Hypnosis Induction Techniques
January 7th, 2009

The power of hypnosis is very real and very beneficial. If you find yourself faced with something that needs to be changed, hypnosis could help. The way hypnosis works is that a hypnotist or hypnotherapist would offer suggestions that your mind would accept to help resolve the issue. For example, if you are trying to stop smoking and nothing else has worked, hypnosis could be the breaking point. The professional would work with you so your mind begins to accept suggestions that smoking is unhealthy, dangerous, and unattractive.

Keep in mind that while hypnosis can be helpful for most people, it is not a magic bullet. In fact, people who use hypnosis will often couple it with other forms of treatment or therapy. Regardless, for hypnosis to work best, you need to be highly motivated and work with a highly trained professional. To be hypnotized, several induction techniques are used. Depending on the hypnotist or hypnotherapist you choose, the technique will likely vary. Hypnosis induction can be broken down into six primary categories but in most cases, the professional would use these induction techniques as building blocks for creating many other techniques.

First, you have eye fixation or fixed glaze, which was most popular in the 19th century. Unfortunately, many people do not respond to this type of induction, which sadly, if this is the only technique used by your professional and you do not respond, then you could be labeled as not being a good candidate for hypnosis when in fact, another form of induction might work very well. Therefore, when choosing a hypnotist or hypnotherapist, make sure they offer several induction techniques.

Next is the progressive relaxation type of induction, which is often called imagery. In most cases, progressive relaxation is used in self-hypnosis although it can be performed by a professional. For this to work, you would be asked to imagine yourself in a safe, comfortable place. With this, you would have a sense of well-being and peace. Once you reach that "place", you would be awakened to full consciousness.

The third form of hypnosis induction is mental confusion. The goal with this technique is to confuse the conscious mind, which most experts believe helps it to relax so the suggestions can be received much better. The key with mental confusion is that it should only be performed by a skilled and trained hypnotist or hypnotherapist. This induction type should not be taken lightly. Sometimes, people are already confused so the last thing you want is further confusion that only compounds the problem rather than help.

The next hypnosis induction technique is mental misdirection. This particular technique uses the mind's imagination that when balanced with response, you would respond to suggestions more effectively. Then, you have loss of equilibrium. Think about the mother that gently rocks her baby to sleep, or the parent that holds an injured child, rocking him or her slowly and soothingly. This same concept is incorporated into hypnosis, which for some, works exceedingly well.

The final hypnosis induction is a shock to the nervous system. In this case, the hypnotist or hypnotherapist would provide rapid inductions that employ sudden emphatic command. Typically, what you see happen in the person being hypnotized is they put up resistance to being hypnotized or completely, let go. While this technique is also beneficial, few professionals use it, as the technique is somewhat archaic.

Remember, a qualified hypnosis professional will be able to use one or many of these induction techniques to devise something specific to you. The possibilities are limitless and exciting. As you look around for a hypnotist or hypnotherapist, ask questions about the techniques used, the professional's philosophy of induction techniques used, and the success rate

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