What do you think about hypnosis? Maybe you've seen a stage hypnotist who gets people up on stage and gets them to perform crazy tricks to entertain the audience.
These shows are very carefully staged.
Some stage hypnotists plant friends in the audience to make sure that they are able to put on a show.
Others are less dishonest.
They are very smart at picking people who are going to be highly suggestible.
They will probably ask the audience in general to do certain things - like locking your hands together.
Based on the response, they will pick their victims.
Then peer pressure takes over and the show begins.
Hypnotherapy is completely different from this.
Hypnosis is really nothing more than a state of compete relaxation.
There is nothing mystical, or mysterious, or scary about being hypnotised.
Almost anyone can be hypnotised if they want to be.
And that's the kicker.
You need to want to be hypnotised.
But given that it is a wonderfully empowering experience, why would anyone want to deny themselves? Some people fear that they will somehow lose control if they allow themselves to become hypnotised, but that won't happen.
Another fear is that you will not be able to come out of trance.
Again, this can't happen.
You remain in control at all times, and while suggestions made during hypnosis are very powerful ways of bypassing your critical conscious mind they are only suggestions.
You decide whether to follow them or not.
Despite what you may have seen on the movies, no-one can hypnotise you to do something which goes against your basic values.
Where hypnosis is really powerful is in helping to deliver behavioural change, by reinforcing positive messages in your sub-conscious mind.
If you want to achieve change, you need to impress both your conscious and subconscious mind.
Your conscious mind is a very powerful critic.
So no matter how much you tell yourself something, if your conscious mind doesn't believe it, then it simply won't get through to your subconscious mind.
So if you are trying to stop smoking, and you believe at any level that you have tried and failed in the past, then you will almost certainly fail again this time.
That's what your subconscious believes, so that's what it will deliver.
Hypnosis works by getting past the conscious mind and talking directly to the subconscious, letting you break through your limiting beliefs, replacing them with the positive belief that you will be successful this time.
So can hypnosis work for stopping smoking? You'd better believe it!