Category Archives: How to…
The most fun you can have with your clothes on
OK, maybe it’s not the most fun, but it’s a close second.
What’s that, you ask? Well, let me tell you a story…
Once upon a time, when I was at the tender age of 12 I spent a summer in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had no electricity, no running water, and no sugar. But I had a wonderful, life-changing experience.
One day before lunch, I found myself lying on a foam mattress with a dozen other kids, listening to a camp counselor playing the guitar while guiding us on a spiritual journey. With my eyes closed, I imagined every scene in vivid detail, and soon found myself drifting in and out of “sleep.” My body felt weightless, my visions were crisp, and when it was over my heart and soul were elated.
But that was only the beginning.
Fast forward 7 years later. I’m in college at Virginia Tech, and I get a call from my mother. She wants me to join her for a class in Virginia Beach. Without any hesitation (because I love learning new things) I say yes.
Two weeks later I’m in a room with 40 people, all at least 20 years older than me. And the instructor has us close our eyes, listen to some relaxing music as he begins to speak low and soft. And I begin to drift…
Wait! I remember this feeling, this vibration in my cells, this opening of my heart. I haven’t felt this good in years! And so began my life-long love of hypnosis.
My boyfriend’s attempt at hypnotizing me in Baja, Mexico. I think he needs to take my class!
Fifteen years later, and I just can’t imagine life without it (why would I want to?!). Every day I get the opportunity to help others heal their bodies, their relationships, and their hearts- in the most pleasant state of being I’ve ever known. Truly, it’s the best job in the world. Because, not only do I get to watch others have deep and profound transformations, but I get to enjoy going into hypnosis every day with them. I benefit from having a reduced heart rate, a relaxed attitude, and an uplifted spirit- daily.
Can you imagine the joy of helping others (and yourself) make effortless change in a state of pure bliss?
Have a great day, and remember, you can do anything that you believe you can.
Love!
Like this:
Special Private Event with Me
Hi, Janis Ericson here, Director of Lightwork Seminars, Intl.This June I’m offering a special event for 10 practitioners like you to help more people and make more money.I’d like to know if you’d like to be one of them.Tell me more, Janis!
This event will be only for existing coaches and wellness practitioners with a desire to significantly increase their results… and who have a desire to be mentored by someone who’s been in the business for over 15 years.
What will the programs be about?
We’re going to take the 5 biggest blocks your clients face and I’ll show you the most effective methods for moving through them. You’ll learn how to utilize fun and simple language patterns for changing someone’s thinking. You’ll discover methods for dropping your clients into trance in just a few moments so they can find their own solutions. And I’ll provide you with loads of cool techniques you can use on the phone or in person to get great results. You’ll get some certificates in the mix, too.
I love working with people like you, people with a sincere desire to help others. It’s a joy to share what I’ve learned with those who will use it well.
This will be your only opportunity in 2012 to work with me in this way, in person over a period of time. You’ll get the time and mentorship you won’t get anywhere else this June.
This program is only for dedicated practitioners. I won’t be accepting anyone without prior training or skill in helping others.
So, if you’ve got a practice (or have recently completed other training), and you’d like to build your confidence and your skill, then send me an email to let me know you’re interested. I’ll be accepting applications through May 15th.
Just send me an email with the subject line:
“Janis Ericson Special Event”
What to include in the email
- Tell me what you think I should know about your practice/experience
- What is currently your biggest challenge in working with clients?
- What is currently your biggest challenge in making money?
- What is your biggest opportunity for your own growth?
Also, please include your cell phone # and the best time to reach you.
I’ll be personally reviewing these emails and will let you know if you’re a good match for the program, and will get back to you with more details and to set up a time to speak with me directly.
You can email me here.
I appreciate you reading this and considering working with me – this is going to be an incredible journey!
Warmly,
~Janis
P.S. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention – the first 5 applications I receive will get a special free gift.
Hypnosis Research You Just Can’t Ignore
Are you considering making a change in your life? Is it time to kick that bad habit, to stop your pattern of self-sabotage, or improve your relationships? Maybe you’ve considered entering therapy but you approach the idea of talk therapy with skepticism. Well, you’re not alone.
