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Abreaction
A physical movement or an emotional outburst as a reaction to a suggestion, while in the state of hypnosis. Some hypnotic abreactions are spontaneous and others are created by the hypnotist. Hypnotic abreaction can be used to acquire greater depth, cause revivification, or remove repressed emotions.
Affirmations
Positive suggestions given though hypnosis and in Mental Bank ideomotor exercises in order to reprogram one's life script.
Age Regression
The state in which the subject relives past events of his life while in the hypnotic state. If the subject reacts as he did when he was at that younger age, but views the subject matter with his present maturity, it is called behavioural regression; if he feels that he is actually at the younger age, it is called revivification regression.
Alpha
Slow brainwave activity state of hypnosis (resting but awake). Also known as hypnoidal. Alpha is slower (deeper) than Beta, the awake state, and faster than Theta, a deep hypnotic state.
Amnesia
Loss of memory. The amnesia which frequently occurs in hypnosis may be either spontaneous or induced by suggestion.
Anchor
A specific stimulus such as a word, image or touch that through the rule of association evokes a particular mental, emotional, and/or physiological state.
Associated
A sub-modality of NLP; a picture or visual image where you see the world out of your own eyes. Contrast with the disassociated state where you visually observe your body from outside the view of your eyes.
Association
Also known as Pavlovian conditioning. A process by which a subject comes to respond in a desired manner to a previously neutral stimulus that has been repeatedly presented along with a stimulus that elicits the desired response. Most common Kappasinian association is conditioning the words “deep sleep” with the hypnotic state.
Aversion
Relating to hearing or sound. One of the three major representational systems of encoding information, alongside visual and kinesthetic.
Behavior Modification
The process of changing behavior by using techniques based on learning theory. The techniques include systematic desensitization, aversion therapy, and assertion training.
Beliefs
Knowns in the subconscious.
Beta
The brainwave activity state of the normal awake state. Higher than Alpha and Theta.
Body Syndromes
A body syndrome is a physical manifestation of an emotional trauma. When an emotion is held in or repressed instead of being processed and released, the emotion will express itself as a physical discomfort.
Bunching
When an individual fails to separate one problem from another or one area of his life from another. In order to help this individual, the operator must help him to separate his problems and handle them individually.
Buying the Symptoms
Getting a client to accept some of the patterns in their life.
Catalepsy
A medium depth of hypnosis, between hypnoidal and somnambulism.
Chaining Anchors
A Neuro Linguistic (NLP) technique where a group of anchors are fired off one after another. Often used to take a subject from a stuck state to a more resourceful state.
Challenge
Essentially a dare, in which the hypnotist challenges the client to perform some act that is impossible for the client to do at his depth in the hypnotic state. Examples are the eye challenge and the arm-rigidity challenge.
Chunking
Moving between levels of specificity. To chunk up means to move to the bigger picture, to chunk down would be getting to greater levels of specificity.
Conditioned Response
The learned response to an indifferent stimulus, which has been attached to it by repeatedly pairing the stimulus with the reinforcer.
Conscious Mind
The ~10% of our mind of which we are most aware. The part responsible for logic, reasoning, decision-making, and will power.
Conversion
A suggestibility test (such as the finger-spreading test), which is extended beyond the point where the suggestibility is determined, and is used as an induction into hypnosis (at which point, it is called the finger-spreading conversion.)
Corrective Therapy
The client states their problem in a sentence. Then the client is to list five synonyms to each word in the sentence. Physical Suggestibles keep referring back to the original words in the sentence while Emotional Suggestibles refer to each previous word they've come up with. The last line is the subconscious problem.
Critical Mind
An area of mind that is part conscious and part subconscious. Any time a suggestion is given to a subject that is detrimental to his well-being or in total opposition to his/her way of thinking, it will affect critical area of mind, and he will critically reject it by abreacting.
Deep Sleep
A post-hypnotic suggestion given to a client that capitalizes on the Law of Dominance.
Dehypnotization
The process of removing a person from a hypersuggestible state.
Defense Mechanisms
All defense mechanisms stem from the basic instinct of survival. They operate on an unconscious level and they serve to deny or distort reality, thoughts, and action. Some Defense Mechanisms are: Repression, Denial, Rationalization, Projection, Displacement, Turning against self, Reaction Formation, Overcompensation, Intellectualization, Withdrawal, Regression, Sublimation, and Disassociation.
Delta
Slowest brainwave activity pattern of sleep, and the deepest, somnambulistic state of hypnosis. Also see Alpha, Beta and Theta.
Depth
-Hypnoidal
A light stage of hypnosis, usually associated with emotional suggestibility; also used to refer to the state of consciousness which is passed through in the transition from sleep to waking, and vice versa. It is characterized by rapid eye movement (REM), with an up/down motion of the eyes.
-Cataleptic
A medium depth of hypnosis. Characterized by a side to side movement of the eyes.
-Somnambulism
The deepest state of hypnosis, where the client responds with amnesia, anesthesia, negative and positive hallucinations, and complete control of the senses. This type of person usually has 50% emotional suggestibility and 50% physical suggestibility. It is characterized by the eyes rolling up underneath the eyelids.
