English: Hypnotic spiral for hypnotherapy. Easy instant induction technique. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Vol. 383, October 13, 2016 – Dave Elman’s Take on Hypnosis: From One of the Best EVER!
Dave Elman was a stage hypnotist, who watched his dad lessen the pain he felt from cancer, with the help of a stage hypnotist friend of his. This was when Dave was very young, his dad dying when he was 8 years old. However, in those days there was no such thing as morphine, so this was the best way to help him reduce his pain. It is still a great way to reduce pain for those who are sensitive to or allergic to pain medications or for those who choose not to use them for their own reasons.
After one of his stage shows, Dave was asked by doctors and dentists who were in the audience, to teach them how to help their patients with the use of hypnosis. Dave, being a very humble man, told them that since he wasn’t a doctor, they would have to help him to understand what their patients needed, to best be able to teach them how to hypnotize their patients out of whatever was creating their health problems. Dave was able to heal most of the patients of their physical and emotional issues in a session or two, making him what I consider to be one of the best ever hypnotist that ever lived. He was a “lay” hypnotist, never having any formal training in mental health or physical health. Yet, he was much more efficient in getting his clients back to health then many who had the years of conventional medical training.
What made him so outstanding as a hypnotist? Well, for one thing Elman viewed hypnosis as a tool that moves your mind from your “conscious awake state” to the more subjective “subconscious state.” The subconscious inner mind becomes hyper-suggestible, being influenced by hypnosis, making it easier to modify behavior and bodily processes.
Elman believed that hypnosis seemed to program the mind to function through the autonomic nervous system, rather then the sympathetic nervous system. Meaning that the hypnosis allowed the body to come into homeostasis, instead of being controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the perception of “fight or flight.”
Elman realized that unless the client is willing to accept the suggestions given, the suggestions will have little value. However, with that willingness to accept the suggestions, the effect of the accepted suggestion will “bypass” the critical mind and selective thinking will be established “…that brings about miracles …” The suggestions need to be reasonable and pleasing for the client to respond best to them.
Many hypnotist will say that all hypnosis is “self-hypnosis” which is incorrect. It is because the hypnotist knows how to phrase things, allowing for the desired changes to occur, that the client will receive the desired results. The communication between the hypnotist and client is very intimate. More recently researchers have also noted that hypnotized people will actively respond to suggestions even if they perceive dramatic changes as happening “by themselves.”
One very important factor that Elman pointed out, was that there is no such thing as a hypnotist exerting a special power over another person. This is because hypnosis does not cause unconsciousness. Instead, the hypnotized person becomes hyper aware of what is being said and done by the hypnotist. This leaves the person free to accept or reject any suggestions. The only time the hypnotized person may not be aware is when a suggestion of amnesia is accepted for some reason.
Even in the deepest states of hypnosis, the person has control of all their faculties. Being super awake, they are able to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell better then ever.
While a person is in hypnosis, and the critical faculty is out of the way, so long as the suggestion is one that is pleasing to the client, it will be accepted, despite the fact that in the normal awake, beta brain wave state, they may consider it impossible. An example of this is when one is given the suggestion of creating anesthesia (erasing pain without a chemical agent). Another is that one can also recall way back to infancy or before to relive a past experience, rather the merely recall it.
If a suggestion is disagreeable to or goes against an individual’s ethics, they will either reject the suggestion or come out of the hypnotic state.
NOTE: This is important for anyone who is looking for a hypnotist. Elman insisted that students learn hypnosis by hypnotizing, it being the only way to learn. One needs to go into the hypnotic state themselves to understand what it is and what it can do. Elman stated in his book Hypnotherapy, “In exploring the unknown, I turned up some surprising facts, i.e. Hypnosis could alleviate pain. Hypnosis can be produced almost instantaneously …hypnosis is established by bypassing the critical mind and establishing selective thinking. They hypnotic is never unconscious but is in a state of super awareness.”
So, you need to look for a hypnotist that practices self-hypnosis and uses hypnosis to take care of their own issues. Secondly, if you find a hypnotist who feels that wasting a half hour of your time to put you into a deep trance is necessary, run the other direction. With rapid inductions, like Elman’s, it takes about 2 minutes to put someone in trance. If one is using an “instant induction” it takes a mere 10 seconds and then a minute of deepening to get a person into a deep enough state to do most anything that needs to be done.
For my own clients, there are some times when they are not feeling in a very pleasant place as we work together, simply because they have some very challenging beliefs that need to be altered, such as those with addictions. There are going to be times when they are going to be challenged to get over themselves, learning how to respect both their own and other peoples’ boundaries. My clients are often given homework to do that can seem scary, until they do it and find out that the situation created was much better than what they previously had. And that is the thing that anyone who is looking to create any real transformation in their lives needs to understand. Hypnosis can and does make it much easier and faster to deal with these situations. However, it is a “do with” process with the hypnotist only being the facilitator of the work. It is up to the client to do what they need to do, understanding that the answers have come from themselves – their unconscious mind – that part of their mind that they couldn’t access without the help of a well trained hypnotist.
So, if you choose to hire a hypnotist, you are making a great choice so long as you find one that has experience working with the same sort of issues you are looking to have treated with a proven record in doing so. With websites and the ability as non-licensed professionals, testimonials ought to be easy to find. Also, realize that you will most likely get what you pay for, so if you are looking for the least expensive person to work with, you will be hiring a newbie without the expertise. If you have a issue that is problematic, yet not harmful to your health, this is fine. However, if you are dealing with more challenging situations like addictions, eating disorders and even weight loss, it being a very complicated situation given all the reasons for it, find yourself someone who has a proven record of success. Because in the long run, your problem will be solved and you will not be getting yourself into a situation with someone who means well, with the best of intentions, yet doesn’t really know what they don’t know. And that can and does cause problems for people regardless of how well you may like them as people .
Get the free "Keys to Happiness" report Now!
Get the free report "Keys to Happiness" Now and Claim your Excellent Life.
Get the free "Keys to Happiness" report Now!
About Suzanne
Suzanne Kellner-Zinck founded Dawning Visions Hypnosis in 2002, She has become an innovator in the use of hypnotism and neuro-linguistic programming in the areas of obsessive compulsive disorders such as: eating disorders, sexual addiction and substance abuse as well as working with those with anxiety and mood disorders.
Her clients have come to work with her from across the United States and as far away as Africa to help them to finally be freed from these emotional issues that once ruled their lives. Today she is in the process of bringing her work to many more in the form of ebooks and other downloadable formats.
She is a member of American Holistic Medical Association and the American College for Advancement in Medicine.
Prior to founding Dawning Visions Hypnosis, Kellner-Zinck worked within vendor programs for the mentally ill working to help them to live up to their fullest potential. Many of her previous clients were able to move out on their own and find fulfilling work.
Kellner-Zinck is a Certified Trainer of Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic programing through Tad James Company, Inc. and a Master Hypnotist and Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming through Advanced Neuro Dynamics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and political studies from Curry College.
Dawning Visions Hypnosis is teaching people that they can indeed leave their unwanted behaviors behind as they move forward to living fulfilling and joy filled lives.