Besides cognitive-behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy is one of the most studied modes of behavioral change. Not only is it effective, it’s quick, simple, and safe.
Here is a quick overview of just some of that researched evidence to prove hypnotherapy is more than just a viable alternative to traditional psychotherapy. More details are below.
- Hypnotherapy for stopping smoking has a 90% success rate, even after 3 years.
- Hypnotherapy is 3 times more effective than the Nicotine Patch.
- Hypnotherapy is 15 times more effective than Willpower.
- Those that use hypnotherapy for stopping smoking as twice as likely to stay off than those that go it alone.
- Patients that use hypnotherapy for losing weight lose twice the amount of weight, and continue to do so even 2 years after treatment.
- Using hypnotherapy for weight loss makes it 30 times more likely you’ll lose the desired weight.
- Using hypnotherapy simply for stress reduction significantly increases weight loss.
- The use of hypnotherapy significantly reduces the frequency and severity of migraine headaches.
- When combined with the use of anesthesia, hypnotherapy reduces pain and speeds recovery after surgery.
- Hypnotherapy provides a reliable and significant reduction in both acute and chronic pain conditions.
- 94% of methadone addicts treated with hypnotherapy remain drug free.
- After 1 year, 77% of drug addicts treated with hypnotherapy stay clean.
- Patients with bone fractures heal 41% faster when hypnotherapy is implemented.
Smoking Cessation Studies
- 90.6% Success Rate for Stopping Smoking
Of 43 consecutive patients undergoing this treatment protocol, 39 reported remaining abstinent from tobacco use at follow-up (6 months to 3 years post-treatment). This represents a 90.6% success rate using hypnosis.
University of Washington School of Medicine, Depts. of Anesthesiology and Rehabilitation Medicine, Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2001 Jul;49(3):257-66. Barber J. 2
- Hypnosis is Most Effective Method Says Largest Study Ever: 3 Times the Effectiveness of the Patch and 15 Times More Effective than Willpower.
Hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking, according to the largest-ever scientific comparison of methods for breaking the habit. A meta-analysis statistically combining results of more than 600 studies of 72,000 people from America and Europe to compare various methods of quitting found that on average, hypnosis was over three times as effective as nicotine replacement and 15 times as effective as trying to quit alone.
University of Iowa, Journal of Applied Psychology, How One in Five Give Up Smoking. October 1992. (Also New Scientist, October 10, 1992.)
- 87% Reported Abstinence From Tobacco Use With Hypnosis
A field study of 93 male and 93 female CMHC outpatients examined the facilitation of smoking cessation by using hypnosis. At 3-month follow-up, 86% of the men and 87% of the women reported continued abstinence from the use of tobacco using hypnosis.
Performance by gender in a stop-smoking program combining hypnosis and aversion. Johnson DL, Karkut RT. Adkar Associates, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana. Psychol Rep. 1994 Oct;75(2):851-7. PMID: 7862796 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
- 81% Reported They Had Stopped Smoking After Hypnosis
Thirty smokers enrolled in an HMO were referred by their primary physicians for hypnotherapy treatment. Twenty-one patients returned after an initial consultation and received hypnosis for smoking cessation. At the end of treatment, 81% of those patients reported that they had stopped smoking, and 48% reported abstinence at 12 months post-treatment.
Texas A&M University, System Health Science Center, College of Medicine, College Station, TX USA. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2004 Jan;52(1):73-81.Clinical hypnosis for smoking cessation: preliminary results of a three-session intervention. Elkins GR, Rajab MH.
- Hypnosis Patients Twice As Likely To Remain Smoke-Free After Two Years
Study of 71 smokers showed that after a two-year follow up, patients that quit with hypnosis were twice as likely to remain smoke-free than those who quit on their own.
Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence. Wynd, CA. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2005; 37:3, pages 245-250.
- Hypnosis More Effective Than Drug Interventions For Smoking Cessation
While group hypnosis sessions evaluated at a less effective success rate (22% success) than individualized hypnosis sessions, group sessions were still demonstrated here as being more effective than pharmaceutical interventions for stopping smoking.
Ohio State University, College of Nursing, Columbus, OH 43210, USA Descriptive outcomes of the American Lung Association of Ohio hypnotherapy smoking cessation program. Ahijevych K, Yerardi R, Nedilsky N.
