Is the Past...Past?

"Insight is the booby prize of life" -David Levy, psychologist and author

A question that comes up occasionally with prospective clients in my hypnosis counseling practice is whether we have to extensively explore their past in order for the them to achieve their goals. Is it necessary to drift back in time and "set things straight" ?

This belief comes from the field of "psychodynamic therapy."  Figures such as Sigmund Freud insisted that present problems of thought and behavior had their origin in childhood experiences, the memories of which were often repressed from conscious awareness. The process then would be to reconnect to those memories, create an awareness of how the negative patterns came to be and that once you have this knowledge in your conscious awareness, you can resolve them. In this model Insight=Healing.

However, there is little evidence that this is an effective approach and actually it has the potential for harm. One danger is the phenomena known as "false memories," where a suggestible individual begins to "remember" events that didn't happen, especially if the therapist asks leading questions. Quite a few individuals had their lives ruined by accusations made because of false memories of abuse that never took place except in the accuser's imagination.

Another pitfall to consider is that what is called "repression" may actually be a healthy coping strategy-that there can be some very good reasons to push negative memories out of conscious awareness. Ponder this: if remembering trauma was curative, post-traumatic stress (PTS) would simply heal itself quite rapidly since the person is repeatedly experiencing the upsetting event as if were happening now. PTS is really a problem of remembering too well.

So as a rule a very small percentage of my interactions with clients involve exploring the past. One exception is having them retrieve some good, empowering memories so we have some positive anchors to work with-and you would be surprised how many people seem to have repressed those!

But what if you are carrying around a lot of negative memories and imprints-what can be done?

Current thinking suggests that while you cannot alter the past, practices such as mindfulness and self-hypnosis can help you learn to live more fully in the present moment. Thanks to what is called neuroplasticity, with some persistence you can rewire patterns and associations in the brain that may be keeping you tethered to a negative past. The past does not have to determine your future!

If you have any questions, I'm here to help. Feel free to connect by calling (732) 714-7040.

Tinnitus Tragedy Considered

I came across a rather sad news story online today regarding a boat skipper from Northern Wales who committed suicide 6 days after being told his tinnitus was incurable and was offered no hope or apparent guidance on how to cope.

Described as a proud man with a strong personality, he had been struggling with tinnitus and hyper-sensitivity to sound for about 6 months.

A coroner's inquest was held and during the hearing one family member stated, "He was just told to get on with it. There was no bit of encouragement, no hope of improvement."

Although the coroner did not believe there was any malpractice involved, she did state, "...I feel very strongly that there should be a more robust and proactive approach when someone is given a prognosis in which there is no hope for cure or improvement."

Notice how the word hope is rather prominent here?

This incident may reflect a problem inherent with modern medicine where specialists deal with one specific area and tend to ignore anything that doesn't fall within their bailiwick.

Yet the whole person does need to be considered in all healing situations.  Personally I cannot think of anything more tragic than when the thoughtless and careless communication of a person in authority such as a doctor drives someone into a state of utter despair and panic.

Talk about negative hypnosis and the misuse of suggestion! Is it really any surprise this person acted as he did if he fully accepted the idea that he was a hopeless case? Makes sense in a sad sort of way.

The truth is that while it is not always possible to do something about the neurological signal that creates the unwanted sounds of tinnitus, there are plenty of strategies than can help a person learn to cope with that experience and to become less bothered by it-to regain your quality of life.

Another truth is that there is usually no magic bullet and that a number of strategies may need to be tried until you find an adequate level of relief or what is called "habituation" to the tinnitus, so this may take some time. Taking a holistic approach that includes mind/body healing methods such as self-hypnosis and mindfulness meditation can make this process more comfortable for you.

Probably the most important idea you can take away from this tragedy is this: never, ever, under any circumstances, let anyone take your hope from you!

And if you have thoughts about harming yourself, you have to call the appropriate emergency services in your community without hesitation-no debate on this point.

Please feel free to connect if you have any questions, I'm here to help!

