Self Hypnosis For Self-Help And Personal Development

Did you know that you can use self hypnosis to help your personal development and to accomplish goals?

Hypnosis use to be a scary subject as most of our contact with it was through films and hearsay. We have seen where the hypnotherapist would be trying to hypnotize one person and the onlooker will be the one hypnotized instead. We have seen people under hypnosis do crazy, psychotic and even silly things, like killing someone, stealing or even barking like a dog. Hypnosis is not just putting someone in a trance and telling them what to do. Hypnotherapy involves having an open mind but the power of suggestion can only work if you the patient is up to it. If you are a natural thief then placing the suggestion for you to rob the bank is easy. On the other hand, if you are deeply against it, in no way your mind would accept the suggestion. Self help and personal development can be achieved with hypnosis but first let's define it.

So in this article we will look at self hypnosis and how it can help you accomplish things. First let's define hypnosis:

This is what the American Psychological Association says that hypnosis is.

Hypnosis is a technique in which clinicians make suggestions to individuals who have undergone a procedure designed to relax them and focus their minds. It is used to treat conditions including pain, anxiety, mood disorders, and smoking.

Some years ago I was really down and out. Needing to feel accomplished or feel better about myself. I was in financial trouble and had confidence problems due to stress and depression. I gave up on life several times and lived to tell the tale. Along the way I found a book titled Self Hypnosis, which I purchased.

This book on self hypnosis is about training your mind to accomplish your goals. There are several techniques that were included in the book and I remember using some of them. I also used one of the techniques similar to yoga for relieving stress and headaches.

Two of the self hypnosis techniques I used were

1. The bed time technique, as I like to call it. (a) You get a tape recorder and record your suggestions. Your suggestions should not be commands but rather a prompting. example of a suggestion for weight loss "I will remember to have a full glass of water before each meal so that I may feel full faster." Not all suggestions will have the word remember so it's not a reminder. A suggestion for quitting cigarettes is, "Each time I smoke I will envision myself having lung cancer." This one is kind of harsh but a suggestion for quitting smoking is not telling yourself or the patient to quit, it is taking them to a place where they can see the effects of smoking to make them want to quit. (b) After you have made your tape you turn it on as soon as you turn out the lights and hit the pillow. The tape will play while you are falling asleep. The last thing you will hear is your suggestion. Do this every night until you accomplish your goal. You may change the tape every few weeks to tweak the suggestion. Remember to speak in a low soft tone so that your voice will help to calm and relax you.
2. The yoga method. These are my own personal names but the techniques are real. I find a quiet place where I wont be disturbed by humans. It is okay if there are animal sounds. Use the sounds as your points of focus. Close your eyes and focus on one of the sounds until all other sounds are drowned out. You will need to have memorized your suggestion which will be short and to the point. This works well for one or two words, memorizing a particular item or event or for encouraging general success, such as "I must succeed at Golf," or "I will study harder." You need to set a timer that you will use every time for removing your trance. This must be something that you can identify with and know the sound like your phone or watch alarm. You can start out with five minutes each time then increase gradually as you get used to doing it.

These two techniques I have used many times and I think they really helped me to gain my confidence back. I especially like the bed time technique because I suffered insomnia and it helped me to sleep.

The basic rules for these hypnotic sessions is relaxing the entire body, limb by limb, muscle by muscle, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. All tension should be relieved from the body and all doubts from the mind. You should believe in what you are doing and open up your mind to it.

If you open up your mind to your own hypnotic suggestions you will achieve your goals. I recommend this to anyone who needs to study harder, gain confidence, do something they have always wanted doing, break a bad habit, anything. You will definitely be on your way to success!

Copyright 2011, Emerald Strachan, All Rights Reserved