Hypnosis has long been known for being an efficient catalyst for creating significant change in individuals. It’s first applications go as far back as ancient Egypt. Hypnosis enables one to act on the manifestations or to relieve the symptoms that a person might have at the level of health (weight and pain management, quality of sleep, addictions), quality of life (life habits, phobias, stress, burnout, depression and anxiety) as well as personal development (self-confidence and self-esteem, learning, acquire a more positive view of the world and life in general).
The majority of the manifestations or symptoms are beyond our conscious control. We know that something is not right or is not good for us but it is very difficult to change anything consciously. The cornerstone of all these phenomena is the unconscious mind of a person. Our unconscious is like an automaton, a kind of auto-pilot that takes care of not only our biological functions but also our “programs” or thought patterns that operate unknowingly within us. Since it takes care of millions and millions of simultaneous operations that take place inside of us, it is sometimes difficult to help it changes its course in a conscious manner when things are not going so well in our lives.
It is by accompanying the person that the therapist will address the unconscious through hypnotic suggestions so that the person will reach an altered state of consciousness that we commonly call a “trance”. The state of trance is a natural state that we achieve many times a day and which is part of our life habits. For example, when we are lost in a good book or a great movie, we do not perceive our environment the same way (even if there are people or noises around us, we are not conscious of them). The state of trance can also be observed when “time flies” when we have a good time with our friends or when we do things that are particularly pleasant.
This state thus enables the person to work at an unconscious level that would normally be out of reach in a state of “normal” consciousness. Once the state of trance is achieved, many tools and techniques are available for the therapist to accompany the person through a custom-made intervention that takes into account the person’s objectives.