Stop Smoking for the New Year - Tip #2 - See Yourself

Welcome to my second tip to help you stop smoking. I hope you enjoyed reading the first tip and got something from it.

My second tip is short, sweet and simple - start 'seeing' yourself living the non smoking life and being free from a habit that you want to leave behind in the past. Change your perspective, in that you are not really a 'smoker' - even though you may have smoked for a number of years, it is something you 'learned' to do. None of us were born with a cigarette hanging out of our mouths, right?

Yes it is true - 'What our mind believes the body achieves' and by spending a few moments each day, preferably just before you go to sleep, imagining yourself in your minds eye 'smoke free' in the future, you are essentially creating your own reality, or more specifically programming yourself for success! By doing this you are using the creative part of your brain and tapping into the power you have within.

Kick your imagination into work! See yourself, (in your mind,  just like your looking at yourself in a full length mirror) healthy, clear skin, smelling fresh, having more energy and more money, having achieved your goal of stopping smoking. SUCCESS - Feel it, hear it, smell it taste it, feel it! Practice saying to yourself 'I am a non smoker and I feel wonderful' and imagine yourself in future situations where you used to smoke, for example a future night out, but see yourself happily enjoying your night out and when people ask you out for a cigarette, you are saying 'No thanks I don't smoke' and mentally rehearsing that future scenario. Imagine you are already free from the habit and in your mind feel and hear the congratulations and acknowledgement from family and friends, having achieved success! Then feel those feelings of pride and success :)

Well that is about it for this tip. I hope you found this tip helpful and please tune in soon for the next one!

© Trevor Eivers 2013

My name if Trevor Eivers and I am based in Waterford, Ireland. I am a Certified Consulting Hypnotist (since 2010) with the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), which is the largest hypnosis body in the world with over 14,000 members in 83 different countries worldwide. I am also a Certified NLP practitioner. I love my job in which I help everyday people with everyday issues. Contact me at 086-8211677 or check me out online at waterford-hypnosis.com or Facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trevor-Eivers-Hypnosis/177881245578285

Stop Smoking for the New Year - Tip #1: Have the right ATTITUDE

Every few days from now until the end of the year (and perhaps into 2014), I am going to give a few tips for people looking to stop smoking. I think that people who smoke will find these tips really beneficial regardless of the method they are thinking of using, whether it be willpower, hypnosis or electronic cigarettes (which I don't consider stopping a habit at all, but that is a conversation for another day!).

Like most things in life, how you set out to do something means so much, especially in terms of your ultimate success. Set out with the right attitude and you are already half way there. Believe in yourself - that you 'can' and 'will' stop smoking and you might surprise yourself with the successes you obtain. Ditch the word 'try' too; as once we use that word to ourselves, in a sense we have already opened up ourselves to the possibility of failure and you probably know deep down (subconsciously) that it's not going to happen. How many times do you hear people saying I'm going to 'try' to do this or that, but never end up doing it? As the Nike add says 'Just Do It'!

At this point you might be saying to yourself, yes that is all very well and good but 'I just don't have the willpower'. But it isn't actually so much about will power; as studies have shown that using 'will power' alone has as little as 5% success rates. This is due to the fact that a person using will power to stop smoking will probably end up thinking of nothing but 'smoking'. It's a little bit like 'try not to think of a yellow car', you automatically think about it whether you want to or not. Sometimes the harder you 'try' to do something the harder it becomes. It's more about having the right thought process, talking to yourself in the right way (self talk) and making the right choices. Basically learning how to be free from an unwanted habit that serves no purpose. Just having a little determination to do something that you want to do and believing in your ability to do it.

Self talk is very important. One of the first things I advise my clients of is not to use the term 'Giving Up', as that insinuates a sacrifice. Think about that for a moment. What are you actually 'Giving Up'? - apart of course from a bad habit? Is it not true that you are gaining health, smelling fresher, feeling better, having more energy, fresher skin, more money and all the other benefits that stopping smoking brings?; and therefore not in actual fact 'Giving Up' anything? The person who says that they are 'Giving Up' something is more than likely going to feel at some stage six months down the line that they are 'missing out' on something. They might be out one night, see or smell cigarettes and say to themselves 'oh I would love just one cigarette'. Instead, have the attitude that you are 'stopping smoking' because you want to! That you can and will easily stop smoking! I really hope that you found the above tip/s helpful. Please tune in soon for my next stop smoking tip :)

© Trevor Eivers 2013

 

My name if Trevor Eivers and I am based in Waterford, Ireland. I am a Certified Consulting Hypnotist (since 2010) with the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), which is the largest hypnosis body in the world with over 14,000 members in 83 different countries worldwide. I am also a Certified NLP practitioner. I love my job in which I help everyday people with everyday issues. Contact me at 086-8211677 or check me out online at waterford-hypnosis.com or Facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trevor-Eivers-Hypnosis/177881245578285

Famous People that have used hypnosis

Over the years many famous people have benefited from hypnosis, from sports people to movie stars, to pop singers to royalty. 

