There has always been confusion about what hypnosis or hypnotherapy is all about and much of the confusion is brought about by the lack of knowledge about the phenomenon of the hypnotic trance state and the misuse of this trance state for the purpose of entertainment and the making of money that goes with entertainment.

Sensible and dedicated hypnotherapists do not contaminate their work by demonstrating on a public stage the healing abilities of hypnosis.  One cannot visualize a member of the medical profession, or a complementary medical professional, charging money to come and watch their clients make fools of themselves for the entertainment of others.

The NZ School of Clinical Hypnotherapy has always been, and will always be, opposed to stage hypnosis and we are dedicated to training hypnotherapists who have as their primary concern, the health and wellbeing of their clients.  In order for the public and for people who desire to become hypnotherapists to have the best chance of succeeding with the use of hypnosis, it is necessary to have an adequate understanding of what is meant by hypnosis and hypnotherapy, and this occurs naturally through the completion of the Course.  However to follow is some information on Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy.

Hypnosis is a state of mind where the body is very relaxed.  The person in hypnosis looks as though they are asleep as when in bed at night.  When a person is asleep at night, they are unconscious, or it could be said that they are unaware.  Certainly unaware that they are asleep, unaware of what is going on around them.  Their conscious mind is asleep.  While they are asleep they are not thinking such things as “it is good to be asleep”.

When a person is in hypnosis, or in the hypnotic sleep, they are very conscious.  They hear very clearly and are aware of where they are and who is there with them.  They are very conscious, they can think and reason, and they have full control of themselves.

So one might ask why people in hypnosis on a stage seem to be under the control of the hypnotist and their willpower subverted?  The truth is that each of these subjects know full well what is being said to them whilst they are in hypnosis and they make a decision at that time whether they will comply with the suggestions or not.
 
The person in hypnosis is conscious, is aware, is in control, and although a small proportion of people actually perform for a stage hypnotist, they will not undertake dangerous things nor will they act on suggestions which are against their moral nature.  You cannot get people to steal, cheat, murder or things like this, and the suggestions along that line will result in the person opening their eyes and coming out of hypnosis. 

Hypnosis is a conscious state where the body is asleep and the mind is awake.

The phrase often used that a person is “under hypnosis” is completely erroneous.  The person is not “under”, however the stage hypnotist likes to have people believe that they are under his or her power, hence the use of the word “under”.  It is not the ability of the hypnotist that puts people in the hypnotic state, but it is always the ability of the subject that results in hypnosis. 

All hypnosis is self hypnosis and any reputable user of hypnosis knows this.

The easiest definition of hypnotherapy is “the giving of therapeutic suggestions to a person whilst they are in the state of hypnosis”.

Why would we want to do this?

First of all, it is a fact that everything that we have learned has been learned by suggestions and these suggestions lodge in the subconscious mind and become our knowledge.  That knowledge in the subconscious mind is what causes us to behave the way that we do.

The conscious mind is the mind that we think with, whereas the subconscious mind does not think but simply records all the things that we experience through the senses.  Everything we touch, taste, smell, hear and see, records in the subconscious mind. 

As we go through life learning continues, and every time we experience something through the senses like touching, smelling, tasting, seeing and hearing, these experiences lodge in the subconscious mind.  Every time we experience these things, programming associated with these things is reinforced in the subconscious mind.  The subconscious then answers to the call of the conscious mind. 

Where problems arise is when the programming of the subconscious mind is such that it overrides the intention of the conscious mind.  A person may decide that they will behave in a certain way and this decision is made by the conscious mind which is the thinking mind.  However, if the person’s subconscious mind is programmed for something else, a conflict arises between the two minds and it is the subconscious mind that always wins, for it overrides the conscious mind decision. 

Many people go to hypnotherapists thinking that they have “weak will”.  The truth of the matter is that it has nothing to do with weak willpower but has everything to do with the programming of the subconscious mind.  If the subconscious mind is re-programmed, we would then have a position where the conscious mind and the subconscious mind are in agreement. 

The way to re-programme the subconscious mind is to talk to it directly by bypassing the conscious mind.  There is only one way to bypass the conscious mind and talk directly to the subconscious mind and that is when the person is in hypnosis.  In fact the bypassing of the conscious mind and talking directly to the subconscious mind is the main reason for clinical hypnotherapists to use hypnosis.

It is very important that in order to help people with hypnotherapy, the hypnotherapists must be able to along with the client, decide on the real problem rather than trying to deal with a symptom of the problem, and often the presenting problem is a symptom of the problem.  Having ascertained the real problem, it then behooves the hypnotherapist to make sure the suggestions given are appropriate and compiled in proper therapeutic language and that the client is working with an appropriate treatment programme.

Thus it is very important for the public good that hypnotherapists are well trained in aspects of human behaviour and aspects of physical and mental activities both normal and abnormal.  There are times when hypnotherapy is not appropriate and if hypnotherapists are not adequately trained, they would be unable to decide when hypnotherapy is appropriate and when it is not.

When choosing who to consult for hypnotherapy, people should take care to ascertain that the hypnotherapist has been trained in a hypnotherapy programme which is of sufficient length and depth.