The Pros and Cons of Hypnotherapy 1

A pig and a chicken are walking down the street. They look up and see a billboard with an ad for Denny’s Grand-Slam breakfast.

 The chicken points to the glossy, sunny-side-up eggs and proudly clucks, “You see that? That is a meaningful contribution!”

The pig looks up and, pointing out the three slices of bacon, grunts, “You see that? THAT IS TOTAL COMMITMENT!”

So I ask you, do you want to make a meaningful contribution? Or are you all in? Total commitment?

Or are you chicken?

In ‘A Return to Love, Marianne Williamson wrote, “The world needs healing desperately, like a bird with a broken wing.  People know this and millions have prayed. God heard us.  He sent help.  He sent you.”

The world needs healers. I believe hypnotherapy can answer that call. I also believe that to do so we’ll need to raise the bar on the practice of hypnotherapy!

Scottish neurosurgeon, James Braid (1795 – 1860) is considered to be the first genuine “Hypnotherapist” and the “Father of Modern Hypnotism.” It was Braid who adopted the term “hypnotism” as an abbreviation for “neuron-hypnotism” which he regarded as the sleep of the nervous system of the body.

The word “hypno”, from which “hypnotism” derives its name, comes from the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos. Hypnos’ had a twin brother, Thanatos, the god of death. Their father was Morpheus, the god of Dreams.

So hypnosis is the “little sleep.” Death is the “Big Sleep.” And when we sleep, we dream … But that is a subject for another day ….

“The word "therapy" comes from the Greek "therapeia" meaning "a service, an attendance" which, in turn, is related to the Greek verb "therapeuo" meaning "I wait upon." Therapy was (and is) a service done to the sick.”[i]

The healers of ancient Egypt were known as “Therapeuts” - in Greek and Egyptian, “Essenes”. This was a secret brotherhood renowned for their service to the sick which involved healing both body and soul.

There are some who propose that the leader of the Essenes at Qumran, known as the ‘Teacher of Righteousness’, was also the Biblical Jesus. Jesus is well-known for his healing miracles. In the New Testament[ii] there’s a story about a woman who touches the hem of Jesus’ garment and is instantly healed. Jesus takes no credit for the miracle, however, telling the woman, “Your faith (belief) has healed you.”

A ‘Pro’ recognizes that all healing is self-healing; the power to heal resides in the mind of the individual.

Hippocrates[iii], the father of modern medicine, observed this power at work healing the body. He called it ‘vis medicatrix naturae,’ or ‘the healing power of nature.’ While this power is invisible, its effects are routinely witnessed. Whenever a wound heals, a bruise disappears, or a bone mends, it is not due to human intervention but to this seemingly magical natural power.

Sure, we can cleanse a wound, protect bruised tissues, or set a bone in place, but we cannot make the body heal. Recognizing this, Hippocrates taught his students that the healer’s task is to restore balance to the system. Interestingly, drug and surgical interventions were used, but only as a last resort.[iv] The emphasis was on removing the blocks to the natural flow of this healing energy to permit healing.

The ‘Con’ uses the title ‘healer.’ He professes to possess special powers which he offers, for a fee, of course. Steve Martin personified this role in the movie, ‘Leap of Faith’ where, as fake faith healer, Jonas Nightingale, he comes to realize that people are actually being healed despite his own lack of belief!

The truth is – healing happens. When we let it.

The power isn’t in the healer. It’s in the client. It always was. Dorothy, in the ‘Wizard of Oz’, discovered that she had it all along. She just needed to tap into it.

The ‘Pro’ knows this.

Pros serve the purpose of empowering the client to tap into “it”  - whatever “it” is. Using her skill and knowledge, the Pro guides the client through a process to release the blocks to awareness and restore the free-flow of this energy.

As it is restored, healing naturally follows.

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[i] Medicine.net

[ii] Luke 8:40-49

[iii] ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC

[iv] And back then ‘drugs’ were herbal remedies.