Category: Western Pa Hypnosis LLC

Hypnosis & Religious Beliefs

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On March 14, 2023

Hypnosis & Religious Beliefs

In this post I’d like to address a conflict that some people have between the use of hypnosis, and their religious/spiritual belief systems. Is this a legitimate conflict, or is it simply a misunderstanding regarding hypnosis? I believe that the essence of the problems is two-fold. On one hand there’s a fear of someone else controlling our minds, and on the other hand is a lack of understanding about hypnosis. So let’s take a closer look.

Our spiritual belief systems are typically designed to provide a “formula” that will help us stay in line with our creator. These systems give people a structure, an objective guide to living their everyday lives. As such, they are very important. They provide an important measuring stick on both a personal and social level. We all have belief systems, even those who claim to have no belief system at all. That in itself is a belief system!

Hypnotherapy is not a stage show

So let’s begin with the concern of someone else controlling our minds. I know that most of you are familiar with what they call “stage hypnosis”. This is where a so-called hypnotist will “hypnotize” a hand full of people and make them do a bunch of crazy things. It certainly does seem that the hypnotist is controlling their minds. If you’ve ever seen, or been a part of such an event, the “hypnotist” begins by doing a test with the crowd. This is done in order to pick out the best, most suggestible candidates. The “hypnotist” will then invite them up to the stage.

Next, he will “hypnotize” them, and give each person something amusing to do. I had such an experience when I was in high school. I was told that my feet were stuck to the floor, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move them. Looking back on that experience now, I KNOW that I could have moved my feet… but I didn’t want to make the hypnotist look bad, so I played along! And I wouldn’t doubt that others on stage had the same idea. To the viewing audience, it sure looked like our minds were being controlled. And that was the objective. So much for “hypnosis”.

that’s not hypnosis

In reality, that was NOT hypnosis, it was manipulation and showmanship… big difference. I personally disagree with this practice, and consider it to be 100% unethical. But this is unfortunately what most people believe, and I run into it with a significant number of clients that comes to see me. Even though I spend a great deal of time explaining all of this to them, a few of them still seem to expect something magical without any effort on their part… and they’re disappointed when it doesn’t happen.

it’s all about brainwaves

Now that I’ve explained what hypnosis is NOT, here’s what it really is. The word “hypnosis” comes from the Greek word “hypnos”, which means “the coming on of sleep”. But it is NOT sleep. It is simply a deeply relaxed state of mind and body that we all experience many times every day. We experience it in the morning when we’re just beginning to wake up, and again at night right before we fall asleep. We also experience it during the day when we’re deeply focused on something, like reading a book, driving a car, watching a movie, or daydreaming. It’s a totally normal mental state, and everybody experiences it.

The state of hypnosis is associated with the frequency (speed) of our brainwaves. There are predominantly 4 stages: Beta – when we’re wide awake, Alpha – when we’re relaxed, Theta – that moment right before we fall asleep, and Delta – when we’re asleep. The goal of Hypnotherapy is to gently guide the client to the Theta state. In the Theta brainwave state, the conscious mind relinquishes its control, and the sub-conscious mind is more open to suggestion. A “hypnotic suggestion” is simply an idea, an alternate way to look at a problem, or to look at an experience in a different way. It’s a different perspective, and nothing more. Most of the time, that’s all a person needs to get “un-stuck” from the effects of a troublesome condition, experience, or belief. I would also add that no one – while in the hypnotic state – will violate any of their moral or ethical standards… Period!

Get Your Control Back

So as you can see, hypnotherapy is not about controlling someone’s mind. Quite the contrary, it’s about helping people to re-examine their existing beliefs from a different, non-threatening perspective. It’s really about helping people to gain MORE control over their own minds, thoughts and feelings. Hypnosis helps them to regain their personal power – instead of continuously suffering the miseries that come from being controlled by their old, troublesome memories, or outdated beliefs. It can be very liberating!

This is why hypnosis does NOT (and should not) conflict with anyone’s spiritual beliefs or perspectives. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Incidentally, there are over 4,000 different religions worldwide. Just in the United States alone, for example, there are at least 64 different Baptist denominations, and many, if not most of them, honestly believe that they’re the only one that’s right! I’m confident that this applies to all of the other denominations and religions as well. Interestingly, even though in the Catholic religion, in 1956, Pope Pius XII gave his approval of hypnosis, I’ve encountered Catholics who still think that hypnosis is some kind of “mind-control”.

Hypnosis & Religious Beliefs

As a hypnotherapist, I have absolutely no interest in controlling anyone’s mind, even if I could. Fact is, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. My biggest “rush” comes from helping people to work through the issues in their life. Many of those issues turn out to be linked to a childhood experience of some sort that the client has completely forgotten about. Others may be associated with something more recent. Either way, for me, it’s not about the money, it’s not about any personal accomplishment that puts me in the spotlight, it’s about helping my clients get the results they’ve been looking for… often for many years.

In closing, let me say this; I recently worked with a client who was 70 years of age. She had an issue with low self-confidence, and low self-esteem… her whole life. That’s a long time to suffer! She had tried counseling, medications, and several other modalities, but never really got the results she was looking for. Long story short, after only 5 sessions with me, she was good to go! No “mind control” involved… other than the fact that she learned how to control her own mind in a more constructive way. I’d also like to add that not one single religious belief of hers was violated in the process!

I sincerely hope that this post has helped readers to understand that the real, honest use of hypnosis, is in no way, a threat to their spiritual or religious belief system. Nor is it about so-called “mind control” by the hypnotherapist. It can be a very pleasurable and liberating experience. Have a great day!

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The “Big 5” Emotions

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On March 16, 2022

The Big 5 Emotions

We human beings are complex creatures. Studies have shown that we have at least 60 different emotions! So it’s no wonder that we have communication problems and a wide assortment of relationship issues. In this article I want to address what I call the Big 5 Emotions. They are Anger, Sadness, Fear, Hurt, and Guilt. These emotions are very powerful and can cause a lot of problems. Left unresolved, they can affect a person’s physical health, mental health, social health, and just about every aspect of a persons’ life. Worst of all, they rarely (if ever) resolve themselves. A lot of people go to their graves without ever getting over some experience that left them with one or more of the “Big 5” emotional issues. So let’s take a closer look at them.

The Big 5 Emotions – Anger

So let’s begin with Anger. What exactly is anger and how does it affect us? Anger is an emotional response to something or someone who has hurt us in some way. That “hurt” will usually include a violation of something we believe. For example, when we see someone abusing an animal… and we believe that animal abuse is wrong, it hurts us. This hurt feeling then, triggers the emotional response of anger. There are times when anger is justifiable and quite effective, and quite frankly, a reasonable response to an injustice of some sort. The downside is that anger also has a dark side.

For people with serious anger issues, anger is their favorite, habitual response to most everything, and ends up causing more problems than it solves. Such people frequently fail at relationships with others because their anger prevents them from communicating in a more flexible manner. Being inflexible literally prevents them from seeing different, and possibly better points of view… no matter how much sense they make. When someone challenges their anger, they respond with even more anger. Theirs is a sad, bitter life… as well as for those who live around them.

Sadness

Our next big emotion, is Sadness. This emotion is typically associated with a loss or a failure of some sort. Sadness, like Anger, is a very powerful emotion. When we lose someone or something that we are emotionally attached to, it leaves a big empty space inside us. That feeling of emptiness can eventually spiral downward into full-blown depression. The loss can be that of a spouse, a friend, a pet, or a relationship of some sort; either way it can be extremely painful.

