Cure Phobias With Hypnosis
Hypnosis can cure almost any phobia in a short time. The science behind it is quite promising and has the potential to work for more than just phobias; some people are using it for depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and more! Hypnosists believe hypnosis works as an intervention technique because when you're feeling anxious or fearful about a certain thing, your mind starts sending you strong signals that something is wrong. Hypnosis helps stop this process by casting doubt on these parts of your mind telling you your thinking things aren't right. This allows your brain to relax into a state where the real problem isn't there anymore and instead fixates somewhere else where it will make sense to do so.
A really good example of this is a study performed at Stanford University by Dr. R. Leo Green and colleagues, who tested the effectiveness of hypnosis as an intervention technique for treating people with acrophobia (fear of heights). In the study, they divided 64 patients with acrophobia into three groups: one given hypnotic suggestions (in which they learned to feel more confident about heights), one given no suggestions (in which they learned how to calm down their symptoms), and one given false suggestions (in which they were hypnotized into believing that a 10-foot wall was actually much higher and thus experienced less fear). The results showed that the group given the false suggestions felt significantly less fear of heights after four weeks compared with the other two groups.
In another study, hypnosis was found to be effective in treating a man by the name of D.M., who was unable to work for 3 months. He had fear of needles, which he tried to resolve with self-hypnosis and other behavioral techniques; unfortunately, this didn't completely work until he saw a hypnotherapist. He reported feeling instant relief while Dr. Sajat Shobalkar hypnotized him; this moment is what brought his phobia under control and set his life on its path again.
So, why would hypnosis be effective for your phobia? Well, there are a few ways it can work to cure your phobia. First, the person giving you suggestions is giving you the means to think about the issue differently and can help you break down the logic of using simple solutions like freezing or running away. Second, training yourself to be clairvoyant; if you know that fear isn't going to harm you and that something bad is highly unlikely to happen, then it becomes much harder to experience fear. Dr. Green also suggests that hypnosis can increase your self-confidence as well as help instill a sense of calmness in your mind when it comes up and spills over with fears.
So, if you know a hypnotherapist, have a friend who is interested in this kind of treatment who can help you start your journey towards a cure, or if you don't want to go through it direct with hypnosis, there are many things you can do to overcome your fears. Here are some tips and tricks you can use:
1) First of all, it's important that you understand that hypnosis works with your mind (and not physically). It has been proven time and time again that the best way to gain control over your emotions and thoughts is by using the power of suggestion. So, when someone tries to hypnotize you, it's important that you don't start questioning whether or not it's true. The fact of the matter is, whether it is real or not doesn't really matter as long as your are willing to follow through with what the hypnotherapist says. After all, if you really believe in hypnosis, why wouldn't you use it?
2) Second, there are different ways hypnosis can be used for various purposes; just because someone has the ability to hypnotize doesn't necessarily mean they have the intention to do so for you. Sometimes, the hypnotherapist or other participant may use tactics such as these (or others) to make you comfortable and make you believe in their suggestions. To avoid this, it's important that you ask yourself if this person really has your best interest at heart by asking them what they are hoping to gain from hypnotizing you in the first place.
3) Third, hypnosis can be used as a form of peer pressure and social desirability bias or social proof. This is when the person giving you hypnosis wants you to do what he or she suggests simply to gain their trust. This can range from telling you that this will help your hubby more comfortable around you, to telling your boss that you'll be more productive if you use hypnosis to help relax you.
4) Fourth, being able to visualize a certain situation can decrease the fear of it. This can be done in a two-step process: first, visualize yourself at the situation without any anxiety and then strengthen your visualization by imagining what's going wrong with that scenario and then also what could be good about it. This, of course, is not always going to work; this technique works best in situations where you can clearly see the consequences and the harm that could happen.
5) Finally, hypnosis can also help you get over it through what is known as a "denial phase." This phase is when a person learns how to overcome their phobia that way by using it as a way to escape from an uncomfortable situation. It's best used in moments when the issue becomes too much for them and they have no idea what to do. They then find themselves at a point where they're not so comfortable anymore; they then go back into their denial phase and will continue to avoid situations or people that make them uncomfortable. A great example of this is when a person becomes afraid of heights and starts to avoid heights altogether. They may go as far as to refuse to live in a home built above the third floor, or even start making fun of those who dare suggest they should take up yoga classes that require them to stand on one foot by the windowsill practicing. Thankfully, there are some ways you may be able to overcome your phobia through hypnosis and we'll get into that right after our final tip:
6) Last, but certainly not least, hypnosis can also help you overcome your phobia by offering suggestions that appear like they can never work. So, if someone tries to suggest that you could run into a spider (or any other kind of insect or bug) and it dies, you'll be able to say, "No. I can't do that." This is because they know your brain will reject the idea too quickly and you'll never get past your fear.
So, there you have it; this was our guide to overcoming your phobia with hypnosis. Next time someone asks you why you're so afraid of heights or spiders or something else, don't stress yourself out. Instead, use some of these tips covered in this article to help you overcome the fears that are holding you back from living a happy life.
Conclusion
Now that we've covered how powerful hypnosis is for overcoming your phobia, I guess you should be wondering: how can I learn more about this? If you want to learn more about hypnotherapy and how powerful it can be for overcoming your phobia, check out this guide on the best way to cure your phobia by using hypnosis via an online program. Alternatively, if you want to learn more about the history of hypnotherapy, check out this site!
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Post Author: Christian Hudson. Christian Hudson is a freelance writer who has worked with numerous clients all around the world.