Weight Loss Studies
- Hypnosis Over 30 Times More Effective than Control Group for Weight Loss
Investigated the effects of hypnosis in weight loss for 60 obese females, at least 20% overweight. Treatment included group hypnosis with metaphors for ego-strengthening, decision making and motivation, ideomotor exploration in individual hypnosis, and group hypnosis with maintenance suggestions. Hypnosis was more effective than a control group: an average of 17 lbs lost by the hypnosis group vs. an average of 0.5 lbs lost by the control group, on follow-up.
Cochrane, Gordon; Friesen, J. (1986). Hypnotherapy in weight loss treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 489-492.
- Two Years Later: Hypnosis Subjects Continued To Lose Significant Weight
109 people completed a behavioral treatment for weight management either with or without the addition of hypnosis. At the end of the 9-week program, both interventions resulted in significant weight reduction. At 8-month and 2-year follow-ups, the hypnosis subjects were found to have continued to lose significant weight, while those in the behavioral-treatment-only group showed little further change.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1985)
- Hypnosis Subjects Lost More Weight Than 90% of Others and Kept it Off
Researchers analyzed 18 studies comparing a cognitive behavioral therapy such as relaxation training, guided imagery, self-monitoring, or goal setting with the same therapy supplemented by hypnosis. Those who received the hypnosis lost more weight than 90 percent of those not receiving hypnosis and maintained the weight loss two years after treatment ended.
University of Connecticut, Storrs Allison DB, Faith MS. Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: a meta-analytic reappraisal. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1996;64(3):513-516.
- Hypnosis More Than Doubled Average Weight Loss
Study of the effect of adding hypnosis to cognitive-behavioral treatments for weight reduction, additional data were obtained from authors of two studies. Analyses indicated that the benefits of hypnosis increased substantially over time.
Kirsch, Irving (1996). Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments–Another meta-reanalysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64 (3), 517-519.
- Hypnosis Showed Significantly Lower Post-Treatment Weights
Two studies compared overweight smoking and non-smoking adult women in an hypnosis-based, weight-loss program. Both achieved significant weight losses and decreases in Body Mass Index. Follow-up study replicated significant weight losses and declines in Body Mass Index. The overt aversion and hypnosis program yielded significantly lower post-treatment weights and a greater average number of pounds lost.
Weight loss for women: studies of smokers and nonsmokers using hypnosis and multi-component treatments with and without overt aversion.Johnson DL, Psychology Reprints. 1997 Jun;80(3 Pt 1):931-3.
- Hypnotherapy for Stress Reduction Lost Significantly More Weight
Random, controlled, parallel study of two forms of hypnotherapy (directed at stress reduction or energy intake reduction), vs. dietary advice alone in 60 obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea on nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment.
J Stradling, D Roberts, A Wilson and F Lovelock, Chest Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, UK
- Hypnosis Can More than Double the Effects of Traditional Weight Loss Approaches
An analysis of five weight loss studies reported in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1996 showed that the, “weight loss reported in the five studies indicates that hypnosis can more than double the effects” of traditional weight loss approaches.
University of Connecticut, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1996 (Vol. 64, No. 3, pgs 517-519).
- Weight Loss is Greater when Hypnosis is Utilized
Research into cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments established that weight loss is greater where hypnosis is utilized. It was also established that the benefits of hypnosis increase over time.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1996)
- Showed Hypnosis As “An Effective Way To Lose Weight”
A study of 60 females who were at least 20% overweight and not involved in other treatment showed hypnosis is an effective way to lose weight.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1986)
Pain Control Studies
- Hypnosis Reduces Frequency and Intensity of Migraines
Compared the treatment of migraine by hypnosis and autohypnosis with the treatment of migraines by the drug Prochlorperazine (Stemetil). Results show that the number of attacks and the number of people who suffered blinding attacks were significantly lower for the group receiving hypnotherapy than for the group receiving Prochlorperazine. For the group on hypnotherapy, these two measures were significantly lower when on hypnotherapy than when on the previous treatment. It is concluded that further trials of hypnotherapy are justified against some other treatment not solely associated with the ingestion of tablets.
