By Lisa Mills, CHt

Q. So, how does this hypnosis stuff work, anyway?

A. Great question! And the honest answer is... we're not really sure how it works. But, hey! We haven't been able to prove how electricity works, either. That doesn't stop us from using it very effectively!

We've got a good theory, or rather, a good model of how hypnosis works but like electricity, we're not really sure if we're correct. While we do know that it can be extremely effective for lots of people, we haven't been able to determine for sure the reason why hypnosis is so effective. And like electricity, that hasn't stopped us from using hypnosis to help people transform their lives.

We think that all of our beliefs, habits, emotions and creative ability reside in a part of the mind below conscious awareness, known as the subconscious. Because they are in the subconscious, normally they are beyond our ability to consciously alter them, or even to be aware of them sometimes.

One of the conscious mind's jobs is to critically evaluate incoming information and determine whether it gets to enter into the subconscious realm, where it can become a belief, habit, emotion, or new idea. This protective mechanism for the subconscious mind is often called the critical faculty.

Through hypnotic trance we can focus the mind's awareness so much that we can bypass that critical faculty, and gain a more direct connection to our subconscious mind. Here's where the fun starts! Now we can retrain the subconscious, and reframe events, habits and ideas. After all, what your mind believes to be true, IS true for you! Using hypnosis you can instill beliefs in your mind that are more beneficial for you.

Lisa Mills, CHt. From HELIO•TROPE HYPNOSIS is a coach and hypnotherapist. She can be contacted at www.MillsHypnosis.com, LM@MillsHypnosis.com, or 206-499-3057.