One day a patient came to see Dr. Braid for an eye exam, and he left him in the dark room staring at a light. When the doctor returned, he realized the man was in a hypnotic trance. He became fixated on staring at the light. Dr. Braid observed 2 things from this:
All hypnosis is self-hypnosis: You are the one who does it
When Dr. Braid realized his patient was hypnotized by staring at the light, no one else was in the room. So the patient himself was the hypnotist. This is always true, even when there is a hypnotist guiding you into trance.
Too many people are waiting for something to happen TO them. But you are ALWAYS the one hypnotizing yourself.
This is good news. If you are the one hypnotizing yourself, you have more control over your life.
Fixation is a hypnotic trance
Dr. Braid’s observations of the man staring at the light gave him insight into a core characteristic of hypnosis: fixation. He realized that “hypnosis” is a misnomer. Hypnos means sleep. And yet hypnosis is not a state of sleep.
He wanted to change what we call “hypnosis” to “monoideism”. But he was too late. The name hypnosis had already caught on.
Yet there is something very important we can learn from the reasoning behind WHY he wanted to use the word monoideism.
The very concept of monoideism is obsession. A single idea.
When people succeed at getting a goal, it usually takes some degree of obsession for them to get there.
The downfall of the modern hypnotic trance: Why people fail to get their goals
Let’s say someone wants to get fit. Maybe they hire a personal trainer, join a gym or plan to walk outside. They do it a couple of times, then SOMETHING happens (you name it – bad weather, work deadlines, kids soccer schedules, a cold) and they give up. Or they go online and find the “best” workouts and buy the most high tech gear, then never get off the couch.
Is this person being monoideistic? Yes, they are! But they are obsessed with distraction and excuses, not obsessed with the actual goal. As long as they continue to indulge this, their fitness goals stay in the virtual realm, and never become reality.
So you see that you are always hypnotizing yourself. The key is to choose the hypnotic trance that actually gets you to success.
These days there are so many distractions and ways to rationalize indulging them. So being single-minded in a useful way can be elusive for many.
Seeing how this functions helps you to make a real choice instead of getting caught in the maze of excuses. Here are some tips on how to keep yourself in the hypnotic trance that gets results.
Eradicate “Yeah But” Disease
No more excuses. Find a way to make it happen. No matter what else is going on.
A good way to do this is to recall something you always do no matter what. Picking up your kids. Getting dressed before you leave the house. You get the idea. Then put the actions you need to take to get your goal into the category of something you do no matter what.
Get Laser Sharp Clarity
Know your outcome. Write it down. Check in with yourself to confirm your choices have you headed in that direction.
Know Why It’s Worth It
What is the passionate reason why you want your outcome? Put the answer to this question in big neon lights. Celebrate it regularly. This helps you stay focused.
Make A Clear Plan
Write down a plan, review it regularly, and take action on the plan. Break the plan down into small enough steps to make it doable.
Adjust The Plan On The Fly
Be willing to look at the results you are getting from taking action. You may need to change your plan based on the feedback you are getting along the way.
Move Your Body First
When it’s time to take action, move your body. It can be as simple as standing up, splashing some cold water on your face, or taking a deep breath. This interrupts your old state of mind. Then it’s easier to get into the state of mind that’s useful to you.
Choose Your Mood – Don’t Let It Choose You
Get to know the mood that helps you take action. When you are in that mood, what is your body posture like? What are you seeing, feeling and hearing? What emotion do you feel? Just like an actor, get into the role of that mood whenever you need to.
Self-Hypnosis For Getting Goals
Practice self-hypnosis every day to build and reinforce subconscious focus on your goals.
What Happens Next…
Dr. James Braid has given us some great insight into how to use hypnosis to get goals. And applying these principals can help you make some powerful changes in your life.
Yet, sometimes people continue to struggle. If you find yourself feeling stuck or sabotaging your goals, you are probably spinning your wheels in a hypnotic trance you don’t even know you are doing.
This is where getting feedback from a professional hypnotist comes in. Sometimes when you are in the bottle, you can’t read the label. Outside feedback can be crucial to finally achieving success.