Anderson JA, Basker MA, Dalton R, Migraine and hypnotherapy, International Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis 1975; 23(1): 48-58.
- Hypnosis Reduces Pain and Speeds up Recovery from Surgery
Since 1992, we have used hypnosis routinely in more than 1400 patients undergoing surgery. We found that hypnosis used with patients as an adjunct to conscious sedation and local anesthesia was associated with improved intraoperative patient comfort, and with reduced anxiety, pain, intraoperative requirements for anxiolytic and analgesic drugs, optimal surgical conditions and a faster recovery of the patient. We reported our clinical experience and our fundamental research.
[Hypnosis and its application in surgery] Faymonville ME, Defechereux T, Joris J, Adant JP, Hamoir E, Meurisse M, Service d’Anesthesie-Reanimation, Universite de Liege, Rev Med Liege. 1998 Jul;53(7):414-8.
- Hypnosis Reduces Pain Intensity
Analysis of the simple-simple main effects, holding both group and condition constant, revealed that application of hypnotic analgesia reduced report of pain intensity significantly more than report of pain unpleasantness.
Dahlgren LA, Kurtz RM, Strube MJ, Malone MD, Differential effects of hypnotic suggestion on multiple dimensions of pain. Journal of Pain & Symptom Management. 1995; 10(6): 464-70.
- Hypnosis Reduces Pain of Headaches and Anxiety
The improvement was confirmed by the subjective evaluation data gathered with the use of a questionnaire and by a significant reduction in anxiety scores.
Melis PM, Rooimans W, Spierings EL, Hoogduin CA, Treatment of chronic tension-type headache with hypnotherapy: a single-blind time controlled study. Headache 1991; 31(10): 686-9.
- Hypnosis Lowered Post-treatment Pain in Burn Injuries
Patients in the hypnosis group reported less post treatment pain than did patients in the control group. The findings are used to replicate earlier studies of burn pain hypnoanalgesia, explain discrepancies in the literature, and highlight the potential importance of motivation with this population.
Patterson DR, Ptacek JT, Baseline pain as a moderator of hypnotic analgesia for burn injury treatment. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology 1997; 65(1): 60-7.
- Hypnosis Lowered Phantom Limb Pain
Hypnotic procedures appear to be a useful adjunct to established strategies for the treatment of phantom limb pain and would repay further, more systematic, investigation. Suggestions are provided as to the factors that should be considered for a more systematic research program.
Treatment of phantom limb pain using hypnotic imagery. Oakley DA, Whitman LG, Halligan PW, Department of Psychology, University College, London, UK.
- Hypnosis Has a Reliable and Significant Impact on Acute and Chronic Pain
Hypnosis has been demonstrated to reduce analogue pain, and studies on the mechanisms of laboratory pain reduction have provided useful applications to clinical populations. Studies showing central nervous system activity during hypnotic procedures offer preliminary information concerning possible physiological mechanisms of hypnotic analgesia. Randomized controlled studies with clinical populations indicate that hypnosis has a reliable and significant impact on acute procedural pain and chronic pain conditions. Methodological issues of this body of research are discussed, as are methods to better integrate hypnosis into comprehensive pain treatment.
Hypnosis and clinical pain. Patterson DR, Jensen MP, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA USA 98104 Psychol Bull. 2003 Jul;129(4):495-521.
- Hypnosis is a Powerful Tool in Pain Therapy, Biologically and Psychologically
Attempting to elucidate cerebral mechanisms behind hypnotic analgesia, we measured regional cerebral blood flow with positron emission tomography in patients with fibromyalgia, during hypnotically induced analgesia and resting wakefulness. The patients experienced less pain during hypnosis than at rest. The cerebral blood-flow was bilaterally increased in the orbitofrontal and subcallosial cingulate cortices, the right thalamus, and the left inferior parietal cortex, and was decreased bilaterally in the cingulate cortex. The observed blood-flow pattern supports notions of a multifactorial nature of hypnotic analgesia, with an interplay between cortical and subcortical brain dynamics. Copyright 1999 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain.
Functional anatomy of hypnotic analgesia: a PET study of patients with fibromyalgia. Wik G, Fischer H, Bragee B, Finer B, Fredrikson M, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden Eur J Pain. 1999 Mar;3(1):7-12.