The other source of Sadness can also come from failure. For example, when we fail to reach a goal of some sort, we may feel sad. We put a lot of effort and work into achieving that goal, but for some reason, it just didn’t work out. The profound disappointment can also lead to feelings of depression, or feelings of being a failure. Left unresolved, sadness can last a lifetime and deprive the person of a lot of potential happiness… both in their personal life and/or their occupation.

The Big 5 Emotions – Fear

Next on our list, is Fear. Fear is one of the most powerful emotions we can experience. Generally speaking, fear is our internal warning system. Its job is to help us to survive. Fear can be caused by something external, or internal. An example of external fear would be something like having a bad car wreck and being afraid to drive anymore. Or it could be from virtually any external threat to our overall health and well-being. On the other hand, Internal fear is commonly caused by our thoughts.

When we feel fearful, it affects our physiology. This is commonly referred to as the “Fight or Flight” mode. It’s our body’s way of preparing us to run away from something, or to stand and fight. When this happens, our adrenal glands pump adrenaline and cortisol into our blood stream. These chemicals increase our heartrate, make us breath shallowly, make our body channel the blood away from our internal organs, and send it to our arms and legs in preparation for running or fighting. When a body remains in this hyper-vigilant state for a long period of time, serious potential problems can develop.

Hurt

The emotion of hurt is more serious than many people realize. It generally results from someone violating a belief, standard, or expectation of ours. When some person fails to live up to our beliefs, standards or expectations… we feel hurt. The feeling of Hurt commonly triggers other emotions, such as Anger and/or Sadness. Now it becomes a three-pronged problem, making it much more complex. This opens the door to even more potential emotions such as disappointment, regret, confusion, lack of trust and more. Not a pleasant situation.

Hurt can also be caused by the loss of a loved one, either by way of death, or by a breakup in a relationship of some sort. These types of losses can be extremely traumatic, especially because they can happen without warning. They’re also very “close to the heart” in nature. When we lose someone who we’re close to, it leaves a big emptiness inside. Getting over this type of hurt can take months or even years to get over without proper treatment.

The Big 5 Emotions – Guilt

Guilt arises when we do or say something to someone else, and later realize that it was the wrong thing to have said or done. Or it can arise from NOT saying or doing something for someone when we realize that we should have. Guilt makes us feel like a failure. It can gnaw at us until we correct our “error” – if possible. But sometimes, unfortunately it is not possible. If the one we offended has passed away before we can make amends, we must find another way to make up for our offence. For those with a healthy conscience, it may take a bit of creativity to find a reliable way to make amends, but it will be worth the effort. For those who lack a healthy conscience, odds are they never experience guilt, and won’t read this anyway.

The Big 5 Emotions

So those are the Big 5 Emotions. As mentioned above, there are dozens of other emotions, but they’re well beyond the scope of this post. So what’s common to all these emotions? They can all be successfully treated with the appropriate methods such as hypnotherapy and NLP. Our emotions are how we respond to our environment, both internal and external. For the most part, they serve a vital function. They can literally make the difference between life and death.

Unfortunately, in our fast-paced world, we often don’t take the time to acknowledge – much less analyze or address our feelings and emotions. And the proof of this is the skyrocketing increase in anxiety, depression, autoimmune disorders and much more. Plus, the use of alcohol and drugs, which only tend to dampen and suppress one’s feelings and emotions, never really resolve anything. Very unfortunate. There IS a better way.

Emotions (feelings), are generated by our thoughts. First, we have the thought… then we feel an emotion. This all happens in a split second. One of the presuppositions of NLP says that “When you change the way you look at something, the thing you’re looking at changes.” And when the thing you’re looking at changes, the way you feel changes accordingly. This is the essence of how our emotions come about.

Altering ones’ perspective or “point of view” is often the key. When you learn how to recognize how a certain emotion came about, it empowers you to change how you feel. Hypnotherapy and NLP are the two fastest, easiest, and most effective ways to change the way you think at the sub-conscious level. And when you make desired changes at the sub-conscious level, those changes are permanent.

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You Are Not Broken

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On April 17, 2021

you are not broken

“You are not broken” is often the first thing I tell my new clients. Why? Because that’s the first thing they need to realize. With all the social stigma surrounding so-called “mental illness”, people with mental or emotional challenges often feel like there is something wrong with them. The truth of the matter is that their mind and body are working perfectly to produce the symptoms they are experiencing. Whether it be anxiety, depression, or some other issue, they are doing a perfect job of producing the symptoms that go along with it. That’s right! These conditions are merely symptoms of the problem… not the problem itself.

The first response I usually get after telling someone “you are not broken” is a look of confusion, accompanied by a sigh of relief. They’re relieved to hear that there’s really nothing wrong with them, but confused about why they feel like there is. It’s like, “Really? Do you mean I’m NOT messed up in the head in some way?” That’s exactly what I mean. Underneath all that “junk” you’re dealing with; you are 100% perfect! You just don’t realize it… yet. My job is to help you realize it, and to help you make changes to the things that are making you feel otherwise.

A true story

A few years ago I had a client who I’ll call Dave. Dave had been seeing a psychologist once a week for over 6 years – and not improving one bit. When he heard me say “you are not broken”, he almost fell off the chair! I went on to explain why he was not broken, and followed that with about a 90-minute session. After leaving my office, he called his psychologist and promptly fired her! We went on to do a few more sessions to address his real problem and he hasn’t needed to come back since. Problem solved. So what did I do that the psychologist didn’t? I helped Dave to realize that the things he was experiencing were merely symptoms of an underlying issue that had not been addressed. Once we addressed the underlying issue, his symptoms went away.

I have a saying: “The problem is not the problem. How you’re thinking about the problem… that’s the problem.” This has proven to be true for every person I’ve ever worked with. If you think that anxiety or depression is your problem, that’s the first misunderstanding. Although problematic, they are only symptoms of the way you are thinking. When you change the way you’re thinking, you will change the way you feel… always. Once you learn a better way to think about things that make you feel badly, you will be in complete control of how you feel. Feelings are always generated by thoughts. Always.

beliefs are powerful

However, there is one more level that underlies even our thoughts, and that is our beliefs. Beliefs are the core motivators that trigger our thoughts, and subsequently, our feelings and behaviors. Most people never really examine their beliefs, they just live by them. And this is the biggest problem of all. The Greek philosopher Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Truer words were never spoken. Millions of people have given their lives for their beliefs. Beliefs are more powerful than any weapon or medication on the planet. Yet, most people don’t really know why they believe what they believe. Like pre-programmed robots, they follow a belief system that is in many cases, outdated and obsolete. And the most interesting part is, a huge part of that belief system was learned within the first 7 years of life!

our mental foundation

What is significant about the first 7 years of a child’s life? Here are some facts you may find interesting. During the first 2 years, a child’s brainwaves are in what is called the Theta state. The Theta state (4-8 Hz) is identical to that of sleep, or a deep hypnotic state. It is open to receiving information without resistance of any kind. This is why young children can learn so many things so quickly. Their little brains are like sponges, soaking up everything that comes along – without questioning anything. It’s also why they can learn a foreign language so easily and quickly. Between the ages of 2 – 7, their brainwaves gradually speed up to the Alpha state (8-12 Hz), and ultimately the Beta state (12-35 Hz).

