Posts Tagged ‘hypnosis’

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Trance is easy Change is Different

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

I have a lot of people that contact me saying they want to learn Hypnosis. “I want to learn how to Hypnotize Someone Fast!” or “I want to put people into a Deep Trance to make them change!” Over the years I think I have heard just about everything. “Can you Teach me Hypnosis so I can tell if my girlfriend is lying?” or ” I want to make my husband stop doing something!”.

So let’s start with the title of this article. Trance is easy - that is right a complete idiot can put someone into a trance. Look at Paris Hilton and the media. There is no way that either would exist like they do if it was not for the fact that people like to be put into an altered states. Your first date was an altered state more than likely. Our lives are lived in altered states. We pretend that an altered state is something special and that only the smart can get into it. Well maybe only the smart can use it correctly would be more of an accurate term these days. The cute girl that smiles at the older man or that newscasts that tugs on your emotions annoying you with the story. The ad that suggests that sexy people smoke cigarettes and these days the ad that shows you that smoking is a rebel to attract even more smokers. Think about it for a second. How many of our young people are still smoking? I seen a picture with Miley Cyrus smoking a cigarette and how about the one with her smoking the bong. I can say that I was disappointed to see it but what is disappointment these days as well? Think about it for a second..why would I be disappointed that Miley Cyrus smokes? Not related to her, don’t hang out together so what is it then. It is my own expectations put on someone else isn’t it. Not fair to Miley really and not a smart thing for me as well unless I like being disappointed. Sorry I have went off subject here so let me get back on track.

We live in an altered state so to say we want to learn how to create an altered state seems easy then right!. All we really have to do is have someone focus on an emotion and walla we have an altered state. The question should be how can we create a resourceful state instead of an altered state. That would be different right. What we need to find out is what is a good resource state for people so they can find different ways to do things. Isn’t it annoying to not have a choice in life? It is kind of frustrating to think you only have one choice isn’t it? Of course it is so part of success is having more choices wouldn’t you agree?

So lets cover what you have not learned so far okay? Trance is an altered state that we live in already. Did you already learn that or are you coming up with other ways to say it internally that makes more sense to you now! Love, lust, pride, happiness, joy, excitement and how many other positive states can you come up with.

Did you find it easier to think of a negative state than a positive state? Did you know we have twice as many ways to describe a negative in our lives than a positive? I wonder why we felt it necessary to explore the negative side of life more than the positive. Could it be because the mental health professionals spend more time on the negatives of our lives so they have to define that more? Just thinking out loud here. I really don’t know why we would take more time to explain the negative side of life.

I seem to keep getting off track today. I was covering things that you did not learn yet right? So to sum it up we are not concerned with just any altered state now are we. We really want a resourceful state that allows us to find the answers to challenges we might be experiencing. Would you agree with that or is there a better way you might want to say it internally now so you can start to find some answers you are looking for now or maybe later. After all have you ever noticed that you are always right.

Any ways I did not discuss Change is Different did I? Maybe you are already getting an idea of why Trance is Easy and why Change is Different? You have changed many times over your life haven’t you? Of course you have when you sit right back now and think of it. Think of all the successful things that you have done and things that you have changed in order to do them. It is really quite amazing how fast and how much we change now isn’t it. You are still the same person that you always were and along the way you keep fine-tuning and learning more things now don’t you. Just by reading my ramble right now you might have already started to think about some things a little differently allowing you to take control and have more choices. After all didn’t we agree earlier that you really like having more choices and that it is frustrating to only have one choice in your life. Didn’t you also agree that you really wanted to practice and learn how to use a resource state better.

I have to go for now and thanks for talking with me here. After all you were having an internal dialog while reading this were you not! Do you pay more attention to your internal dialog so you can better understand your own self talk now or will you start later when you find it useful.

Mystically yours,

Doc Magi

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JUST ARRIVED — New Hypnosis Certification Training!

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

In the past the biggest challenge with online training programs has been how to assure that the students have the knowledge. With increased training students can change (techniques|styles|programs} to meet the needs of today’s clients. Before, Hypnosis Certification programs simply taught students the basic knowledge that they needed to work with one style of client.

That is why many hypnotherapists embrace Elman or Erickson only. They are not taught the benefits of both in their training. Students or professionals that only know one way of working with clients limit their success.