- Hypnosis Useful in Hospital Emergency Rooms
Hypnosis can be a useful adjunct in the emergency department setting. Its efficacy in various clinical applications has been replicated in controlled studies. Application to burn trauma, pain, pediatric procedures, surgery, psychiatric presentations (e.g., coma, somatoform disorder, anxiety, and post traumatic stress), and obstetric situations (e.g., hyperemesis, labor, and delivery) are described.
Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2000 May;18(2):327-38, x. The use of hypnosis in emergency medicine. Peebles-Kleiger MJ, Menninger School of Psychiatry and Mental Health Sciences, Menninger Clinic, Topeka, KS, USA. peeblemj@menninger.edu
Drug Addiction Studies
- Significantly More Methadone Addicts Quit with Hypnosis. 94% Remained Narcotic Free
Significant differences were found on all measures. The experimental group had significantly less discomfort and illicit drug use, and a significantly greater amount of cessation. At six month follow up, 94% of the subjects in the experimental group who had achieved cessation remained narcotic free.
A comparative study of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy in the treatment of methadone addicts. Manganiello AJ, American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 1984; 26(4): 273-9.
- Hypnosis Shows 77 Percent Success Rate for Drug Addiction
Treatment has been used with 18 clients over the last 7 years and has shown a 77 percent success rate for at least a 1-year follow-up. 15 were being seen for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, 2 clients were being seen for cocaine addiction, and 1 client had a marijuana addiction.
Intensive Therapy: Utilizing Hypnosis in the Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders. Potter, Greg, American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Jul 2004.
- Raised Self-esteem & Serenity, Lowered Impulsivity and Anger
In a research study on self-hypnosis for relapse prevention training with chronic drug/alcohol users participants were 261 veterans admitted to Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (SARRTPs). Individuals who used repeated self-hypnosis “at least 3 to 5 times a week,” at 7-week follow-up, reported the highest levels of self-esteem and serenity, and the least anger/impulsivity, in comparison to the minimal-practice and control groups.
American Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy (a publication of the American Psychological Association). 2004 Apr;46(4):281-97)
- Hypnosis For Cocaine Addiction Documented Case Study
Hypnosis was successfully used to overcome a $500 (five grams) per day cocaine addiction. The subject was a female in her twenties. After approximately 8 months of addiction, she decided to use hypnosis in an attempt to overcome the addiction itself. Over the next 4 months, she used hypnosis three times a day and at the end of this period, her addiction was broken, and she has been drug free for the past 9 years. Hypnosis was the only intervention, and no support network of any kind was available.
The use of hypnosis in cocaine addiction. Page RA, Handley GW, Ohio State University, Lima, OH USA 45804. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 1993 Oct;36(2):120-3.
- Healed 41% Faster from Fracture
Two studies from Harvard Medical School show hypnosis significantly reduces the time it takes to heal. Study One: Six weeks after an ankle fracture, those in the hypnosis group showed the equivalent of eight and a half weeks of healing. Study Two: Three groups of people studied after breast reduction surgery. Hypnosis group healed “significantly faster” than supportive attention group and control group.
Harvard Medical School, Carol Ginandes and Union Institute in Cincinnati, Patricia Brooks, Harvard University Gazette Online athttp://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/05.08/01-hypnosis.html.
Coaching Demystified
Have you learned NLP or Hypnosis but lack the confidence to start your practice?
I’ve taught NLP and Hypnotherapy for nearly a decade, and I’ve noticed that there is only one thing that keeps students from starting a coaching practice. Without the confidence in your own skills and abilities, you’re likely to stay in a “safe” position. But how do you develop the confidence to pursue your dreams?
I’d personally like to invite you to a very special event I’m producing with my friend and colleague, Marcus Marsden, an executive coach to some of the largest companies in the world. Not only is he an excellent and seasoned coach, he’s a thoroughly entertaining and effective trainer and NLP Master. And, he works for the leading coaching company in Asia, where we’ve co-run NLP workshops for the past 3 years.
I know you’ll enjoy this workshop. I look forward to your participation!
Coaching Demystified
A Workshop for NLP Practitioners and Hypnotherapists
Successful coaches have their own style of coaching. They have cultivated how to think and act like a coach, and they know how to apply their skills at each stage of the coaching journey.
