What is hypnosis? Have you ever tried it? I’m sure the experience is different for everyone. I think that I can easily go into a meditative state, so it is easy for me. I can just lay down on the massage table with candles and soft music and I’m gone. I am susceptible to hypnosis at that time. I also trust myself enough that it does not scare me. I have worked with others who will not let go, so it will be hard to hypnotize. I have not experienced that of magic shows, etc., where they make people do things when they hear a sound and they aren’t aware of it. I’ve always been aware. That type of hypnosis is a different category.

I personally have been hypnotized a number of times and to me, it means going into a deep state of relaxation and then being guided to a memory/experience from my subconscious that I then re-experience. The purpose of re-experiencing it is to lessen it’s hold on me or to help me remember something I can’t remember. I do believe we won’t get more than we can handle. I have used hypnosis for memories from this life and from elsewhere. It can be used for smoking, weight loss, panic. I had a friend who used hypnosis for her fear of flying and helping her to relax. Remember the words, deep relaxation. When in that state, you let down some inhibitions and barriers that keep you stuck in negative thoughts.
An example might be to hypnotize you regarding your anxiety around test-taking. You would probably not just have hypnosis, but the focus of the hypnosis when you are deeply relaxed would be to input some positive messages for when you look at the test the first time. When you see your test, “you will take 3 deep breaths and relax, and remember a time when you got an A in class and were feeling positive, intelligent, and proud”. This feeling could be transferred to the time of the test-taking. One thing I noticed in my experiences is the “feeling” I had during the hypnosis. The subconscious messages can make us feel good and that enhances the body experience of feeling good. The person doing the hypnotizing would continue to give positive feelings and suggestions to the client. When we are deeply relaxed, we are more susceptible to the messages. All important reasons to work with someone who is credible, licensed, and that you trust.

In returning to negative times in our life, we can experience the feeling and realize we survived and move on from that. If we don't know what caused a certain feeling, we just keep re-living it. If we let go of a negative feeling/experience, then we can let be happier in our current life instead of staying unhappy because of something that happened in the past.

I highly recommend it for many issues and have found it to be an experience that can help one get out of a rut or help someone learn a lot more about themselves. Just be careful you pick a professional.  Christa Burke