Our pupils of today are going to be the instructors of tomorrow. Our job as instructors is to provide them with all the tools to be great. Today’s our average client is more aware of the mind and hypnosis. They deserve more than a script reading hypnotist or hypnotherapist. Scripts are a basic tool. Hypnotherapists today need to do much more than read a script for a client. A good hypnotist can create the session with the clients help on the spot.

I remember when I first started my hypnosis career on stage. My instructor told me that all I needed to do was to memorize the scripts he wrote and I would be a success. The training focused on the stage and performance. I learned how to sell myself and the show. A week after my training I did a show for 400 people. The show was a success. I was still missing an understanding of what hypnosis really was. I felt like a wind-up toy that would perform the same routine over and over because it works. When people started to ask me about hypnosis I had the same canned speech. Information that professionals today are telling their clients and audience. Is it because it works or is it because they have not taken the time to understand hypnosis better?

This led me to more and more classes over the years. Hypnosis professionals still like to use what works for them. The main challenge is that people are different. What works on one does not always work on another. There was a client that wanted to quit smoking. She was in her 90′s. I asked her what she needed to stop smoking. She told me she needed to feel sick every time she went to smoke. Not only sick but disgusted by the thought of smoking as well. She has smoked for 70 years. The doctor said that if she did not stop she would die. You might think that this would give her enough incentive, but it didn’t. Normally, I would not do a negative session (a session that focuses on an abreaction to something) because people are rebels. We like to overcome a negative to say we can. That is why using a benefit approach to stop smoking is better for most. She knew what she needed, so I gave it to her. The client said it was easy to stop smoking. She then told her doctor about the success. This same doctor that told her she was wasting her time, now started to refer his clients to me. This is the difference between doing what works for me, and doing what the client wants. Our clients are the key to our success. Making a diagnosis is for licensed healthcare professionals. Our job is to gather and provide tools so the clients get what they want.

When looking for your online hypnosis training program. Look for a program that provides you more than a textbook or lesson plans. There are many programs out there that provide basic lessons. You can get the same from buying a book and reading it yourself. You want a program that offers time with the instructors. Instructors and a program recommended by organizations other than their own. Is the training recognized by several major organizations or is it just a piece of paper? A state certified school does not mean you receive a state license in California. It will guarantee that you are spending a lot of money for the education. I have mentored a lot of professionals that graduated from state certified schools. There is a school that teaches handwriting analysis and dream therapy as a major subject for hypnotherapists. Hypnotherapists should know about hypnosis not handwriting analysis. Using handwriting to determine the issue of a client is diagnosing an issue.

Key points to look at in a training program:
Do you get personal time with your qualified instructor?
Is the instructor recognized by more than one organization as an instructor? (Note: Several organizations have been created by the same school or person.)
Is there forum to discuss training?
What resources do they provide? Audio and video programs. (Are the resources extra?)
What is their online class structure like? Is it just a teleconference or active participation? Do you get to teach to develop your skills?
Is the certification from a leading Hypnosis Organization or one they created?
Is there reviews and assessments which you keep to reinforce the learning later?
Does the material fit in with your own beliefs and goals?
Is the training designed to take you from the basic knowledge to where you want to go?
Will they teach you how to market your practice?

When you think about it you will see that a piece of paper is not as important as the knowledge you received. It is nice to get a nice piece of paper as well!

 

Mystically yours,

Doc Magi

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Christmas Time Imprint Strategy

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

This year the family decided that we were not going to celebrate Christmas like we always have. With the search of faith by the young one and explorations into other religions Christmas was turning more into a day of gift giving for us personally. When the girls first said that we would not need to do the gift exchange and put up the tree and lights I was pleased. My thought was one of relief in that this year we could avoid the tree and stringing lights around the house for just us to see. I would not need to plan a big dinner and we would not need to spend the time out in the malls and stores looking for the right gift for each other. I am typically an early shopper and have everything by Thanksgiving to avoid the typical rush. This year we were going to avoid all of this so I was pleased.