In this experiential workshop, you will experience and explore:
- what it’s like to go through the stages of a coaching journey with a client
- the mind of a coach – how does a coach think, listen, and act differently compared to people in other roles
- how a coach builds an effective coaching relationship with their client(s)
- your own coaching style – who do you need to be in order to really be effective at working with others; what experiences and qualities do you have that can assist you to be a great coach;
- why people are important to you and why is it important that you contribute to their development. This is critical in order to evoke a real commitment to go out and create a practice.
At the conclusion of this workshop, you can expect:
- Increased confidence and commitment to coach people in their daily life – either formally or informally. You will leave the workshop excited about coaching, ready to start a coaching conversation with a belief in your ability to coach and develop people.
- To be thinking, listening, and acting like a coach. You’ll learn practical, easy-to-use coaching techniques to use alongside other skills.
- To understand how and why to help others achieve goals.
- To determine your natural coaching style and how to adapt your way of working to coach different people.
So, if you’re ready to take the next step in your career, join us for this very special event. I am certain you’ll get exactly what you need to move forward in your own life, and be ready to help others move forward in theirs. Join us!
The Essential Details
Dates: October 14-15, 10am to 6pm
Location: 421 Post St. 14th Floor in San Francisco CA
Regular Tuition: $475
Early Bird Tuition: $350 before September 1 (Save $125!)
Meet Marcus Marsden
Marcus is an executive coach and personal development trainer based in Hong Kong with clients throughout Asia and the UK. Marcus brings to his training and coaching 20 years of business and management experience. Marcus specializes in coaching senior executives in leadership, management, and change and teaching personal breakthrough workshops.
Marcus has also worked extensively in the fields of leadership development and coaching with organizations including Unilever, PETRONAS, Sony Ericsson, Taishin Bank, Birla Group, Wika Construction, and Hewlett Packard.
Graduating from Oxford University, Marcus is an NLP Master Practitioner. He holds certification for Creative Thinking facilitation and he is a member of the International Coaching Federation and the Newfield Network.
Marcus is married to a lovely Indonesian woman and currently lives in Hong Kong. When not working, he enjoys keeping fit and healthy in the gym (his wife is a personal fitness trainer!) as well as playing golf, hiking and Pilates. He is a keen movie watcher as well an ardent fan of American football (Go Raiders!).
Time Lines
Whether you want to be on time more of the time or to resolve childhood traumas, familiarity with time lines is crucial.
As you may remember from history class, we tend to organize our memories in a linear format, separating the past from the present and future. Knowing how we organize time is helpful in being sure we are able to function well in modern society.
Overcoming Fears of Earthquakes and Other Natural Disasters
Individuals who live on or around major fault lines are wise to keep in mind the possibility of an earthquake, and take appropriate precautions. But if the fear of a potential quake that is designed to serve as a warning becomes an obsessive phobia, an individual should seek help from a qualified professional.
Experts agree that fear is a natural emotional response designed to keep us safe and out of harm’s way. However, when someone focuses for too long on an issue they can inadvertently make it worse, creating a phobia. A phobia is defined as an irrational, overwhelming fear that impacts an individual’s quality of life.
Janis Ericson, NLP Trainer and founder of Lightwork Seminars Intl. and HybridNLP, helps people overcome their fears and phobias. And when it comes to fears of natural disasters, she finds that most individuals do one or two things in their imaginations that lead to intense fear responses, which actually put them in more danger.
- Some people watch disasters on TV, but they continue to watch them over and over again in their mind’s eye. The repetitive nature of these thoughts make the negative feelings more intense.
- Fears can turn to phobias when individuals associate into the “disaster” scene, meaning they pretend they are living it. If you aren’t going through it in real life, there is no benefit to pretending to go through it!
What many people don’t know is that a vast majority of people that actually live through natural disasters never create a phobia. And, many individuals that have never been through one do. This is due to the fact that the natural disaster is not to blame. Phobias are created by faulty thinking. This is good news, since changing thoughts is what NLP experts do, usually in an hour or less.
While a private session with Ericson is recommended, she offers the following tips for those individuals wishing to heal themselves.
