About the author: Fanis Makrigiannis of Mind Spirit Body Hypnosis is certified and accredited by The American Board of Hypnotherapy, The National Guild of Hypnotists, and The American Board of Neuro-linguistic Programming.
What’s the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy?
Great question!
Hypnosis is a state of mind. A state of focus, concentration, relaxation, and an openness to suggestions. The process of hypnosis is performed by a Hypnotist.
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic modality while in a hypnotic state, i.e. quit smoking hypnosis, stress relief hypnosis etc.
A trance state is a naturally occurring phenomenon that we all enter daily (while driving, watching TV, or listening to our favorite music).
What are the stages of the hypnotic process?
This question is a little more complex to answer because every therapist has a unique way of inducing a hypnotic state.
Pre-talk: a crucial stage to find out exactly what the clients want, build rapport, and de-mystify any misconceptions about hypnosis.
Induction: There are many ways to begin hypnotic induction. My three favourite ways are: through conversation, progressive relaxation, and attaching hypnosis to your REM. All are very effective. For an instant deep trance, I’ll use hypnosis to REM (very powerful).
Deepeners: Some say, going into a light trance works very well for change-work. I do not believe this. I always aim for the deepest possible trance state – beyond the conscious mind | critical faculty.
Suggestions: Ok, so your client is now in a state of deep trance (we know this because I always calibrate my client to know how deep they’ve gone). It’s now time to install the new coding. There are two methods: direct and indirect. Direct suggestions are very straightforward and to the point “you are healthy,” “you love to exercise,” etc. The indirect method is my favourite. I will place my suggestions covertly into a story filled with metaphors. The conscious mind will seek to find the meaning behind the story, allowing the hidden suggestions to enter the unconscious undetected – voila the new codes are now in place!
Awakening: There are a lot of “Hypnotists” out there who will completely mess up this part. They will count the same way to bring the subject out of a trance as they did when going into a trance.
Do not count the same way out!
Also, ensure the client is wide awake when their eyes open. If not, the client may still be in a slight trance (you may have ruined everything created).
Convincers Are hypnotic phenomena. The feeling of heaviness (in an arm, hand, foot), warmth, REM, and time distortion to name a few.
Testing: I always test my work, to ensure my work was completed correctly. Do not be arrogant to believe this stage is beyond you! You must ensure your work actually “works!
Fanis Makrigiannis | C.Ht, MNLP | Mind Spirit Body Hypnosis
