Most hypnosis tape venders offer CD's that consist of standard traditional hypnosis methods. A few sellers offer much more up-to-the-minute and effective Ericksonian hypnosis techniques. And fewer still offer NLP techniques.

The most effective technique is video hypnosis. Video hypnosis relies on the latest NLP mind patterns to cause rapid change in a person. Video hypnosis methods are not subliminal in nature.

With "Traditional Hypnosis," we simply make suggestions to the unconscious mind. This type of posthypnotic suggestion works well for someone who generally accepts what he/she is told without questioning everything. Most pre-recorded hypnosis programs that are sold today are based on "Traditional Hypnosis" methodologies. Unfortunately Traditional Hypnotherapy is not very efficient for people who are analytical in their thinking processes.

By contrast, Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP techniques work more efficiently for most of today's generation! This is because today people are taught to analyze everything they hear, rather than just do what they are commanded to do. So these methodologies do work well on people who are critical in their thinking processes. These methods are much more effective at reaching and influencing the unconscious mind. However, it can take many years of training and experience to learn how to apply these techniques with success.

With "Ericksonian Hypnosis," we use little stories, called Ericksonian metaphors, to present suggestions and ideas to the unconscious mind. This is an effective scheme, because it usually eliminates the 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.

With "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" (NLP), rather than using post-hypnotic suggestions, we use the same thought processes that are creating a problem, like nail biting or stress, to do away with the symptom. NLP in the hands of a trained and experienced NLP'er can be very effective.

NLP Anchoring: Have you ever heard an old song and had it trigger feelings from the past? When you originally heard the song, you were experiencing those feelings, and they unconsciously became associated with the sound of the melody. So the song 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 go back into that memory, you'll be able to recall 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 unconscious mind will connect the feelings of self-esteem to the mental image of you with the thin body and your level of motivation to lose weight will increase dramatically.

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

The NLP Flash technique is also extremely effective for extinguishing conditioned responses. For example: If a smoker has a cigarette while watching TV, his/her unconscious mind will associate the two behaviors together so that he/she automatically gets a strong urge for a cigarette anytime he/she watches TV. The Flash will cause the smoker's mind to disassociate the image of a cigarette from the TV so that he/she does NOT get an urge to smoke just because he/she is watching TV.

With "Subliminal" recordings, the recording has dual tracks. One track contains a cover sound that is heard by the conscious mind. The cover sound could be anything from music to the sound of a running brook. The number two track contains direct commands that are listened to by the unconscious mind. These suggestions are repeated hundreds of times during a session. Subliminals can be an addition to hypnotherapy 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 tape 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 compelling form of hypnosis!

The methods used in video hypnosis are based on the NLP technology, which works based on the utilization of a person's existing thought processes instead of post-hypnotic commands. Over 70% of the people on the planet learn more easily by seeing, rather then by hearing.

Think about it. If you feel an urge to eat or smoke when watching television, it's because your unconscious recorded the video image of either food in your hand, or a cigarette in your hand, and then associated that image with an image of the TV. 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 compelling. It's not hypnotic in the traditional sense, relying on the spoken word; rather, it relies on transmitting images to the unconscious mind. And if you've ever shed a tear when watching a sad movie, then you know how compelling video hypnosis can be at reaching the unconscious mind. With this technique, results usually start with the very first viewing of the video!

The Video Hypnosis / NLP technique reprograms the unconscious mind using a high-tech simulation process. This frees a person of their cravings and tensions and allows a person who smokes to stop without willpower or weight gain, and a dieter to lose their urges and appetite. Results start with the very first viewing!