I routinely provide my clients with a hypnosis track. I used to make these tailored recordings from the session, until someone complained about the cries of magpies in the background, so I stopped because, unfortunately I cannot hypnotise the magpies into silence. Now I select from a range of pre-recorded tracks I’ve prepared, to suit a variety of needs. No magpies! Yet clients still comment that they cannot reach the same deep hypnotic state at home when listening to these tracks, as they do in session.
The reasons around this are many:
Firstly, in session we have prepped the hypnosis state. We have spent time already discussing the issue, discussing the way hypnosis works and engaging in a range of mind expanding processes. All of this information is food for your unconscious mind which convinces it to agree to drop into a deep hypnotic state.
Secondly, when you come to my clinic, the ambiance is designed for hypnosis. I use appropriate essential oils to stimulate a reflective state, and I have the lighting set for relaxation. The setting is tranquil, magpies or no magpies! You are in someone else’s environment, where you are not in control, and so, like the majority of people in this situation, you will succumb to the expectations of the ‘new culture’.
Thirdly, I am engaging in the process of your experience. It is not only my voice which suggests that you drop into a deep hypnotic state, it is also my strong and focused attention. Yes, my intention carries weight in your experience. If you read my blog about heart based healing, you will remember that a person’s state can be ‘read’ by others, electro-magnetically, if they are situated nearby.
In the case of the magpies, the gentleman who commented was very pleased with the session as he left. He thanked me and told me it was “really good”. There was no mention of magpies at this stage. He had dropped into a deep hypnotic state. Upon returning home and playing the recording, he found that he could not go deep enough, and focused instead on the magpies.
So what use is a recording if I can’t go into a deep hypnotic state?
It is not actually necessary to go into a deep hypnotic state. A light trance is all that is needed in most hypnotherapy. When clients come and fall asleep it is less useful than when they are just lightly relaxed. The ideal state is a little deeper than daydreaming. It is also the repetition of the messages that is important in a recording, as a follow-up to a session.
Most of my peers do not issue recordings at all. It is not necessary to do so and they are certainly not depriving you of any ‘value’ by omitting this service. For me it is a nice addition, which most clients appreciate., especially now that I have managed to edit out the magpies! Find out more…