Tag Archives: Hypnotherapy

The Myth of Being Nonjudgmental

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It is improper and imprudent to simply throw away judgment for the sake of being perceived as "nonjudgmental."

It is improper and imprudent to simply throw away judgment for the sake of being perceived as "nonjudgmental."

Can I throw away my many years of training and experience? No – it is part of who I am.

Can being nonjudgmental harm me or my client or someone else? Of course it can, in certain situations and environments.

There are bounds to tolerance. Unconsciously and instinctively I KNOW it is wrong to have sex with a child, for example. To help a pedophile get better at his trade would be unconscionable to me. I CANNOT offer such behavior safe haven in my sessions. On the other hand, if a pedophile wishes to overcome his harmful behavior, I am willing to assist. That is because I have a judgment about that behavior and the erroneous thought processes that produced it. I cannot be nonjudgmental in this case.

I have a list of behaviors I judge incompatible with health and wellness – for the individual and for society in general.
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Eye Movement and the Hypnotic State

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When she entered hypnosis, her eyes became glazed and her blinking rate was significantly reduced.

When she entered hypnosis, her eyes became glazed and her blinking rate was significantly reduced.

A study by an international team of researchers focused on a healthy adult woman who is known to be highly susceptible to hypnosis. Specifically, her eye movements during hypnotic and waking state were measured with a special eye tracking device.

When she entered hypnosis, her eyes became glazed and her blinking rate was significantly reduced. Even more importantly, hypnosis induced dramatic reduction in eye movements that are beyond volitional control in healthy adults. None of thirty tested control subjects could mimic these changes in eye movement patterns.

Eyelid blinking and eye movement DO matter – and can be used to indicate levels of hypnotic induction. Further, it may be possible to induce the hypnotic state via eyelid blinking and eye movement (the reverse position).

Calm Down to Live Longer

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Chronic stress kills.

Chronic stress kills.

According to Nicole Vogelzangs, PhD, of VU University Medical Center in The Netherlands and lead author of a study on the subject, high levels of the stress hormone cortisol strongly predicts cardiovascular death among persons with and without pre-existing cardiovascular disease. “Previous studies have suggested that cortisol might increase the risk of cardiovascular mortality, but until now, no study had directly tested this hypothesis,” said Vogelzangs. “The results of our study clearly show that cortisol levels in a general older population predict cardiovascular death, but not other causes of mortality.”

Chronic stress induces chronic high levels of cortisol in the bloodstream, which in turn predicts cardiovascular death. Chronic stress kills.

“Cortisol is an important component of the stress system of the human body but in higher concentrations can be harmful,” said Vogelzangs. “Our study shows that older persons with high levels of cortisol have an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. This finding significantly adds evidence to the belief that cortisol can be damaging to the cardiovascular system.”

High blood cortisol levels should indicate immediate work on creating an effective strategy for calming down in the face of stress.

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Why We Feel Guilt

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The best resolution to guilt is ACTION - some kind of action that mitigates or helps redeem us from our transgression.

The best resolution to guilt is ACTION – some kind of action that mitigates or helps redeem us from our transgression.

I have always felt that guilt, far from being the “bad guy” of the new age, plays a vital role in the regulation of social behavior. That feeling in your gut often serves as the impetus for a stab at redemption.

Psychologists have trouble agreeing on the function of this complex emotion. On one hand, the punitive feeling of guilt may keep you from repeating the same transgressive behavior in the future, which psychologists call “withdrawal motivation.” Conversely, some researchers view the function of guilt in a societal context, in that it keeps people’s behavior in line with the moral standards of their community. This view emphasizes a more positive emotional experience and is associated with “approach motivation.”

In a study appearing in Psychological Science, published by the Association for Psychological Science, New York University psychologist, David M. Amodio, and his colleagues, Patricia G. Devine, and Eddie Harmon-Jones, sought to bring some understanding to this complex issue. The researchers believe that guilt is initially associated with withdrawal motivation, which then transforms into approach-motivated behavior when an opportunity for reparation presents itself. Furthermore, the researchers sought to test these questions about the functions guilt plays in the context of reducing racial prejudice.

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Amplified Rewards Lead to Success

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If your end result imagery is vivid and compelling enough, you'll achieve it.

If your end result imagery is vivid and compelling enough, you’ll achieve it.

Want to succeed at something? Will it take some time? Then you need vivid, compelling outcome rewards!

Research out of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf demonstrated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a part of the brain implicated in reward-based decision making, together with the hippocampus took part in predicting the degree to which forward thinking impacted current decision making. Further, the researchers discovered that the more vivid and compelling the end result imagery, the stronger the degree of impact on short-term distractions. In other words, the more vivid and compelling the end result imagery, the more likely the subjects of the research were to modify their behavior toward achieving the end result and declining short-term distracting rewards.

Let’s work with an example. Suppose you want to lose a few pounds but are faced with the temptation to eat something you know you shouldn’t. The short-term reward is obvious while the long-term reward fades away into what feels like the very distant future – “out of sight – out of mind”.