Hypnosis has been used going right back to the 1970s. In 1973 Muhammad Ali was beaten by a boxing underdog, Ken Norton. Ken was a 7-1 outsider. When he broke Ali's jaw, he claimed his historic win was due to the hypnosis he practiced before the fight. More recently, golfer Tiger Woods has used hypnosis from the age of 13. Woods would visualize being triumphant and successful. And of course what the mind believes the body achieves and he realized that success.

In the mid-1970s Sylvester Stallone had been battling to break into Hollywood as an actor for ten years, and then suddenly out of the blue, ‘Rocky’ was born. Not many people know that he was helped by one of the most famous hypnotists of all time ‘Gil Boyne’. Gil Boyne recalled: ‘Stallone came to see me on the recommendation of other actors that I helped through self-hypnosis.’ Gil told Stallone, ‘There’s a wonderful story to be written about the many great fighters who started their careers in the old Philadelphia fight clubs and I believe that you can write that story. Maybe that’s what you are really meant to do. Then I explained how self-hypnosis could help him to express his creativity and develop the confidence to do it.’ The seed was sown and Stallone was on his way to stardom. Within six months Stallone had written the script for ‘Rocky’ and the rest is history. More recently actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have used hypnosis to stop smoking. 

Singer Adele received hypnosis to keep her calm in the run up to her performance in the 2013 Grammys. The songstress famously suffers from severe stage fright, but using hypnosis helped her deliver a top performance. And Adele isn’t alone. English singer-songwriter Dido said she also used hypnosis to overcome stage fright. She reported that ‘I went to hypnotherapy for stage fright and it completely worked’. Lily Allen is another pop singer who has benefited from hypnosis for weight control, dropping from a size 12 to a size 8 dress size.

A great example of the hypnotic state is 'day dreaming', where we are using our imaginations and subconscious minds. In fact Beatle Paul McCartney has always said that he literally woke up one morning hearing ‘Yesterday’ in his head after the tune coming to him in a dream. Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones also said that he conjured up the famous riff to the song ‘Satisfaction’ in a dream. That is the wonderful power of the human subconscious mind, which is the source of unbounded creativity. 

Over the years many of the British Royal Family has used hypnosis. Most recently Kate Middleton used it to end morning sickness, but long before Kate used it, Princess Diana was reported to use the technique to increase her confidence with public speaking and Sarah Ferguson used hypnosis to stop smoking and control weight. So it seems hypnosis has gotten to royal vote of approval :) ...well at least among the in law wives ;)

Hypnosis can help with stopping smoking, weight control, stress management, fears, confidence and much more. Of course, it can help regular everyday people with everyday issues, not just famous people. If anyone has any further questions, please see www.waterford-hypnosis.com or call Trevor on 0868211677.

Hypnosis In The Spotlight

It has been a few months since I have written my last blog, due to the arrival of my first baby, so as you can imagine, I've been busy! When I sat down to write my latest blog, I decided to take advantage of the fact that hypnosis is getting a lot of media attention lately, what with the Danny Boyles movie 'Trance', about an art thief with amnesia who uses hypnosis to recall where he stashed his stolen painting; and 'Now You See Me' by French director Louis Leterrier (a movie that Waterfords Keith Barry helped with); which tells the story of a team of bank-robbing illusionists and shows people being hypnotised 'instantly' and on the spot. In one scene, dramatically, the woman finds that she can't move from that spot, and that she can't speak.

 So have the above phenomenon, shown in the movie, have any a solid basis in reality? The answer is yes, but please do take it with a pinch of salt as they say! The first movie 'Trance' highlights the process of 'Age Regression' which is safely used by Consulting Hypnotists, whether it be to help a person find a lost object, or go back to a time before they ever smoked a cigarette to really experience what it feels like to be smoke free. This is possible because hypnosis provides a way to tap into our subconscious minds, which is like a storehouse of all our memories and experiences. Occasionally I need to bring a person back to the long forgotten root cause of their fear, so it can then be eliminated. A fear of spiders for example is usually taken on at an early age. As children are highly suggestible, if a child sees one of their parents screaming 'spider' and jumping up onto a chair, then the child is likely to take on that fear and take it into adulthood, always automatically reacting to spiders in that same way. By using age regression, it not only can help the adult see how irrational the fear is, a new learned behaviour can be introduced to the subconscious, one that includes being calm and relaxed around spiders instead of the opposite.