It appears that our family did bypass the stress of the holiday allowing us to keep focus on work and day to day activities.  We watched others stress and run around which was nice and quite often we were thankful about our decision. I still found myself secretly looking for gifts for Mardee and T though and restrained myself. There was even a time where I found this great sentimental ring that I thought would show Mardee how much she means to me. I called her in to take a look at it to see if a sparkle appeared in her eyes which would say buy it for me but it didn’t. She seemed uninterested. I learned a technique from my dad years ago that when you are not supposed to buy gifts you avoid the day of gift giving and you get them something out of necessity earlier so you can give a gift without giving one.  That worked and we did a secret gift giving after Thanksgiving without giving a gift.

Now it is Christmas day and my day is just like any other day except something is missing. At first my question was did I let my family down because we did not spend the thousand dollars on gifts and enjoy the stress of the Christmas Holiday? I reflected on my self worth as well,  just because we chose not to exchange gifts on this day. Was this programmed into my belief system so deep that not doing it had this kind of effect on my self confidence? It appears that the holiday systems that we put into place does have an ability to effect people negatively as well. We can link this holiday to several internal anchors and emotions.

We chose to not exchange gifts and it still rocked me a little bit.  I woke up wanting to go buy presents and to right this situation. I walked downstairs and there was no family gathering and no bonding over opening up gifts. Is this what it is like to not celebrate Christmas? I spent some time checking to see if anyone else felt this way and it appears that I am the only person that has tied my “ego” to Christmas. Could it be that over the years I have listened to the men in the family talk about providing Christmas for the children. My uncles and my dad proud of the Christmas that they provided their families growing up. Is there a time that everyone reaches where they no longer provide for a Christmas and does everyone go through this stage? Is this why grandchildren are important to keep us celebrating Christmas and to keep this feeling alive for our own egos as well? Can we become so material in our existence that we tie who we are to what we have? It appears that the answer is that even when we are not aware of it at times we can and do.

Imagine what it might be like for the people that did not make the choice today and could not. My thoughts go out to them and I hope they are able to embrace what the holiday is really about. It is not just about religion to say that a Christian is the only person that will celebrate today.  The point is not really why we are celebrating Christmas because we all have our own reasons today. The point is that Christmas can also be a habit and when that habit is broken for whatever reason the result can be very enlightening as it was for me today.

We can link Christmas to our own ego and ability to provide for our family. We can link Christmas to our role in the family as well. Christmas can become a demanding stressful time where it becomes something different than what we want. This year I learned first hand how I have linked Christmas to ego, role and my own internal state. How over the years what I have taken as the simple role of exchanging gifts can become linked to who I am as well. I think this is also why my parents and sister have chosen to still have Christmas the way they do. They take $100.00 and buy their own presents. Wrap them and open them up in front of each other every year.

It is not the presents that matter it is the feeling we get when we open them in front of the people we care the most for it seems. It is that time when we are surrounded by the ones we love the most and the simple act of unwrapping something could signify a new beginning as well to us. It could be opening up a part of us with each unwrapping that creates a bond that we will remember forever. Maybe the wrapping paper is like a part of us that we choose to uncover and share with the ones around us that is deep inside us.

I am pleased that I learned these lessons today and that I took the time to break old connections so I can appreciate Christmas for what it is today. A time for us to enjoy each other and to build real connections that we share with each other and with that higher power that we can all find comfort in. Call it what you want today just take the time to appreciate that today you can be a little nicer and can appreciate what you have because everyone does not have the ability to celebrate it like you are today.

Today is a day that’s filled with miracles of all kinds. A day that we should notice just how important these miracles are so we appreciate them more each day. Don’t feel sorry for people that don’t have what you do because from what I have discovered today they might have something that we have been overlooking with our success.  Today is like every other day that we choose to make special. Take time today to know why it is special for you and maybe tomorrow will be a special day as well.

May your holidays be filled with miracles and joy my friends.

Mystically yours,

Doc Magi

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EFT – More than a Placebo for Healing

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Placebo’s are fantastic tools to establish belief that allows the body to heal naturally.  The body is the only place that healing can take place. The idea of medicine is to treat a symptom that the body is having but medicine is unable to heal. It is the body alone that has this ability. The body has proven that it can resist all types of medicine and can build a tolerance or even develop more symptoms as a result of using medicine. The best medicine is a placebo but in order for a placebo to work it needs to be able to establish a belief to remove the obstacle that is stopping the body from healing on its own.