The further up the frequency goes, the more the brain begins to question and analyze things. As a child reaches around 7 years of age, they no longer naively accept everything as being true. But everything they learned before that age, is locked into their sub-conscious mind, and still affecting their thoughts and behaviors… right into adulthood!

the childish adult

This is why you may see an adult throwing a “childish” tantrum when they get angry. It was a behavior that they learned as a child that got them the attention or results that they wanted. The behavior may have seemed cute or harmless as a little kid, but as an adult it can be devastating to relationships of all kinds. And this is where hypnotherapy can be so beneficial. As mentioned in the paragraph above, the Theta state and the deep hypnotic state are identical. When we reach the Theta state in the hypnotic process, we are able to access (remember) those old, outdated beliefs that are causing adult problems. Very often the client benefits greatly by simply understanding how, when, and where they learned a troublesome belief or behavior. It can be a very liberating experience.

you are not broken

So as you can see, just because a symptom such as anxiety, depression, or whatever may be troublesome, it does not mean that you are broken. All the pieces are in place, and working perfectly to create those symptoms. Changing one’s beliefs or thoughts is not a difficult thing to do – with the right guidance. For some people it may require only a couple of sessions. For others it may take multiple sessions to get things sorted out, depending upon the complexity of the issues involved. But either way, you are not broken. You already have the internal tools to take back the control of your life. You just need to learn how to use them… and it’s my job to teach you.

Call for a Free Consultation 724-691-3928

Hypnosis or Magic?

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On March 10, 2021

hypnosis or magic?

Are you looking for hypnosis or magic? I ask this question because I get a lot of calls from people who are apparently looking for magic. They seem to think that hypnosis is some kind of magic that will make all their problems go away in one easy session. This type of thinking only results in frustration and disappointment. Hypnosis is not magic, although it can produce positive results that seem magical. This is because it addresses the root cause of a person’s problem, not just the symptoms. The symptoms are not the problem, they are the side-effects of the problem. Until you treat the actual root cause, the symptoms will continue.

During my first session with a new client I always take the time to explain what hypnosis is, and more importantly, what it’s not. Most people get it. However, some will sit there, nodding in agreement during the entire process, yet my explanation seems to go in one ear and out the other. They’re stuck on what they think hypnosis is and simply refuse to open their minds to the truth. Consequently, they don’t get the results they expected. Then they decide that either hypnosis doesn’t work, or that I don’t know what I’m doing – both of which are false. Unfortunately, those type of people won’t even take the time to read this post; to do so would require some effort on their part. So I’m writing this post to set the record straight for those who do choose to read it.

hypnosis is not a quick fix

Let me start with the false notion that it only takes one or two sessions to fix any problem with hypnosis. I believe that a lot of people have experienced physical therapy at one time or another. I’ve used them on more than one occasion myself. Not once did a single session take care of the problem. It required multiple sessions. Did I find this unusual? Not at all. In fact, if they would have pushed me out the door after only one session, I would have been very upset. It’s exactly the same with hypnotherapy. The prefix “hypno” does not imply that it only takes one or two session to correct your issue. It is still therapy, and as such, it may well require multiple sessions, just like physical therapy. Although there are occasions where only one session is needed, it is not typical. The only issue I’m aware of that can be treated in one session, is a phobia.

Hypnosis is a joint therapeutic process. I do my part and the client has to do their part. Still, I get people who think all they have to do is come in, sit down in my recliner, and let me guide them into a hypnotic state. Then Voila!… when they come out of it, they’re all fixed up! Well, that would be magic, not hypnosis. For those people I recommend that they buy a ticket to Las Vegas, and go watch David Copperfield. Copperfield is an illusionist. He makes something that is not real, look real. And he’s very good at it. Hypnosis is not an illusion; it’s real. Hypnotherapy is a legitimate, highly effective mode of therapy that requires both the therapist and the client to actively participate in the process to get the desired results.

Learn the Methods… then USE them

I always teach my clients methods that they can use on their own to help alleviate their suffering, but those methods won’t work if they don’t use them! Again, hypnosis is a joint therapeutic process that requires both parties to do their part. It’s not magic. I also give most of my clients a CD. This CD is a Progressive Relaxation audio I made that is beneficial to most any issue. Those who listen to it always report how relaxed it makes them feel. Listening to a CD requires absolutely no effort on the client’s part. Yet, I will occasionally ask a client if they listened to it, and they just shake their head. It’s unbelievable. The bottom line is this: I can’t help anyone who refuses to help themself.

A few years ago I had a client come in for help with what he called anxiety. Anxiety is easily treatable with the methods I use, and usually requires 3-5 sessions. But this client was used to going to therapists – he was already going to 2 different ones. Because he wasn’t getting any results from either of them, he came to me. I took him through my standard anxiety treatment protocol. He improved a little but there was something missing. He still wasn’t where I wanted him to be. I realized that his main problem was that he was in a bad relationship but wouldn’t (or couldn’t) make the decision to end it. He was looking for someone else to make the decision for him, thus avoiding the responsibility. I ultimately told him that I don’t do long-term therapy and released him.

Accept Personal Responsibility

People who have the mindset that it has to take a long time to get rid of their problem, are looking for someone else to make their decisions for them. They don’t want to accept responsibility for their own life. Counseling won’t help, and neither will hypnosis. The bulk of the responsibility always lies with the client. Again, they’re looking for magic, they want someone else to make their decisions for them so they don’t have to be responsible for the outcome. That’s not my job. No matter what the problem is, my job is to help the client to see their problems from a different perspective. This is the first step. Then it’s up to them to choose a better option that will more effectively alleviate their problem. There’s really nothing magical about it. It’s all a matter of examining different options, and acting on the most suitable one.

Hypnosis can help a person think more clearly. It can assist in examining options. In addition, it can expose limiting beliefs and perspectives that are standing in the way of progress. Hypnosis deals more with how you think rather than what you think. Compared to conventional therapy it works much faster because it doesn’t get bogged down in the details of the story. The details are irrelevant. How a person is processing those details is what matters most. You can continue to think the same way about your problems, and continue suffering. Or you can follow the protocol and change the way you think, and get better. It’s not magic.

Call for a Free Consultation 724-691-3928

Look For The Lesson

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On February 20, 2021

Look For the lesson

Look for the Lesson – especially those hidden behind your most challenging life experiences. Throughout my website I talk a lot about “reframing”, which means to look at your problems from a different perspective. Reframing is absolutely the most effective way to change your feelings about something or someone. I have several techniques for helping people to reframe their problems. The “Look for the Lesson” method is highly ranked in my therapeutic arsenal. In this post I want to give readers a better understanding of “Look for the Lesson”, along with a down-to-earth example of it in action. I will have to get a bit philosophical here and there, so buckle up!

it’s all about learning

Let me begin with the premise that life is about learning. There are different types of learning, for example: First in life, we learn how to use our bodies. It’s a painstakingly long process to learn this skill, but it is essential. First, we learn to lift our heads when lying on our stomach, then we learn to roll over, then to sit up, then to crawl, then to walk, and finally we learn how to run. We learn all the essential physical maneuvers to navigate in the physical world. At the same time, we’re doing our mental learning that includes things like learning to talk, learning new words, how to behave, and much more.

