At some point in your life, you would have heard of “hypnosis” and, if you’re anything like me, you might think of a pair of mice trying to take over the world.
What is it, really?
Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness. As defined by Alan Chips, “…which lies between the waking state and sleep. It is generally brought on by an individual by the use of a combination of concentration, relaxation, suggestion, and expectation.”
Have you ever lost track of time while watching a good show? That’s technically hypnosis. Your mind became focused and filtered out distractions. Watching TV, prayer, meditation—these are all forms of hypnosis
A lot of exposure in recent decades to hypnosis comes from mentalism shows that include acts of “Stage Hypnosis” which evolved out of much older shows conducted by mesmerists and other performers in the 18th and 19th centuries. In these times, due to stage hypnotists’ showmanship, many people believe that hypnosis is a form of mind control. However, the effects of stage hypnosis are probably due to a combination of relatively ordinary social psychological factors such as peer pressure, social compliance, participant selection, ordinary suggestibility, and in some cases, an amount of physical manipulation, stagecraft, and trickery.
Stage Hypnosis is a real phenomenon – and a majority of the performers are genuinely skilled people, who hypnotize real volunteers without any pre-arrangements. These highly skilled practitioners have explained how they look for certain characteristics, such as people who like to be the center of attention. Then there are the minority few who after their career have explicitly described the use of deception in their acts. Regardless of what side of the debate you’re on, these shows are impressive.
So then, what is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is when therapists utilize mental imagery and soothing verbal repetition to ease the client into a trance-like state. Once relaxed, a wide variety of issues can be addressed, ranging from anxiety, weight loss, smoking cessation, or even improving athletic performance.
Hypnotherapy has been around for thousands of years, though not by the same name. It is well documented that cultures such as the Druids, Celts, and Egyptians used their form of hypnotherapy to alleviate disorders of a psychological or emotional origin. Today, hypnosis is recognized by the scientific community as an effective healing tool, finding use as a part of medical, psychological and dental treatments.
Because of Stage Hypnosis, people have accumulated fears and misconceptions regarding Hypnotherapy despite the two being very different things. The same difference you would find between a plane, and a car—both are vehicles that move and use an engine but they are not quite the same. Both Stage Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy use hypnosis as a means but to opposing ends.
As mentioned earlier, some people fear mind control. One peculiarity that the scientific community has found regarding hypnosis and hypnotherapy is that the mind is always in control despite appearances. Concepts that go against a person’s character, morals or ethics are rejected. Suggestions work when a person is already inclined to an objective.
Another common fear that people have, lamentably perpetuated by mentalists (a type of entertainer), is getting “stuck” in hypnosis. This is impossible because brain waves aren’t static. Though the hypnotherapist may help bring you into a certain wavelength, it is impossible to get stuck in any particular set of brain waves. For example, we don’t get stuck in sleep, the body stops sleeping when the brain doesn’t need it anymore. So if a hypnotherapist were to stop speaking and leave the room, one of two things would happen. Most likely, after a couple of minutes you would open your eyes and wonder where they went. If you happened to be tired, you might drift into a short nap, and then you would open your eyes and wonder where they went.
So what is it that I do?
I get to the root cause of a problem. Customization at it’s finest.
The root cause of any issue is stored in the subconscious. When we heal or release that root, we’re free to release the problem and create change in our lives. Whatever beliefs your subconscious has, we can clear those out and replace them with images and beliefs that are more accurate and that allow you to be free. For example, if your subconscious believes that smoking calms you down, then you will be reliant on the cigarette to be calm. If your subconscious believes that the only way to get a break in your day is to smoke a cigarette, then you will find that you crave one when you need a break.
THE CONSULTATION
The mind in always in control despite appearances. Concepts that go against a client’s character, morals or ethics are rejected. In short, you won’t accept a suggestion I give that isn’t right for you. Which is why I take the time to have a consultation with you. The better I can understand your goals, and who you are, the better I can create a session and suggestions that your subconscious will accept. It’s important for you to know that you won’t do anything that you are uncomfortable with.
So during the initial consultation, we will have an extended conversation to help assess goals, vocabulary, and expectations to create a program so that I can help facilitate the change you are looking for.
After completing the initial intake, we start the session and navigate towards your personal goal. Most of the time you will remember what we did in the session. It can be a bit like recalling a dream, so you may wish to bring a journal to write down any important thoughts. Once we conclude the first session, we’ll discuss the experience, exchange feedback and schedule your next session.
It is possible that you will drift down into deep theta brain waves and not recall everything. Not to worry. If that comes to pass, I will be happy to give you a recap of it all.
While it isn’t common for someone to fall asleep, it does happen in some occasions. This is usually due to other factors such as when the client is very tired, or perhaps has been sick. More commonly, it may feel as though you were asleep because you went deep into theta brain waves. If you open your eyes or take a deep breath when I ask you to, you are in theta brain waves. If you don’t, even after I prompt you a second or third time, then you may have fallen asleep! Not to worry though, since your subconscious will continue to receive the experience and continue to get the benefit of the session. I’ll just snap my fingers or even squeeze your toes and ask you to open your eyes.
The initial session can easily run up to two hours, but succeeding sessions are usually an hour. All these are tailored to you and your needs. People are so multi-faceted and unique, that even individuals with similar goals would need to have individualized plans.
Ultimately, as a certified Hypnotherapist, I help YOU self actualize. I use my skills in Hypnotherapy to decrease stress, release belief systems and trapped emotions that no longer serve and to facilitate self-sustaining growth for YOU!
If you’re ready to step into your masterpiece, book with me below and let’s get started.
Osiris Chinchillas is a Usui Reiki Holy Fire III Master Teacher and Certified Hypnotherapist. After receiving her training from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, Arizona she successfully established her services in 2020 during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic helping her clients and students self-actualize and achieve their goals on both sides of the US-Mexican Border. She has used her skills to give back to her community, aiding in establishing 988Hearts organization and volunteering her services at hospitals and clinics