Hypnosis is a useful tool in mindfulness training, and
mindfulness training is helpful in working with hypnosis. Both involve
altered states of being. In these states, a person is less subject to
emotional or mental reactivity, and better able to focus and concentrate in
everyday interactions. There are many ways hypnosis and mindfulness might
interact, or aid one another, particularly in achieving a deeper understanding
of the self, and issues that cause pain, disruption, and even disease.
Ultimately, hypnosis can be used as a tool for clearing obstacles to
mindfulness practice.
Buddhist scholar, Thomas Kiernan, describes mindfulness as
“ the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness”.
Simply put, mindfulness is the act of being aware of the present moment. It
is a process in which a person is engaged. In Buddhism, meditation is the
primary method used to develop mental clarity and engage in mindfulness.
(Please note that there are many types of meditation, all of which seek to
move past the mind’s chatter. So, for the purposes of this article, I will
use the term in a general sense of quieting the mind unless otherwise
indicated.)
When a person enters into a meditative state, they are
entering an altered state of consciousness. As the practitioner develops his
ability to maintain presence and concentration in the meditative state, he is
then better able to maintain presence and concentration in everyday
situations, hence mindfulness. One way to describe mindfulness in action is
that it brings the peacefulness of the meditative state into everyday
interactions.
In much the same way that meditation seeks to quiet the
chatter of the mind, hypnosis also seeks to bypass the grip of the conscious
mind. And like meditation, there are many different kinds of hypnosis. The
most popular form of hypnosis is suggestion hypnosis in which the client
enters an altered state, much like a meditative state, and then the
practitioner repeats suggestions meant to overcome whatever issue the client
may be experiencing. For many people, suggestion hypnosis works, particularly
for issues of habit abatement, addiction, etc. However, there are other types
of hypnotherapy that take the client into a deeper understanding of what is
causing the issue, and then provide the client with the opportunity to change
the deeper issue. This is where Depth Hypnosis, in particular, can be of help
in a mindfulness practice. This particular form of hypnotherapy is designed
to aid the client in addressing issues as they arise. In this way, blocks to
consciousness can be cleared, and mindfulness is then easier to maintain.
Being aware of the present moment requires dealing with any
issues that come up. Not just meditating into oblivion the deeper seated
issues that cause us to suffer. Once the mind has been quieted, often
referred to as Samantha meditation, the opportunity to do deeper work is
presented via vipassana, or insight meditation. This is the reflective state
achieved once the mind is quieted. It is important to use this time to
transform unresolved issues that are easier to access in this state. The
mistake of some Buddhist practitioners is to think that because they have
reached this state, there is nothing more to do. In Depth Hypnosis, this
state is achieved, and it is in this state that both the client and
practitioner engage in identifying and transforming issues that arise for the
client.
So, from the standpoint of hypnosis, having a meditation
practice makes it easier to achieve altered states in a hypnotherapeutic
situation. And hypnotherapy, particularly a form of hypnotherapy like Depth
Hypnosis, aids the mindfulness practitioner in clearing blocks that arise and
might inhibit his practice. In this way, hypnosis offers an opportunity for
the practitioner to deepen his ability to be conscious with all things, and
all states of being. The more conscious he becomes, the more he is able to
clear within himself.
To link directly to this article use this
link:
http://www.hypnotherapyarticles.com/Transpersonal/articlet00002.htm
Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., is the
Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream and the primary
instructor of the Foundation's training programs in Depth Hypnosis, Applied
Shamanism, and Integrated Energy Medicine and Buddhist Psychology Studies. She
is a guest lecturer in shamanism and hypnotherapy in the Integrative Medicine
Program at the University of California at Berkeley and an adjunct faculty
member at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Isa holds degrees and
certificates in transpersonal psychology, cultural and linguistic
anthropology, comparative religion, hypnotherapy, and transformational
healing. She has spent over 30 years studying spiritual, therapeutic, and
meditative techniques from around the world, working with master teachers of
many shamanic traditions, including those of of Hawaii, indigenous North and
South America, Siberia, and Nepal. She has also studied with master teachers
of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Sufism.
Dr. Gucciardi is the creator of
Depth Hypnosis, a ground-breaking therapeutic model that has won rave reviews
from psychotherapeutic and spiritual counselors. By synthesizing key
principles of shamanism, Buddhism, energy medicine, hypnotherapy, and
transpersonal psychology, Depth Hypnosis brings the ancient healing wisdom of
many cultures to the unique imbalances of contemporary Western society - with
stunning success.
Dr. Gucciardi speaks five
languages, and has lived in 11 countries. In addition to speaking and teaching
internationally, she maintains an active hypnotherapy and shamanic counseling
practice.
For more information, please see
www.sacredstream.org
- www.depthhypnosis.com and
www.hunaspirit.com
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