Simon Wayman DHP D.HYP-ADV MAPHP(acc) MCHA
As a working hypnotherapist I had, through the years, wondered about the use of deep hypnosis to help my clients. I had heard of therapists using it. I have seen the results from stage hypnosis which caused hypnotised people to be very suggestible. I wondered how it was done and if I could learn to use deep hypnosis to help in my practice.
It was with some searching that I found the methods needed to achieve the deepest levels of hypnosis. I spent a couple of years reading, studying and practising on my case studies. I also learned of other methods and teachings on the way. All of which have gone into my current understanding and practice of using deep hypnosis on my clients. I should mention that deep hypnosis means the somnambulistic state. This is the deepest level on most ‘Depth of hypnosis charts’. In this state the client really is able to remember, visualise, make changes and accept suggestion very well.
Probably the most surprising thing, I now realise, is the almost total lack of knowledge amongst my fellow hypnotherapists of how to get people into deep hypnosis. The stage hypnotists seem to know how to do it – at least on suggestible people. And there are plenty of courses on many aspects of hypnotherapy in this country but hardly a thing on deep hypnosis itself. Its as if it went by and no one noticed. It was because of this that I have started teaching deep hypnosis.
Its also interesting to note that there isn’t an agreed definition of what hypnosis actually is. This being the case I found it necessary to make my own definition. The whole point of hypnosis is to get passed the person’s thinking mind in order to make changes. I reasoned that ‘Bypass of the critical factor’(I’m sure you’ve heard of this) is the result we want with our clients and so that is the effect of hypnosis that we want. I therefore consider that hypnosis is the ability to bypass a person’s conscious thinking to some degree. Therefore no bypass means no hypnosis.
So when we do an induction and relax out client into hypnosis we are aiming at achieving ‘bypass’ by using relaxation. The problem is that most hypnotic inductions don’t use methods capable of getting the client deep at all. Perhaps they will go into the hypnoidal or light state if we are lucky – and then how do we know how deep the client is? Who actually tests for depth? You may be using hypnosis that isn’t deep enough to make a difference. There is a chance that some clients aren’t in hypnosis at all. They may only be relaxed.
When many hypnotherapists work with their clients they use visualisation, ego strengthening, confidence boosting, positive mental attitude, positive statements, successful scenarios, all of which use conscious, cognitive processes. The client is being helped to change his perception and belief of himself, his surroundings and his abilities, and as we know this works very well. The question is are we using hypnosis ‘bypass of the critical factor’ to its full advantage?
There has been interesting work done using brain scans comparing hypnotised people who have received suggestions, with unhypnotised people who are motivated or are given a placebo to make them believe certain things will happen. The results show very different areas of the brain being used. So its likely there are different processes going on – one using hypnotic bypass of the conscious, and the other using belief. The results appear the same but the mechanism is different. (Obviously in therapy both processes are likely to be happening at once).
It is very important to know how deep your client is in hypnosis because it will determine which techniques you can successfully use with him. With a working knowledge of depth and testing of hypnosis, you can fit the type of therapy to the client much better. There is much more work to do and much to learn for a more effective practice.
For more information please visit www.sw-hypnotherapy.co.uk/training.htm