One of the most useful aspects of hypnosis is that in trance, a person's emotional defenses are softened or lowered. This allows for the release of previously submerged and trapped emotions. A heightened awareness of thoughts and feelings also trance-pires. This combination allows the possibility of resolution of difficulties following the rapid location of their deeper source.

This is especially relevant for the release of blocked or frozen grief. A significant number of my clients suffer from this as a major component of their difficulties. It contributes to poor concentration, irritability, feeling "down", physical and psychosomatic problems, and accentuates any other problem a person might have. This may be despite a person's belief that they mourned the loss. Over many years with many clients, when probed in a relaxed trance state, only two had no residual pain regarding a major loss. For most, rapidly obtaining complete relief is a relatively simple matter. After the release, remarks such as, "I never knew that was there.. still bothering me so much," etc. are made. One female, having dinner with a friend after a session, was told, "The look of pain that was always in your eyes has gone." This was after the release of grief entangled with guilt, as is often the case, subsequent to an abortion.

Grief is not restricted to the death of a loved one or family member. Miscarriages as well as abortions. The loss of a beloved pet animal can be agonizing, especially for those who have fewer deep connections to other human animals. The end of a long-term relationship is often like a death. As an addictions professional, I am aware that saying goodbye and mourning the loss of the "old friend" that could always be "depended on", whether it be alcohol, cigarettes, or whatever, is a sometimes a necessary step along the road to abstinence.

To close, I will detail these simple easy cases where the release was a mini-miracle, immediate and complete. The first was a lady who had lost a baby due to a miscarriage a year before she came to see me. After assisting her to enter a relaxed state I began, "You mentioned the loss of your baby… " At these words, her head went back, and a wordless howl of agony emerged, on, and on, and on.. finished at last.. no words.. that was it, all of it.

While on vacation, a man's long-term pet, his dog, had died. Somebody remarked, "You have to take them on a last walk before they die," and he had become deeply guilt stricken, feeling he had failed his old pal, and had sunk into a deep depression. In trance, I pointed out to him that he had taken the dog for his last walk, before he departed on vacation. The guilt resolved, with further grieving he came to peace, and laid his canine friend to final rest.

A young woman had had an emotional breakdown, after rejecting her partner for being a womanizer, with no interest in changing. She was hardly eating or sleeping, barely living, going to work like a zombie. A psychotherapist would probably term this a reactive depression. Coming out of the first trance, after grief release she said, "I'm hungry!" Returning for the second session she said, "When he calls me on the phone, instead of feeling so desperately awful, I see myself waving goodbye to him as I visualized in trance, and I'm O.K." Aligning her head and heart while releasing him with tears of grief was all it took. Because she had no other problems to complicate matters, only one session was needed to initiate her recovery process. Though not always this simple, healing is always a possibility.

Till the next time, c. 2007. Brian Green. http://www.mindmagic123.com