HYPNOSIS & HOW IT IS USED AS A THERAPY: NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 ARTICLE 2

Hypnosis and how it is used as a Therapy

Everyone enters a hypnotic state unknowingly every day.
Before you fall asleep and as you wake up you enter the hypnogogic and hypnopogic states.

However many people enter the deep state of relaxation that is hypnosis in many other situations. Whilst driving – how often do you arrive somewhere and wonder how you got there? Whilst at work – ever catch yourself staring into space for seconds but on looking at the clock realise it was minutes? Watching TV – ever had a partner/friend tap you as they had been talking to you but you could not hear? This deep state of relaxation is hypnosis. We can however also explore this by looking at the different brain waves.

Brain waves are categorised into four categories Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta.

Beta 14-30Hz; this is the state of normal wakefulness and how we spend much of the day. One is awake and alert.

Alpha 8-13Hz; this is how we are when we are relaxed, eyes closed and daydreaming for example. These are the brain waves that come into use when we are really using our imagination. The conscious mind becomes less dominant and the subconscious comes more to the fore. These are the brain waves we get when zoning out and using meditation. When the alpha brain waves are in force we are in a light state of hypnosis.

Theta 4-7Hz; the theta state can be achieved by repetitive movement or sound. In this state the subconscious mind is totally dominant. When you are dreaming, in deeper hypnosis, meditating, or in the zone in sports, you are in theta. The theta state is what you will be in if in deep hypnosis, for some hypnoanaesthesia can be achieved. Hypnoanaesthesia occurs when clients are so deeply relaxed that surgeries can occur with sensation but without pain. Although theta occurs during drowsy, meditative or sleeping states it does not occur during the deepest stages of sleep.

Delta 0.5 – 4Hz; Delta is the unconscious state. It is where we are during the
deepest stages of sleep and the state at which we will not remember what is happening. The delta state could be a reason why many people forget what has happened during their hypnosis sessions. It is however not a state that any hypnotist wants their subject to go into because it goes against the definition of hypnosis, which is (defined briefly) a heighted state of concentration achieved through deep relaxation.

These definitions explain exactly how hypnosis works. When in the alpha or theta state the subconscious comes to the fore. It is the subconscious that a hypnotherapist works with. We can use this state to access repressed memories and emotions that may be attached to the problem in some way. Remembering the memory can allow the client to release any emotion that was not let out at the time or simply understand the memory from an adult view point opposed to the child’s. This is important because our brain reacts to certain situations by remembering the way we behaved the last time a similar situation occurred. This is fine if the previous reaction was positive but if it restricts us or negatively affects us in some way it is not good. For example if one learnt as a child to eat sweets when feeling bored this will continue into adulthood. Using hypnosis we can change that reaction to certain situations.

EXERCISE & MOTIVATION: NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 ARTICLE 1

Exercise and Motivation

I usually go for a 30 minute run every morning. I do not particularly enjoy it but I am starting to realise why I do it. As the snow started I came down with a cough. Needing to use my voice in peace and quiet for my work I have not been running to try and lose the cough as quickly as possible. This ties in nicely with the vast amounts of snow outside!

I have noticed however that since not running I have felt tired and unmotivated. I often set my clients that suffer with stress and depression a weekly routine that involves lots of walking. I do this because I know how exercise can help lift the mood and increase motivation but why is this?

For a start exercise gets you up and out of the house. Personally I usually get up at 7.30am so that I can go for my run, get home showered and have breakfast in time to be sitting at my desk for 9am. With no run I do not need to get out of bed until, well it appears 8.45am. Although my alarm has been set for 8am the lack of exercise is making me tired and I am struggling to get up. With a run part of my day I get up at 7.30am without fail.

During my run I get to see the world. I run to the top of a hill so when running back down I have a nice view of the North Downs in front of me. Sometimes there is a beautiful blue sky other times it is raining but even the rain does not put me down as I know I will be jumping straight into the shower when I get home. Running in the rain can actually be quite liberating. If you are not one for the weather though going to the gym can allow you to have time to just be with yourself.

