Hypnosis: Hypnosis is About Changes - Part 1-6

Hi,

Many people tell me that they can't find all first 6 articles of the Hypnosis is about Changes series. So I consolidate all 6 here again.

I had re-written some of the content, adding new information and correcting some typos. I hope that it can be more readable.

Keith
Explore, Exceed & Excel

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Updated: July 27 2007


I. Hypnosis: Hypnosis is About Changes Part 1 – Source, Problem(s), Symptom(s) & Factor(s)

Hi,

I seldom write about hypnosis. So I decide to write several short articles about my concepts of hypnotherapy. This is Part 1 of the series.

Hypnosis is about changes. We want to change because we do not satisfy with something about ourselves. It can be a bad habit, an addiction, a weakness, or a psychosomatic disease. It is something we don't want, consciously. But we just can't get rid of it because there can be some sub-conscious reasons, Source and/or Factors.

A Source is something happened in the past that caused your "Problem". There must a cause to everything. This is simple logic. Factors are something that creates the condition for your "Problem" and/or your Symptoms. You can change your "Problem" by working on your Source and/or your Factors.

One thing you must bear in mind that your bad habit, an addiction, a weakness, or a psychosomatic disease is NOT your "Problem". It is just the Symptom or one of the Symptoms of your "Problem". Your "Problem" is that something behind the Symptoms. For example, people have an addiction to alcohol can be just a Symptom of feeling stressed (i.e. the "Problem"). If we just remove the Symptom, some other Symptom can appear (or the same Symptom reappears later, i.e. Relapse!) as the "Problem" is still there.

To summarize:

Source > Problem(s) > Symptom(s)
---------------------------
---------- Factor(s)------Factor(s)

To successfully change, we can work on the Source, the Factors, and/or the "Problem" itself. Well-trained Hypnotherapists work on either of these. (I am talking about working on the "Problem", not removing it. If you remove the "Problem", the Source will just create another "Problem". I will talk about it in greater details in later articles)

Amongst these, the most difficult part is the Problem. The Symptoms, the Source and the Factors are more concrete in nature, while the Problem is abstract. Most people do not know what is the Problem they are facing.

Keith

中譯本：

小弟很少寫關於催眠的文章，所以決定寫一系列的短文，表達我對催眠治療的理念，本篇是這個系列的第1部分。

催眠是關於改變的。

我們要改變，因為我們對自己某些方面未能滿意，它可以是一個壞習慣、一個弱點、又或一項心身疾病。這是我們有意識地不想要的行為/情況，但是，我們卻不能擺脫它，因為它可能是帶著一些潛意識的原因、根源、及/或因素導致的。

根源(Source)是發生在過去的一件事，目前仍影響著你而造成你的難題，任何事情皆有起因，這是一個簡單的邏輯。因素(Factors)，是你的難題或症狀持續出現的條件；通過處理難題的根源及/或因素，你可以改變你的難題。

有一點你必須記住，你的壞習慣、弱點、又或心身疾病，並不是你的難題(Problem)，它只是你的難題的徵狀(Symptoms)，或是症狀之一；你的難題是徵狀背後的情況，舉例來說，酗酒只是一種徵狀，它可能只是壓力的其中一種徵狀，如果我們只是消除徵狀，因為難題本身仍然存在，另外一些其他的徵狀就可能出現（或相同的徵狀稍後重新出現，亦即所謂的復發！）。

先來一個小結：

根源 > 難題/因素 > 徵狀/因素


為了要成功改變，我們可以處理根源、因素、及/或難題本身，訓練有素的催眠治療師的工作，就是在處理這些任務。（我說的是處理難題，而不是消除它，如果你消除掉難題，根源尚在，它將會建立另一個難題，在容後的文章裡，我將會更詳細地談論這個課題）

在這當中，最困難的部分，就是難題本身；徵狀、根源和因素均較為具體，而難題卻是抽象的，大多數人根本不知道，他們所面對的難題，真正究竟是什麼。


II. Hypnosis: Hypnosis is about Changes Part 2 - Symptoms

Hi,

This is Part 2 of my series of Hypnosis is about Changes.

As mentioned in Part 1, hypnotherapist facilitating changes can be done at the Source/Factors, Problem(s) or the Symptoms Levels. The easiest is the Symptoms Level. We do it by giving Post-Hypnotic Suggestions.

The problem using suggestions is it seldom really works.