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Strong Relationships are Good for Your Health

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Small gestures can go a long way toward creating a closer relationship.

Small gestures can go a long way toward creating a closer relationship.

You know that maintaining intimacy is important for your relationship with your partner. But did you know that it’s also good for your health?

Psychologists and researchers have discovered a number of benefits for people who experience intimacy in their committed relationships. In fact, closeness in relationships has been found to influence social, emotional, and physical health.

People in intimate relationships…

* Are better at successful navigating various developmental stages
* Are more likely to maintain solid, lasting friendships
* Are less likely to be in car accidents
* Are more resistant to diseases and mental illness

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The Importance of Intimacy: How to Make Your Marriage Last

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We respect and appreciate each other so much more now than at any previous time in our relationship.

We respect and appreciate each other so much more now than at any previous time in our relationship.

My wife and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary. We celebrated because our relationship feels deeper and more intimate than ever. We respect and appreciate each other so much more now than at any previous time in our relationship. We’re looking forward to many more years of sweetness and fulfillment.

In this article, Dr. Michele Ritterman offers some great information and advice for those seeking to enrich their intimate relationships.

A recent study revealed a few interesting new aspects about intimacy and marriage. A few of these developments have the potential to change the way marriage counselors – and involved spouses – think about marriages. Specifically, how to keep them strong and healthy!

This 13-year study began in 1981, when researcher Ted Huston began following 168 newly-wed couples. By the time the study ended in 1994, 56 of the couples had divorced. In the meantime, Huston learned a whole lot about intimate relationships, causes of conflict, and how to maintain a happy marriage. One of these findings is proving groundbreaking for marriage and family counselors.

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Using the Placebo Effect for Successful Outcomes

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placebo.jpgIn the largest experiment of its kind to date, 1162 patients aged 18 to 86 years (mean ± SD age, 50 ± 15 years) with a history of chronic low back pain for a mean of 8 years were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or conventional therapy (a combination of drugs, physical therapy, and exercise) for their chronic back pain. Patients underwent ten 30-minute sessions, generally 2 sessions per week.

After six months, patients answered questions from the Von Korff Chronic Pain Grade Scale questionnaire and the back-specific portions of the Hanover Functional Ability Questionnaire to determine their chronic level of pain after treatment.

In the real acupuncture group, 47 percent of patients improved (defined as 33% improvement or better on the Von Korff Scale or 12% better on the Hanover Questionnaire). In the sham acupuncture group, 44 percent improved. In the conventional care group, 27 percent got relief.

Study Conclusion: Low back pain improved after acupuncture treatment for at least 6 months. Effectiveness of acupuncture, either real or sham, was almost twice that of conventional therapy.

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Meds Increase Mortality Risk by 36%

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"These medications aren't candy, and taking them is far from harmless."

"These medications aren't candy, and taking them is far from harmless."

Taking medications to treat insomnia and anxiety increases mortality risk by 36%. This is according to a study conducted by Genevieve Belleville, a professor at Universite Laval’s School of Psychology. The details of this study are published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Dr. Belleville arrived at these results through analysis of 12 years of data on over 14,000 Canadians in Statistics Canada’s National Population Health Survey.

“These medications aren’t candy, and taking them is far from harmless,” commented Dr. Belleville. “Given that cognitive behavioral therapies have shown good results in treating insomnia and anxiety, doctors should systematically discuss such therapies with their patients as an option. Combining a pharmacological approach in the short term with psychological treatment is a promising strategy for reducing anxiety and promoting sleep.”

There are so many proven effective strategies and therapies for insomnia and anxiety that medications may be unnecessary after only a short time if at all. Self-hypnosis, especially has been proven effective in treating insomnia. Over many years of practice, I can say that Rapid Eye Technology and Emotional Freedom Technique have proven effective for symptoms of anxiety.

I have to ask, “is it worth the risk?” when the side effects of medications may include a very high probability of death.

What do you think?

Gifts from Our Ancestors

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In the course of evolution, people with certain genes fared better than others – and because they survived, they passed on their genes, making the general population more like them. For example, Europeans who came into contact with and yet survived the great plague did so because they had a genetic advantage over their neighbors. Because more of them survived to pass on their genes, their descendants tend to show that same genetic factor.

Unfortunately, a genetic advantage in one era or age (like the Ice Age) may be a killer in another (like now). More body fat in an Ice Age man made him more likely to pass on his genes; whereas today it could prevent him from doing so.

What genetic factors are a problem in your life? Do you have a predisposition for certain diseases or conditions (physically and psychologically)? How can you know which conditions or diseases are genetically affecting you? How can you make a change that has a higher probability of success on a genetic level – if it is possible at all?

There is a fundamental interaction between genetics and how our brains process the genetic information. We create and maintain brain circuitry based on a genetic blueprint modified by experience/learning (environmental factors). It's a delicate balance between nature and nurture. Neither genetics nor conditioning completely rule our life experience – rather, we experience the result of an interweaving between the two – kind of like the weaving of DNA.

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