Exercise causes the brain to release serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and endorphins. Serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter, a type of chemical that helps relay signals from one area of the brain to another. Because of the widespread distribution of its cells, it is believed to influence a variety of psychological and other body functions. Of the approximately 40 million brain cells, most are influenced either directly or indirectly by serotonin. This includes brain cells related to mood, sexual desire and function, appetite, sleep, memory and learning, temperature regulation, and some social behaviour.

Dopamine is another neurotransmitter and is essential to the normal running of the central nervous system. Tests have been done to show that when we consider alternative options whilst making real-life decisions, dopamine has a role in signalling the expected pleasure from those possible future events. We then use that signal to make our choices. Dopamine therefore plays an important role in our decision making but also our expected pleasure. When dopamine is released, it provides feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement, and motivates us to do or continue doing certain activities.

Norepinephrine is both a hormone and neurotransmitter. As a hormone it works alongside adrenaline to give the body sudden energy in times of stress. As a neurotransmitter it passes nerve impulses from one neuron to the next. Norepinephrine can increase alertness, increase reaction times, increase concentration and decrease drowsiness.

Endorphins are the body’s natural pain killers that also produce a positive mood state and reduce stress. When a nerve impulse reaches the spinal cord, endorphins are released which prevent nerve cells from releasing more pain signals. Immediately after injury, endorphins allow humans to feel a sense of power and control over themselves that allows them to persist with activity for an extended time. It is the effect of endorphin production that is known as the ‘runner’s high’.

It is easy to see that during exercise when these chemicals are produced our mood is lifted and we become motivated. The lack of norepinephrine in the body could contribute to the tiredness one experiences when having a break from a usually steady exercise regime. It is really important to make exercise a big part of our lives for more than just weight loss.

Trainee Hypnotist Stuck in Trance?

So the latest article about hypnosis appeared in this morning’s newspapers. Trainee hypnotist puts himself in trance using mirror. Is this possible?

As explained by hypnotists everywhere all hypnosis is self hypnosis. The hypnotist is there simply to guide the client into hypnosis, in doing so teaching them a powerful tool that they can then use for themselves. Reputable hypnotherapists train for a long time to learn how to help clients, to guide them in the right direction in relation to their ailment, to help a client who abreacts (the reliving of an experience in order to purge it of its emotional excesses) and many more tools related directly to therapy. The simple act of putting someone into hypnosis is actually not the most important part of the course and once learnt straightforward and natural. Why then if hypnosis is self hypnosis would someone be able to put themselves into hypnosis but not get themselves out?

There could be many reasons why Helmut Kichmeier’s wife could not get him out of the hypnotic state he was in. Beginning with some similar theories to why a stage hypnotist’s subjects do as they are ordered.

Susceptibility; many people are hugely suggestible. They want to be, there is a lot of peer pressure or subconsciously they go along with what they are being told to do without consciously thinking about it at all (well this is hypnosis you may say!) Kichmeier is a trainee hypnotist who wanted to put himself into trance and therefore did so. There is nothing in the article about how long he wanted to stay in this trance or whether he was happy when brought out of it. The relaxed state that is hypnosis is actually a very beautiful state of mind to be in. When I bring many of my clients out of hypnosis the first words I hear are “ohhh that was nice”. If this was the way Kichmeier was feeling why would he want to come out of it? It is important here to note that during my hypnosis training I was taught what to do if someone chooses not to come out of hypnosis. The method was to try using the normal count up once more, or maybe twice more. If this does not work we must be very stern with the client and tell them that if they do not come out of hypnosis on the count of five I will not guide them back into that state ever again. Although I have never had to do this the reason behind the method is that people may choose to stay in the hypnotic state because it is such a nice place to be. If there is the possibility that they will not go there again they will come out.

Attention; it is a shared opinion that many subjects of a stage hypnosis show do what they are ordered because a; they would behave like that anyway in front of friends or b; they would like to have the confidence to behave like that in everyday life but do not. Under the guise of hypnosis they gain this confidence. Now Helmut Kichmeier is a sword swallower who goes under the name of Hannibal Helmurto. His job is to perform on stage in front of a lot of people. He likes to perform, this was simply another performance and without saying any more I will say he now has his name, his stage name and minor details of the tour he is preparing for in many English newspapers and all over the internet. Not too dissimilar to the work of Colorado based Richard Heene recently!

