Category: Western Pa Hypnosis LLC

The Wisdom of Forgiveness

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On November 22, 2020

The Wisdom of Forgiveness

I don’t think there’s anyone on the planet that never experienced an injustice from someone else. It could have happened to you as a child, teen or adult. It may have come from a parent, sibling, teacher, friend, spouse, or even a perfect stranger. The source of that injustice is irrelevant, but in some way, something or someone offended you on a deep level and you’re still hurting from it, perhaps years or even decades later.

The old saying that “Time heals all wounds”, is false. Time doesn’t heal anything… it just puts you at a chronological distance from the experience. Although time can help to reduce some of the effects, you may still feel wounded and violated. You may have anger, resentment, thoughts of vengeance, bitterness, and even hatred. And unfortunately, none of these are doing you one bit of good.

Of all the emotions that we feel when we’ve experienced an injustice from someone else, anger appears to be at the top of the list. Anger is caused when a boundary you have has been violated. A boundary is a belief, or an idea, and it’s very personal. We all have such boundaries, and for good reason; they give us a feeling of safety. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to holding on to a belief or idea that expresses itself as anger.

Anger affects us both mentally and physically. It keeps us locked into a perpetual state of fight or flight. Our breathing gets shallow, our heartrate and blood pressure go up, and worst of all, our immune system goes down. This leaves us in a constant state of vulnerability to viral and bacterial infections, and can even lead to the development of autoimmune diseases. So as you can see, holding on to anger can have very serious side effects. But what can we do about it?

The Wisdom of forgiveness

First of all, realize that anger in itself, is not a bad emotion… it serves a positive purpose. Ideally, it protects us from a repeat of the violation that made us angry in the first place. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but its intentions are always positive. But the key here is to realize that emotions are responses to thoughts and beliefs. So the “trick” is to figure out what belief got violated. If you modify the belief, you’ll change the emotional response.

For example, suppose you needed something from the hardware store, perhaps a new 50-foot extension cord for your electric hedge trimmer. You’ve been planning to trim your hedges and tomorrow’s the big day. Just to make sure you were ready to go in the morning, you went to test your trimmer and discovered that you didn’t have a long extension cord. You’re a little bummed out but no big deal, you can get a new one in the morning.

So, the next morning, bright and early (around 8:00 a.m.) you head to the hardware store. When you get there, you find that the store doesn’t open until 9:00! Now you’re frustrated and a bit angry. Your plans are made, and now you have to sit and wait for an hour! As you can see, your belief that they opened at 8:00 was violated, and that triggered the emotional response of anger.

But what if you’d called the store yesterday to find out what time they opened? You may have been disappointed because you wanted to get an earlier start on your project, but you wouldn’t really be angry. You’d be at the store at 9:00 and still have plenty of time to do your trimming. No problem… and no anger. The next time you need something from that store, you’ll know when they open. Or you’ll look for a different store that does open earlier.

The Wisdom of forgiveness

Let’s look at another example that will be a little heavier. You and a very close friend have been planning to take a trip together. And just for the novelty of it, you decided to go by train. Your reservations have been made and the big day finally arrives. You get to the train station precisely one hour before your scheduled departure time. A half hour later your friend isn’t there yet. You’re getting anxious because your friend is usually very prompt.

Ten minutes later and still your friend hasn’t shown and you’re getting anxious. Another 10 minutes later you retrieve your luggage from the train and start driving home. You’ve tried to call your friend at least a dozen times in the last hour. No answer. “Well he could have at least called” you think to yourself. Now you’re angry. As you’re driving home you get a phone call from one of your friend’s family members. Turns out that while on his way to the station, your friend was in a serious car wreck and is in critical condition. Now where’s your anger?

This new information has completely transformed your belief about why he hadn’t arrived at the train station on time. Without your former belief implying that he had in some way stood you up, you have no basis for being angry.

But now, what if you had a different situation where someone physically abused you? Possibly many times. Coming up with a simple excuse or justification for it is not so easily done. The abuse could have happened yesterday, or 30 years ago, but your emotions about it haven’t diminished one bit. How you choose to deal with something like this can either lock you into a life of misery, or motivate you to learn, grow, and move on. The critical course of action involved an such a situation, is learning how to forgive.

Forgiveness is for YOU… not them.

To forgive someone who hurt you deeply is not saying that their actions were right or justifiable. Forgiveness is not about them… it’s about you. Let me repeat that: Forgiveness is not about them… it’s about you. The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind and heart; it really has nothing to do with the other person. Forgiving someone has absolutely nothing to do with you apologizing for anything. Forgiveness is a choice. Physically speaking, carrying anything can wear you down – even carrying a grudge.

