THEORY OF MIND

This masterful illustration explains how the mind works both with and without hypnosis. Once trust and agreed-upon suggestions are established, the therapy session will begin and you enter hypnosis. While under hypnosis, your critical mind slows down to the theta brainwave state and is very relaxed. This critical mind “filter” is your inner dialog, acting like a big brother or guardian. Relaxing this filter or guard will allow the agreed-upon suggestion from the hypnotherapist to go from your conscious mind through to your subconscious mind. Once a suggestion enters your subconscious mind, it begins to become a “known truth”, with either positive or negative association. 

For example: think of a dog. Do you associate the dog with positive or negative regard? The experiences you had before the age of eight could determine whether that regard became positive or negative. With a negative association, just the sound or mention of a dog might trigger a fight or flight response, which activates the most primitive part of the brain. Fight or flight response activates “survival mode” and clouds judgment while dumping high levels of stress hormones into your system, which in turn diverts blood flow and slows digestion. In extreme cases, continual activation of the fight or flight response can cause depression