When the symptoms are being removed by suggestions and the "Problem(s)" still exist, it can simply generate another symptom or the same symptom later. But this can be effective under either of these two conditions:

1. You identified the true Motivation for the change needed and the Motivation is big enough.

2. The Symptom is just one of the many ways that can "Stabilize" the "Problem". It is NOT the Only and/or Key way to do so. The Problem is still stable even without this symptom.

For Condition 1, true motivation can seldom be identified in Conscious Mind (when client is awake). They are usually buried in the Subconscious Mind. To be effective, we use the motivations found in both minds to persuade both the conscious and the subconscious minds. We get such information of the conscious mind during Pre-talk, particularly when we can relate the changes required to client's needs and/or wants. We can identify the motivation of the subconscious mind using techniques like, Inner Guide, Inner Healer, Communicate with the Disease Entity, Hypno-Analysis, Motivation Mapping, Hypnotic Uncovering Technique and the ES Therapy.

You can do nothing about Condition 2. Condition 1 is a matter of skills while Condition 2 is a matter of Luck!

Motivation is the key to effective hypnotic suggestions. So, we formulate our Main Suggestion using the format of "Changes because Motivation".

When you can't help the clients to improve at the "Symptom(s) Level", go to the higher (or earlier) levels. The higher levels can be more effective, but need greater skills and might involve more pains to the clients!

I will talk more about the "Source Level" in Part 3.

Keith



III. Hypnosis: Hypnosis is about Changes Part 3 - Source

Hi,

This is Part 3 of my article series of "Hypnosis is about Changes".

As mentioned in Part 1, hypnotherapist facilitating changes can be done at the Source/Factors, Problem(s) or the Symptoms Levels. I talked about the Symptoms Level in Part 2. It is easiest at the Symptoms Level. We do it by giving Post-Hypnotic Suggestions. But the problem is it seldom really works!

In this Part 3, I am going to talk about the Source Level.

Every Problem has an ultimate cause, which can be physical, psychological or emotional. We cannot do much about the cause if it is physical and psychological. It is the job of medical doctors or clinical psychologists respectively. Being a hypnotherapist, we can work on emotional causes.

There can be a lot of causes for a problem. The best leverage is to work on the ultimate cause, or the original cause - the "Source" of the problem. So, this level is better called the "Source Level" to reduce misunderstandings.

The "Source" can be happened years ago, or just in last week. The "Source" can be some bad experiences in the past. When the "Source" is settled, the problem is then resolved automatically.

We can use all kinds of Regression Therapy, like Inner Regression (in Certified Hypnotherapist Level) or Age Regression (in Master Hypnotherapist Level). We assist the client to go back to the time of the "Source", re-view it and re-understand it. It is the new understandings that heal! Regression Therapy can be a painful, but fruitful process. If you are not well-trained for it, keep away from it! One can hurt the client even more by mis-using these advanced skills.

When clients get new understanding about the "Source", they changed the "old" beliefs related to the "Source" and then to the "Problem". Our old beliefs must be replaced with new beliefs before changes can be taken place. We cannot "not" believe/do something old, we must believe/do something new instead! So we always ask our clients for positive messages, new learning or understandings upon completion of the regression therapy.
Skillful hypnotherapists will convert these positive messages, new learning and understandings into Post-Hypnotic Suggestions.

Why clients can always get positive messages, new learning and understandings after successful regression therapy? It is because there are some critical elements in any good regression therapies:

1. Clients re-experience the whole thing again. They release the repressed emotions so that they can "see" the experience clearer.

2. Clients have the chance to "dissociated" from him/herself during the process, so that they can "see" the experience in a more objective, detached perspective.

3. Clients can "see" what happened before, during and after the experience again. They have the time to "see" what they had missed when it happened in the past.

4. Clients can "go" into the minds of the related other people (Inner Personalities inside the clients). This makes clients not only understand better the case, but the thinking of related people (thinking of clients' Inner Personalities, thus gaining fuller understanding of him/herself.

5. Therapists have a systematic process to request the clients for the positive messages, new learning and understandings. This process assists clients for a better understanding.

Inner Communication is another tool for the "Source" Level. This enables the clients to finish the "unfinished" business with someone else (again, Inner Personalities of the clients) in the past. This process works when the "Source" is an unfinished business. Of course, when you still angry with someone after years, this is an unfinished business.

I will discuss with you the "Factors Level" in Part 4 of this series later.

Keith



IV. Hypnosis: Hypnosis is about Changes Part 4 - Factors

Hi,

This is Part 4 of my article series of "Hypnosis is about Changes".

To recap what we had discussed in the last 3 parts:

Source > Problems/Factors > Symptoms/Factors


Every Problem the client facing might have a Source, the initial origin. It can be some unpleasant past experience. The Problem can then produce various Symptoms.

