The two certainly are related and they seem to know quite a bit about each other. They seem to have passed through some very similar experiences.
But they just don't seem to communicate very well with each other.
One person is entirely rational and logical; they analyze and compare, measure and debate. Whenever I talk with these people I make quite sure that I use the language of logic.
The other person in the chair is remarkably different. They care nothing for logic. They make absolutely no demand that things be rational. They feel and they function on an emotional, rather than a cerebral level. I make quite certain that I use the language of imagination when I speak with these people.
Of course, I don't actually have two different people in my therapy chair, but it can certainly feel as if I do.
That first person, analytical and logical, is simply the conscious mind, while the other feeling person is the subconscious mind. Both are useful, indeed essential parts of the self, yet their nature is quite different. And often they can be at odds with each other.
To better understand why this is, it's necessary to understand something of the way in which our minds function.
You see, the conscious mind is that part of us that reasons. It is basically who we think we are. It is the home of will power and of conscious decision making.
The subconscious mind, on the other hand, is that part of us that experiences emotions. It is basically who we feel we are. It is the repository of our habits and our beliefs.
We also have a third part, and that is the unconscious mind. This is the part of us that is responsible for the smooth running of all those processes that we simply take for granted - our breathing and heart beat, the regulation of our body temperature, the functioning of our autonomic nervous system.
It's what keeps things going when we sleep and when we are awake, without our ever really having to think about it or give it instructions.
When people come to visit me in my role as a therapist, it's usually because they have been having trouble with the way they have been feeling.
They have usually done everything they could think of to feel better. They have tried to deny the problem, use will-power in an attempt to make it go away. They have tried to think it away; to conquer it with logic, telling themselves to 'stop being silly'. Yet nothing has worked.
This seldom surprises me. In any battle between feelings and logic, the feelings will almost always win. We might fully understand that something is 'silly', but understanding that something is silly and letting it go are two very different things.
This is simply because the true power of the human mind does not really lie in the conscious logical part, but in the subconscious feeling part.
Usually the subconscious mind is working in a certain way because of an experience or series of experiences that happened in the past.
The actual experience itself is in fact far less important than what the mind did with that experience; how it was processed and perceived - or misperceived.
Based on past perception - often the perception of the child - a belief was born and this belief became firmly implanted in the subconscious mind, working as a piece of software might work in some powerful bio-computer.
And if that perception was faulty, then it produced a belief that grew stronger and stronger, until it began generating and driving uncomfortable feelings such as fear, anxiety, apprehension, worry, depression and low self-esteem.
The difficulty is that no matter how hard we try, no amount of will power is able to diffuse and get rid of it.
The good news is that with hypnosis and hypno psychotherapy, we can reach into the subconscious part of the mind, talking to it in its own language. Because the subconscious mind forgets nothing, we can uncover the source of the difficult feelings - the misperception and the faulty belief - and we can realign it and re-educate it, thereby neutralising its power to disturb.
Moreover, because hypnosis works hand in glove with the autonomous nervous system, we can even help it to work optimally, speeding up healing, bolstering the immune system, and even managing pain.
If you sometimes feel as if there are two parts of you, and that they are at odds with each other then in many ways you are right. Knowing this, you are in an excellent position to help both parts function in the very best of ways.
Through expertly delivered hypnosis and hypnotherapy - or through regular self-hypnosis - you can once more feel whole and at one with yourself and your world.
There are many different hypnotic methodologies that are used to reach the subconscious to cause change. Each method has its pros and cons. No two people are the same, so it stands to reason that the best results will be obtained by using techniques that each individual will have the most success with.
Most companies that sell hypnosis CD's and tapes offer CD's that consist of standard traditional hypnotic methods. A few sellers offer much more modern and effective Ericksonian hypnosis methods. And fewer still offer Neuro-Linguistic Programming methods.
The most effective methodology is video hypnosis. Video hypnosis uses the latest NLP thought processes to cause instant changes in a person. Video hypnosis methods are not subliminal in nature.
With "Traditional Hypnosis," we simply make direct commands to the subconscious. This type of self-hypnosis works well for a subject who generally accepts what he/she is told without a lot of questions. Most pre-recorded hypnosis tapes that are sold today are based on "Traditional Hypnosis" techniques. Unfortunately Traditional Suggestion Therapy is not very efficient for people who are analytical in their thinking processes.
By contrast, Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP methods work more effectively for most members of today's generation! This is because today people are taught to analyze everything they see and hear, rather than just do what they are told to do. So these methods do work very well on people who are critical in their thinking processes. Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP are far more effective at reaching and influencing the subconscious. However, it can take years of study and experience to learn how to apply these methods with a high rate of success.
With "Ericksonian Hypnosis," we use little stories, called metaphors, to present post-hypnotic suggestions to the subconscious. This is a powerful and effective technology, 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 suggestions, we use the same thought patterns that are creating a problem, like an irrational fear, to do away with the problem. NLP in the hands of a trained therapist can be very effective.
NLP Anchoring: Have you ever heard some old music and had it trigger 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 method. 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 revivify 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 will connect the feelings of self-esteem to your image of you with the thin body and your level of motivation to lose weight will increase exponentially.
NLP Flash: This is a very powerful NLP technique that can be used to flip things around in the subconscious, so that thoughts and experiences that used to trigger feelings of stress actually trigger relaxation instead.
The NLP Flash technique is also a fast way to obliterate a conditioned response. For example: If a smoker has a cigarette while watching TV, his/her subconscious will pair the two behaviors together so that he/she automatically gets a powerful craving 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 a craving to smoke just because he/she is watching TV.
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 the sound of a bubbling stream. The alternate track contains direct suggestions that are heard by the subconscious. These suggestions are repeated hundreds of times during a session. Subliminals can be an addition to self-hypnosis programs. But Subliminals will never replace Hypnosis or NLP because they are not as effective! They don't compare in any way!! 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 method of hypnosis that we're going to discuss is Video Hypnosis. Video hypnosis is the most effective form of hypnosis!
The techniques 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 population learns more quickly based on what they see rather than what they hear.
Think about it. If you feel a craving to eat or smoke when watching television, it's because your mind recorded the video image of either food in your hand, or a cigarette in your hand, and then banded together that image with an image of the television. You never spoke to yourself and told yourself in words to associate them together, isn't that true?
And that's why the Video Hypnosis technique is so powerful and effective. It's not hypnotic in the traditional sense, relying on the spoken word; rather, it relies on transmitting images to the subconscious. And if you've ever cried when watching a sad TV show, then you know how effective video hypnosis can be at reaching the subconscious. With this technology, results usually start with the very first viewing!
The Video Hypnosis / NLP modality trains the subconscious through a high-tech digital process. This frees you of your cravings and tensions and allows a smoker to quit effortlessly, and a dieter to lose their urges and appetite. Results start with the very first viewing!
Both Peter James Field & Alan Densky are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Peter James Field has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hypnotherapy, Cure Anxiety and self improvement and motivation. Peter Field is a leading British hypno-psychotherapist with clinics in London and Birmingham, UK. He is a Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and Fellow of the Royal Society of Health. More of his absorbing. Peter James Field's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Alan Densky has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hypnotherapy, Alternative Medicine and Hypnotherapy. Alan B. Densky, CH opened his practice in 1978. He is the developer of and. Alan Densky's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.