GUIDE TO SUCCESS WITH YOUR HYPNOSIS RECORDINGS
WHAT IF MY MIND RACES OR WANDERS?
Research shows that relaxing the body will relax the mind, and vice versa. If you struggle with racing, obsessive or intrusive thoughts, it might help to focus on the body. If you have a lot of physical tension or pain, it may be better to work on relaxing the mind. It’s hard to predict which exercise will work for whom; it’s best to try different relaxation exercises until you find the one that feels right. Remember that you are practicing a skill – like playing the piano. The more you practice, the more effective your relaxation work becomes.
How Should I Listen to My Recording?
Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted for at least the length of your recording. Most are approximately 30 minutes. Turn the lights down or off if you like. It’s helpful to wear loose, comfortable clothing. If there is unavoidable noise, it may help to put on some background music or a recording of natural sounds. Turn off the phone and give yourself permission to devote some time to self-care.
You may sit or lie down for relaxation. If you sit in a chair, it’s preferable to have your spine straight and supported by the chair back. If you lie down, you may want your back flat, and legs straight. It’s preferable to have your legs uncrossed, extended, so you can feel the flow of energy. These are all just suggestions, however; the most important thing is that you feel comfortable and free to position yourself as you need.
DO NOT LISTEN TO HYPNOSIS OR GUIDED IMAGERY WHILE DRIVING OR OPERATING MACHINERY!
First, this would defeat the purpose of focused concentration.
Second, and most importantly, it's not considered safe.
The main objective is to listen when you can close your eyes and relax and engage your creativity fully in the "story." The brain contains mirror neurons such that when you watch someone else doing something or imagine it yourself, your brain sends messages to the body as if that activity is actually happening to you.
When Should I Listen to Hypnosis Recordings?
Listen to your recording any time of day or night as long as it is a time when you can close your eyes and relax without interruption.
For your hypnosis recordings, the latest research indicates that listening to hypnosis as you fall asleep is very effective! The suggestions bypass the conscious filter. This is why I call hypnosis the BEST KEPT SECRET for modern busy people! However, you can listen any time of day. You may prefer mornings if you like to consciously hear what is said on your recording.
How Often Should I Listen to My Recording?
Ideally, a regimen of listening once per day to your hypnosis recording is sufficient. Daily listening helps you to reinforce the new habits and beliefs that you want to acquire. Hypnosis is subtle but cumulative. Be consistent with your listening to see the most pronounced and rapid results. However, some clients do report more immediate or pronounced results by listening twice a day during times of extreme stress.
There’s a huge difference in the amount of time it takes for you to feel and see results between working out at the gym daily versus a couple times per week! It’s the same with using your HYPNOSIS tools to re-train your brain. The difference is that we don’t always have time for the gym, but you can always find time to listen to hypnosis because it can be done while falling asleep.
NOTE: It is not recommended to play your recording on perpetual repeat at night as this might disturb your normal sleep cycles.
Once per day is day is standard. Twice a day is a bonus:)
I Fall Asleep During the Hypnosis Recording, Is It Still Effective?
You do not have to be awake to achieve success with hypnosis!
The truth is, we never turn off our subconscious listening, that part of the brain is always paying attention. This is why even when you are asleep, you can hear the phone ring, a baby cry, or your alarm go off. Your subconscious mind is always paying attention. The founder of one of the premier hypnotherapy schools, a psychologist, believed that listening to hypnosis suggestions while falling asleep is the best time to listen because the suggestions bypass your conscious filter and integrate with your precognitive dreams.
In fact, at home, most of my clients have reported that they do fall into a light sleep while listening to their recordings. This happens because your conscious mind has filtered the suggestions and repetition of the same suggestions will cause most people to go deeper with each listening session.
What If I Don't Visualize?
If imagery doesn’t come easily to you, don’t worry. If you are more auditory or feeling, you may, at first, just get a sense of what is being described to you. Allow the experience to unfold naturally! Remember the suggestions are intended for the subconscious mind which can process the information you hear whether you are visual or not.
Should I Start the Recording Over If I Fall Asleep?
You can start over if you like and if you have the time and desire to do so. However, it is not necessary at all to start over if your mind wanders or falls asleep. In fact, for most people who have been enduring on-going stress for a while, you can expect your mind to wander and most people do fall asleep when listening at night!
Even if your conscious mind wanders or you go to sleep during hypnosis, you can benefit. In fact, your conscious mind is simply the eavesdropper on the suggestions. The hypnosis suggestions are intended for the subconscious mind which is always listening even if your conscious mind is wandering or thinking about other things. Your subconscious is the part of your brain that hears the phone ring and the alarm ring when you sleep.
How Many Times Must I Listen Before I See Results?
Hypnosis works on you from the inside out. You wouldn’t plant seeds in a garden on Monday and stand over the dirt on Tuesday demanding, “Where are the flowers?!”
The number of times you listen to your recording before you see results varies from person to person. Some people see results immediately after hearing suggestions to make a change or see improvement. Those improvements can be a sense of feeling mentally clearer, emotionally lighter, and even sleeping better!
Some people need to listen repeatedly to see that change or improvement. The good thing to know is that whether it takes one time or several times of listening, you can see success in an accelerated time period and in a relatively short amount of time compared to the length of time you may have struggled with the problem.
Do I Have to Listen to My Recordings Forever?
Most hypnosis recordings are created to target and achieve specific goals. You will be instructed by your practitioner to listen for a set number of days to make changes with habits and to instill new positive beliefs.
If you experience on-going stress, which most of us do, then a recording for stress relief might be useful for life. Since the hypnosis is so easy to use and incorporate into your daily life, you may choose to listen on an on-going basis for months or years in order to minimize stress and sustain emotional resilience.