Now it could also be that Kichmeier simply fell asleep. I have known clients to fall asleep during my session. I simply start speaking a bit louder, maybe say their name or ask a question and they soon come back up a little into hypnosis. Now it is unlikely Kichmeier was asleep as we know from the article that his wife tried to ‘wake’ him when she found him. We do not know how she tried to wake him or whether she just panicked after asking him one question and immediately phoned his hypnosis mentor, Dr Roberts. We also do not know what Dr Roberts said to Kichmeier on the telephone that afternoon.

There was a program on Channel 4 last year titled Britain’s Youngest Sleepwalker. The documentary told the story of Jess a four year old who would fall asleep at bedtime but then awaken in a trance like state around midnight every night. She had been doing this for over three years. When she woke she would play for the rest of the night with imaginary friends. Jess’ parents worried she would hurt herself took her into their bed and for those three years she kept them awake most nights, they would often try and talk to her during these awake hours but she was unresponsive – much like Kichmeier was when his wife found him. Her eyes were open, she was animated and even spoke with her imaginary friends but was in her own world.

After numerous tests doctors found out that Jess was in an awake state during these episodes but has alpha brain waves during them. Brain waves are categorised into four categories Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta.

Beta 14-30Hz; this is the state of normal wakefulness and how we spend much of the day. One is awake and alert.

Alpha 8-13Hz; this is how we are when we are relaxed, eyes closed and daydreaming for example. These are the brain waves that come into use when we are really using our imagination. The conscious mind becomes less dominant and the subconscious comes more to the fore. These are the brain waves that become apparent when in a light state of hypnosis. These are the brain waves we get when zoning out and using meditation. When the alpha brain waves are in force we are in a light state of hypnosis.

Theta 4-7Hz; the theta state can be achieved by repetitive movement or sound. In this state the subconscious mind is totally dominant. When you are dreaming, in deeper hypnosis, meditating, or in the zone in sports, you are in theta. The theta state is what you will be in if in deep hypnosis, for some hypnoanaesthesia can be achieved. Hypnoanaesthesia occurs when clients are so deeply relaxed that surgeries can occur with sensation but without pain. Although theta occurs during drowsy, meditative or sleeping states it does not occur during the deepest stages of sleep.

Delta 0.5 – 4Hz; Delta is the unconscious state. It is where we are during the deepest stages of sleep and the state at which we will not remember what is happening. The delta state could be a reason why many people forget what has happened during their hypnosis sessions. It is however not a state that any hypnotist wants their subject to go into because it goes against the definition of hypnosis, which is (defined briefly) a heightened state of concentration achieved through deep relaxation.

On finding out these results Jess’ parents were advised to put Jess into her own bed at night. As she was in an awake state she knew what she was doing and there was no more chance of her hurting herself than at any other time. After three nights of sleeping in her own bed Jess stopped waking up during the night to play. Due to Jess’ age no one really knows why she was waking in the night to play maybe it was because she subconsciously knew that if she did this she got to spend the night in her parent’s bed. Maybe it was because she enjoyed the dreamy feeling so much or maybe it had just become habit.

There are many similarities between the state Jess was in during her alpha hours to the state Kichmeier was in when found by his wife. Both had their eyes open, both were unresponsive yet both came out of the state at some point. The stark difference was that Jess came out of the state naturally but Kichmeier was brought out by his hypnosis mentor. This could lead us to the conclusion that Kichmeier put himself into a very nice state of hypnosis; he was relaxed and felt good. He may have fallen into the delta state but I believe he was probably in the theta state and feeling quite nice. When he chose to he would have brought himself back to the beta stage but with Dr. Roberts on the other end of the phone he was pressured into doing so sooner, if not goodness knows who his wife would have called next!

Transcendental Meditation for CHD Patients

Transcendental Meditation for CHD Patients

BBC NEWS | Health | Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

BBC NEWS Health Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

HOW STRESS CAN AFFECT FERTILITY

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger – whether it’s real or imagined – the body's defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” response, or the stress response.

