The goal of hypnosis is to access the subconscious mind which functions at a deeper level than our usual level of awareness. Our subconscious mind is not limited. It can remember everything and can transmit solutions to our problems.

Hypnosis accesses the wisdom of the subconscious mind in a focused way in order to achieve healing. It is a valuable tool to use to influence behavioral changes. Results include weight loss, smoking elimination, stress reduction, improved job performance, athletic enhancement, and increased sales.

Therapeutic Benefits of Hypnosis

The most rewarding factor of hypnosis that I found are the therapeutic benefits. For example, most weight problems are a result of physical, mental or emotional abuse. Until you get to the source (the cause of the problem!), you can diet all your life and never keep the weight off. To have permanent results you have to go back to the time you started to gain and to build that "wall of protection around you".

One of my clients had a weight problem for several years. Lorie had been on every diet that was available. At first, she would lose weight, get to a certain point, and gain it right back. She went to Overeaters Anonymous, Weight Watchers, exercise regimes, fasting, spas, group and private therapy. Nothing helped.

The Cause of Obesity

In hypnosis, I regressed her to the time it all began. When Lorie was very young she had been abused sexually by her stepfather. She had suppressed those memories for years. Later in her early twenties, Lorie met a man fell deeply in love. Soon after they were married he started to abuse her verbally, and on many occasions beat her physically. Lorie's self esteem was destroyed and to protect herself she gained over sixty pounds. Here was the man she loved who had humiliated her so intensely that she knew she couldn't trust any man. She had to be protected from men, so the answer was to become so obese that no man could ever find her attractive, and therefore, she could not be hurt again.


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We worked on healing, and forgiving the past and improving her self esteem. After the hypnosis session and remembering her childhood sexual abuse, Lorie began to lose weight. She gained the courage to divorce her husband. This was several years ago and Lorie has not regained her weight.

Looking Back Using Regression

Another method is regression or past life therapy which involves releasing and re-integrating the energy and trauma of unresolved past experiences. In hypnosis, many patients recall different traumatic patterns that repeat in various forms in lifetime after lifetime -- abusive relationships, fears, addictions, chronic health problems -- regression therapy can help. Regression therapy is going back to an earlier time to retrieve memories that may still be negatively influencing your present life and can be the source of your problems.

Psychiatrist Brian Weiss wrote "Many Lives, Many Masters" which is about his patient, Catherine, who was suffering from fears, phobias, paralyzing panic attacks, depression, and recurrent nightmares. Conventional psychotherapy had not worked, so Dr. Weiss used hypnosis. Catherine recalled "past life" memories that proved to be the causative factors of her symptoms. In a few months her symptoms disappeared.

If you are more than thirty or forty pounds overweight and have been obese for a long period of time, hypnotic suggestion alone usually will not work. You have to return to the CAUSE of the problem - whether the cause is found in earlier childhood experiences or in past lives. That relieves the condition -- then, the excess weight seems to simply drop off.


Self Hypnosis: Easy Ways to Hypnotize Your Problems Away by Bruce Goldberg.Recommended book:

Self Hypnosis: Easy Ways to Hypnotize Your Problems Away
by Bruce Goldberg.

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About The Author

Kathleen Tumson, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist living and practicing in South Florida.