Hypnosis is the main technique I use to help clients access past life memories. Many people have questions about what
hypnosis is and about what happens when a person is in a hypnotic state, but there is really no mystery. Hypnosis is a state
of focused concentration, of the sort many of us experience every day.
When you are relaxed and your concentration is so intense that you are not distracted by outside noises or other stimuli,
you are in a light state of hypnosis. All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis in that you, the client, control the process. The
therapist is merely a guide. Most of us enter hypnotic states every day when we are absorbed in a good book or movie,
when we have driven our car the last few blocks home without realizing how we got there, whenever we have been on
"automatic pilot".
One goal of hypnosis, as well as meditation, is to access the subconscious. This is the part of our mind that lies beneath
ordinary consciousness, beneath the constant bombardment of thoughts, feelings, outside stimuli, and other assaults on
our awareness. The subconscious mind functions at a level deeper than our usual level of awareness. In the subconscious
mind mental processes occur without our conscious perception of them. We experience moments of intuition, wisdom, and
creativity when these subconscious processes flash into our conscious awareness.
The subconscious is not limited by our imposed boundaries of logic, space, and time. It can remember everything, from
any time. It can transmit creative solutions to our problems. It can transcend the ordinary to touch upon a wisdom far
beyond our everyday capabilities. Hypnosis accesses the wisdom of the subconscious in a focused way in order to achieve
healing. We are in hypnosis whenever the usual relationship between the conscious and subconscious mind is recon-
figured so that the subconscious plays a more dominant role. There is a broad spectrum of hypnotic techniques. They
are designed to tap into a broad spectrum of hypnotic states, from light to deep levels.
In a way, hypnosis is a continuum in which we are aware of the conscious and subconscious mind to a greater or lesser
degree. I have found that many people can be hypnotized to a degree suitable for therapy if they are educated about
hypnosis and if their fears are discussed and allayed. The majority of the public has misconceptions about hypnosis
because of the way television, movies, and stage shows have depicted it.
When you are hypnotized, you are not asleep. Your conscious mind is always aware of what you are experiencing while
you are hypnotized. Despite the deep subconscious contract, your mind can comment, criticize, and censor. You are
always in control of what you say. Hypnosis is not "truth serum". You do not enter a time machine and suddenly find
yourself transported to another time and place with no awareness of the present. Some people in hypnosis watch the
past as if they are observing a movie. Others are more vividly involved, with more emotional reactions. Still others "feel"
things more than they "see" them. Sometimes the predominant reaction is that of hearing or even smelling. Afterwards,
the person remembers everything experienced during the hypnosis session.
(adapted from Through Time Into Healing, by Brian Weiss, MD)
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