People find hypnosis a fascinating subject. Most have developed a lot of assumptions and sometimes fears about what hypnosis is and how it works, in addition to what it can or cannot do. Historically a great deal of mystery and “magic” has been attached to “hypnosis,” speaking to the heretofore lack of scientific research yielding tremendous misconceptions of this powerful phenomena.
Occasionally people suggest to me that they either cannot be hypnotized (even if they wanted to be) or they don’t think they could be hypnotized because they are too strong-willed and don’t want anyone to control them. I get a good laugh from this perspective. Let me tell you why.
The question that one should ask is not “Can I be hypnotized?” rather the question is “Am I willing to be un-hypnotized from my own hypnosis?”
For instance, from around the fourth month in our mother’s womb, our brain wave patterns become detectable and are learning in measurable ways. Before we are born, we are quite familiar with Mom’s and Dad’s voices, as well as others that we’ve been exposed to. During gestation, we are also constantly being bathed in the emotional biochemistry of our mother’s emotions, as well as the energetic field of the outside world. Unseen experiences are often queried about decades later, only to be acknowledged with amazement. We, in essence, are being hypnotized into a unique perspective. [Personal observation: food choices of the pregnant mother are often passed to the child.]
Most of how adults respond emotionally is unconsciously programmed into us by the age of six, and the majority of the programming occurs by the age of three. [A second period of tremendous long term influence occurs between ages 9 to 13.] Because our “conscious, logical, analytical mind” is not developmentally mature at these early ages to be aware of [potential consequences] these decisions and perceptions we took on as children, we do not experience these as choices [and environmental influences] in terms of “who we are” now.
[The Answer?] Only through awareness and exposing ourselves to new options, can we create new potential and express a new reality for ourselves. Otherwise, we tend to obliviously rush through life expounding that our quirks and so forth are “just who we are,” as if our responses were all biologically pre-programmed rather than as a result of [primarily] learned behavior.
As children we did not have the experience to see the bigger picture nor the opportunity to experience a broad range of humans expressing healthy role models. No, most of us were pretty much in the small microcosm called “our family,” and assumed that the limited point of view of our parents was the “truth” about ourselves and life itself.
In college studying psychology, I learned that however we are when we are young, we become more that way as we age… unless we become aware, give ourselves new options, and consciously, sometimes with effort, choose to change. [Successful people ask for help!]
The latest brain/learning research indicates that more than 99% of what humans learn is learned unconsciously. We must become aware of ourselves. We must be awake as Jesus says, and be mindful as Buddha suggests. As we awaken to our expressed nature, as we begin to look within ourselves, and perhaps through the reflections of those around us, we will start to see the patterns. These patterns are simply programs that seemed an appropriate response or a mirroring of those around us from some time back in our history, but they may no longer serve us.
If the brain does anything well, it creates great patterns/programs. These are a form of hypnosis. Of course, a lot of this hypnosis is positive and appropriate. Yet, we fail to realize that we are hypnotized by the many fears [and patterns] from our parents and society… we fear that we are not enough, and we are “just the way we are” – implying that not much can be done about it.
NOT SO! Humanity has slowly been awakening to its high nature, and to its unlimited God-Self within. As the phrase goes, “With God all things are possible.” When we begin to awaken to the power that lives, not outside of ourselves, but within, we will also awaken to the consciousness that we have choice to choose, to create, to evolve, and demonstrate the greater potential of who we can become.
We must begin to understand that we have all been hypnotized from the earliest times and yet unaware of this truth. We’ve even been told to fear being hypnotized… little wonder we fear our true selves… we have been unconsciously trained, hypnotized that we are not enough and never could be.
Frankly, it’s not a matter of whether one can be hypnotized or not, because we simply are. So, the questions becomes not “Can I,” but “Will I set myself free and awaken to un-hypnotize myself from my own hypnosis?”
We can awaken from our old, unconsciously learned hypnosis into our powerful, unlimited potential, to choose how and what we wish to become and be. The past does not have to equal the [present or the] future.
Above all else we are learning beings. We can learn to reawaken (un-hypnotize) ourselves and consciously reprogram ourselves with a new inner vision… where true control, true choice and true fulfillment can be made manifest.
HYPNOTIZ UN-HYPNOTIZE Jane Ann Covington © October 21, 1997, Edited Jane Ann Covington © July 30, 2009 HYPNOTIZ UN-HYPNOTIZE
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