To forgive someone doesn’t mean that you have to make up and be friends. It doesn’t require that you even let them know that you forgive them. It doesn’t require you to ever see or speak with them again. You don’t forgive someone for their benefit, you forgive them for your own benefit. If that sounds selfish, so be it. There are times when we MUST be selfish for our own physical and/or emotional health and wellbeing.

The Wisdom of Forgiveness

Here are a few suggestions to consider that can help you to forgive:

Forgiveness is about you… not the one who offended you.
You can’t move forward until you let go of the past.
Forgiveness can be a process. Take it 1 step at a time, 1 day at a time.
You don’t have to forget – in order to forgive. Besides, forgetting is impossible to do, short of having a brain injury.
No one is perfect.
In what way(s) are you a better person because of your bad experience?
The act of forgiving allows you to truly be happy once again.

In the Buddhist philosophy they speak of a concept called “non-attachment”. Non-attachment means to not allow our past to control our present. It also means to not be attached to our own everyday expectations of how people or things “should” be. They simply are. Letting go of expectations is very liberating. There’s a lot of freedom and wisdom that comes from looking at difficult experiences from this perspective. Changing the way we look at things – especially the “bad” experiences – is the single most powerful action we can take. In addition, it makes it a lot easier to forgive. Choose the high road. Do it for your own benefit… not someone else’s.

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Guilt: The Great Motivator

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On November 7, 2020

Guilt: The Great Motivator

Guilt is one of the most powerful feelings/emotions we can experience. However, it can also be one of the best motivators for those who are self-aware, and open to change and personal growth.

Although we often associate guilt with shame, there is an important difference. Guilt says “I did something wrong”, where shame says “There’s something wrong with me”. The first refers to actions, something we did or failed to do that makes us feel guilty. The second is about our state of being and self-image. This is a very subtle, yet important distinction to understand and be aware of. This post however, will focus upon guilt and how it can motivate us to grow.

your behavior barometer

I see guilt as a sort of “built-in behavior barometer”. Admittedly, when it comes to feelings of guilt, there’s a wide range of degrees between people. For example, the sociopath and the narcissist rarely seem to feel guilt, if ever. They typically believe they’re always right, and usually blame their behaviors on someone or something else. These types of people are well beyond the scope of this post.

I believe that the vast majority of people have a good working-connection with their behavior barometer. They are aware enough to know when they’ve done something that violates their moral or ethical standards. Also, they are also aware enough to know when they have failed to live up to those standards. And, they know because they feel guilty.

Feeling guilty is an uncomfortable experience that simply refuses to go away – until we do whatever it takes to correct what needs to be corrected. Sometimes it comes from something we feel we should have said or done… but didn’t. Sometimes it’s just the opposite, it comes from something we feel we should NOT have said or done… but did. Either way, that feeling of guilt will simply not let us rest until we take the corrective action. The good thing about taking corrective action is that it can force us to grow at a much deeper level. It helps us to mature and become a better version of ourselves.

guilt: the great motivator

I’m reminded of the saying: “Once you ring a bell you can’t un-ring it”. There’s a lot of truth in that. Once you do something that makes you feel guilty, you can’t un-do it. What’s done is done. In such cases the best you can do, is vow to yourself that you will never do it again. If what you did affected someone else, it may require an apology from you. They may or may not accept your apology, but at least you’ll be taking an important step in getting right with yourself.

Feelings of guilt can motivate us to grow, and that’s a good thing. Guilt serves a good purpose in other ways as well. For example, it forces us to examine ourselves and become more self-aware or “self” conscious. In other words, we become more consciously aware of our words and behaviors, and the motives behind them. I believe that any experience that makes us grow is a good experience, even if it’s unpleasant and/or painful. This is why I call guilt “The Great Motivator”. It makes no apologies… it says, “Yea, this is gonna hurt a bit, tell me something I don’t know! Now learn from it, and grow.”

the upside of guilt

On the upside, feeling guilt is actually a sign of good mental health. It tells you that your moral behavior barometer is working fine. It’s when you never feel a sense of guilt about anything that should be of concern. An occasional feeling of guilt can be good because it draws your attention to some area that needs work. None of us are perfect. As we continue to grow and learn new things, our inner world expands. We become more self-aware. And as we become more self-aware, we become more sensitive, more in tune with our moral compass.

