THE PROCESS OF HYPNOSIS

BY IRAM HASSAN AYMEN JADOON

TABASSUM SANA SABA ILTAF

AND IQRA

FOUR STEPS OF HYPNOSIS

1. The hypnotherapist explains their behavior to them.

What this really means is that the hypnotherapist exposes the subconscious moti
vators of the client's behavior. In the case of procrastination (of paperwork), the
subconscious explanation would be to recognize that we all (as humans) operat
e on what's known as the Pain/Pleasure Principle. Freud was the first to recogni
ze this. This principal is that we all (as humans) seek things that are pleasurable
and we avoid things we find painful (or fearful). Especially if if the perception
of the activity is painful. So a behavioral, or subconscious, definition of procrasti
nation is that it is AVOIDANCE, due to some perceived pain or fear. It's human
nature to procrastinate.

2. The hypnotherapist then creates or describes a strategy for change.

This means a real plan in which the client is an active participant. In observatio
n of Einstein's definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over and e
xpecting different results) this plan is to do something differently.
In the case of procrastination, a new strategy would be to alter or change the
perception of the pain (or drudgery of paperwork). We could do this by agreein
g to limit the amount of time the client actually does the paperwork. For instan
ce, if the client used a simple kitchen timer, sets it, (say for 20 minutes), and th
en takes a break, their perception of the drudgery would change and they woul
d more likely to actually do some paperwork. The strategy becomes "chip away
at it, you don't have to do it all at once."

3. The third step involves the hypnotherapist helping the client become suggesti
ble, or receptive to the new strategy.

Hypnosis is something that is little understood by the general public. That it is

misrepresented in film, media and by stage hypnotists further distorts the gener
al public's understanding of what it really is. An accurate way to think of what
hypnosis is, is that it is a state of mind of increased suggestibility, or receptivity
to the verbal suggestion given by the hypnotherapist. The client remains conscio
usly aware. Hypnosis is also a very natural state of mind. For instance, anyone
who falls asleep has to enter a light state of hypnosis in order to attain uncons
cious sleep (we drift into sleep).

The hypnotherapist guides the client into this state of mind by suggesting that t
he client experience a series of body changes (such as the breathing growing d
eeper, a little dryness forming in the mouth and throat, and a little fluttering of
the closed eyelids). Once the client experiences those body changes, the hypnot
herapist will then help the client relax the muscle groups of their body (still ver
y conscious). When the client is relaxed in their body yet still alert in their mind
they enter that state of mind of increased suggestibility. At this point the hypn
otherapist will verbally repeat the important parts of the new strategy, such as "
we want you to make short periods of paperwork a priority in you're life. Knowi
ng that you will limit these periods to just 20 minutes, makes it easier and mor
e doable than in the past."

Visualization is another suggestive technique. The hypnotherapist may have the

client visualize doing the paperwork while feeling relaxed, hearing the timer ding
, and feeling a little grin or smile beginning to form on their face. That type of
suggestion is called an inference. It implies (or infers) that the client will follow t
hrough and get some paperwork done.

4. Evaluation

In a subsequent session, the client and hypnotherapist evaluate what change ha

s occurred. Was the client successful by doing some paperwork? If so, the strat
egy becomes reinforcing the change (or new behavior), and making it stronger
and stronger. The ultimate goal (in this case) is to create a new automatic habit
of doing paperwork. This modality, or process, has hundreds of applications. Ju
st a few are better study habits, test anxiety, fears and phobias, sales techniques
, assertive communication, preparation for childbirth, preparation for surgery, rela
tionship enhancement, happiness, anger management, the list goes on and on, i
ncluding procrastination.