The second movie 'Now You See Me', that shows a person being hypnotised on the spot and not being able to move, highlights the 'arm pull induction' which is used often, not only in hypnosis stage shows, but sometimes in hypnotic help work. Generally the arm-pull is much gentler, but the technique that was shown in the movie was real. So can a person be hypnotized that quickly and elicit that type of hypnotic phenomenon so convincingly in real life? Yes, although that person would be called a 'somnambulist'. A somnambulist is a person who is highly suggestible. These are people who are typically very creative, great learners, and comprise an estimated 10-15% of the population. They are often times the stars of hypnotic stage shows. However, everyone is suggestible to a higher or lesser degree, and if you go into the hypnotic state enough (which everyone can do as it is a natural process), you can actually train yourself to have some of the traits of a natural somnambulist. After all, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis!

Movies Vs The Real World

It is important to keep in mind that at the end of the day, that these are movies and are ultimately all about entertainment. These movies mix in many other things separate to hypnosis such as 'magic' and 'illusionism'. In reality hypnosis is used all the time as a complementary therapy. Although not as visually dramatic as having someone stuck to the floor, helping someone stop smoking or beat anxiety can be life changing events. Hypnosis can help with quitting smoking, anxiety issues, insomnia, sports performance, weight control or really anything that has a mental component to it. 

If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend you check out the movies 'Trance' and 'Now You See Me' in the Cinema. They are great movies, definitely some of my favourites. There aren't many movies that feature hypnosis in them, and even fewer that are this entertaining! For us hypnotists it's great that these movies put hypnosis in the spotlight, at least in a much more positive way that it was protrayed in the old Bela Lugosi Dracula movies, i.e. "Look Into My Eyes" ;), which of course created a world of misconceptions to clarify.

If you would like to find out more about the above or about the many services Trevor provides phone 0868211677 or visit http://www.waterford-hypnosis.com

The best Hypnotist on the Planet

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind (or brainwave pattern), in which we become open to suggestion.  Firstly, let me explain brainwave patterns. When our mind and body relaxes our brain patterns go from what is called the ‘Beta’ state to the ‘Alpha’ and ‘Theta’ states. We engage the ‘Beta’ brainwave pattern for engaging activities such as working or planning. Alpha brain wave patterns are produced when you are relaxed and your brain activity has slowed. You are most likely in an Alpha state when watching the TV or reading a book Then there is the ‘Theta’ state, which that ‘dreamy’ feeling you experience just before you go to sleep or wake up in the morning. Lastly there is the ‘Delta’ state’ which is when we are asleep. The ‘Hypnotic’ state is the ‘Alpha’ (light hypnosis) and Theta (deep hypnosis) states. So even though the word Hypnosis comes from the Greek word ‘Hypno’ meaning sleep, hypnosis is not sleep (the “Delta’ brainwave pattern). 

Secondly I would like to explain what I mean by ‘suggestion’. We give and receive suggestions everyday. Suggestions can be positive or negative. For example, encouraging someone that ‘You will do very well in that exam’ is a positive suggestion. On the other hand; telling someone that ‘The exam is really difficult and that I wouldn’t like to be you’; is a negative suggestion. If the person accepts this suggestion at a subconscious level, a self fulfilling prophecy will be created. In other words if you think and believe something will be ‘so’ it will be. Most smokers have taken on a huge suggestion from the media that ‘stopping smoking’ is ‘hard’ and therefore it usually is. So you don’t have to be a ‘hypnotist’ to give someone a suggestion. But there is something that 99% of households own that gives powerful suggestions everyday. Can you think of what that is?

The best hypnotist on the planet is the TV set. In many ways the TV set has taken over our lives. Studies have found that the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube. The TV is on in an average U.S. home for 6 hours, 47 minutes; the number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18 is 200,000; the number of 30-second TV commercials seen in a year by an average child is 20,000. Now even though these are figures from an American study, I don’t think Ireland is too far behind. Walk into any estate in Ireland just before it gets dark and you’ll see the flashing, blinking vibrations from TV sets of all shapes and sizes. 