From our personal studies with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) we have found that belief is not necessary for the process to work. We have had clients that did not believe that it would help use EFT and were shocked by the results. Clients have removed and prevented Migraines, cravings for food and tobacco, and have been able to resolve negative emotions that they have kept for years.  EFT can be used on anything and everything as well which makes it a very valuable resource as well.  If you can not identify the emotion then work on the physical representation of it instead. Remember that a key to emotions are to recognize that they are also linked to a physical representation so if you can not change the emotion change the representation.

In addition to not needing a belief in the technique we have found that the mental process of going through the process can also create change. We have found that to go through the mental process a belief has to be installed first which could mean that the mental process is a placebo effect. This does not change the reality that the process still works though.

You can easily learn EFT in a few minutes to do the process.  For people that want to explore EFT on a deeper level a 1 or 2 hour workshop can teach them many skills to use. The actual technique takes only a couple minutes and can provide you with some real benefits. There are many shortcuts now as well but I would always recommend you learn the complete process first then play with the shortcuts to see what works for you.

You can contact us for more information on EFT training at 661-771-2001 or reserve a place in our October workshop scheduled for the the 28th from 6:30pm-8:30pm.

Mystically yours,

Michael Holt, Ph.D.
Magi Institute of Natural Medicine

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Motivation Can Be Fun or Not!!!

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

What motivates you really? When was the last time you were motivated – truly motivated?  When you think back to the time when you were really motivated what was your thought just before you were motivated? Now that you are able to look back at this time when you were able to feel totally motivated notice what this motivation was as if it was happening right now again and again. Are you able to recreate that event, time, and motivation and now that you are thinking about that motivation is it a good feeling that you would want to experience over and over again?

Sometimes our motivation is something that we look forward to. There are also times where our motivation comes from a point in our life where we are willing to do anything and change anything to stop something from happening as well. Both motivations are helpful but the experience is so different that  even the act of being motivating can be a challenge. The difference is the focus and the direction of the motivation itself.

Have you ever met someone that seems to live their life in a constant marry-go-round? They start to do well and then they seem to go right back where they were and then start the whole trip over and over again?  One type of motivation strategy that we can and do develop is a strategy to get away from something that is bothering or harming us. This happens when whatever it is that is focused on causing us so much discomfort that we will do anything to get away from it. While we are experiencing the feeling of the motivating factor we start to change. We will do anything to rid ourselves of this feeling or issue and as long as that issue or feeling is there we continue moving.

An away from motivator can be very productive. The challenge that some people can have is that once that feeling or issue has been removed our motivation itself has also been removed. So to stay motivated we must bring that thorn or feeling with us on the journey. You will be able to spot away from motivation in yourself and others quickly by the language that is used.  If a negative is used like NOT or WON’T then in 99.99% of the time the motivation is to prevent or stop something from happening. You can only go so far with an away from motivator without losing your motivation.

The opposite is to look forward to the benefits of where you want to go. To motivate yourself toward a goal or benefit. The more you can experience the  rewards and benefits the more you look forward to the trip. My personal favorite for motivation is a toward or forward motivation because the closer I get to the goal the more motivated I become and it keeps changing and getting better and better building self confidence and success.

There can be a challenge with a motivation strategy that is toward something as well. Remember that we are basing our forward motivation on benefits that we want to experience. This means that we do not already have them all. If we are really good at creating the benefits as if we have them already then we will not experience the motivation enough to actually start moving to get them. Remember that there is always a fine line with motivation and the secret is to really understand your motivation so you can tap into that source anytime you want to change .

Mystically yours,

Michael Holt, Ph.D.
Magi Institute of Natural Medicine

Get your free Lifestyle Assessment: http://www.docmagi.com/hypnosis/?page_id=19

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HYPNOSIS & THE BRAIN

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

HYPNOSIS & THE BRAIN

© By Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD

President of the International Hypnosis Federation

IHF@cox.net and www.hypnosisfederation.com

(Includes excerpts from her book “Wake Up Who’s Secretly Hypnotizing You and What to Do About It”)

Bless scientists who try to figure out how hypnosis affects brain or how your mind works. They’ve got problems… Hypnosis and your mind are like electricity; we may know how to use it but no one really knows what it is.

All scientists take a S.W.A.G. (S-cientific W-ild A-ssed G-uess) and then often believe it as gospel.

