Summary: The human brain is a simple computer and easily reprogrammable. Hypnosis is just a way of reprogramming some one elses brain. Self-hypnosis is reprogramming your own brain. One of the simplest forms of hypnosis is reassurance. We do this every day in our work. This is very important in our current life in which so many people are anxious about so many things. The greater the mana or kudos of the individual, the more they are able to reassure somebody. Our society gives health professionals mana or kudos, and therefore we can make people at ease. Beyond reassurance, patients may allow you to hypnotise them. This is not the stuff of stage shows and doing silly things. People do not need to be in “trance” but just have a still and receptive mind. You guide them into a relaxed state in which they are more open to reprogramming then speak a new programme into them eg “You are going to pay attention to your food when you are eating, you will enjoy your food and stop eating when you have had enough to eat.” It is more empowering to teach patients to hypnotise themselves. Teach them to put themselves in a relaxed state, with thoughts stilled, and then to talk to themselves with some positive reprogramming “Next time I feel like having a cigarette I will remember that I want to be able to breath well and I will choose to be smokefree and to refocus on what I am doing” To be able to teach your patients you need to be able to hypnotise yourself. It’s easy. It is good to use some sort of voice recorder eg a dictaphone, an old audiotape, or the voice recorder on a computer or phone which you can play back to yourself via the computer, phone, MP3 player or iPod. Record yourself giving yourself instructions. For example: “Today when any of my workmates speaks to me I will stop what I am doing and really pay attention to what they are saying and engage in conversation with them. If I start to feel angry with Bob I will stop and ask myself “How do I really want to respond to Bob? What can I say that will get the best outcome for Bob and me?” I will use the stairs. I will eat healthy food today”. Then use any of the meditation techniques we have tried, eg focusing on your breathing, to still your mind. Then play your recording back to yourself. Then go on with your day and notice what happens. With practice you will realise that your instructions to yourself can become more and more life changing. You will also find quickly that you don’t have to go through the whole process with the recording the instructions - you can just give yourself some instructions for the day and so your day unfolds. Have fun. See how far you can go with this. Download audio
