I had an interesting question posed the other day. The person wondered as they had watched a hypnosis video, if there would be a problem for the individual who was being hypnotized as the count into hypnosis was 1 – 10 and the count up was only 1 – 5. They wondered if that might cause a problem as it was only half way or was it intentional in order to make a behavior change. Well, great question, but the truth is, it is neither dangerous nor is it for the sake of change.
Trance is a natural state that we all go through during the day. The ritual we call hypnosis is just an accepted way of achieving that trance state with intentions for change. I utilize as many different ways of inducing the state of hypnosis as I have clients. The obvious ones include some suggestions for relaxation, as many of my clients are stressed. However, there are some who prefer a rapid induction; they want to get to the work. Then there are those who begin the work as soon as they hit the chair and no formal induction is ever performed, they seem to naturally slip into the state.
Emerging has the same number of variations. There are people who like hearing a count; it is a familiar signal to them that time is up. I had a client who would shake her head no if I tried counting, she liked the relaxed state and wanted to slowly find her way back. It is important that your hypnotherapist understands your personality and style. It allows for a better experience when the communication is clear and comfortable for you.
This question led to other similar questions, such as, what happens if one is not taken out of trance? The client, if comfortable (as in my recliners) could simply fall off to sleep and then awaken as normal. This happens with people who fall asleep to one of my audios. I have received anxious calls from someone who was afraid they might not get the desired benefit because they fell asleep. As the last thing that they heard was a suggestion for change as they drifted off to sleep, the benefit can still be there. Another possible response is that the individual notices that there is no more patter and things seem unusually quiet, so they emerge themselves. Still, another possible outcome is that just as in self -hypnosis, the mind determines that the work is complete and it is time to return to the everyday happenings.
As I have previously stated, trance is a natural and safe state. Although it might feel mystical and magical, it is really quite normal. So, my suggestion is to just relax and enjoy!