Phenomenal brain hypnotists ask, “Where does this or that emotion or attitude live?” One researcher “locates” positive thought in the right front side of your brain, negative in the left rear, and addiction at the top front center… that is if you are right-handed. The left-handed are tabbed as positive on the left front side, negative at the right rear, and addicted at the top rear center. Ambidextrous people might find addiction at the top center of their brain.

But why believe a machine or another’s opinion. After all, it’s your brain. So try this. Close your eyes and ask, “Where is my positive thinking? Give it a location… Where is it? Where is negative thinking? … Where is addictive thinking.”

Your answers are correct… for YOU.

I, myself, find that my negative place is on the left side near eye-level, my positive is a whole brain experience or by my third eye, and addiction behind my tongue. How about you?

Not long ago, phrenology and science assessed your character by each bump on your head. Then the ink-blot test became the rage to assess traits. Now, it’s a testing device printout.

Amorphic thought can’t be pinned down. Those who dogmatically associate thoughts with a physical location don’t even know if the technological readout actually correlates to the factors they claim to detect. Just because a gizmo or gadget lights up in various ways doesn’t necessarily mean that that is the “location” of that state of mind, mood or idea. And just because it lit up in one person doesn’t mean it will be the same for you now or you ten minutes from now. Still, study after study dogmatically “interprets” and attributes specific brain parts to specific traits or function.

One popular scientific myth says that your left-brain is analytical and your right-brain creative. Oh look, both hemispheres register similar activity in trance! Diagnostic machines actually reflect that all of your brain works together. Your whole brain does undetectable things to create you and your thoughts. I think of thoughts like the dark matter of the universe… immeasurable yet somehow mysteriously gluing all matter into a cosmic grid.

BRAIN SCANS DEVICES: Picture This!

PET Scan: Radioactive glucose is injected into your blood or you inhale radioactive oxygen while x-ray scanners pick up the radioactive absorption.

Structural MRI: Strong magnets temporarily align hydrogen atoms of the water in your brain to give a stationary picture. A functional MRIf notes changes as they occur.

Highly Hypnotizable Fallacy

The label “highly hypnotizable” is highly prized and praised. Interesting when you realize we all live out whatever trance we put ourselves in. Doesn’t that make us all highly hypnotizable?

Hypnotizablity “tests” are another crock. They ignore factors like intonation and rapport and energy between the test giver and the test taker. They ignore a person’s history around the word “test.” These tests then are arbitrary markers that label people. So, the very label of “more susceptible to hypnosis,” is skewed. BUT still, those culled out as “highly hypnotizable” are tested with gizmos and gadgets to determine what is hypnosis.

A 2000 Harvard/Cornell/Stanford study, asked people in their regular state [as regular as you would be in a PET scanner, inhaling radioactive oxygen, and looking at a computer screen] “Do you actually see color or are you looking at gray?” All registered the most activity on the right brain.

Now, the first leap of faith; does that mean we experience vision or color or gray or whatever from the right brain or is the whole brain functioning but only the right brain registering on this particular test? BIG QUESTION.

Then, those subjectively culled out by “hypnotizablity tests” are hooked up and hypnotized. Next big leap of faith; Who can say if these folks are any more hypnotizable that you or me? ANOTHER BIG QUESTION.

The study concludes; “Among highly hypnotizable subjects changes in subjective experience achieved during hypnosis were reflected by changes in brain function similar to those that occur in perception (more activity in the brain’s centrally located cingulate gyrus). [Next big leap of faith; Who labeled this part of the brain as the home base for attention and emotion? BIG QUESTION] …These findings support the claim that hypnosis is a psychological state with distinct neural correlates and not just the result of adopting a role… [Just how was that proven?] …We have shown… that hypnosis changes conscious experience in a way not possible when we are not under hypnosis. Our study is a thin edge of a wedge that shows that conscious experience can be changed in a willfully directed way by hypnosis [I would add ‘or whatever other variable like thinking of eating chocolate or remembering your first kiss…’ might]. This ‘disassociation of senses’…may be why hypnosis reduces pain, anxiety, insomnia, and helps people quit smoking.” [Next big leap of faith; Great thought yet the ‘may be why’ part is vague and speculative. Anecdotal evidence tells us that hypnosis works but to attribute “disassociation of senses” to why is another BIG QUESTION].”

