It is a common knowledge that our mind is divided into Consciousness and Subconsciousness.

• Consciousness – it helps us solve everyday problems (such as making a shopping list, finding the right way to a given place, solving a math problem, etc.). Thanks to it, we are able to perceive the reality around us in a superficial and simplified way. That is why I compare it to our eyes, thanks to which we also perceive the world around us, but we do not see the full depth of reality. Consciousness is what we “control” in a way, i.e. we control the thoughts flow that accompanies us while performing everyday tasks and analyzing everyday problems. Consciousness is based mainly on data, facts, logic and analysis.
  
  
• Subconsciousness – I compare it to a huge warehouse, which contains all our unconscious thoughts, beliefs, memories, traumas and habits. On a daily basis, we cannot move around it very well and we have very limited knowledge about it, which is why it is very difficult to control the flow of thoughts here. Subconsciousness is based mainly on emotions.

Both consciousness and subconsciousness contain a various different functions, which we are using every day. However, from a hypnotherapy perspective, we will be primarily interested in the following:

Consciousness:

• Analytical Function – helps us identify problems, name them, find a solution for them and implement them.
• Willpower – allows us to force ourselves to do something in the short term, break our internal resistance and force ourselves to act despite internal conflicts. “Short-term”, because willpower has a tendency to start to fall – quickly and violently. That is why in hypnotherapy we do not want to use willpower in any way. Because we have to “force ourselves to do something”, and also because it only works for a moment, I consider it a completely ineffective way to achieve the goal. In hypnotherapy, we want to achieve a LASTING effect, getting rid of your problems forever, and not only provide immediate and short-term help.

Subconsciousness:

• Emotions – First of all, we need to be aware of three things about emotions:
  • There are no good or bad emotions – emotions might be more or less pleasant, but none of them is either good or bad. Because emotions, just like pain, are primarily an information. This leads to one very important conclusion – just as information cannot be judged or discussed (e.g. when we say “18 degrees Celsius”, we can only evaluate it by knowing the context, because in Africa it will be a relatively low temperature, while in Greenland it will be relatively high). This is important information because it means that we should not evaluate our emotions, try to argue with them or undermine them, but only OBSERVE AND ACCEPT THEM AS THEY ARE(!).
  • Every emotion has its cause – emotions do not come from nowhere. Each of them is somehow rooted in what is in our subconscious, to which we have limited access (in our past experiences, traumas, our upbringing, the culture in which we live, etc.). This is very important information for us, because thanks to this, by extracting emotions from our subconscious, we are also able to find the source of Your problem, and thanks to this, it is easy to solve it. The moment we undermine them in some way, argue with them (which means de facto using the analytical function of our consciousness), then it will make the process of hypnotherapy very difficult.
  • Emotions cannot be controlled – we have very limited influence on our emotions. In fact, the only thing we can do is to try to suppress them in some way (like using our willpower). But in hypnotherapy, we do not want to supress out our emotions, because again – those consist an important information that we want to discover. That is why trying to reason with someone who is in a very intense emotional state is doomed to failure (because we are trying to communicate using the language of rational consciousness with someone who is currently operating at the level of the emotional subconscious).
• Habits – these are actions that we perform automatically in a given context and are a response to a problem. In the same way, the habit of tying shoes is a response to the problem titled: “How to tie an untied shoe as quickly as possible?”, the habit of drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes might be a response to stress or another problem.

       The last function that is very important from the point of view of hypnotherapy is the so-called “Critical Function”. It decides whether, when receiving a suggestion, our subconscious should “let it through” and make changes in our mind, or reject it, based on the knowledge it has about our mind.

       The “Parts” theory says that as humans, our minds are not just made up of one part, but of many different “personalities”, each of which has its own needs and perceives “what is good for us” differently. Therefore, when a new idea appears (e.g. we want to implement some positive changes), it must be consulted with all of these many parts inside us. Some parts may like the idea and will gladly accept the changes, while others will not, which generates a number of internal conflicts. Those parts of us that oppose the idea will prevent us from making changes.

       Although many of these parts may stand in our way in achieving our goals, we must realize that they do not do it to harm us. Quite the opposite – they want what is good for us. The problem is that each of them will perceive what is good for us in a completely different way.

       Of some of those parts we are aware of – we know that we have a part that wants to push us toward pleasures, a part that cares about our image, a part that is our inner child, etc. But many of them we are not aware of – we are not aware of their presence. Among them are often our past traumas.

       Trauma is an unpleasant event from the past which is negatively influencing our life to this day. The intensity or severity of the trauma does not matter here. Very oftenly these traumas will the cause of our day to day decisionmaking, and will also prevent us from making various changes in our lives in order to protect us in their own way.

       We can introduce changes in our lives in verious different ways.

       We can introduce changes on our own, but when we experience internal resistance (mentioned in the “parts” theory), then we will encounter a very difficult barrier to overcome. The only way then may be to use the resources of our willpower, i.e. simply forcing ourselves to do something or introduce some changes.

       In the case of psychotherapy, to put it very simply, we start the process of analyzing our subconscious, we try to find certain patterns in it and, on this basis – find the cause of the problem and the solution to it. While psychotherapists have reliable knowledge that helps to find such patterns faster, it is still a very long process and does not guarantee an effect (typical psychotherapy can last for years!). Moreover, during psychotherapy, we actually rely on the knowledge of another person who does not have direct access to our mind and our subconsciousness, which is another very difficult barrier to overcome.