In this Part 4, I am going to talk about the Factors Element.

The Factors are conditions that support the Problem and/or the Symptoms. It can be internal or external. The External Factors are the conditions for the Problem or the Symptoms. The Internal Factors are beliefs that support the Problem or the Symptoms. The more intense are the Factors, the more serious can the Problem/Symptoms be.

If we can't work on the Source due to whatever reasons, we can "attack" the Factors. We, hypnotherapists, can help our clients either by making our clients aware of the Factors so that they can do something about them, or by reducing the intensity of their internal factors, or by lowering their reactions to the external factors, or by cutting off the links between the Factors and the Problem.

Usually by doing so, we can reduce the seriousness of the Problem/Symptoms, or sometimes we can eliminate the Problem as the conditions (Factors) are not strong enough to support the Problem any more.

We can help our clients to identify the Factors through the use of Inner Guidance, Inner Healer, Communicating with the Disease Entity, Hypnotic Uncovering Technique, and the Systemic Hypnotherapy. Of course, an experienced hypnotherapist can obtain a lot of “Factors” information during the Pre-talk, too.

In our Part 5 of the series, we will discuss the Belief Element of the Problem.

Keith



V. Hypnosis: Hypnosis is about Changes Part 5 - Beliefs

Hi,

This is the Part 5 of the article series of "Hypnosis is about Changes".

To recap what we had discussed in the last 4 parts:

Source > Problems/Factors > Symptoms/Factors


This is not the full picture yet. The Source cannot directly produce the Problem. For example, a boy who was frightened by his teacher cannot make him having fear with his boss. The former can be the Source of the latter. But there is a missing link between them. It can be something like this:

Source > Beliefs > Problems/Factors > Symptoms/Factors

The Source subconsciously induced a/some beliefs, which indirectly lead to the Problem. The boy, after being frightened by his teacher, can believe that all people senior than him can be threatening. This Belief causes the fear. He then might fear his father, his boss, his clients or older colleagues.

This opens up another door for hypnotherapists to work on the Problem. We can identify the Belief behind clients' Problem. When they shifted their Beliefs, they improve their Problems.

We can use hypnotic techniques like Inner Guidance, Inner Healer, Communicating with the Disease Entity, Hypnotic Uncovering Technique, or Ego States Therapy to identify the Meaning of the Illness or Problem. When the Meaning and/or Belief is exposed, if it is irrational, the clients can then gain understanding and learning.

Some simple NLP skills, like Limiting Belief Elicitation can also be used during Pre-talk or in hypnotic state to uncover the underlying beliefs.

I also recommend the use of Mental Symbology to map the concept of clients' beliefs. This is of great leverage as it helps the clients to discover their operating concepts governing their beliefs.

We will talk about the last Element, Resultant, in our Part 6.

Keith



VI. Hypnosis: Hypnosis is about Changes Part 6 - Resultant

Hi,

This is the Part 6, the final part of the article series of "Hypnosis is about Changes".

To recap what we had discussed in the last 5 parts:

Source > Beliefs > Problems/Factors > Symptoms/Factors

This model reflects 5 locations we hypnotherapists can work on with our clients. This enhances our flexibility. But the picture is not yet completed. Here is the 6th element.

Source > Beliefs > Problems/Factors > Symptoms/Factors > Results

Clients come to you sometimes due to the Symptoms, and sometimes due to the Results. They might be asking for help on their red face when meeting the opposite sexes, or they might be requesting for help in their difficulties in having a boy/girl friend. The former is the Symptoms while the latter is the Results.

We can help the client to change the results without changing any of the previous 5 elements. He can still having red face when meeting girls, but he can be able to talk with them even with a red face.

When we can't do anything with all the 5 other elements due to whatever reasons, we can add/remove/change some other behaviour to achieve an alternative but improved result. We can do this by Hypnotic Suggestions, Inner Guidance, Inner Mediation or Ego States Therapy. The original problem still exists, but the client gets a better result. But it can be best done through Systemic Hypnotherapy. (to be discussed in our Master Hypnotherapist Program)

When I was dealing with very old-aged clients, or when the pain from the Source was too great for him/her to touch on his/her Source, Beliefs, Problems, or the Source and/or the Belief was too repressed that we can uncover nothing, I will just handle his/her Results.

This is the final part of this series, and I hope you can get a fuller picture on hypnotherapeutic intervention.

I plan to start another series on blind-spots. Hope you can find it useful too.

Keith