PRECUNEUS PRESUMPTION

A study at the University of Geneva, Switzerland used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand what happens when you try to move a hand “paralyzed” by hypnosis and correlated hypnosis with more activity in your brain’s precuneus region (labeled as the location of your “internal representation,” memory, and imagery.)

In the study volunteers pushed a button with one hand or the other in three conditions:

1. Normal state… all twelve were first in their regular state of mind.

2. Hypnotic left-hand paralysis… six were told, “Your hand is paralyzed and is very heavy… it is stuck on the table…”

3. Feigned paralysis…six volunteers were told, “Pretend your left hand is paralyzed.”

Dr Yann Cojan concluded, “Hypnosis is associated with an enhanced activation of the precuneus, a brain region involved in memory and self imagery [and I ask, ‘says who? How do they know for sure? And what other parts of the brain may be involved too?] and with a reconfiguration of executive control mediated by the frontal lobes [what?]… Hypnosis induces a disconnection of motor commands from normal voluntary processes under the influence of brain circuits involved in executive control and self-imagery… Hypnosis had people connect to the idea that they cannot move the hand… and it doesn’t send the message to move. Hypnosis allows an internal representation from a suggestion but does not act through direct motor inhibition. This shows a neurobiological foundation for the striking impact of hypnosis on the brain and behavior… hypnosis produced distributed changes in prefrontal and parietal areas involved in attention along with striking modifications in the functional connectivity of the motor cortex with other brain areas… These results suggest that hypnosis may enhance self-monitoring processes to allow internal representations generated by the suggestion to guide behavior but does not act through direct motor inhibition… Despite the suggestion of paralysis, the motor cortex was normally activated during the preparation phase of the task. This suggests that hypnosis did not suppress activity in motor pathways or eliminate representation of motor intentions… These findings make an important new step towards establishing neurobiological foundations for the striking impact of hypnosis on the brain and behavior… Hypnotists call the lack of desire to raise your hand when given a suggestion of numbness or paralysis ‘hypnotic passivity.’”

What is hypnosis anyway?

You are hypnotized and passive when dozing in front of the TV. You hypnotized and passive when you hear the phone ring but you don’t budge saying to yourself; ‘I’ll just let it ring, I am too relaxed to move.’ You are hypnotized when you bored out of your mind in a dull meeting. You go in and out of these “states” all day long. Do your hundreds of moods and states of mind present “special” brain activations? We have yet to know. But to insist that mind-altering thoughts and states translate directly to brain altering activity is error laden. If we are to map the mind/brain we must take into account more than changes in temperature. First we must learn the basics what is thought? Where do thoughts themselves exist. Does your brain create mind, or does something else create mind? Do thoughts change brain chemistry or does chemistry change thoughts?

When you change your mind do you change the very structure of your brain? Structural changes, change function; functional changes change structure. Going round and round and round in a circle game.

Thank you scientists for speculating, researching and learning. Thank you too for helping us understand altered states… but beware. A premise that structure reflects function may be seriously flawed given how little we know about matter and how it relates to function. The underlying brain mechanisms of this phenomenon are not understood. To claim “solid science” stands behind anything to do with mind including hypnosis is a wonderful pipe dream at this time.

Let’s tell the truth. Although how hypnosis works is unknown, hypnosis influences your body. Hypnosis can put you in a state of deep relaxation or bring you to anxiety and stress depending on the suggestions you embrace. The work of the hypnotist is to positively influence your thoughts and your body the same way you do all the time with self-talk.

References:

Stephen M. Kosslyn, PhD, William L. Thompson, BA, Nathaniel M. Alpert, PhD (Harvard Medical School), Maria Costantini-Ferrando, PhD (Will Medical College, Cornell) & David Spiegel, MD (Stanford), American Journal of Psychiatry & Harvard University Gazette, August, 2000 funding attributed to John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Yann Cojan, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Lakshmi Waber, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Sophie Schwartz, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Laurent Rossier, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland; Alain Forster, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; and Patrik Vuilleumier, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, “Imaging The Hypnotized Brain: Neural Mechanisms Of Suggested Paralysis,” Cell Press June 25, 2009 Neuron, Volume 62, Issue 6, 25 June 2009, Pages 862-875

“Wake Up Who’s Secretly Hypnotizing You and What To Do About It” Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD, “the Hypnosis of Sxience” Creativity Unlimited Press, available at www.hypnosisfederation.com

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HandShake Inductions

Monday, July 12th, 2010

There are two very specific handshake inductions that were published.

