Hypnotherapy Metro West

As a hypnotherapist, I am often asked if I have been hypnotized myself. The answer? Yes, I have…many times! I love being in a state of hypnotism, I find it to be comfortable and relaxing, and sometimes even magical. In fact, I still vividly remember my first experience with hypnotherapy.

I FIRST HIRED A HYPNOTHERAPIST TO PROMOTE POSITIVE LIFE CHANGES

Back in my early twenties, I sat down one day and realized that I felt terrible for someone my age. I was smoking several cigarettes a day, drinking much more alcohol than I should have, and eating terribly. I knew that if I continued on the path I was on, I was destined to see my health decline. In a sudden moment of inspiration, I decided to invest in a hypnotherapist.

MY HYPNOTHERAPIST WAS NOTHING LIKE WHAT I HAD ENVISIONED

Before my first appointment, I confess that I was a bit nervous about the upcoming experience. In my head, I was picturing that hypnotherapist you see in movies: a cloaked, mysterious figure who used a pendulum to get you into the hypnotic state. I was hoping that this hypnotherapist wouldn’t make me bark like a dog, or give him my ATM number. As it often happens, the reality was nothing like my preconceived notions. When I walked into the office of the hypnotherapist, I was first greeted by a friendly little dog. The hypnotherapist himself was just as friendly. He was a kindly older man, a perfect grandfather figure. He made me feel instantly comfortable, and he explained the hypnotic process in a way that was easy for me to understand. He asked me what I wanted to accomplish during the session, and took lots of notes about what I wanted to change in my life. Then, he asked me to roll my eyes upward. I was confused, but I obliged. He explained that anyone could go into a state of hypnotism, but some people are better subjects than other and go into that state much more easily. One of the ways he used to determine how good a subject might be was to ask people to roll their eyes upward. The higher your eyes are able to roll back in your head, the easier it is for you to achieve a deep state of hypnotism. His second way of gauging your ability was to ask if you daydreamed often. People who daydream generally have a very easy time during the hypnotherapy session. He explained that when we daydream, we are engaging a part of the brain that is also engaged during hypnotherapy. Just as working out a muscle makes it stronger, getting your “hypnotism muscle” exercised regularly makes it stronger…and you will have an easier time than someone who never uses that muscle at all.

WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THE APPOINTMENT WITH THE HYPNOTHERAPIST?

The session itself was one of the most calming experiences of my life. I felt like I was drifting on a sea of air, light and buoyant. At times, I would feel my body sinking, almost as if I was melting into the chair. Images floated through my mind, and although many things were going on around me-a car alarm went off during our session, and several police cars drove by, piercing the air with their sirens-none of it disturbed my tranquil state. It was almost as if the outside world no longer existed, and it was just me and my thoughts, alone and safe. I felt wonderful. When the session was over, the hypnotherapist asked me how long I had been under. “Twenty minutes?” I guessed. “Maybe half an hour?” He smiled. “You’ve been under for over an hour.” I didn’t believe him. But then I looked at the clock, and was shocked. “How is that possible?” I asked. He explained that one of the signatures of this state is time distortion. Very often, people will feel as if they’ve been under for a much shorter or much longer amount of time than it actually was. I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t experienced it, but it was certainly true. The time distortion was disconcerting. But as I left, I forgot all about that part. All I felt was lightness and peace. I couldn’t remember ever feeling so peaceful. As the day went on, I went to my parents’ house to visit…and had a delicious bowl of pasta. I was disappointed-it tasted so good! I was hoping that the hypnosis would make me hate the taste of unhealthy food and cigarettes, but that didn’t seem to be the case. However, a few weeks later, something very strange happened, and this strange event became a catalyst for other positive changes in my life and health. At that time, I was working in a restaurant, and drinking Diet Coke nonstop. It was the only thing I would drink, even though I knew all that aspartame wasn’t great for me. On this day, I poured myself a glass of Diet Coke, as usual…and immediately spit it out. It tasted like someone had poured a pile of salt into it. It was SO salty, that I assumed one of my coworkers had played a trick on me and filled my glass with salt. So I dumped it out, washed the glass, and poured more from the soda dispenser. Once again, my mouth filled with the taste of salt. Confused and thirsty, I opted to pour myself a glass of water instead. As the weeks went by, I found myself drinking more and more water. One day, I realized that I hadn’t had a cigarette in forever. I also realized that I hadn’t had anything with sugar in weeks, either. It was the strangest feeling to notice this, because it was only after, in retrospect, that I could clearly see the changes that had taken place after that session. Yet, there was no denying that it had worked, and that the hypnotherapy appointment had sparked many positive changes in my life. Click here to book an appointment now.