First Hypnosis Session

[Grasshopper]

I had my first session today to work on self esteem issues. It has been my first time ever being hypnotised.....and it was very painful. All these parts of my body were hurting...my neck and back and my arm was on fire. I felt so heavy. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

[Hypnomania]

Yes, I experienced this similar a couple of times. It happens to me when I'm deep in trance and sitting on a normal chair without the possibility to lean back. Especially the neck hurts then a lot. That's why I prefer to lay down while being hypnotized.

[Grasshopper]

Glad to know I am not the only one. ;) I told the therapist it was like my subconcious mind was fighting any suggestions..or the hypnosis. He suggested we not use the word "fighting". But thats how it felt.

[Hypnomania]

What do you think why would your subconscious mind fight the suggestions or the hypnosis?

[Grasshopper]

Can a subconscious mind have a comfort zone? hehe

[Merlin]

>...and it was very painful

That is not normal.

[skip]

Merlin says it isnt normal, and she is correct.

Every response you have, no matter what, is a response to your ongoing experience while entranced.

As a hypnotist I am supposed to be paying attention to your ongoing experience as best I can, and to notice when you have some reaction, and calibrate that reaction to what I have said or done. In this way I am keeping in synch with you.

I cannot promise that the hypnotist SHOULD have noticed your discomfort, but I would hope that they WOULD notice, and notice what they said so they can know something about what it was, that was uncomfortable to you.

While in hypnosis, all kinds of sensations, can be redefined as some other sensation. For example you can feel cold as pain, warmth as cold and so on. It could be something like that. I would venture the guess that it is more likely something the hyptonist said, that was carried further than intended, by you, and the hypnotist didnt notice.

For example many people use a statement such as, "And you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, and as that warmth increases so does your relaxation ..." What if they added another hypnotic technique, many use, to that? "... and the more you feel the warmth, the more you relax, and the more you relax, the warmer you feel, and you relax deeper, and deeper, now twice as deep, as before, warmer, deeper, ..."

I dont know that they did do that, but I can easily imagine something like that happening. It represents a bit of sloppy work, in that they havent taken into account the difference between the translation you would make of that statement when conscious and the way you experience it literally while in tranced. The deeper you go the warmer, and you went really deep, so you got really warm. Now all that could be prevented by indicating early on that the sun's warmth is felt as a comfortable warmth, always just right.

Is that what happened?

I have no idea, but I can easily imagine it ocurring in a relaxation type induction.

And I know that the hypnotist SHOULD take responsibility for your safety and well being, while you are entrusting yourself to them, and if they wont take that responsibility, they dont deserve you, or anyone else, as a client.


The question is, "How to prevent you from feeling uncomfortable, like that, in the future."

Discuss with your hypnotist that you would like some general suggestions about feeling comfortable and relaxed and that you have, not just permission, but their blessings, to come out of trance, at anytime you wish, if you are feeling something like that again, or that you can communicate to them in some way they will understand, so that they can help you alter your experience while in trance.

hope that helps,

skip

[Shlomo_NLP]

congratulations for your first hypnosis session. I think you just had your first "known" hypnosis session after all those years of entering in and out of hypnosis without being aware of it...

:-)