Then, we begin the formal mental learning by way of schooling. This may take anywhere from 12 to 20 years or more depending upon what field we enter. Along the way, we take countless exams to determine if we were learning the lessons we needed. If we failed to learn a lesson, we had to repeat the learning experience again until we passed it. This pattern is paralleled in life outside of school as well. If you “fail” a life lesson, you will have to repeat it until you learn it. It’s built into the system. But it’s not really a failure, it’s more like you just didn’t “get it”, so you’ll face similar learning opportunities until you do.

belief systems

Now it’s time to get philosophical. In several of the Eastern belief systems such as Hinduism and Buddhism, we humans are believed to be spiritual beings having a physical, human experience. This point of view has also been echoed in the writings and lectures of the late Dr. Wayne Dyer, as well as Dr. Brian Weiss, Dr. Michael Newton, and countless others. Offering even more solid scientific evidence supporting this perspective, is the field of quantum physics. Albert Einstein himself said, “Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics”. He also said, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one”.

When we have modern-day teachers and authorities such as those mentioned above, all saying essentially the same thing, I think the subject deserves some serious consideration. Before science broke through the false belief that everything is physical, such thinking was relegated to the realm of religion. Now, with the advances of quantum physics, the separation of the physical and the non-physical (spiritual) is coming together. It turns out that the physical is not as “physical” as it appears. Every physical thing is fundamentally made of pure energy. This why Einstein said, “Reality is merely an illusion”.

So it turns out that our bodies aren’t really physical after all, and neither is anything else. With that in mind, it’s not such a stretch to say that we are in fact, spiritual (non-physical) beings, who are having a human – “physical” experience. Let that one sink in for a bit. This perspective can change how you look at everything!

What’s the purpose?

So if it is true that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, what’s the purpose of it all? One of the key characteristics of being human, is curiosity. We want to know, learn, and understand. We are insatiably curious beings. Sometimes our curiosity leads us to something positive, and sometimes to something negative. But the fact is that both “positive and negative” are judgements… not realities. Experiences are simply that, experiences. They are neither positive or negative. It’s our judgements – based on our perspectives – that make us call them good or bad. And experiences are designed to teach us lessons that help us grow. They do so by challenging our beliefs and perspectives.

This implies that in some way, there is a pre-conceived plan of what we want to experience and learn during our current “physical incarnation”. Many people have difficulty with this perspective, suggesting that if this is the case (that our life is pre-determined), then what about free will? Do we even have any free will within such a system? The answer is yes, absolutely! We always have the free will to deviate from our original life-plan.

more than one way to learn

There are many ways to learn the same lesson, and we are free to choose alternatives other than the original plan. The point is to learn the lesson; how we accomplish that is up to us. This is a huge deviation from Determinism as found in many fundamental religious systems. These systems believe that our life will be what it will be, and we have no choice in the matter. This is a pretty depressing thought if I do say so myself!

I have read countless books on this subject, but there was one that started me on my own journey of enlightenment. That book was “Your Souls Plan” by Robert Schwartz. In it, Schwartz says, “From the perspective of the soul, there are no failures or mistakes, only experience. Experience is never bad. Our souls do not judge us; instead, they welcome the wisdom, feelings, growth, and deeper self-knowledge that result from all experience.” That’s a far cry from what most religions teach. They tell us that where we are “guilty” from the day we’re born. That’s like being charged and jailed for something our parents did before we were even conceived! Talk about an injustice. To quote Dr. Spock from Star Trek, “It is not logical”.

a different perspective

And this brings us back to the subject of perspective. When you change your perspective on what we humans are, it changes the whole picture. And to quote an NLP Presupposition, “Behind every behavior is a positive intention”. This even applies to those who commit violent crimes. Granted, on the surface it may appear diabolical, or even insane. But under the surface there is always some positive intention that motivates criminals to commit their actions. The action was positive to them, based upon their belief system.

However, there is a much bigger picture to our life here on planet Earth. It’s the big picture that once seen, will cause us to rethink our deepest beliefs and perspectives. Even those who “did you wrong” at some point in your life, did so because at some level, they honestly believed they were doing the right thing. Your job later in life, is to look back at that situation, and realize that it was one of those lessons you wanted to learn from – before you even came into the “physical” world. We don’t learn much from the easy things in life. It’s the challenging experiences that give us the greatest opportunity to learn and grow. And that’s the whole point.

a personal example

To help make this more understandable, I’d like to give you a practical example from my own life experience. I grew up in a very rigid, controlling environment. It was a “Do as you’re told” environment where I had little to no say in anything. I was pushed hard, and no matter how good I did at something, it was rarely good enough. In addition, as frustrating as all this was, I was not allowed to show anger – and I had a lot of it! Fast forward to now, and my views on that experience have changed. It took a lot of internal work, but I finally made peace with my upbringing. In the big picture, I’ve come to realize that it was that experience that forced me to learn what I would need later in life.

I now view my childhood was one big lesson. If it weren’t for that experience, I wouldn’t be able to help others to find inner peace in their own lives. I wouldn’t be able to relate. Like everyone else, I had to learn it, by living it! Was it tough? Very. Was it worth it? Absolutely. My parents did a great job of preparing me for the therapeutic work I’m doing today… even if neither of us realized it at the time.

look for the lesson

When you can’t seem to move beyond your past, look for the lesson(s). I assure you, if you experience something that strongly affects you on a physical or emotional level, there IS a lesson in that experience. You job is to find it, pay attention to it, learn from it, and grow. That’s why you signed up for this particular tour of duty… to learn and grow. Look for the lesson. This “school” we call Earth is a tough one, and only tough souls choose to come here. If you’re reading this, it’s not by accident, you were drawn to it. My job is to help others to grow; to help them move beyond their pains, limiting beliefs, and perspectives. It’s not always an easy job… but I love every minute of it.

Call for a Free Consultation 724-691-3928

The Power of Imagination

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On February 5, 2021

the power of imagination

The power of imagination is virtually unlimited. In this post I want to talk about the power of imagination, and how it is the essential first step in literally everything that has ever been discovered, created, built or accomplished. I will also explain how and why it applies to our physical and emotional health as well.

Imagination can be defined in several ways. For example, one definition says that imagination is “the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.” Another says its “the faculty or action of forming new ideas, images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.” Both of these definitions are correct, but I believe there’s even more to it – as will be discussed shortly.

The human mind is an amazing thing. It can imagine hypothetical, non-existent objects or conditions as if they were real. Then it can use its creativity to bring them into physical existence. The triggers for imagination are typically adversity, lack, and desire. When we face a challenge, the mind goes to work to imagine a way around it; this can be physical, mental, or both. When we lack something, and desire it, we first imagine having it, and then we imagine ways to get it.

It was people’s imagination that came up with the idea of being able to travel from coast to coast by covered wagon, railroad, automobile, and then airplanes. Imagination led to the invention of the telegraph, then the telephone, then wireless communication. All of the things we take for granted today from science, to medicine, to engineering and construction, were born by imagination; even the computer I’m writing this on was imagined before it became a reality.

What if?

Most imagination begins with the thoughts or words, What if…? As humans, we have the capacity to bring things into existence, things which are only an idea. The phrase “what if” triggers the imagination and inspiration to not only conceive the idea of something new, but also the creative ability to make it a physical reality. Without our ability to imagine, we’d still be living in caves… or be extinct!

The imagination however, can be a 2-edged sword. Just as we can use it to come up with brilliant new ideas to make our world more convenient, comfortable, safer, or beneficial, it can also be used for selfish, negative reasons. Adolph Hitler had a great imagination, but it was used in a selfish, greedy, power-hungry manner, and we know how that turned out. Millions of people died, and many countries were destroyed in the process. So as you can see, the imagination is a very powerful thing, and it is virtually unlimited.

