Did you know that your mind is a wonderland? We can achieve so much more than we allow ourselves to believe. There is a beautiful poem written by author and spiritual leader Marianne Williamson called "Our Deepest Fear" that beautifully illustrates the infinite and innate power we all have:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
I have learned that, on a conscious level, most of us understand what Williamson describes so eloquently in her poem. Unfortunately, knowing we have the power to achieve and acting on it are two very different things. This is because our conscious mind can only process one thought at a time. So, it must judge, compare, analyze and rationalize every decision we make. Sounds tiring, doesn’t it? Thank goodness we have our subconscious mind to help us out.
Our subconscious is responsible for permanently storing all our memories, and its capacity is divinely limitless. It’s like a vast, never-ending filing room that our conscious mind can access at any time, adding and pulling out files as needed. Every decision we make and every thought we have is filed away, and when patterns of acting and thinking are memorized, habits are created.
When positive, healthy habits are formed this symbiotic relationship between our conscious and subconscious keeps us in alignment with our dreams and life goals. However, humans are conditioned by our experiences and they are not always pleasant. As such, we tend to form unhealthy habits alongside the healthy ones and our subconscious mind does not know the difference.
These habits keep us in our comfort zone regardless of their consequences, which is also why they can be so
difficult to break. Perhaps you eat sugary foods excessively because they make you feel better emotionally. Or you say ‘yes’ to too many people and too many things to the detriment of your own wellbeing because deep down you fear disappointing people. On one hand, you know that you should stop these behaviors. On the other hand, you find it difficult to change them because they are providing immediate benefits, even if short-lived, that don’t serve your highest good.
Fortunately, habits such as these can be changed with hypnosis, or what I like to call, meditative trance states. These are states of focused deep relaxation without interference from the conscious mind trying to rationalize reactions or behaviors that keep you from living your happiest life. You see, because we formed our habits, we also have the power to change them. We have the power to rewrite the unhealthy scripts of our subconscious mind.
This is also how we access the power of our Superconscious mind, also known as our Higher Self. This part of our mind only wants what is best for us and is not limited by conscious thoughts or subconscious feelings. Thus, anything that the Superconscious mind can envision can be made into reality. There are a lot of misconceptions about hypnosis, particularly around how it works and how it is supposed to feel. Hypnosis is not about being hypnotized like you see on stage acts meant
to entertain. Rather, it’s about the lasting benefits of connecting with your Higher Self through focused relaxation. Hypnosis is merely a tool to help you connect with the deepest parts of your mind, and because it’s your mind, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.
Not only is the experience of hypnosis unique to each person, but every time a person experiences hypnosis it can be a slightly different experience for them. Think about it… if you meditate, is each meditation you experience identical? Perhaps some meditations have you feeling like you floated out of your body while others have you feeling very relaxed and grounded. Either way, you focused inward and reached a state of calm, and the same is true for hypnosis.
Essentially, when you are hypnotized you are guided into a meditative trance. Once you have reached your deepest level of relaxation you can then be guided to focus on issues you are struggling with or habits you wish to change. The hypnotist is merely the flashlight illuminating your inner journey with positive suggestions.
You are leading the way and making the changes you are ready to make. You don’t even need meditation experience. All you need is the desire and intention to succeed! As Ben Franklin said, “You can do anything you set your mind to.”