The "fight-or-flight response", also called the "fight, flight-or-freeze response", the "fright, fight or flight response", "hyperarousal" or the "acute stress response, was first described by Walter Cannon in 1929.

His theory states that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, priming the animal for fighting or fleeing. This response was later recognized as the first stage of a general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms.

Normally, when a person is in a serene, unstimulated state, the "firing" of neurons in the locus coeruleus, a nucleus in the brain stem involved with physiological responses to stress and panic is minimal.

A novel stimulus (which could include a perception of danger or an environmental stressor such as elevated sound levels or over-illumination), once known, is relayed from the sensory cortex of the brain through the hypothalamus to the brainstem.

Now the brain stem is very important. The brain stem provides the main motor and sensory innervations to the face and neck via the cranial nerves. Though small, this is an extremely important part of the brain as the nerve connections of the motor and sensory systems from the main part of the brain to the rest of the body pass through the brain stem. Immediately you can start to see how a little bit of stress can affect the body.

That route of signalling increases the rate of noradrenergic activity in the locus coeruleus, and the person becomes alert and attentive to the environment. As a stress hormone nor epinephrine affects parts of the brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. Along with epinephrine (adrenaline), nor epinephrine also underlies the fight-or-flight response, directly increasing heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from energy stores, and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle. If a stimulus is perceived as a threat, a more intense and prolonged discharge of the locus ceruleus is activated.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life – giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning kick, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching TV.
But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.

Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, speed up the aging process and of course contribute to infertility. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

The body doesn’t distinguish between physical and psychological threats. When you’re stressed over a busy schedule, an argument with a friend, a traffic jam, or a mountain of bills, your body reacts just as strongly as if you were facing a life-or-death situation. If you have a lot of responsibilities and worries, your emergency stress response may be “on” most of the time. The more your body’s stress system is activated, the easier it is to trip and the harder it is to shut off. In the same way a woman’s perception of herself as “failing” to conceive, unresolved guilt over a previous abortion or other traumatic incident or even experience with numerous invasive infertility-related procedures can have the same result as your body sees this as an actual threat – just as it would a lion charging towards you!

With the release of “emergency” hormones throughout the body, the body is on alarm, and energy is directed toward the areas needed for actual “fight” or “flight” such as the arms and legs, and away from areas the brain considers less important. Unfortunately, the reproductive system is the most expendable. Once a chronic imbalance of the autonomic nervous system is created, only the regular and consistent practice of relaxation will facilitate the restoration of the parasympathetic nervous system. Hypnotherapy provides an effective means of establishing that restoration and enables women to create the level of safety essential for reproduction to occur.

NOTE FROM www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk

Hypnotherapy has helped many people overcome personal problems and issues, and is now widely recognised as an effective treatment. Some of the more common issues hypnotherapy can deal with are anger management, anxiety, phobias, smoking and weight loss. Hypnotherapy uses the power of suggestion to achieve these results; the hypnotherapist puts their clients into a deep state of relaxation, it is then they deal with the problems.
Hypnotherapy for issues such as stopping smoking or to cure a fear of flying can often be dealt with using 'suggestion hypnotherapy'. The unconscious mind is given 'suggestions' by the hypnotherapist. This type of hypnotherapy can deal with issues that do not have a root cause, or have a time-constraint, and may help the client achieve certain things such as better self esteem or stop certain habits such as smoking.
Analytical hypnotherapy is the other method hypnotherapists use. It is used when the client has deeper issues, phobias are commonly dealt with using analytical hypnotherapy. As they commonly have a root cause, it is this deep rooted problem the hypnotherapist will help a client deal with.
If you are living with a problem or if you are unhappy with an issue in your life hypnotherapy may be the answer. Hypnotherapy Directory is a directory of UK based hypnotherapists who are here to help you. The site boasts a variety of articles posted my their members, information on hypnotherapy and a vast list of hypnotherapists. Each hypnotherapist has a profile, with information on their experience, training, areas of expertise, fees and contact details. Hypnotherapy Directory has a strict policy that hypnotherapists must provide proof of qualifications and insurance details, or proof of registration with a professional body before they can be listed.
To find a hypnotherapist near you visit www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk , this is a free and confidential service.