- Find a comfortable place to relax. Take a few deep breaths.
- Imagine a small movie screen 30 feet in front of you. Put your scary movie on the screen, but only in black and white.
- Shrink the screen until it’s only 1 square foot. Do this quickly.
- Run the movie in reverse, from end to beginning, also quickly.
- Put the movie and the screen in a slingshot, and send them to the moon.
- Breathe, and relax.
Any time you think about what could happen in the future, stop, take a breath, and run the scene in reverse. When you do this a few times, your pattern for getting phobic unravels. You’ll no longer be able to feel the fear. Of course, you should always take precautions to keep yourself safe. But fear is only an alert. Once you interpret and act upon the alert, the fear will dissolve naturally.
We can’t prevent earth changes from occurring, however, we can prevent being afraid of something that hasn’t happened yet. Janis believes that no one should suffer needlessly.
“If a disaster occurs, the best possible response is calmness. When people are calm, they can react safely, because things around them are moving slowly. Anxiety is what puts people in danger. Individuals that panic often freeze, which is far more harmful than getting to safety.”
Janis Ericson can be reached for private consultations and training courses at 415.491.1122 or through her website at www.lightworkseminars.com.
Hypnotherapy and ThetaHealing Compared
After receiving several inquiries as to the nature of ThetaHealing and why a hypnosis school would be offering it, I decided to address this question here.
Although there is a vast amount of information online about hypnotherapy, what it’s used for, and how it works, it is still very misunderstood. One reason for this is that hypnosis is not one thing: some hypnotic states involve relaxation, others remove physical pain, and the most common are those in which individuals take suggestion or command easily and without critical thought. A skilled hypnotherapist will have the ability to induce any of these hypnotic trances for healing, goal achievement, and change.
ThetaHealing is a relatively new energy healing modality, or technique. It involves inducing in the practitioner an altered state (hence the connection to hypnosis) whereby intuition is increased. From this state of expanded awareness, the practitioner is able to intuit and release energy blockages, limiting belief patterns, and stuck emotional states.
So, the connections between the two techniques are this: (1) both involve altered states, (2) in hypnotherapy the client is hypnotized, but in ThetaHealing the practitioner is in trance, (3) both work on belief and emotional patterns, (4) ThetaHealing shifts energy, while hypnosis supports mental changes.
For these reasons, many NLP’ers and hypnotherapists are adding ThetaHealing to their healing toolboxes and vice versa. Combining techniques provides more ways to address issues, insuring your work is permanent and profound.
Please feel free to post additional questions on either technique, and I will do my best to clarify as much as possible!
Using Hibernation for Healing
When the weather turns cold, humans tend to turn in. We spend more time with family and with ourselves. There is no better time to make progress in your internal world.
Instead of using this season to focus on acquiring things, consider taking inventory of your life. Instead of comparing what you have with what others have accumulated, take stock of where you are in relation to where you want to be. Have you progressed in your career as far as you’d like to go? Is your life partnership fulfilling? Do you feel connected to your own spirit. Is your family a source of strength or of stress?
If your life isn’t going as well as you’d like it, consider directing it a bit more. It isn’t what happens to you that defines your life, but what you do with what happens. One simple and easy technique to take charge of your life is get really clear on what you want. Write down your outcomes and goals in clear, precise language that really paints a picture. Then, imagine yourself having it. When it begins to feel good, determine what steps you need to take in order to get there. And, take the first step immediately!
If you’re experiencing emotional upset in any area of your life, you may want to use your hibernation time in a different way. Here is a little technique for sorting these feelings and creating positive momentum.
- Consider all the worries or concerns you have in one area of life. Imagine all those issues floating around you. Gather them together in a small imaginary ball, and breathe them into your womb/pelvis.
- Let all the bad feelings drain down into the earth, clearing out any negativity from your body. Take your time to ensure they are all clear.
- Imagine a blank canvas in your mind’s eye. Begin seeing yourself in positive state, full of energy, optimism, and maturity. Imagine you as your best self.
- Imagine how your best self would handle the current circumstances. Write down what you’ve learned. Instead of focusing on fixing your life, take charge by acting from your best self. Who is that person, and how does he/she respond to difficulty?
- Repeat steps 1-4 for every area of your life.