Direct Suggestion
Hypnotic suggestions in the form of a command or instruction. Contrast to Inferential Suggestion.
Dissociation
The loss of feeling in different areas of the body (usually the arms and legs), while in the state of hypnosis; being more aware of mind than of body.
Ego Sensation
Change of feeling in the physical body or part of the body.
Environmental Hypnosis
A state of hypersuggestibility triggered when an individual is in the presence of an overabundance of message units coming from their environment. This causes the person to try to escape the intense input. A kind of “walking hypnosis.”
Expectation
The state of mind in which the individual expects something to happen. Expectation triggers imagination and greatly facilitates the hypnotic induction, especially with Emotionally suggestible subjects.
Extraverbal Communication
Communication by physical gestures or movements that infer a suggestion to an individual, according to his interpretation. Body language is an example.
Eye Accessing Cues
An NLP technique of observing the unconscious eye movement to determine if a subject is mentally seeing images, hearing sounds, engaging in self-dialogue or experiencing kenisethic feelings.
Glove Anesthesia
A type of hypnoanesthesia where the client's hand is made to feel numb, and they are told that that numbness can be transferred to any part of their body that feels discomfort.
Hallucination
A sensory experience arising apart from any corresponding external stimulation; a mental image taken for a reality.
Homeostasis
A state of equilibrium. What the body returns to when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated to respond to the fight/flight mechanism of the sympathetic nervous system.
Hypersuggestibility
A state of waking hypnosis and exaggerated suggestibility to influencing factors in the environment, especially to negatives; possibly the greatest cause of all emotional and physical problems.
Hypnodrama
The process of acting out a role in the hypnotic state, which can be used for increasing talents or reducing the effects of earlier traumas in the client’s life.
Hypnoidal
A light stage of hypnosis, usually associated with Emotional suggestibility; also used to refer to the state of consciousness which is passed through in the transition from sleep to waking, and vice versa.
Hypnosis
An altered state of consciousness which results in an increased receptiveness and response to suggestion. While associated with relaxation, hypnosis is actually an escape from an overload of message units, resulting in relaxation. Hypnosis can be triggered naturally from environmental stimuli as well as purposefully from an operator, often referred to as a hypnotist.
Hypnotherapist
A therapist who utilizes hypnosis as a primary tool for assisting clients to achieve their goals. A Hypnotherapist often differs from others therapists by focusing on the role of subconscious behaviours and influences on the client's life. Further, they induce a hypnotic state in client to increase motivation or alter behaviour patterns: Consults with client to determine nature of problem. Prepares client to enter hypnotic state by explaining how hypnosis works and what client will experience. Tests subject to determine degree of physical and emotional suggestibility. Induces hypnotic state in client, using individualized methods and techniques of hypnosis based on interpretation of test results and analysis of client's problem. May train client in self-hypnosis conditioning.
Hypnotist
A person skilled in the technique of inducing the hypnotic state in others.
Ideomotor Response
A response emanating from an individual's subconscious mind via the central nervous system. Such a response is a way of avoiding judgments of the conscious mind. Examples: handwriting, index finger raise while in hypnosis.
Incongruent Behaviour
When a person’s behaviour is the opposite of his suggestible behaviour, or when his outward expression is inconsistent with his actions.
Induction
The technique of hypnotizing a person. The patter used can be either maternal or paternal; either one sends message units to the brain, preparing the subject to enter the hypnotic state.
Inferred Suggestion
A suggestion given that contains a message other than the immediately obvious one. Usually, the underlying meaning is not immediately understood consciously by the subject, but he will have a delayed reaction to it. It is especially effective with Emotionally suggestible subjects.
Knowns (Pain/Pleasure Principle)
Knowns represent pleasure, in that they are things we have associated or identified before. A Known may be either positive or negative but is accepted by the Subconscious because it has been experienced before. Conversely, Unknowns represent pain, or physical or psychological threats that have not been associated or identified before.
Life Script
Formed from the positive and negative associations we've made throughout our life and stored in our subconscious mind. This is reflected in a person's present life situation.
Magic 30 Minutes
The last half-hour before sleep, when a person's mind is overloaded and is in a natural state of hypnosis. Something taken into the mind at this time goes into the precognitive stage of dreaming, instead of the venting stage.
Mental Bank
A tool used to reinforce many types of therapies and speed the progress in such areas as; procrastination, motivation, goal attainment, prosperity, weight loss, smoking, etc. It is a powerful means of affecting the subconscious mind using the synergistic approach of belief, daily reinforcement, scripting, time of day, and dreams.
Message Units - Overloading
All of the input sent to the brain by the environment, the physical body, and the conscious and subconscious minds. When too many message units are received (overloading), a state of anxiety results.
Misdirection
Appearing to be guiding someone into one area with the intention of directing him into another. It can be used effectively as a deepening technique in hypnosis.
Modalities
A hypnotic modality is anything that attempts to control or modify human behaviour through the influence or creation of belief systems.