#1 is the Elman Handshake Induction which is a rapid induction that is set up. I am going to shake your hand 3 times. The first time your eyes will get tired…. let them. The second time, they’ll want to close…..let them. The third time they will lock and you won’t be able to open them….. Want that to happen, and watch it happen….Now, one….two….now close your eyes….now three….and they’re locked and you’ll find they just won’t work, no matter how hard you try. The harder you try, the less they’ll work. Test them, and you’ll find they won’t work at all….That’s right. Now, that’s perfect eye-closure.

#2 is the Erickson method which was a bit of a confusion and misdirection. The person extends their right hand as if to shake hands. When the client or person to hypnotize extends their hand the hypnotist grabs the clients wrist with their left hand and moves around beside the client bringing the hand up to toward the clients face so that the clients palm is facing toward the clients face and points to the center of the clients palm with their right hand telling the client to focus on that spot in the middle of the clients hand and to gaze at that spot directing all attention at that spot. Then it becomes a simple matter of eye fatigue and focus to lead the client into a state of hypnosis or to remove the critical faculty of the situation in order to have the client enter an altered or controlled state.

Both methods are very easy to do and with practice can be quite fun as well.  They make a fantastic demonstration and depending on what your intention is you might find that both will serve you well in your business and presentations.

Mystically yours,

Dr. Michael Holt, Ph.D.
Magi Institute of Natural Medicine

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Introducing a New Forum for Healthcare Professionals

Monday, May 24th, 2010

OK so the time is now to get a resource forum for health care professionals that is easy to use and even easier to navigate these days. So many forums are part of a bigger group and you have to join this community that then opens you up to spam and invites from all over the place. It is time for a forum that is just a forum and not part of a big organization so you network with the members and it provides you some benefits.

Well here it is Hypnosis Professionals Forum is just that type of forum. It is not interested in sponsors or making money off from anyone and has one thing in mind. Lets get one resource to build our business and also to build our network of professionals.  To start off the forum has an introduction section where you post your first post that is conveniently created as a resource page for visitors to find health care professionals in their area if they want.  It has it broken down by state and also by country to cover everyone anywhere in the world. Just joining to have your introduction placed in your area is worth the effort.

Then the forum is designed to have general discussions that anyone including guests can read so you can post things you want there and it has a members only areas for all the major good information so you can have some great discussions among members.

Now this is not just a forum for hypnotherapists as well because it has sections for all types of health care and everyone is invited to join. If there is not a section just tell the administrator and they might create a section for your specific discussion if you want.  This forum is for everyone and there are no strings attached like other forums that are part of another community.

Take the time to become a member of Hypnosis Professionals Forum and make sure to put in your introduction and increase your SEO, referrals and network to build your skills and learn many new things.

Mystically yours,

Michael Holt, Ph.D.
Magi Institute of Natural Medicine

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Depression And Diabetes

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Many people who are diagnosed with diabetes are overwhelmed with an onslaught of new information, medications, doctor visits and a feeling of helplessness. Diabetes can be frightening, particularly for anyone who is not familiar with the disease. We read about complications and insulin and medication and feel hopeless.

Many diabetics experience a period of denial when first diagnosed with diabetes. They refuse to believe there is anything wrong with them. While they remain in denial, the condition worsens. This can often lead to depression. Depression and diabetes often go hand in hand. According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes have a greater risk for developing depression than other individuals.

The stress of management of diabetes can take a toll on an individual. There are new medications to take, blood sugar must be monitored frequently and a record kept for your doctor. There are frequent doctor visits and there may be several different medication combinations attempted in order to keep your blood sugar under control.

On top of that, people who have diabetes are often faced with sudden lifestyle changes. Foods that they once enjoyed are now taboo. An exercise regime is often recommended, which can be good for depression, but people with depression often have little energy to begin an exercise regime. As the depression continues, people often lose interest in monitoring their blood sugar levels and may even skip their medication.

Symptoms of depression include a loss of pleasure in every day activities you used to enjoy as well as a change in appetite. You may have trouble concentrating and have trouble sleeping. Or you may even sleep too much. Many people suffer from depression, but for a diabetic, it can be life threatening. Depression and diabetes is a dangerous combination.