One area where most people don’t realize that imagination can be used very successfully, is in the promotion and maintenance of good physical & emotional health. Long before we had all the amazing medical diagnostic and treatment equipment that we have today, people relied upon a Healer or Shaman to address their health issues. These individuals were the doctors of their day, and just like today’s doctors, they underwent rigorous, extensive training. They learned to use what Nature provided to cure people’s ailments, and were highly esteemed in society. As western medicine evolved, the position of the Shaman gradually diminished… which is unfortunate because there’s still a lot that can be learned from them. Afterall, many of us wouldn’t be here today if some Healer/Shaman hadn’t saved our ancestors lives!

the power of imagination

Fortunately, the essence of how the Shaman helped people to heal is still around today – but most people don’t realize it. Bio-feedback machines are a good example of this. With bio-feedback, it’s not the machine that’s helping the person, it’s the person’s response to what the machine does that’s bringing them the benefits. For example, bio-feedback has proven to be very beneficial in helping chronic pain sufferers to reduce or even eliminate their pain. It’s not the machine that’s reducing the pain, it’s the machine helping the pain sufferer to tap into their own imagination to reduce their pain. By imagining the pain being reduced, the pain literally reduces. It’s the power of imagination in action. Quite impressive.

Some other areas where the power of imagination plays a huge role is with hypnosis and NLP. These methodologies focus heavily on modifying a person’s thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives at the sub-conscious level. For example, suppose someone comes into my office with a fear of public speaking. First, I will help them to access the memory of doing something where they felt totally relaxed and comfortable. Then I have them associate that relaxed and comfortable feeling with the act of public speaking. Because the sub-conscious mind can’t tell the difference between what’s real or imagined, it will accept the new response of calm relaxation, and attach it to public speaking! Problem solved!

imagination and healing

Another area where the imagination can make profound positive changes is with autoimmune disorders. This would include such maladies as arthritis, chronic pain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lupus, MS and dozens of others. The one thing that is common to all autoimmune disorders, is that the immune system is attacking the body. It’s supposed to protect the body, but for some reason it gets confused and attacks it instead. Medications can frequently bring about some relief to such ailments, but they can only treat the symptoms, not the real cause.

With the use of hypnosis and NLP, the immune system can be retrained to stop attacking healthy tissue, and revert back to only attacking foreign invaders such as bacteria, viruses and mutant cells. When you use the imagination to tell the sub-conscious immune system what you want it to do, it understands! As mentioned above, the sub-conscious mind can’t tell the difference between what’s real or what’s imagined. Therefore, it accepts the imagined version of what you want – as if it were “real”. It stops attacking healthy tissues and even assists in the repair of the damaged cells. That’s the power of imagination!

imagination is real

Imagination is NOT imaginary, it is very real, and very powerful. The Shaman of yesteryear knew it, and practitioners such as myself know it today. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here. The ethical practice of hypnosis can help people to do some amazing things. It doesn’t matter if the problem is physical or emotional. The physical and emotional are closely connected, and it’s impossible to know where one lets off and the other begins. As human beings, we are physical, emotional, and spiritual – all rolled into one big bundle called a person. When you treat one part, it has a positive effect on the other two parts. It cannot do otherwise. Imagine that!

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Hypnosis vs Medicine

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On January 21, 2021

hypnosis vs medicine

In this “Hypnosis vs Medicine” post I want to talk about the philosophical differences between the practice of hypnosis, and modern Western medicine. Are they totally at odds with each other, or is there potentially some common ground between them? Let’s have a look.

Mainstream Western medicine views diseases and their causes as being purely physical. This is why they attempt to treat them with physical tools like pills, chemicals and surgery. The question is, where did they get the idea that everything has a physical basis? This mindset goes back hundreds of years. Prior to the mid-1600’s, the Catholic church in western Europe played a significant role in virtually all aspects of society. It dictated what people were to believe and do. To the church, the human body was considered sacred – just like the non-physical “soul”. This belief made it nearly impossible for doctors and researchers to learn anything new about how the body works.

People studying medicine wanted to dissect cadavers to learn more about human anatomy, but they had to do it secretly because the church considered the human body to be sacred. If a doctor got caught tinkering with a body, the penalty for doing so was death!

A NEW VIEWPOINT IS BORN

Then, in 1637 French-born philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, Rene Descartes came up with the insight of “Cogito – ergo sum”, which means “I think, therefore I am”. Or to paraphrase, “The fact that I have thoughts, proves that I exist. These thoughts are not physical, yet they, and therefore I… exist”. In essence, this awareness separated the mental/spiritual from the physical. With this insight, a new view of reality was born. Thoughts and consciousness are real, they exist… but they’re not physical. After much debate, the church finally conceded to this new way of seeing things. They ultimately concluded that the body was not sacred, and therefore could be studied.

hypnosis vs medicine: the big split

This agreement led to a split between religion & science. Ultimately, a working agreement evolved between the church & science wherein the church would focus on all things spiritual, and science would focus on all things physical. The notion that all things are physical was also supported by the work of Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727). This mindset is still the dominant operating philosophy behind modern Western medicine. They maintain that a physical problem has a physical cause, and must therefore be treated with a physical solution. Their pendulum of “body vs mind” has swung totally to the physical side. This belief was reaffirmed as recently as 1985. That year, the New England Journal of Medicine said: “It’s time to acknowledge that our belief in disease as a direct reflection of mental state is largely folklore.”

From a hypnotherapy perspective, nothing could be further from the truth. The Greek philosopher Plato (300 B.C.) said; “If you want to heal your body, you must first heal your mind.” This is in total agreement with Mind-Body Medicine and Hypnotherapy today. The non-physical “mind” is not the brain or the body, but it exists in every cell in the brain and body. It is aware of, and in constant communication with every cell in the body. It knows our thoughts, feelings, perceptions and beliefs. Fact is, it actually knows us better than we know ourselves, and is constantly striving to help us achieve mental, physical & spiritual balance.

mind-body medicine

This new Mind-Body Medicine has been named “Epigenetics”, which literally means “over genetics”. It’s even more fundamental than our genes. Epigenitics is slowly gaining ground with mainstream Western medicine, but it still has a long way to go. Wealthy and politically-connected drug companies are fighting to force their old, outdated claims on society… and for good reason. If people realize that they can heal their bodies by using their minds the right way, many popular drugs will become obsolete!

The most influential field of research that is doing more to bring Epigenetics into the mainstream, is Quantum Physics. Quantum Physics is forcing the established medical world to open their minds to a new paradigm. That which has been believed to be physical for centuries, is in fact turning out to be non-physical. In quantum physics, everything is energy. I repeat: Everything is made of energy. Albert Einstein said, “Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. This is not philosophy, this is physics.” So it turns out that the non-physical, also known as the “spiritual”, and the “physical”, are made of the same stuff… energy. This is as “holistic” as it gets!

hypnosis and epigenetics

So, what does hypnosis have to do with any of this? Actually, quite a lot! Hypnosis is recommended in Epigenetics to influence bodily functions through altering how we think, what we believe, and changing our perspectives. Thoughts, beliefs and perspectives are real things, and they affect our “physical” bodies. It is energy affecting energy. For example, if you think about a bad memory, it can make you feel bad physically. If you believe that you are the “sickly type”, you will develop ways to be sick. If your perspective on life is that it isn’t “fair” and nothing ever goes your way, you’ll feel angry and depressed. Sooner or later, this negative thinking will be reflected in your physiology in the form of dis-ease. Thoughts have consequences!

