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Hypnosis was accepted by the AMA in 1958 as an acceptable scheme for treating stress and stress related symptoms. But does it really work? What should a person consider critical when looking for a hypnotist, or ordering hypnotherapy tapes?

There are many noteworthy hypnotic techniques that are used to reach the subconscious mind to trigger change. Each method has its positives and its negatives. Every person is different, so it only makes sense that the best results will be gotten by utilizing the methods that each individual will have the most success with.

Most companies that sell pre-recorded hypnosis programs offer CD's that consist of standard traditional hypnosis methods. A few sellers offer much more up-to-date and effective Ericksonian hypnosis methods. And fewer still offer NLP methods.

The newest and by far the most powerful method is video hypnosis. Video hypnosis relies on the latest NLP thought processes to create rapid changes in a subject. Video hypnosis methods are not subliminal in nature.

With "Traditional Hypnosis," we simply make direct suggestions to the subconscious mind mind. In case you are wondering, as far as I'm concerned, the term unconscious and subconscious are equal - as they refer to the same part of the mind. This type of self-hypnosis works well for someone who generally accepts what he/she is told.

Most hypnosis CD's that are sold today are based on "Traditional Hypnosis" methods. This reason is it really doesn't take much training to author a script and just command a person to do something. Unfortunately Traditional Hypnosis is not very effective for people who are analytical in their thought processes.

By contrast, Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP methods work more effectively for most people in today's generation! This is because today people are taught to question everything, rather than just do what everyone else is doing. So these methods do work efficiently on people who are analytical in their thought processes.

These methods are far more effective at reaching and influencing the subconscious mind. However, it can take years of study and experience to learn how to apply these methods with success. This is an undertaking that is only accepted by truly dedicated hypnotists.

With "Ericksonian Hypnosis," we use little stories, called Ericksonian metaphors, to present new ideas to the subconscious mind. This is a compelling course, because it usually eliminates the blockage of and resistance to suggestions that is often caused by the conscious mind. There are two types of metaphors, "Isomorphic," and those of the imbedded command or "interspersal" nature.

Isomorphic metaphors offer guidance to the subconscious mind by telling a story that offers up a moral. The subconscious mind draws a one-on-one relationship between the parts of the story and the parts of a problem situation. For example, if a child is telling a lot of lies, the parent might tell the child the story about the "Boy who cried wolf." The subconscious mind would draw a comparison between the boy in the story and the child, and realize that telling lies could lead to disaster, so the child would probably stop lying.

With the Embedded Command technique, the hypnotherapist conveys an enlightening story that engages and distracts the conscious mind. The tale includes covert commands that are usually accepted by the subconscious mind. For example: While the subject is in hypnosis, he/she might hear the hypnotist say something like: I'm going to tell you a story about ...[a beach that has feelings. Isn't that] ...strange to... [you]? It's a warm summer's day, and... the beach [feels great].

The hypnotist pauses, shifts his voice tonality, and emphasizes the bracketed text. The subconscious mind recognizes a "Selectional restriction violation." Beaches can't have feelings. So it's like the subconscious mind says to itself: "Wait a minute, a beach can't feel anything, so that must mean that I'm supposed to feel great."

Since the suggestions are submerged in a story that is misdirecting the conscious mind, it is unlikely that the conscious will realize that it has just received a post-hypnotic command, so it will not resist or block it.

Process Instructions direct the subconscious mind to remember a past event of an appropriate learning experience from the past where something useful to the present situation was learned, and then to apply that experience to correct negative behaviors in the present.

With "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" (NLP), rather than using suggestions, we use the same thought patterns that are creating a problem, like nail biting, to do away with the problem. NLP in the hands of an experienced practitioner can be very effective.

NLP Anchoring: Have you ever heard an old song and had it recreate feelings from the past? When you originally listened to the song, you were experiencing those feelings, and they subconsciously became associated with the sound of the music. So the music became an Anchor for the feelings. Now when you hear the song, it triggers the same feelings again.

Anchoring can be a very effective technique. Suppose that you have a memory of being commended for having done something well in the past. If you revivify that memory, you'll be able to recreate the feelings of self-esteem that you had at that time. If you touch two fingers together while you re-experience those feelings of self-esteem, that touch will become an anchor for the feelings of self-esteem.

Now suppose that you want to create motivation to stick to a diet and lose weight. If you make a mental image of yourself with a thin, sexy body, and simultaneously trigger the anchor - (press the two fingers together again), your subconscious mind will attach the feelings of self-esteem to the image of you with the thin body and your level of motivation to lose weight will increase substantially.

NLP Flash: This is a very effective and powerful Neuro-Linguistic Programming method that can be used to flip things around in the subconscious mind, so that thoughts and experiences that used to trigger feelings of stress actually trigger relaxation instead.

The NLP Flash method is also extremely effective for extinguishing conditioned responses. For example: If a smoker has a cigarette while driving a car, his/her subconscious mind will associate the two behaviors together so that he/she automatically gets a strong craving for a cigarette anytime he/she sits behind the wheel and drives.

The Flash will cause the smoker's mind to disconnect the image of a cigarette from the steering wheel and dashboard so that he/she does NOT get a craving to smoke just because he/she is driving.

With "Subliminal" tapes, the recording has two tracks. One track contains a cover sound that is heard by the conscious mind. The cover sound could be anything from music to nature sounds. The alternate track contains direct suggestions that are heard by the subconscious mind mind. These suggestions are repeated hundreds of times during a session.

Subliminal programs can be played in the background while you are working, or talking on the phone or partisipating in any other activity. You don't have to stop what you are doing and relax like you do with self-hypnosis CD's. Subliminals can be an addition to self-hypnosis programs. But Subliminals will never replace Hypnosis or NLP because they are not as effective! They are not even in the same universe!! Some experts have claimed that it can take up to 80 hours of listening to a subliminal CD before it will have any effect on many people.

The last hypnotic modality that we're going to discuss is Video Hypnosis. Video hypnosis is the most practical form of hypnosis!

The methods used in video hypnosis are based on the Neuro-Linguistic Programming technology, which works based on the utilization of a person's existing thought patterns instead of hypnotic suggestion.

Over 70% of the people on the planet learn much more quickly and easily by seeing, rather then by hearing.

Think about it. If you feel an urge to eat or smoke when watching TV, it's because your mind recorded the video image of either food in your hand, or a cigarette in your hand, and then linked that image to an image of the television. You never spoke to yourself and told yourself in words to associate them together, did you?

And that's why the Video Hypnosis technique is so effective. It's not hypnotic in the traditional sense, relying on the spoken word; rather, it relies on transmitting images to the subconscious mind. And if you've ever shed a tear when watching a sad TV show, then you know how effective video hypnosis can be at reaching the subconscious mind. With this technique, results usually start with the very first viewing!

The Video Hypnosis / NLP technology is sold under the tradename of Neuro-VISION. It reprograms the subconscious mind via a high-tech simulation process called computerized digital optics. This frees a person of their cravings and tensions and allows a person who smokes to stop effortlessly, and a dieter to lose their cravings and appetite. Results start with the very first viewing!

(c) 2007 By Alan B. Densky, CH. This document may be re-printed as long as it is not changed in any way and the author's name and clickable web address links are retained.

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