Hypnosis and Meditation

Have you ever wondered about hypnosis and/or meditation? Does it work? How do you do it? Can anyone do it? etc, etc.

Well, I thought I'd share my small amount of knowledge with everyone else. I'm by no means any sort of expert in hypnosis/meditation and I most certainly don't have any qualifications in the form of medical degrees or university certificates. But what I do have is about 45 years of personal interest in the subjects and my own personal experience in how to do it.

I believe that hypnosis and the various forms of meditation are much the same, meaning that they all end up in an altered state of consciousness where you are able to relax your body and mind to such a degree that you can ignore random or intruding thoughts and you can ignore the fidgeting and movement we all do when we try to relax.

The degree to which you achieve this will vary from person to person but will improve with practice. The end result is a feeling of peace and safety, you end up so relaxed that you have no desire to move or fidget and you will have a clarity of thought that you have not experienced before because you can think of anything you like without the myriad of random thoughts that normally keep popping into our heads.

Here are just a few facts:
Hypnosis and meditation are NOT sleep, they are both a different state of consiousness where you are relaxed and feeling calm but are able to think clearly and suggestions are more readily accepted.
Anyone who can read this can be hypnotised or meditate.
You can "wake up" from hypnosis or meditation at any time.
You CANNOT be made to do anything that you wouldn't normally do while under hypnosis.
No-one can hypnotise you against your will.
There is absolutely NOTHING mysterious or supernatural about hypnosis or meditation.
The worst thing that can happen to you while trying self hypnosis is that you will fall asleep or it simply won't work because you can't relax enough at the time.
So how do you do it?
1. Find yourself a comfortable place.
Go somewhere quiet where you won't be disturbed and won't hear noises (I'd suggest using ear plugs). Your bedroom is probably the best place.
Lie on your back (either flat or with your head and shoulders slightly elevated), just find the most comfortable position that suits you. Or if you have a soft, comfy chair then sit in that.
Don't cross your legs or arms because you'll end up cutting off the circulation and then start fidgeting.
If you try this at night you may find that you'll just keep falling asleep. While this may help you at night, it's no good for what we want. You need to relax and stay awake.
2. Relax your body.
Fidget and wriggle yourself until you feel comfortable, don't rush - just take your time.
Concentrate on your breathing. Take slow breaths in and feel yourself relax as you let each breath out, don't force your breathing, just breathe slowly until you find a rate that's comfortable for you. You may be surprised at just how slowly and naturally you can breathe.
Start with your feet, imagine and feel all the tension float up and as it does you can feel your feet becoming very heavy just like a lead weight. You may need to make a conscious effort at this if it's the first time but keep trying until you feel a difference in how your feet feel.
Do the same with your legs, then your thighs etc, gradually working your way up your body. You may have to keep going back to different parts of your body as you will probably find that different parts tense up as soon as you stop thinking about it. This is normal at first, but with practice you will find that you will be able to relax your body just about anywhere and very quickly.
Don't expect immediate results and don't get upset if it doesn't seem to work at first. If you tried to juggle, you wouldn't expect to do it straight away, would you?
Relaxing the body is important. You will probably find that it will be easier to get to sleep at night if you can relax your body.
3. Relax your mind.
When you've found that you can relax your body then you can start relaxing your mind.
There are many ways of doing this and everyone has to find whatever way suits them, but whichever way you find, they will all involve your imagination.
You can concentrate on a picture of a flower, or going through a tunnel with all intrusive thoughts outside the tunnel, or in an empty room with all intrusive thoughts outside the room and unable to get in, or a candle flame flickering in the darkness.
What you are trying to do is to think of only one thought and thinking of this one thought to such a degree that no other thoughts can enter your mind.
If you make yourself aware of your normal, constant thoughts then you'll find that you're constantly thinking random thoughts - what you did yesterday, last week, last year - what you have to do tomorrow, next week, next year. You're aware of noises around you and outside, other people near you, the TV etc, etc.
We are constantly bombarded by everchanging distractions and thoughts, and while this is happening you cannot relax so you need to eliminate the unwanted thoughts and concentrate on one thought of your choosing.
Eventually when you do relax your body and mind sufficiently, you'll find that you won't want to move and you won't want to "wake up". You won't be asleep, but you'll be so relaxed that at times you won't even feel your body, and you'll be able to think of whatever you like with a clarity you've not had before because no other thoughts will distract you.

Hypnosis and meditation are simply ways of shutting out the outside world and calming a busy mind. The means to do this is by relaxation, visualisation and focusing your thoughts