Self

Take This Simple Self-Hypnosis Test To See If It Works For You

Photo: New Africa / Shutterstock
woman being hypnotized

Hypnosis takes a certain amount of curiosity and open-minded thinking, and there are different schools of thought in the hypnosis field. While some believe there are people who cannot be hypnotized, others believe it is a myth.

Everyone is susceptible to hypnosis — the only difference is that there are those who are more or less able to enter a trance quickly.

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The fact is that people are always going into and out of levels of a trance all day long.

Have you ever been reading a good book and the time just flew by? Have you ever been driving down the road and realized you weren’t aware of whether you’d reached your turn, or even that you’d passed it? You were off daydreaming. Over-the-road truckers call this phenomenon “white line hypnosis.”

If a child had run out in front of your car, you would stop although you weren’t totally aware of your surroundings. This is the same brainwave state people using hypnosis go into, and the same relaxed state a hypnotherapist will lead you into.

All you need to do is relax, follow simple instructions and allow their voice to have the same effect as the line in the road does. They will direct your attention to different things. You don’t have to try or not try or anything like that. You just have to relax.

As you go into lower brainwave states, you may feel light, pleasant floating sensation. Some people remember everything that happens, others may have periods where they don’t remember.

It’s okay either way because there is a part of you — apart from the part of you — that listens very closely. That is the part that hears what you want it to hear or makes the necessary changes to your subconscious patterns.

This state can be very relaxing. Often, time can become distorted during hypnosis, and what can feel like a half-hour was actually only five minutes.

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So how can you tell if hypnosis will work for you? How do you test if you can be hypnotized?

Here’s a simple self-hypnosis test to see if you can enter trance states of hypnosis:

Read through the following before performing this simple experiment.

1. Start by sitting in a quiet, comfortable place with your legs uncrossed.

Take a few breaths and allow yourself to just close the curtain on the day for this little bit. Scan your body for any areas of stress and imagine breathing comfort into them.

2. Now, hold your arms out in front at shoulder height like a sleepwalker.

Notice they are even in front of you. Close your eyes and take a couple of deeper, even breaths, and let them out slowly.

3. Imagine that someone is tying a helium balloon to your right hand, while simultaneously putting a heavy book on the left one.

4. Imagine you feel the balloon pulling up and the book pressing down.

Now, “add” another balloon to the right hand and another book to the left. Imagine the right hand getting lighter and lighter, and the left getting heavier and heavier.

5. Continue 'adding' balloons and books, slowly, three times.

Now, open your eyes and look at your hands. Are they the same height as when you started? Or is the right somewhat higher than the left? One inch, twelve inches, or more?

No matter what the difference may be, and even if they are still on the same level, if you actually imagined the balloon and the book, you are curious enough and open-minded enough to go into a trance-like state.

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A hypnotist will know many other ways to lead you into a trance state. It’s not a one size fits all thing.

They will probably lead you through induction, a sort of story that will let you relax, then some deepeners, like counting down and suggesting you can be more deeply relaxed with each number, perhaps imagining going downstairs. At that point, the changes you want are made.

Hypnosis can help you see yourself or imagine yourself:

  • Satisfied with smaller portions when you eat
  • Remaining calm when your partner has pushed one of your problem buttons
  • Overcoming the thought of skipping your workout
  • Noticing when you are stressed and taking some “time out“ breaths
  • Feeling calm and confident talking to that new crush, or making that big presentation at work

Whatever the case may be, if you can imagine it while in a relaxed state, it will seep into your working mind.

Each time you do it, you will become better at visualizing the results you want, and you will be encouraged by the changes you see. All it takes is an open mind and endless possibilities for you to make the changes you’d like to see in your life.

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Don Ross, BA, CHT, is a Medical Hypnotherapist, founder of Happy Hypnosis Sedona, and the author of “Happy Hypnosis & The Twelve Steps.” His work has been featured in Ashland City Times, The Fairview Observer, SmartBrief, HousingWire, RealClear Science, The Sentinel, Summit Daily News, Waste360 and others.