Hypnosis interventions... a version of how and why...

When clients come to us for help with their specific issues, some might wonder how those issues came to be, and why we can correct them with hypnosis interventions.

It is generally accepted by some that unwanted issues are the result of misguided behavioral learning in the client's past.

Most, (but not all) of this type of learning seems to happen before the age of 7 or 8.

If you have ever wondered why this is, or why we can rectify it with hypnosis...here is a version of it:

We learn these unwanted behaviors before the age of 7 or 8 because that is age where we start developing our analytical mind. (the age of course varies by individual)

In my model, this is the mind that determines what is real and true in our outside world.

Before it is developed, we view everything as being real and true, we are truly innocent, and we believe it all.

This is why we have to be told that there is no Santa Claus, no Easter Bunny, no Tooth Fairy, etc.

We have no concept of falsehood. No understanding of what lying is...or why someone would want to.

Thus if everything is true...then what we perceive as a threat...really is one (to us) and what we are told is a threat...really is one (to us).

We are constantly learning behaviors both utility and protective.

i.e. We have to be told not to touch the hot burner... but if we touch it once...a protective behavior is born.

This is how and why some of the misguided issues we have...are created.

Hypnosis is able to remove these... because it re-creates that same type of environment for us.

In trance, the critical faculty (factor), which I define as this ability to determine what is real and true in the world, goes dormant.

So the same learning environment that existed for us as a young child.. is recreated, and with it, we can change existing learning and/or create new learning behaviors.

As an example: This is why regression works...because we pinpoint and revisit when an automatic reaction was initially created, and utilizing the same "all is true" learning environment...we can change the outcome.... which in turn.. changes the original learning.

While regression is just one tool in the tool box, and is not the end all be all intervention technique; it seemed suitable as an example of how and why a behavioral learning can be changed.

To salve the savage beasts...I freely admit that this is only one possible version of how and why...

The intent is not to teach or lead...but instead...to provoke thoughtful discussion.

John

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Loppnow on September 15, 2011 at 5:04pm

Hi John,

Thanks for this topic. It makes me wonder what is the optimal way to raise children before the age of 7 to reinforce good behavioral learning and avoid bad behavioral learning.

-Matt

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Permalink Reply by Stephen Gruber - www. ask-the-hypnotist.com on September 15, 2011 at 7:18pm

Matthew,

I would suggest that a good starting point would be by providing them (children) with unconditional love and security, i.e continually reenforcing the message that "you are loved for who you are not what you do."

Stephen

Matthew Loppnow said:

Hi John,

Thanks for this topic. It makes me wonder what is the optimal way to raise children before the age of 7 to reinforce good behavioral learning and avoid bad behavioral learning.

-Matt

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Permalink Reply by John Cleesattel on February 27, 2012 at 1:22pm

Here is one that still has BOTH replies. Bring the discussion here.. lets not hijack other threads

John

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Permalink Reply by Barry Neale on February 27, 2012 at 2:23pm

Hi John,

I have no disagreement with your model and in the previous thread i was not trying to criticise you personally just stating that there is no scientific proof of how hypnosis works.

I agree with the idea that most ISE's tend to be between 0 - 7/8 an idea I read about from Massey.

I might argue the semantics of the word dormant.In my mind if the critical factor was truly dormant then all the fears that the public have about hypnosis would true - that we could make people do what they dont want to do.

I know from a previous post you have mentioned a "natural defence" to manipulative suggestions.Is that not the critical factor coming back into play?

regards

barry

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Permalink Reply by Dan Cleary on February 27, 2012 at 3:22pm

What do you mean when you suggest that there is no Santa Claus and Easter Bunny?

The Tooth Fairy?

They ARE real!

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Permalink Reply by John Cleesattel on February 27, 2012 at 7:07pm

No problems here Barry :)

As we mentioned in that other thread...investigative science is not equipped to study such a subjective intangible.

So not being scientifically proven does not hold much water. But there is more than one form of science.

The majority of our science...and math for that matter is designed to identify unknowns.

The path I took with my research was from a process point of view.

Looking at it that way, I found out how and why it works, and even what makes it work, in a definable and repeatable manner. It doesn't get much better than that.

To answer your question: I define the critical faculty as our ability to determine what is real and true in the world, aka what reality is. (Dave Elman's version favors mine more than yours, not that that means anything or not.)

The critical faculty as defined by schools like HMI, is presented by me as the watchdog of the judgmental mind. It is the part of the mind that filters input, looking for intent. i.e. attempts to control us without our permission.

The reason I don't go with the watchdog being the critical faculty is because we can have our hand stuck to a table, or do any trance effect to show somnambulism, and yet we can still resist other suggestions that go against our nature.

Supposedly, by the generally accepted definition of hypnosis, the critical faculty is bypassed. Not so in the instance presented above.

That is why I call it our natural protection, i.e. the watchdog... and not the critical faculty.

If it's true...it has to be true in all cases.

John

Barry Neale said:

Hi John,

I have no disagreement with your model and in the previous thread i was not trying to criticise you personally just stating that there is no scientific proof of how hypnosis works.

I agree with the idea that most ISE's tend to be between 0 - 7/8 an idea I read about from Massey.

I might argue the semantics of the word dormant.In my mind if the critical factor was truly dormant then all the fears that the public have about hypnosis would true - that we could make people do what they dont want to do.

I know from a previous post you have mentioned a "natural defence" to manipulative suggestions.Is that not the critical factor coming back into play?

regards

barry

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Permalink Reply by John Cleesattel on February 27, 2012 at 7:07pm

LOL!!!

Dan... just say NO!

John

Dan Cleary said:

What do you mean when you suggest that there is no Santa Claus and Easter Bunny?

The Tooth Fairy?

They ARE real!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Hypno-Jay on February 28, 2012 at 2:12am

This is very similar to trevor silvester's opinions in his book - wordweaving.

As we grow from birth our mind starts to add more complicated data sorting as you say making us more analytical.

the first stage is Nominal data - win or lose, with me or against me

second stage is ordinal data - adds rank to something so 1st or second

third stafe onterval data - adds logic to it, second but by how much

fourth stage usually around the 8 year old mark but sometimes later in boys - ratio data, does it even matter that i didnt win ?

following the above, the reason we have ISE occuring generally before the age of 8 is we had the experience in either Nominal, ordinal or interval and when reexperiencing feelings we do so in that data form !!

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Permalink Reply by Claudiu Papasteri on February 28, 2012 at 2:47am

I would agree with your model. I understand it's a "why hypnosis helps" model so get why it's so simplified and reductionist. Child psychology is actualy very complicated. Brain wave activity changes can backup your theory as well. And some hipnotherapist would say that children under 6 years are subconscous (I don't see that as being true). But yes the child brain seems to function like an adult brain in hypnosis.

Clau