Notice how each of the examples above leads to a feeling. Feelings affect our entire biology from head to toe… every cell! The thing is, they’re so subtle that we rarely notice them. Your whole body responds to every feeling, good or bad. Behind every feeling, is a thought, belief, and/or perspective. Hypnosis is great for bringing them to our conscious awareness so we can shift them in a positive way. A shift in thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives can change a person’s life. Let me give you some real-life examples of how this works. I’ll present an example from each of my specialties, beginning with Anxiety.

Hypnosis vs Medicine for Anxiety, Chronic Pain, and Trauma/PTSD

Anxiety is defined as “A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning”. As you can see, anxiety is mainly about the future; it’s a fear of something that may or may not happen. One of the best descriptions I’ve run across for anxiety is; “Anxiety is caused by thinking we can control the universe.”

This is so true! It is possibly the most important thing I help my anxiety clients to realize. In the big picture of life, there are many things that we have no control over. The best we can do, is to do our best to prepare for what might happen, and be flexible enough to accept and deal with what actually does happen. We can do our best to prepare for the future, but it will be what it will be, regardless of our best efforts to control it.

chronic pain

Now moving on to Chronic Pain. Chronic pain is any pain that lasts more than 3-6 months after all physical healing has taken place. Just because there’s no apparent physical explanation for the pain, doesn’t mean it’s “all in your head”. The pain is real. This is one area where the use of hypnosis really shines. Chronic pain is very responsive to changes in beliefs and perspectives. In addition, simple, easy-to-use tools like guided imagery and self-hypnosis can do an amazing job of reducing or even eliminating chronic pain all together. In fact, virtually all “chronic” conditions can be effectively treated with hypnotherapy.

trauma/ptsd

Finally, we’ll look at Trauma/PTSD. A trauma is any physical or emotional experience that overwhelms our ability to process it in a healthy fashion. When treating this issue, I focus heavily on the client’s thoughts, beliefs and perspectives. As mentioned earlier, thoughts, beliefs and perspectives generate feelings. PTSD sufferers spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about the trauma that caused their problem. Their memories always include the vivid images, sounds, and feelings of the event. It’s like they’re stuck in a loop of an old movie that just keeps playing over and over again. And the worst part is, they experience the feelings that the old movie generates. This is what causes the stress.

With the use of hypnosis and a few other methods, we can quite easily make changes to that old movie that will disconnect the bad feelings from the memory. You still remember it, but no longer experience the stress it used to cause. Once this is accomplished, we work on altering the beliefs and perceptions of the experience. In other words, you learn how to look at the experience from a different point of view… a higher perspective. This will alter the feelings about it even more. The methods I use do NOT require you to re-experience the event over and over again like some therapies. They are much gentler and more efficient.

from hypnosis vs medicine – to hypnosis + Medicine

In closing, I am absolutely certain that we will one day find hypnosis services available in all mainstream medical facilities. It’s the natural evolution of science and healthcare. At this point in time, hypnosis is roughly in the same category that chiropractic care was before the 1960’s. Few people took it seriously, and the medical system wouldn’t even acknowledge it as a viable healthcare method.

Also included in that category were Osteopathic Physicians or D.O.’s. They tend to lean more in the direction of treating people from a more natural angle, instead of relying exclusively on drugs. Today, both Chiropractic and Osteopathy are accepted by mainstream medicine. I don’t expect to live long enough to see hypnotherapy as a fully-accepted, legitimate part of the medical system, but I am helping to lay the groundwork to make it happen – one person at a time. More and more people are seeking “natural” solutions to their problems every day.

Ultimately, the ideal scenario will be a healthy mix of both mainstream medicine and other scientifically proven methods like hypnotherapy. Instead of hypnosis vs medicine, it will be hypnosis + medicine. We need both. There are without question times when medicine is absolutely the best option. It is most applicable to treating acute conditions requiring surgery, and fighting infections. At other times – especially with chronic physical and emotional conditions – hypnotherapy is by far the best, most effective form of treatment.

*To learn more about Epigenitics, I highly recommend a book entitled: “The Biology of Belief” by Dr. Bruce Lipton. Dr. Lipton has been a brilliant pioneer in bringing Epigenetics to the forefront of modern science and medicine.

Or you can watch his fascinating 2½ hour lecture on this subject on Youtube Here.

Call for a Free Consultation 724-691-3928

Understanding Chronic Pain

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On January 6, 2021

understanding chronic pain

Understanding chronic pain is vital to the healing process. Chronic pain is any pain that lasts 3-6 months or longer after all physical healing has taken place. In the U.S. there are over 3 million new cases reported every year. There are many variations of this type of pain. Sometimes it’s leftover pain from a surgical procedure or an accidental injury. It’s also common with autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, MS and others. Making the distinction between the causes will determine what methods need to be used to treat it.

Common chronic pain treatment methods include medications, surgery, electrical stimulation and acupuncture. Results may vary from person to person. The use of hypnosis to treat chronic pain has been scientifically proven to be very effective. As with the other methods, that effectiveness may vary from person to person. The real upside is that you can learn to use hypnotic methods on yourself, so they’re available anytime you need them.

Because there are two potential sources of chronic pain, treatment will involve one of two different methods. As mentioned above, there is residual pain from an accidental injury, and pain from chronic diseases. Let’s take a look at the differences as well as the different methods used to treat them. We’ll start with accidental injuries.

Accidents Happen

Accidental injuries are far more common than chronic disease issues. When we get injured, the pain is immediate. That pain is our body’s way of telling us that something is wrong and needs attention immediately. It’s a messaging system that usually does a good job. But sometimes the part of the brain that sends the pain signals seems to get stuck in the “on” position. It keeps sending the pain signals long after healing has taken place. For some reason, it hasn’t gotten the message that the injured area has healed.

The solution to this type of pain is two-fold. First, we must get the message center in the brain to realize that the healing process is complete, and that it is now okay to turn off the pain signals. Sometimes this is all that’s needed, and the pain will subside. If it doesn’t, then we need to move on to the alternate part of the process.

In the alternate part of the hypnotic process, we try to determine why the message center is unwilling to turn off the pain signals. Generally, it’s because it doesn’t feel safe to do so. In such cases, we help it come up with a few new ways to prevent a repeat of the type of accident or situation that caused the injuries in the first place. Once it finds a few new and effective options to keep you safe, it will gladly comply and turn off the pain signals. It exchanges the pain for information.

understanding Chronic Pain

Now we’ll look at addressing the pain caused by a chronic disease. As mentioned, this type of pain is common with autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia, arthritis, IBS and others. Although we can reduce this type of pain by treating it directly, the best course of action is to address the autoimmune disorder itself.

There is one thing common to all types of autoimmune disorders; the immune system is attacking the body itself, instead of protecting it. Why this happens is not yet known. But for some reason the immune system apparently gets confused about what to attack and what not to attack. When functioning properly (which it does most of the time), it only attacks things like bacteria, viruses, and any other potentially threatening, foreign invaders. I’m convinced there’s a good reason why our immune system sometimes does this, however science has yet to figure it out. Here’s a great video on the subject.

In the meantime, with the use of hypnosis and guided imagery, we can effectively communicate with the immune system and teach it to stop attacking healthy tissue. I know that this may sound like quite a stretch to some readers, but it is in fact, very doable. I’ve completed two extensive training programs on this very subject. My one teacher actually healed herself of multiple autoimmune problems. Once she figured it out to do it, she went on to help over 2000 people who were suffering with AI diseases as well. (Watch her video here). Another one of my teachers did a study on treating people who were suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Her success rate was quite impressive.