       In hypnotherapy, we communicate directly with the subconscious. We do not try to “guess” what the potential source of the problem may be based on some patterns, as in psychotherapy, but instead – we ask questions directly  to our subconscious, asking about the source of a given problem. The subconsciousness immediately returns the answer, informing us “what it thinks is the main cause of the problem”, thanks to which, using therapeutic techniques, we are able to very quickly (within a few therapeutic sessions) eliminate the source of this problem, and thus the problem itself.

       Hypnosis is the bypassing of the critical function, thanks to which we are able to communicate with the subconsciousness and influence it directly and without any obstacles (if 3 main conditions are met). It is kind of a direct “communication bridge” with our subconscious.

       Another, oftenly used definition of hypnosis is that hypnosis is a state of heightened concentration with limited peripheral attention. And translating this into human language – it is a state in which the level of attention and focus is very high, and nothing that what happens around You distracts You in any way.

1. You can’t have a false convictions about hypnosis – if you don’t know what hypnosis is, be sure to watch the video above to take full advantage of it.
2. You can’t be afraid of hypnosis – fear very oftenly comes from ignorance. We are afraid of the unknown. But after watching this video, I believe that this fear has been significantly reduced 🙂 Again – fear before the first hypnotherapy session is completely normal, and there is nothing to be concerned about. The hypnotherapist is there to provide You with a comfortable environment, answer any questions and help You get through this process as best as possible.
3. You need to want this – to go through hypnosis process and make changes in Your life. You have to be willing to put in some work and resolve to make changes, as well as follow the hypnotherapist’s instructions and accept suggestions. While in a state of hypnosis, you can actually adopt 4 mental attitudes towards the suggestions You receive:
   • “I don’t like this suggestion, I don’t accept it, I hope it won’t work” – then the suggestion You receive won’t work and won’t introduce changes in Your mind.
   • “Actually, I don’t care if this suggestion goes through and if anything changes.” – in this case, nothing will change either, because Your consent and some effort are required for the changes to come into effect
   • “I like this suggestion, I hope it will work” – in this case, nothing will change either, because the word “hope” means that You are counting on “something to happen by itself”. In hypnosis, no one will do anything for You 🙂
   • “I like this suggestion, I accept it fully, I KNOW it will work!” – this is really the only correct attitude towards the suggestions You receive, which will enable You to introduce changes in Your life.

1. “Can a hypnotherapist take control over me and my mind?”
          Something like this cannot happen, because again – You Yourself are the one who puts Yourself into a state of hypnosis, by following the hypnotherapist’s instructions. During the entire process, You have full control over Your mind, so You do not have to follow these instructions (but then You will not enter a state of hypnosis 🙂 ). YOU are the one who takes the place of the critical function, so You are the one who decides which suggestions will go into Your subconscious and which will not. During a hypnotherapy session, You can come out of the state of hypnosis at any time if You consider it appropriate and do not want to continue this process.
   
   
2. Will a hypnotist/hypnotherapist make me get rid of my problem?
           No 🙂 Because again – nothing will be done by itself for You. A hypnotherapist is not a magician or a miracle worker, and they do not have a magic wand with which they will make Your problems dissapear. Your cooperation, consent to hypnosis and suggestions are needed here. The hypnotherapist will tell You how to do it and guide You through the process from A to Z, to get rid of Your problem in 100%, however if You are passive throughout the process, even if the hypnotherapist do his best, nothing will change 🙂
   
   
   
3. “Will I fall asleep or lose consciousness during hypnosis?”
           No. That is not what hypnosis is about. Hypnosis is a state of very high concentration, in which nothing external distracts You, and that’s all. There is no “high”, falling asleep or losing consciousness (after all, we need You fully conscious to introduce changes in Your mind, right?) 🙂
   
   
4. “Are there people more/less susceptible to hypnosis?”
          No. Everyone can use hypnosis, as long as they agree to it.
   
   
5. “Is hypnosis alternative medicine? What does the Catholic Church say about it?”
          No. Hypnosis is not alternative medicine. It is a form of therapy. We focus on psychological problems. Furthermore, hypnosis is backed by solid science and years of research conducted by a number of scientific institutions. You can search for them Yourself, or visit the scientific references subpage to learn more.
           As for the Catholic Church, the Church (specifically Pope Pius XII) approved the use of hypnosis and even recommended its use to relieve pain. Therefore, the Church does not condemn hypnosis, nor does it recognize it as an occult practice or in any way contrary to the teachings of the Church.

       We meet in the office or online, and during this meeting we establish a verbal “contract”, during which I, as a hypnotherapist, commit to full professionalism and action within the framework of the problem You have approached me with, while You agree to go through hypnosis process and commit to follow the hypnotherapist’s instructions (not trying to resist purpusefully or sabotage the whole process willingly, so that we go through it with the best possible outcome for You). Then we start to put You in a state of hypnosis by relaxing Your body and mind, in order to later on dive into the cause of Your problem and neutralize it. If You have any further questions about the course of such a session, You can contact me personally.

1. First of all, know exactly what problem You want to solve specifically. Think carefully about what You want to achieve and what You want to get rid of / what You want to change in Your life.
2. Watch the video above “Hypnosis truth and myths” ENTIRELY. Because if You won’t do this, various misunderstandings or fears related to hypnosis itself may appear, which may prevent You from benefiting from it fully, it will unnecessarily extend the entire session and it will be a waste of both Your and my time. And if You have any additional questions or doubts about hypnosis, either contact me personally or we will simply discuss them all during the session 🙂
3. Set aside about 2-4 hours of free time during which You can turn off Your phone so that nothing distracts You unnecessarily. It is important that You have a relatively “free mind” as much as possible.
4. MOST IMPORTANT – equip Yourself with a positive attitude 🙂