Playing with Fire

"If you use hypnosis, you are playing with fire!" That was the advice my client got from her minister.

When she told me this, my heart sank. I am still surprised when doctors, therapists and ministers, warn people NOT to use hypnosis. I feel so bad, that they are getting more and more discouragement, especially when they need encouragement and motivation to make changes they desperately need and want.

So here is what I say to that advice:

Yes! Using hypnosis can be compared to playing with fire. What happens when humans play with fire? or should I say "employ" fire?

Fire lights the darkness. Fire cooks our food. Fire warms the cold. Fire keeps the carnivores away at night.

Without fire, human beings would not have become civilized. They probably wouldn't have survived at all. So I am going with this metaphor:

Using hypnosis is like playing with fire, only it is not "playing" if you find an ethical educated certified hypnotist. So use it for motivation, optimism, healing, and behavior modification! Use it for developing confidence and eliminating fears. Use it! Just be careful that you use the fire with the proper supervision.

My client used hypnosis to reduce fear and anxiety. She is now able to take showers and leave her house, 2 things she was afraid to do for the past 4 years. She still has fears, but they no longer control her life the way they used to. Her confidence has soared, too. She decided to go ahead with hypnosis, even after she received this caveat from her minister. She decided to use prayer to protect her from any danger.

BTW, there is very low risk of negative side effects from using hypnosis. The hypnotee can always reject a suggestion from the hypnotist; he cannot be made to do something he considers immoral or unethical. The hypnotee is always in control.

How to stay young

There is a new book out, called The Body Knows How to Stay Young. I just got some info about it:

Caroline Sutherland Shares the Secrets of Healthy Aging—Radio Special July 17 on HayHouse Radio. Is aging getting you down? Are you worried about what might befall you as the years tick away? Health educator and medical intuitive Caroline Sutherland says there is much you can do to slow or even reverse the aging process! When you look at this lively woman in her mid 60s, you can tell she has a few secrets worth sharing. With the energy of a woman in her 30s, Caroline is on a mission to help people embrace aging. This month alone, she has released her new book, The Body Knows...How to Stay Young, and is set to do a free radio special as well as a fascinating online seminar.
“The body is like a great house with lots of possibilities,” Caroline says in The Body Knows...How to Stay Young. “Since it’s tough and has a firm foundation, all it needs is a fresh coat of paint, a little tinkering here and there, and to have the furniture rearranged—and voila! It will be as good as new.” Using her own life and healthy living strategies as a model for helping others, Caroline’s new book is filled with groundbreaking tools that really do work. “There is no reason for us to succumb to the slow cell-by-cell demise of our parents and grandparents,” she said. “There are so many tools available to us!”

What are some of Caroline’s favorite secrets? Here’s what she told us: Eat a healthy diet and stay away from junk food, get plenty of sleep, and surround yourself with love and fulfilling activities.

This is great advice. It encompasses the tips I have learned in my research.