Watching TV induces the hypnotic state – in those Alpha brainwave patterns. Have you ever had that feeling of your eyes glazing over, almost trance like, as you go into that hypnotic state, where it becomes difficult to take your eyes off the TV screen? This makes us all more suggestible. And boy does the TV give us suggestions! 

Now in its simplest form TV advertisements are giving us suggestions. For example, when a car advert has a sexy model sitting on the bonnet of a car, the obvious message is ‘hey if you but this car; you can have this model’. But there are more subtle suggestions being given to a person’s subconscious. The MacDonald’s slogan ‘I’m Lovin It’ or their ‘Happy Meal’ is giving us a huge suggestion. More worrying is the amount of violence that children are exposed to through TV programs, which are not only giving the wrong suggestions, but have also a desensitizing effect. Children are very suggestible because they will accept things ‘uncritically’.

 

So, turn off that TV set and get out and about! Encourage your children to take walks, ride bikes, and play outside, etc., instead of watching TV.  Make very specific rules about when children can and cannot watch television.  For example, do not allow TV during meals, homework or when parents are not around. Yes, the TV is a part of popular culture, and cannot be easily ignored, so learning how to use it wisely is an important skill, which can be achieved through guidance and practice. As adults, not only is it important to be a good role model for your kids when it comes to watching TV; but it’s also wise to be aware of the various suggestions that the TV set is directing at us at any moment in time.

The difference between a Stage Hypnotist and a Consulting Hypnotist

One of the biggest misconceptions about hypnosis is that a hypnotist will make you do things that you don't want to do. This is mainly stems from 'Stage Hypnosis'. Even though to the casual observer, it may appear that the stage hypnotist takes over the control and will power of the volunteers on stage, this is absolutely false. Volunteers are actually always in control but just guided into a wonderful daydreaming experience and following the suggestions of the stage hypnotist. The stage hypnotist 'motivates' not 'forces' the volunteer to want to follow his-her suggestions. There is a big difference. For example the person isn't forced to play a musical instrument or get up to tap dance but rather the stage hypnotist encourages them to 'desire' to do that. Once the volunteer accepts the suggestion of the hypnotist, some fun can be had. But as I explained in my last blog, you do not have to be a hypnotist to give a suggestion.

Trevor Eivers CH with Keith Barry after his show 'The Dark Side'

I am a huge fan of talented Waterford man Keith Barry. Of course he is a man of many hats - an entertainer, an illusionist, a magician as well as a hypnotist. I have attended his show 'The Dark Side' and it comes recommended, it is truly entertaining and a brilliant night out. However he mixes up hypnosis with everything else in the show and unfortunately some people end up associating 'The Dark Side' or Alister Crowley with hypnosis! I do get people ringing me asking me if I am going to trick them and as a Consulting Hypnotist is can be frustrating to keep clarifying the misconceptions that are associated with hypnosis. For my part I have given over 30 public awareness talks spreading the word about the benefits of hypnosis.

The facts are, sadly, some people who see a hypnosis stage show, leave with a negative attitude about considering to seek help from a Consulting Hypnotist. Recently, I met a woman who had concerns about her daughter, who suffered from anxiety and panic attacks; I was sure i could help her, as I have helped many in a similar situation. Unfortunately though when she spoke to her daughter, she refused having bought into some of the misconceptions. Consulting Hypnotists like myself help regular everyday people with regular everyday problems, by simply using a communication process that helps one's mind and body relax. It is natural and if everyone knew all the benefits that could be obtained from hypnosis from reducing stress to weight control, a visit to a Consulting Hypnotist would be as normal and as common as a visit to any healthcare provider.

The most common question a potential client asks me is 'Does it work'? And my answer is always yes of course the studies have shown this (available on my website: http://www.waterford-hypnosis.com), but it is very important that the person commits to the process. As a Consulting Hypnotist I just facilitate a change by guiding the person into a natural super learning state of mind. I always outline that if, like the majority of my clients, they follow my instructions they will experience success in whatever they came to see me for.

A visit to see a Consulting Hypnotist can be life changing. Here is typical feedback that I have received after my sessions: "I want to thank you so much for helping me in my life. I can proudly say that I have not had a panic attack for the whole time. I haven't got fears like I used to, my body doesn't react weird in different situations. The nicest thing I experienced is the sensation of being in a moment of control, in a moment when I used to freak out. The peace inside me gives me more self confidence and happiness. Thank you again." This person was delighted that they came to see me as a Consulting Hypnotist and did not leave clucking like a chicken, like the stage show misconception, but rather left having benefited from a truly life changing experience.

For further information me at Waterford Hypnosis at 0868211677 or email trevor@waterford-hypnosis.com.