Relaxation Relieves Pain

One of the very best ways to respond to all pain is to relax. This may sound hard to do when something hurts, but learning how to relax can actually break the pain cycle. The cycle of pain works like this:

You feel pain > your natural response is to tighten up > muscle tension reduces blood circulation > reduced circulation leads to muscle inflammation > muscle inflammation leads to reduced movement > and reduced movement leads you right back to feeling the pain. It is a vicious cycle.

It doesn’t really matter which part of the cycle you break first. Odds are you already know that applying heat to the afflicted area can bring some relief. It does so by increasing the blood circulation. Increased circulation then results in reduced inflammation, better movement and reduced pain. Hypnosis and guided imagery can accomplish the same thing, and much more.

I often use a progressive relaxation method to guide clients into the hypnotic state. This method takes them to a level of relaxation unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. It is incredible! Many clients have told me that they wish they could have stayed in it longer because they felt so good. And this is just the induction part! It’s the part that gets them ready to work on their chronic pain problem. Where we go from there is different for each client. It’s at this point that I usually switch over to using guided imagery. The imagery will be specific to whatever type of pain or condition they’re dealing with.

Speak the right language!

I use Guided Imagery because imagery is the language of the subconscious mind. When you show your subconscious mind exactly what you want by way of imagery, it understands! It will then go and begin to make the necessary changes to fulfill your wishes! The more you feed your unconscious mind the images of what you want, the more it will comply and work towards providing it. This procedure is 100% safe no matter what type of pain you’re working on. It is also highly effective and does wonders when it comes to breaking the pain cycle.

I could talk for hours on this subject, but I think you get the picture by now. The methods I use are not something I force on you. You are an active participant in learning how to tap into your own internal healing abilities. Another one of my teachers used to say “Anything the mind has caused – the mind can cure”. There’s a lot of truth in that statement. The body is made to self-repair. It knows exactly how to fix anything from a simple cut on your finger, to the most complex autoimmune disorder. You just need to learn how to speak its language. My job is to teach you how to do exactly that.

I sincerely hope this post has given you some insight to understanding chronic pain, and provided you with some valuable information about treating it. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. In the meantime, I wish you well.

Call for a Free Consultation 724-691-3928

Understanding PTSD

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On December 22, 2020

Understanding PTSD

Understanding PTSD is the first step in recovering from it. PTSD is an acronym for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many people however, prefer not to call it a “disorder” because that’s not really what it is. I don’t consider it a disorder either. Actually, I see it as the emotional after-effects of a highly traumatic experience… often perceived to be life-threatening.

In the United States there are an estimated 8 million people who suffer from PTSD in a given year. That’s about 3.5% of the total population. It can be caused by a number of things such as:

War, Terrorist Attacks, Physical Assault or Violence, Sexual Assault, Witnessing another person get hurt, Community Violence or Domestic Violence. It can also be caused by a Car Accident, Falls, Natural Disasters, Animal Attacks, Near Drowning, Poisoning, Cancer or a Life-threatening illness. As you can see there are quite a number of things that can cause PTSD, so it’s no wonder so many people suffer from it.

None of us know what our emotional limits are. In the same way that some people have a higher tolerance for physical pain, some have a higher tolerance for emotional pain. However, we ALL have a limit to how much pain we can tolerate, whether it be physical or emotional. Unfortunately, the only way to find out what our limits are, is to exceed them. Sad but true.

common ptsd symptoms

When we have an experience that exceeds our emotional limits, we may also experience common symptoms such as:

Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
Frequent distressing memories or feeling like you’re reliving the event
Avoiding things that remind you of that event
Always nervous, on edge, or on guard
Feeling overwhelmed or emotionally numb
Feeling disconnected from or detached from other people

RELATED Side-effects CAN INCLUDE:

Irritability and anger problems
Blaming yourself/guilt
Depression
Anxiety
Work or school issues
Relationship difficulties
Isolation
Drinking or drug use
Feelings of hopelessness, shame, grief or despair
Phobias
Panic Attacks

With such a wide range of potential symptoms and challenges, there is no such thing as a “quick fix” for PTSD. However, this doesn’t mean it can’t be effectively treated. As with many other types of emotional issues, recovery is a process, it takes time. The amount of time varies from person to person.

a CLOSER LOOK

To get a deeper understanding of PTSD we need to take a look at the T part and the S part. The T stands for “traumatic” or trauma. What exactly is a trauma? A trauma is typically something that happens very quickly and catches the person off guard. With no time to mentally prepare for the traumatic event, it exerts a shock or “over-load” to the emotional system. The emotional energy of that shock can linger for weeks, months, or even years.

Traumas come in all shapes and sizes. How they affect a person often depends upon their emotional maturity level. For example, a trauma to a child may be something as simple as losing a beloved pet, or seeing another child get hurt on the playground. As we mature, our awareness expands and our perspectives change. It takes a lot more to traumatize an adult than it does a child. Either way, trauma can happen to anyone at any age, and leave a strong emotional scar.

release the energy

Part of the healing process must include procedures for releasing the emotional energy of the experience. Hypnosis can be quite effective in bringing about this energetic release. Guided Imagery is another effective tool as well. In fact, it is often used in conjunction with hypnosis. Images and pictures are the language of the sub-conscious mind. By using these tools, a person can modify the details of the images of the traumatic event, thus disconnecting the emotional charge from the memory.

Another great tool for accomplishing this job is E.M.D.R., which is also an acronym that stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This method causes the powerful energy associated with the memory of a traumatizing event to be shared with other parts of the brain. So instead of all that energy being concentrated in only one part of the brain, it gets spread out, and becomes less concentrated. It’s like diluting a spoon-full of instant tea in a large glass of water instead of just a small cup of water. It makes it weaker, or less potent. More about EMDR .

the STRESS IS THE PROBLEM

The other part of the PTSD acronym we need to address is the “S” or Stress. Stress is really the essence, or root of the problem. For people with PTSD the stress never completely goes away. But what exactly is stress, and how can we alleviate it? The feeling we call stress is in reality a part of our automatic self-protection program. Our survival is its primary job.

Whenever we experience something that threatens our survival, our sub-conscious mind kicks into gear. It sends a signal to our bodies to prepare us to fight or to run. This is accomplished by triggering the release of two powerful chemicals, Adrenalin and Cortisol. The adrenalin increases our heartrate, breathing and blood pressure. Cortisol is a steroid hormone, also referred to as our “stress hormone”. This hormone increases our glucose (sugar) levels to give us a boost of energy.

The downside of cortisol is that it basically shuts down our immune system. People suffering from PTSD sometimes have a compromised immune system because of their higher levels of cortisol. This unfortunately makes them more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Our automatic response system is only meant to be activated on a short-term, as-needed basis. With people who have experienced a serious trauma, the automatic response system gets stuck in the “on” position. When this happens, the adrenalin and cortisol can unfortunately do more harm than good. So how do we get the stress response to shut off and go back to normal?

STRESS REDUCTION AND BEYOND

Fortunately, there are a number of highly effective ways to reduce stress. But when the stress originates inside your own brain by way of thoughts, memories, images, feelings and sounds, common stress-reduction methods can’t do a complete job. The best approach is to use a combination of the stress reduction methods, along with some more advanced, specialized methods… such as Hypnosis, NLP, EMDR and others.

Common stress-reduction methods may include physical exercise, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and breathing exercises. Such methods will address the physical stress in your body, but they can’t get at the TRUE cause of the stress. That cause includes those things mentioned in the paragraph above, that is – thoughts, memories, mental images, feelings and sounds. Modifying these internal triggers is the key to eliminating PTSD. I use a variety of specialized techniques for doing exactly that.