Source article: http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/155661/deganwy-boat-skipper-leapt-to-his-death-after-being-told-there-was-no-cure-for-his-tinnitus.aspx

Is Hypnosis Real?

"I don't believe hypnosis is real," huffs the smirking, uber-skeptical guy, "I only go with established scientific facts and I think its all just a farce for the hopelessly gullible."

Over the years I have encountered a number of such individuals and get the impression that they derive a certain smug satisfaction out of being a buzz-kill! Yet in the past decade enough cutting edge research has been done in neuroscience that pretty much shuts down the argument that hypnosis is somehow fake.

Of particular note is an article published by Stanford University "Research supports the notion that hypnosis can alter perception" that details how modern brain imaging techniques prove that the same areas of the brain "light up" when someone is actually performing a given visual task or when a hypnotized person is asked to imagine it.

This type of research involves the use of PET scans, which can provide real time data on the the blood flow to particular regions of the brain. This increase or decrease of blood flow to those structures indicate whether they are becoming more or less active.

In other studies it has been shown that while hypnotized volunteers and a control group both showed activity in the somatosensory cortex (which processes physical sensations) when exposed to a painful stimuli, the activity of the anterior cingulate cortex (which modulates suffering-the emotional response) decreased in those who received suggestions related to pain reduction.

In the 1700's Ben Franklin sat on a French panel that was investigating the controversial healing claims of Franz Anton Mesmer, considered one of the founding fathers of what we now call hypnosis. Mesmer maintained his powers stemmed from what he described as  "animal magnetism" -a mysterious force that he was able to channel into his patients to cure their ills.

In the course of the inquiry Franklin came  to disagree with this explanation and eventually concluded that the healing effects were due to something going on in the patient's imagination. Flash forward 200 years and neuroscience not only agrees with this but proves that just because something is imagined, it doesn't mean its not real!

Hypnosis has been around in one form or another for thousands of years for a reason, it works. Its just nice that science is catching up and validating its effectiveness. Never underestimate what your mind can create, whether it be for good or ill. What would you like to create?

Do feel free to connect if you have any questions, I'm here to help! The office telephone number here is (732) 714-7040.

P.S. If you find this sort of thing interesting, do sign up for my free online Mind/Body Healing Course. 

Extraordinary Healing, Ordinary Miracle- A Review

Extraordinary Healing, Ordinary Miracle: Choosing WellBeing Over Fighting Cancer by Patricia French Crilly, R.N. is a rather remarkable book that details the author's triumph over invasive ovarian cancer while eschewing the standard post-surgery protocol of chemo and radiation therapy.

An intriguing tale to start with, what it made it even a more fascinating read for me is that I have been lucky enough to know the author for over 10 years due to our both being members of the same organization for professional hypnotists here in New Jersey.

Nurse Crilly, as her friends often call her, begins with how being treated for a relatively minor injury eventually led to the diagnosis of a major health challenge- one that often leads to people becoming frozen in fear and pessimism.

Of particular interest to me as a professional hypnotist was her perspective on how traditional healthcare settings deliver a staggering volume of negative suggestions to people who are in a very vulnerable place in their life's journey.

Unfortunately there are still many who do not buy into the idea that the mind has a tangible impact on the health on the body, although hopefully this book will help to change that.

Due to her training in hypnosis and other natural healing arts, she was able to avoid getting stuck in a negative mindset and was able to plot her way into a place that she calls WellBeing.

She also gives considerable credit to the team of healers she assembled around herself, both allopathic and alternative, that facilitated her healing process.

I also suspect her legendary sense of humor (abundantly shared in these pages) was also played no small part in her getting well again.

I give this book my highest recommendation as the information it contains can be invaluable if you or someone care faces a life-changing health problem.

A Hypnotic Healing Trip to the Beach-New MP3!

I just created a new MP3 audio program entitled, "A Hypnotic Healing Trip to the Beach" that you can download for home use.