People who are diagnosed with diabetes can empower themselves by learning as much about the disease as possible from the beginning. This can alleviate the feeling of helplessness that often accompanies the diagnoses. Ask your physician questions. Do research. Find out how you can help manage you disease. You need to take control of the situation right from the start and explore all the alternatives so it is your choices.

If you feel you are suffering from some of the signs of depression, ask your doctor to recommend a therapist or hypnotherapist who is familiar in dealing with people with chronic illness. Therapy can be crucial for a diabetic patient who feels isolated because of all of the extra work involved in treating their illness. Do not be afraid to discuss your illness with family and friends. Diabetes is a nothing to be ashamed of, it is a disease that affects millions of people. I always recommend that you find people that are willing to take the time to listen and provide you tools for your success.

If at all possible, join a support group for others who also have diabetes. Here you can not only find kindred spirits who are experiencing some of the same fears as yourself, but you can also learn new information. The challenge with support groups is also that sometimes the group can restrict what you want to accomplish as well. Make sure your support tools provide you with more choices and do not take away your choices. Remember you should feel better about a support group not worse ;) .

Any time someone is diagnosed with an illness, it puts them at risk for depression. Their world has changed and no longer could feel safe. Worse of all, they feel out of control or as their life has now become limited. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, take back the control and learn how to manage your disease. By empowering yourself, you will not only be able to effectively manage your diabetes, you will eliminate the depression.

Remember that improving your focus on the things you can do will be a big help in making sure you are not one of those depressed people.

Mystically yours,

Michael Holt, Ph.D.
Magi Institute of Natural Medicine.

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Can Autism be Cured

Friday, April 16th, 2010

This is a question that every parent of an Autistic child will ask at some point. The answer is no. There is no cure for Autism. While you may see ads for books, or products that promise a cure for Autism, they are misleading you. Autism has no cure. There are lots of treatments that can make living with Autism easier.
Here are some of the treatments that help with Autism:

Licensed Therapies

There are several types of therapies that can help with the treatment of Autism. Occupational, physical, behavioral, speech, music, sensory, drug, play, and many other types of therapy can make a big difference in the life of an Autistic child. The therapies will not cure your child’s Autism. They will just help teach them different ways of coping with it.

Alternative Treatments

Natural and alternative treatments are on the rise. These can include the use of herbs instead of prescription medications. The herbs do not have the side effects found in traditional medicines. Vitamin and mineral supplements are being found to help in treating Autism. Always notify the doctor of any natural products you are using with your child. Some herbs can have interactions with prescription medications. Remember again these herbs and vitamins are not cures. They are just to help with some of the symptoms of Autism.

Hypnotherapy and BioFeedback and also be used as a way to help with autism depending on the individual. There are also other alternatives that have shown to help like Horseback Therapy which from our own tests have shown to have positive results. Remember that these are not cures though and are designed to improve the life of the individual not cure the disease.

Nutritional Methods

Some people turn to the diet when treating Autism. They eliminate certain foods that could cause sensitivities. Some of the foods the remove from the diet are Gluten, dairy, and artificial dyes. The idea behind this method is that removing the foods that cause sensitivities will remove the behavior problems. You can have your child tested for food allergies. Ask your child’s doctor about allergy testing. This will let you know if your child could be having behaviors due to a food allergy. It will also give you an idea of which foods to eliminate from their diet.

There is no cure for Autism, but there are lots of treatments that can help with some of the symptoms. When trying a new treatment only try one at a time. This will let you know if it is helping or not. Allow enough time for the treatment to work. Usually two or three months is enough time to tell if a new treatment is working. There will be no miracle treatments that give immediate results. If you are using a herbal or vitamin treatment inform the doctor. They need to be aware of the things you are trying. Herbs and vitamins can cause reactions with other medicines. It is important that the treatment team be kept informed and on the same page. This will make your child’s outcome a more positive one.

Do not waste your money on products that claim to cure Autism. If there was a cure available it would be told to you by your doctor, instead of some guy on a late night infomercial. Continue to help your child by treating the symptoms of Autism. This will help your child have a better life.

Mystically yours,

Michael Holt, Ph.D.
Magi Institute of Natural Medicine

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