Fears are a normal part of the human condition, but when those fears interfere with your everyday life, it becomes necessary to manage them. There are several ways to do that, and your doctor may have some suggestions, but something you can consider in addition to those suggestions is hypnosis.
According to a study done at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College of London, suggestions given under a hypnotic state, even if only given once, can produce the same effects as long-term conditioning and practice. That’s quite impactful when you consider how it can help manage your fears.
As you may know, fear produces the fight or flight response. From a physiological perspective, it releases hormones that shut down non-essential functions to survival, such as the digestive system, and increases essential functions, such as eyesight. Your heart rate increases and blood flows to the muscles to help you run faster.
Fear also impacts the brain, too. Once the fear pathways are ramped up, the brain will automatically short-circuit more rational pathways. The purpose of this is to help you react to the signals coming from the amygdala. However, in this state, the brain takes in all the details associated with the fear – sights, sounds, smells, time of day, weather, and so on – and remembers them.
Living in a constant state of fear can negatively impact your life. Because of the body’s physical response to stress, chronic fear can weaken the immune system, lead to cardiovascular issues, cause gastrointestinal problems, and decrease fertility. It can also cause issues with your ability to form long-term memories, and it disrupts brain processes that allow you to manage your emotions. As you can see, managing your fears beyond when you actually need that fear response becomes critical to your well-being.
Hypnosis allows you to enter a state of deep relaxation, which automatically takes you out of a fear response. This restores your body’s normal functions and gives it a break. Additionally, hypnotic suggestion works to undermine the negative association your brain has connected with the fear. For example, if you have a fear of elevators, and just walking past a tall building triggers that fear, hypnosis will help you disassociate tall buildings from your fear. It may focus your attention on the beauty of the architecture or some other positive aspect of the building.
Hypnosis helps you manage your fears by changing your associations with them. It also helps you get to the core reason for your fears, and helps you overcome mental blocks so you can release your fears entirely. It’s important to keep in mind that hypnosis isn’t a cure-all, but it can help you manage your fears when used in conjunction with the medical advice provided by your doctor.
About the Author: Dr. Steve G. JONES, Ed.D. is one of Your Monthly Mentors, a board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who has been practicing hypnotherapy since the 1980’s. He is the author of 25 books on such topics as hypnosis, the law of attraction and weight loss. Dr. Steve has also created over 9,000 hypnosis audio recordings and 22 different online certification programs, which are sold in over 140 countries. Dr. Steve G. Jones works extensively with Hollywood actors, writers, directors, and producers, helping them achieve their very best. He has been featured on Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker as both a hypnotherapist and a millionaire and has been interviewed on CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. Learn More…
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