Over the past 20 years I have used a number of ocean related images in my hypnotic inductions because:

• For many people the ocean evokes a sense of strength, healing and relaxation. 
• I am from a beach area, so it kind of comes natural to me.
• Even for people who live near the ocean, sometimes its hard to make the time to get there.

A Hypnotic Healing Trip to the Beach evokes comforting imagery and is accompanied by soothing ambient music and natural ocean sounds. It culminates with teaching an easy to use self-hypnosis cue that can be used at any time or place.

The program is about 14 minutes in length, long enough to guide you into deep relaxation yet not so lengthy that it would interfere with your busy schedule.

The investment in A Hypnotic Healing Trip to the Beach is just $2.97 If you wish to instantly download a copy, you may do through the link below.

Hypnotic Healing Trip to the Beach
$2.97

Hypnotist Has Spent Past 20 Years in Trance

New Jersey Hypnotist James Malone has announced that this November marks his 20th year in the field of professional hypnotism for self-improvement, having received his initial certification through the National Guild of Hypnotists in 1995.

"Someone recently asked me what changes I have noticed in the profession since I first began," states Malone, "and there have been some interesting developments."

He shares, "back in the mid-90's when I started, 50 percent or more of the clients came in for smoking cessation, which I believe was the case for most people in the field at the time. Nowadays that figure is closer to 25 percent, with more people now seeking assistance for stress associated problems, especially those related to ongoing health challenges such as chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome and tinnitus. Its great that people are discovering that mind/body healing methods such as hypnosis and mindfulness can be a powerful complement to their standard medical care."

Another change he approves of is "that the image of hypnosis being seen as a situation that involves losing control and doing silly things is thankfully becoming a relic of the past. The general public is beginning to accept the idea that hypnosis is really a focused state of concentration and imagination that helps people alter negative perceptions and release stress; that it enhances rather than detracts from your sense of self-control."

Malone continues, "its also been my observation that for many Americans the external stress factors in their lives have worsened in the past decade or so. The economic downturn that began 2008 hasn't really corrected itself and many folks are struggling financially even though they are willing to work hard and play by the rules. There were also many of us here at the Jersey Shore who really took a terrible hit with Super Storm Sandy 3 years ago. As a professional hypnotist I can plainly see how this "misery index' contributes to a wide variety of negative physical and emotional problems."

"However, learning the skills of self-hypnosis and mindfulness can teach you how to tame your stress response and to maintain a more optimistic outlook even when external circumstances are not as we wish and beyond our control to change. Life today demands resilience and the ability to reinvent yourself and hypnosis can help you with that."

At his his practice in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, Malone offers private and small group sessions for a variety of stress and habit change issues. He is also the author of several well received self-help e-books and is available for private consultations and media interviews.

You are Not Fat!

I know of a local personal trainer who frequently tells her clientele that "you are not fat!"

But what if you are actually carrying an excess amount of weight on your frame, isn't the "I'm fat" statement an accurate one? Well yes and no.

Saying I AM is an identity statement like when you say you are male/female, conservative/liberal, religious/atheist, etc. You tend to conform to the expectations of that role in order to maintain consistency.

Yet fat isn't something you are, its something you currently have. For example, if you have an aching tooth you don't go to the dentist and proclaim, "I am tooth decay!"- not unless you want a psychiatric referral! Instead you would tell the dentist "I have a tooth ache."

You acknowledge you have a problem and take steps to correct it. It is absolutely no different being overweight.

Now with the holidays approaching it is time to have a plan in place so that you don't end up being stuffed like the turkey. I have two suggestions:

1) Schedule your free, confidential strategy session with me to discuss some steps you can take to stay on track. The telephone number here is (732) 714-7040.

2) Stress and tension absolutely contribute to the problem on the emotional as well as the physical levels, especially during the holidays. Believe it or not there is solid research that indicates stress relief programs can often lead to spontaneous weight reduction. I have a Stress Inoculation Clinic scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, November 18 that could be a very helpful resource for you. You can learn by Clicking Here. 

Hope to connect with you soon!