- Now, act from your best self. Whatever you practice becomes habit, so begin today creating a habit of best-ness!
In short, whenever you find yourself hibernating this winter, use that time to go within and heal. By the time New Year’s Eve comes along, you’ll be ready to set some excellent outcomes for your life and your work. Until then, happy hibernating!
Submodalities
Reality is subjective. The way in which we perceive our experiences determines how we feel about them. One set of distinctions of perception are referred to as submodalities.
Have you ever gone to a museum and compared an actual Monet to a print in the gift shop? Which had more emotional impact? If you’re like most people, you preferred the original painting. It has more texture, more vibrant color, a more interesting frame, and more dimension. These qualities are known as visual submodalities.
One way to think about submodalities is as the individual elements that make up the sensory information we receive from the world. Therefore, there are visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and gustatory submodalities. Pictures can be big or small, bright or dull. Sounds can be loud or soft, near or far. Feelings can be intense or mild, moving or still. And while there are dozens more submodality distinctions within each sensory system, you are likely to be able to come up with a few on your own.
The most important thing to know about submodalities is that they are the coding for how you feel about a particular piece of stimuli. A very large spider running towards you is likely to produce a different feeling than a very small spider running away from you, right? And a loud sound right next to your ear is going to produce a different feeling from a quiet one across the room.
But, how does this apply to NLP? By changing the submodalities of a “negative” stimulus, you can reduce the amount of negative emotion you have about it. The reverse is also true. You can amplify the positive emotions surrounding a particular positive experience. This can help you to get over fears and phobias, or it can help you fall in love with your partner all over again.
Not everyone experiences submodalities in the same way. Some people respond more to big pictures, while others are more affected by the brightness or contrast of an image. For some, volume makes a difference, but for others it is the location of a sound that has the most affect. The only way to know what your submodality drivers are is to play with them, being aware of how your feelings change as you manipulate each submodality.
Building Rapport with NLP
“The internal sense of one person can communicate with that of another without the intervention of nerve impulses or any other physiological process. The effects of the movements of the nerves, modified in the brain by thought, can extend themselves to indefinite distances without the assistance of the air or the ether and make an immediate connection with the internal sense of another person. In this way, the wills of two persons can communicate through their internal senses. This relationship is called rapport.” Franz Anton Mesmer
Rapport is defined as being “of one mind.” You can have rapport with others or between your conscious and unconscious minds. Rapport with others is dependent upon appreciating and understanding another person’s model of the world, or their map of reality, and communicating that understanding to them in such a way that trust is established. I personally believe rapport is essential in every communication (with others and within the self), because it creates a state of oneness and empathy that is difficult to get any other way.
Rapport generates the following meaning for another person:
- You know, respect, and appreciate them and their world.
- You value what they value.
- You are like them and can be trusted.
When you don’t have rapport, the meaning given to the communication is:
- You don’t understand them or value what they value.
- You aren’t interested in them.
- You can’t be trusted with their well-being.
When you are in rapport, you feel a sense of:
- Speaking the same language.
- Being on the same wavelength.
- Respect, appreciation, credibility and trust.
- Openness and liking.
Having rapport gives you the opportunity to share another person’s experience. It also provides increased sensory awareness and the opportunity to lead the interaction in a positive direction.
“To act like one is to be one.” Lao Tzu
Rapport is gained by a process called pacing and leading. Pacing refers to experiencing another person’s reality by matching or mirroring their external behavior, internal states and representations in as many ways as possible. Leading means guiding an individual to another state or thought once rapport is established. Matching and Mirroring nonverbal communication (like breathing at the same rate) increases understanding and appreciation. Research into mirror neurons has demonstrated that mirroring someone else’s body language lights up the mirror neurons four times more strongly that basic matching. You may also be interested to know that according to Marianne LaFrance (1982), when an observer sees two people mirroring, they regard them as having more closeness than when they simply match.
Once you have paced successfully and established rapport, you can learn a great deal of information relating to an individual’s reality, as well as your own. Rapport makes it possible to lead another personal into new experiences, like more positive states of being. Through rapport you can also lead someone into a buying state, a place of openness to new ideas, or even into love.
- Pace, Pace, Pace —> Lead