Also, unlike common “desensitization” methods where you are forced to re-experience your traumatic event over and over again, my methods don’t require it. Although those old-school methods can and do work, there are newer, better ways to get the job done. I have several methods for defusing the root cause of PTSD. There is no “one-size-fits-all” method because everyone is different. For this reason, I am trained and certified in multiple methods that have proven to be effective. PTSD does NOT have to be a life sentence.

The bottom line

Understanding PTSD and what it really is, provides a key stepping stone towards recovery. It can also help friends or family members of those who are suffering with PTSD by providing a better understanding of what they are experiencing. Remember, post-traumatic stress is NOT a disorder; it’s the emotional after-effects of a traumatic experience. The bottom line is that PTSD is a stress issue, and as such – it CAN be treated successfully.

Call for a Free Consultation 724-691-3928

Understanding Anxiety

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On December 7, 2020

understanding anxiety

Understanding anxiety is the first step in learning to control it. In a normal year in the United States, an estimated 40 million adults experience issues with anxiety. That’s roughly 18% of the total population. In other words, it’s more common than most people realize. Unfortunately, it’s so common that many people don’t take it seriously or seek help for it. In this post I will address what anxiety really is, its effects on the body and mind, and what you can do to manage it more effectively.

What is anxiety? The simple truth is that anxiety is a physiological response to a perceived or imagined threat. To simplify it even more, anxiety is a state of fear. It’s a built-in safety program designed to avoid bodily harm or death. This is not something we have to learn, it’s hard-wired into our mind and body. We’re born with it. This automatic, sub-conscious program is there to protect us, and under normal circumstances it does a fine job.

It’s only been in the last few centuries that we humans have lived in relatively safe houses. Generally speaking, we are safe from predators that could do us physical harm… or worse. Prior to that we lived much closer to the land and nature. Unlike today, we were not at the top of the food chain, and death by predator was a distinct possibility. We’re still not entirely safe from predators and never will be, but we’re much safer than our ancestors were.

our stressful world

However, we have other threats in our world today that our ancestors couldn’t even imagine. We are constantly bombarded with information and stressful situations. From television and radio to the internet, we are overloaded with a never-ending flood of information, far more than we can process. Add to that the stresses that come from family, relationships, high-pressure careers, and the fast pace of society. Our world today is the perfect storm environment for developing anxiety. Understanding anxiety is essential for good health.

To find the origins of our anxiety program we have to go back much further, probably many thousands of years or even more. Back then our focus was exclusively upon basic survival; it was a full-time job. With very little in the way of survival tools or weapons, our instincts told us we had only 2 choices: Fight or Run. Actually, there is also a third option which few people talk about, and that is to Freeze. In other words, hold still and hope the predator doesn’t see you.

Either of these options has the potential to save our life, but they have a down-side. That down-side is that they exert a powerful influence on our bodies. Anxiety was only meant to be a short-term response to a life-threatening situation. Once the threat had passed, our bodies would calm down and go back to normal. However, anxiety is what we feel when our bodies remain in that heightened state of alarm for hours, days, weeks or even longer.

physical effects of anxiety

The physiological effects of long-term anxiety can be quite serious and lead to other serious health problems. Anxiety prepares us to fight or run. It does this by releasing powerful hormones – adrenalin and cortisol to be exact. Adrenalin increases our heartrate, raises our blood pressure and boosts our energy supplies. Cortisol is our main stress hormone. First, it increases the blood sugars (glucose) in our bloodstream to give us more energy. Secondly, cortisol channels our blood to the parts of the body needed to fight or run, primarily to the arms and legs. This activity pulls the blood from our inner organs such as the digestive track, kidneys liver because they are non-essential when you need to fight or run.

Cortisol also suppresses our digestive system, reproductive system and immune system. This is why long-term anxiety makes us more susceptible to infections and auto-immune diseases. With a compromised immune system our bodies can’t fight off infection. And when you add in the high blood pressure and increased heartrate, anxiety can be a recipe for serious illness. Understanding anxiety and its effects on the body can save your life.

I think by now you get the picture that anxiety should be taken seriously. So, let’s take a look at some ways to reduce the anxiety in your world. The number one thing that causes anxiety the most is our own thoughts. Nine times out of ten, anxiety is caused by our thoughts and worries about the future… not an external predator. That future thought or worry can be focused upon something that is anywhere from minutes to hours to days to weeks or even months away. But get this: the future does not exist! It is 100% imagined.

reality vs imagination

Now here’s where things get interesting. Our bodies respond to imagined threats as if they are real! The subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between what we imagine, and what is real. It reacts exactly the same way to both! For example, if you imagine you’re going to freeze up when you have to speak in front of a crowd of people next week, your subconscious mind will send the signal to your body to go into fight or flight mode. It can’t NOT do it!

Here’s an interesting fact: The physiological (bodily) effect of fear, and excitement, are identical! They’re exactly the same. So instead of interpreting the feelings you’re having as anxiety (or fear), replace it with excitement! Sure, you might be a little nervous, but it’s an excited kind of nervous. When you do this, your subconscious mind will say “Ok, I’m not anxious, I’m excited!”, and it will NOT trigger the fight or flight response.

This same technique works just as well with relieving stress. When we perceive stress as being our body’s way of preparing us to do a good job at something, the negative effects of stress will be nullified. It can even work to our advantage. At this point I’m going to recommend that you watch a great video on this subject by Kelly McGonigal in a Ted Talk a few years ago. It’s only about 14 minutes long and well worth watching. You’ll get a lot from it.

controlling anxiety

Now, I hope you watched the video. There’s a lot of meat and potatoes in it that can change your body’s response to anxiety and stress – by changing the way you think about it. Anxiety is actually caused by thinking we can control the universe! One of the most important things to learn to reduce anxiety is to determine what you can control, and what you can’t. None of us can control the future, we can only influence it with careful planning, but we cannot control it… so stop trying!

We can no more control the future than we can change the past. The past is what it is, and we can’t change it. The future will be what it will be. We may be able to have some influence on it, but we can’t control it. So, the best option is to remain flexible, and make the best of whatever comes down the road. It’s just as easy to imagine a positive outcome to future events as it is to project a future of doom and gloom. The choice is yours.

stay in the “here and now”

Last but not least, stay in the present as much as possible. Anxiety is caused by imagining and worrying about the future. Anxiety’s dark cousin is depression. People who suffer from depression typically dwell on the past. The only time and place that is real, is now. Now is beyond space and time. It’s always now. The trick is to keep reminding yourself of that. Now is the only “time” you can do anything about anything.

Likewise, the only place you ever really are, is here. Wherever you are on the planet, you’re always “here”. So “here and now” are inseparable, and real. Our thoughts can easily pull us out of here and now, and that’s when the problems begin. So the next time you catch yourself dwelling on the past, or getting worked up by worrying about the future, say to yourself “be here… now”. Repeat it as many times as you have to in order to snap yourself back to the present. It also helps to take 8-10 slow, deep breaths while you’re doing this. These simple techniques will help you with understanding anxiety. Give it a shot.

Remember, here and now are the only place and time that you can do anything about anything. Understanding Anxiety is the first step. Anxiety is not hard to deal with once you know how. Staying present (in the now) is the key. Learning to do this can be a bit challenging at first, but it will be well worth the effort. You can do this! And speaking of now… it’s now time to close this post. I hope you found it helpful.

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