Hypnosis was accepted by the AMA in 1958 as an effective course for treating stress and stress related symptoms. Does it definitely work? And what should a person consider important when looking for a therapist, or buying hypnosis tapes & CDs?

There are many noteworthy hypnotic methodologies that are used to reach the subconscious mind to cause change. Each method has its strengths and its weaknesses. We are all different, so it stands to reason that the best results will be obtained by using methods that each person will have the most success with.

Most hypnosis tape venders offer CD's that consist of standard traditional hypnosis methods. A few sellers offer much more modern and effective Ericksonian hypnosis methods. And fewer still offer NLP methods.

The most effective technology is video hypnosis. Video hypnosis relies on the latest Neuro-Linguistic Programming thought processes to trigger rapid changes in a person. Video hypnosis methods are not subliminal in nature.

With "Traditional Hypnosis," we simply make suggestions to the subconscious mind mind. In case you are wondering, as far as I'm concerned, the term unconscious and subconscious are equivalent - they refer to the same part of the mind. This type of self-hypnosis works well for a subject who generally accepts what he/she is told without questionning everything.

Most pre-recorded hypnosis programs sold today are based on "Traditional Hypnosis" methods. The reason for this is that it really doesn't take much experience to create a script and just command someone to do something. Unfortunately Traditional Post-hypnotic Suggestion is not very practical for people who are critical or analytical in their thinking processes.

By contrast, Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming methods work more efficiently for most of today's generation! This is because today people are taught to analyze everything they see and hear, rather than just do what everyone else is doing. So these methodologies do work very well on people who are analytical in their thinking processes.

These methods are far more effective at reaching and influencing the subconscious mind. However, it can take years of training, study, and most of all experience to learn how to apply these methods effectively. This is a task that is only accepted by truly dedicated therapists.

With "Ericksonian Hypnosis," we use little stories, called Ericksonian metaphors, to present suggestions to the subconscious mind. This is a powerful and effective art, 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.

Isomorphic metaphors offer direction to the subconscious mind by telling a story with a moral. The subconscious mind draws a one to one relationship between the contents of the story and the contents of a problem situation or behavior. For example, if a child is telling a lot of lies, the parent might tell the child the story about the "Boy who cried wolf." The subconscious mind would draw a comparison between the boy in the story and the child, and realize that telling lies could lead to disaster, so the child would probably stop lying.

With the Embedded Command technique, the hypnotist conveys an interesting story that engages the conscious mind. The tale contains covert post-hypnotic suggestions that are usually accepted by the subconscious mind. For example: While the subject is in hypnosis, he might hear the hypnotherapist say something like: I'm going to tell you a story about ...[a beach that has feelings. Isn't that] ...strange to... [you]? It's a warm summer's day, and... the beach [feels great].

The hypnotist pauses, shifts his voice tonality, and emphasizes the bracketed text. The subconscious mind recognizes a "Selectional restriction violation." Beaches can't have feelings. So it's like the subconscious mind says to itself: "Wait a minute, a beach can't feel anything, so that must mean that I'm supposed to feel great."

Since the suggestions are buried in a story that is distracting the conscious mind, its unlikely that the conscious will realize that it has just received a direct command, so it will not resist it.

Process Instructions direct the subconscious mind to recall an experience of an appropriate learning experience from the past where something useful to the present situation was learned, and then apply that experience to making a change in the present.

With "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" (NLP), rather than using hypnotic suggestions, we use the same methods of thinking that are creating a problem, like insomnia, to eliminate the symptom. NLP in the hands of an experienced hypnotherapist can be very effective.

NLP Anchoring: Have you ever heard an old song and had it trigger feelings from the past? When you originally listened to the song, you were feeling those feelings, and they subconsciously became associated with the sound of the song. 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 useful technique. Suppose that you have a memory of being commended for having done a great job in the past. If you revivify 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 subconscious mind will attach the feelings of self-esteem to your mental image of you with the thin body and your level of motivation to lose weight will increase exponentially.

NLP Flash: This is a very effective Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique that can be used to turn things around in the subconscious mind, 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 extinguish a conditioned response. For example: If a smoker has a cigarette while drinking coffee, his/her subconscious mind will connect the two behaviors together so that he/she automatically gets an urge for a cigarette anytime he/she has a cup of coffee. The Flash will cause the smoker's mind to disconnect the image of a cigarette from the cup of coffee so that he/she does NOT get an compulsion to smoke just because he/she is drinking coffee.

With "Subliminal" recordings, 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 second track contains direct commands that are picked up by the subconscious mind mind. These suggestions are repeated many times during a session.

Subliminal programs can be played in the background while you are working, or talking or partisipating in any other activity. You don't have to stop what you are doing and relax like you do with hypnosis CD's. Subliminals can be an addition to hypnotherapy programs. But Subliminals will never replace Hypnosis or NLP because they are not as effective! They don't even come close!! Some studies 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 methodology that we're going to discuss is Video Hypnosis. Video hypnosis is the most efficient form of hypnosis!

The methods used in video hypnosis are based on the Neuro-Linguistic Programming technology, which works based on the utilization of a person's existing thought processes instead of hypnotic suggestion.

Over 70% of the people on the planet learn more quickly by seeing, rather then by hearing.

Think about it. If you feel an compulsion to eat or smoke when watching TV, it's because your unconscious mind recorded the video image of either food in your hand, or a cigarette in your hand, and then combined that image with an image of the TV. 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 mechanism 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 mind. And if you've ever shed a tear when watching a sad TV show, then you know how powerful and effective video hypnosis can be at reaching the subconscious mind. With this method of treatment, results usually start with the very first viewing!

The Video Hypnosis technique is marketed under the tradename of Neuro-VISION. It programs the subconscious mind through a high-tech digital process. This frees you of your urges and allows someone who smokes to quit without effort or gaining weight, and a dieter to lose their compulsions and appetite. Results start with the very first viewing!

(c) 2007 By Alan B. Densky, CH. This document may be re-printed as long as it is not changed in any way and the author's name and clickable web address links are retained.

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Alan B. Densky, CH opened his professional practice of hypnosis & NLP in 1978. He is the inventor of Neuro-VISION Video Appetite Suppression Hypnosis DVD's and Video Quit Smoking Hypnosis DVD's. The technology was granted a US Patent. Mr. Densky can be reached through his Neuro-VISION Hypnosis web site.