Cheerleading and Hypnosis
Mention the word “hypnosis” and some people imagine a sleazy stage hypnotist getting a group of otherwise mature adults to hop on one foot and quack like a bunch of ducks!
Actually, hypnosis as a medical and psychological intervention has been around for a long time and it is considered an excellent treatment for all types of problems from reducing the impact of cancer treatment to curing insomnia. Sport psychologists also use hypnosis to help athletes perform at an optimal level.
As a trained hypnotherapist, I have had the pleasure of seeing the effectiveness of hypnosis and thought I would write about it for this blog.
What is hypnosis?
New York psychiatrist Herbert Spiegel, M.D., a professor emeritus at Columbia University who has taught hypnosis for 40 years, defines it as: “Hypnosis is a state of deeply relaxed, attentive, receptive concentration. The term ‘hypnosis’ implies sleep. So does the word ‘trance.’ But hypnosis is actually the opposite of sleep. People under hypnosis are very much awake. In a hypnotic trance, they become highly receptive to suggestions compatible with their personal goals and desires.”
Hypnosis consists of four elements. The first is relaxation – a deep relaxation which helps to control stress and anxiety. The second is the hypnotic trance which may sound mysterious or scary but which really is the ability to experience mental clarity and focus. The third element is focused concentration where extraneous thoughts seem to slip away, allowing you to really zero in on your goal. The fourth element is that hypnosis focuses on the goal, not the problem.
Self hypnosis
All hypnosis is really self hypnosis since you have to want to be hypnotized for it to work! We are all going into and out of trances all day long. When you are driving down a highway and you notice Exit 6 and wonder how you lost track of the earlier exits, you are in a trance. When you are involved with a TV program or the internet and don’t hear someone calling you to dinner, you are in a trance.
I will be writing more about hypnosis in the coming days. I will be talking about how it can be used for cheerleading and how you can learn how to hypnotize yourself!
Tags: Hypnosis