Neuro Pathways
Every time we think a thought, make a movement, experience something, this is transformed into electro-chemical energy which is then stored in the brain. We create pathways that allow the energy to travel in a similar fashion each time it is triggered. The more it is triggered, the easier it is for the energy to go that route. This is how habits and behaviour, both good and bad, are created.
Parataxic Distortion
This occurs when we respond to a person or situation in a distorted way. We are not responding to the situation or person, but rather to what they subconsciously trigger in us.
Paris Window
Used to widen the perspective of the client, so that he or she can see their problem from more than their own viewpoint. The window is a four-paned one, where three panes contain a question for the client. The questions are, 1). How do you feel about the problem? 2). How do you think others feel about your problem? 3). How do you feel about how others feel about your problem? 4). This pane contains the answer to the client's particular problem based on their newfound perspective.
Patter
A rhythmic series of words in a semi-monotone or monotone, spoken either slowly or rapidly, causing stimulation of different senses and leading to the hypnotic state.
Post Hypnotic Suggestion
An example would be the command of “deep sleep.”
Post Suggestion to Rehypnosis
A suggestion given for re-hypnosis, to take place when a certain stimulus is seen, heard, or felt by the subject; creates a rapid response to re-hypnosis.
Power Words
The dominant words projected from the operator to the subject that impart some type of direction or control. (Example: “Deep sleep!”)
Pre-Induction Speech
An introduction to hypnosis to prepare the client for the induction. It should include an explanation of hypnosis and an idea of what he/she can expect to experience in the state. It addresses any fears and misconceptions the client may have, all the while building up message units.
Primitive Mind
A human being's primitive brain, with which a person will react whenever threatened beyond the point where he/she can reason. This primitive brain produces the fight or flight response, the unthinking impulses of self defense, or any other rapid reactions without reason.
Rapport
The operator/client relationship, in which the client has faith and confidence in the operator, and the operator has concern for the client.
Reactional Hypnosis
Repeatedly awakening the subject and re-hypnotizing him with a post-suggestion to re-hypnosis. An effective method of achieving depth in hypnosis.
Resistance
A sign that a person is running into his/her limiting programming and having an affect on it.
Reversal
A suggestion given with a very weak challenge and a strong negation, as in challenging the eyelids: Your eyelids are closed. You may try to open them, but the more you try, the more difficult it becomes.
Secondary Gain
A reason, primarily subconscious, why a person continues to perform a certain behavior.
Self-Hypnosis - Hetero-Hypnosis
-Self-Hypnosis
A hypnotic state that is self-created.
-Hetero-Hypnosis
A hypnotic state that is created by another person, including the listening to of tapes or CDs.
Somnambulism
A situation where a person responds equally well to all suggestions, both direct and indirect, affecting both the body and emotions. This person would have a 50/50 Suggestibility (50% Physical Suggestible and 50% Emotional Suggestible).
Stages of Loss
There are five stages a person must go through to completely deal with a loss. Not every individual will display all the symptoms nor in the same time or manner.
The stages are 1). Denial, 2). Anger, 3). Bargaining, 4). Grief, 5). Resolution.
Stop Mechanism
A technique used in hypnosis to call attention to a behavior or thought a client may do or have in the future. When this thought or behavior arises they will hear in their mind “NO!” The Hypnotherapist reinforces this suggestion by stating the thought or behavior the client may have, snapping their fingers and saying “NO!” to the client. This is reinforced several times with the client repeating it to themselves silently but strongly. An example would be if the client thought about lighting up a cigarette when they were trying to or had already quit.
Subconscious
The ~90% of our mind that is mostly below the level of our awareness. The part of our mind responsible for reflexive action, ideomotor responses, and contains the positive and negative associations we've made throughout our life.
Sympathetic - Parasympathetic
The two divisions of the Autonomic Nervous System.
-Sympathetic
When activated causes physiological changes to occur, preparing the body for fight/flight.
-Parasympathetic
A self-regulating, stabilizing system that brings a person back to a state of balance, or homeostasis.
Systematic Desensitization
The process of inducing a relaxed state in the client and then having him/her visualize or imagine an event that was traumatic to him or her in the past. The relaxation then becomes the dominant force, and as the client begins to relate to being relaxed and calm while relating to the trauma area, he/she allows for removal or desensitization of the trauma.
Theory of Mind
The mind is divided into four areas; all of which must be affected to enter the state of hypnosis. The four areas are;
The Primitive Area
Part of the subconscious and established from birth. It contains the fight/flight response and the fears of falling and loud noises.
The Conscious Area
Formed around the age of 8 or 9, and is the logical, reasoning, decision making part of the mind.
The Critical Area
Also formed around the age of 8 or 9, filters message units and accepts or rejects them from entering into the memory. If the Critical Area is overwhelmed, it breaks down, activating fight/flight, causing a hypersuggestible state, that is, hypnosis.
Venting Dreams
The third stage of dreaming (after Wishful Thinking and Precognitive Stages), characterized by the mind's attempt to vent, or release, the overload of message units accumulated during the day.
Source: HMI College of Hypnotherapy