is going on. "Tearing down the walls" of your expectations is as simple as looking at them and going, "Ok, these aren't doing anything for me. Maybe I should be more open." Instead of expecting and being disappointed, open up, experience, and at least be willing to accept what you get.

To quote Thufir Hawat from Frank Herbert's Dune, "The first step in avoiding a trap is knowing of its existence."

You know that your expectations are getting in the way, so just notice them and don't let them distract you too much.

If I were in your shoes, I would sit down with an intention, quiet myself down, and then say, "Ok, unconscious, do your thing" and let my unconscious mind do whatever it wants to make progress towards my goals.

Whatever happens, THAT'S IT! Don't get something and then go, oh, that can't be it because it doesn't match what my preconceptions are....

Tearing down walls isn't the right metaphor, really. It's more like experiencing what blocks you, just looking at it or feeling it or whatever, and allowing what happens to happen.

You're motivated enough to come on a forum and talk about it. As far as I am concerned, that shows motivation enough.

And like Alex said, hypnosis isn't going to do it for you, so if you think you can just black out, get reprogrammed, and that's that, IMO you're wrong.

Frankly, your bad luck with hypnosis, to me, may be one of the best things that has happened to you. Maybe your unconscious is teaching you that no one can do it but you where you are right now. There's no magic pill to take. Hypnosis is not an escape from the need for persistence, learning, and creativity. It's just you as you are right now. You can do it.

To paraphrase Dr. Christopher Hyatt, Dare to be who you are RIGHT NOW--there are no guarantees. That means don't entertain any illusions, use what you got to get what you want. Chances are that you can, but there are no guarantees of success. That's just something you're going to have to apply your will and creativity to with persistence.

[This message has been edited by babayada (edited September 16, 2005).]

Hi Dchow,

Between the lines I read that you are experienced. You've been there and done your best. And you are right, you've been hypnotized, at least somewhat, but maybe not enough.

Do you know anyone that is easily hypnotized or has experienced change by hypnosis (tapes or hypnotist or whatever)? Does your experience differ radically from their experience? You can alway model someone who has been hypnotized deep enough.

Try the Betty erickson technique. (Search wiht that name, there are plenty of links). I have expereinced my deepest states with it. Whew!

Buy a cd by Richard Bandler, or even better, Milton Erickson. If these don't work... ;-)

Make a self-hypnosis tape of your own. Take a good script and read it on the tape using your own name frequently, speaking with a loving, enthusiastic and relaxed tone (imagine the voice coming from your stomach). You can always make another tape if one does not feel right. Trust your feelings!

...and read carefully what Alex and Baba are saying. Respect your own opinions and take the advice. Don't take anything that does not feel right. people are alway writing from their own point of view (yeah, me too...). You know yourself what is best for you.

My 2cents, -purjo

Hello:

For the most part, I agree with the advice of all of the above.

As a certified hypnotherapist, I would like to offer the following advice.

At times, for whatever reason, and probably for no one in particular's fault, rapport between the hypnotist and the person being hypnotized fails to produce hypnosis (or a deeper state of it, conducive to doing the work desired). This does not mean that the hypnotist was no good or that the client was un-hypnotizable to a good depth - just that the circumstances, technique(s) used or setting just weren't conducive of producing the relaxed trusting state that normally produces a good quality session.

Since you have stated that you feel that hypnosis IS your treatment of choice, I would suggest you contact a different hypnotist, ask them if they have had experience handling someone who seems to have some difficulty in getting a good state established, and if you are satisfied with their answers, make your appointment with them. Be as open as possible with your circumstances (we are bound by certain confidentiality guidelines, therefore, please don't hold back anything that could materially help you, even if you don't see it in that light presently).

If you are making a tape for yourself (which I highly recommend), make sure to include suggestions in it that each time you enter into the hypnotic state, you will "be able to go deeper into a more profound state of hypnosis and relaxation" - the more you use this, the more the suggestion moves to the subconscious mind, and over time you will find the state deepening on its own, due to the suggestion.

Don't try to hypnotise yourself immediately after doing a strenuous activity, or immediately after being emotionally or mentally strained - try to put a little distance between these - especially on the mental/emotional level. You might just sit quietly for a while allowing your mind to relax - perhaps doing a bit of meditation - leading up to doing your self-hypnosis session.

You are to be applauded for wanting to move forward with this, and I encourage you to continue to look at this in a positive manner. Every day in every way you ARE becoming better and better. Remember that!

Cheers!
Unis