Even though the feeling we call guilt is a personal thing, it is all too often used by some people to control or manipulate other people. Some are Jedi masters at it! This is unfortunate at best. It shows an insecurity and an immaturity in those who do so. If anyone should feel guilt, it’s those who use it as a tool to get what they want. It’s a form of emotional abuse that can leave permanent scars in those who are the victims of it. Actually, I think this would fall more under the category of shame… it’s a shameful act. But this post is not about that, so enough said.

Guilt’s job is not to make us feel so bad that we can’t function. In fact, it has very positive intentions. Guilt’s job is to draw our attention to the finer details of how we think, live, and interact with others. Consequently, the end result is a better, more compassionate version of our true self. Becoming more aware of how our words and actions affect others is a definite sign of emotional maturity.

guilt: the great motivator

So, what’s the best way to respond when you feel guilty about something you did, or failed to do? Let’s take a closer look. First of all, don’t beat yourself up. We’re all still growing. Yes, you feel guilty – but I assure you it’s not fatal! The mere fact that you admit to the feeling is a great sign. It means that you have high standards and a functioning conscience, meaning your behavior barometer is working well. Super!

If the guilt you’re feeling is coming from something that happened years ago, remember this: You did the best you could at the time. You were not as mature or self-aware as you are now. It was an opportunity for you to grow, but you weren’t emotionally mature enough to recognize it as such… but now you are. Therefore, if those who you think you offended are still alive, go and apologize. Odds are they may not even remember it. And even if they do, they may not be holding a grudge like you’re probably thinking. Either way, admitting your feelings to them will set you free, and that’s what’s most important.

don’t wait

If the guilt you’re feeling is from something recent, swallow your pride, put your ego in the back seat, and go and tell them how you feel. Let them know that you sincerely regret saying or doing what you said or did. With today’s communication technologies, you might just call them or send a text. Again, how they choose to respond is irrelevant. Either way, you’ve done the very best any human could do. You’ve owned up to your behavior or lack thereof, and accepted responsibility for it.

In closing, we are all a work-in-progress, and we won’t be finished until the day we die. Guilt is not an enemy, it’s a friend… albeit a tough one. Guilt has motivated me on more than one occasion, and I’m grateful for it. I know that I’m a better “me” than I was before guilt elbowed me in the ribs and said “Wake Up!” And this is why I refer to guilt as The Great Motivator. I hope this post helped you in some way. Be well.

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Don’t “Poo Poo” the Placebo Effect

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On October 23, 2020

Don’t Poo-Poo the Placebo

In my earlier post entitled “Hypnosis: True or False”, I mentioned that I might do a post on the subject of the placebo effect. Well, here it is! It’s a fascinating subject that is well worth exploring further. Hope you learn something from it.

When people hear the word placebo, they generally think of it as something fake, or of no value. But there’s nothing fake about the positive, documented results the placebo effect can produce. We humans like to think we’re too intelligent to “fall” for a placebo. Our egos simply cannot accept the idea of a phony medication doing anyone any good. In other words, we don’t like the idea of being “tricked” into healing, but it happens every day. And the bottom line is that the body knows how to heal itself!

Medical doctors are very familiar with placebos, and they use them… probably more than we realize. The fact is, well over 1/3 of all manufactured drugs are no better than a sugar pill. So, what’s really doing the healing? The answer is… the wisdom of the human body! Our body knows exactly how to heal itself – IF we just get our egotistical, doubting minds out of the way. The following is a true story of a man who had a miraculous healing by way of a placebo. It also tells what happened when he began to doubt his reason for healing.

A true story

In 1950, Dr. Bruno Klopfer had a patient referred to as Mr. Wright. Mr. Wright was hospitalized and expected to die from cancer within days. Having heard of a new wonder drug called Krebiozen, Wright asked to be included in the hospital’s test of the new drug. Initially he was rejected because doctors thought that he was too far gone to benefit from anything. But Wright was convinced that Krebiozen would save his life, so he persisted and was ultimately accepted into the study.

Dr. Klopfer gave Wright an injection of Krebiozen – but didn’t expect to see any positive results. Wright was bedridden in feeble condition, gasping for air. The next day, he was on his feet, walking up and down the halls, telling the story of his miraculous recovery to everyone! What’s interesting is that none of the other patients in the study experienced any benefits from the drug whatsoever. Mr. Wright was the only one who had positive results. The tumor masses in his body had melted away by 50% in just 3 days. It’s important to note here that Wright only receive one single injection of Krebiozen. No other medications were used. Wright left the hospital shortly thereafter almost entirely symptom free, and even took a flight in his own airplane with no significant discomfort at all.

belief changes the outcome

After 2 full months of good health, Mr. Wright saw reports on the news that Krebiozen wasn’t as effective as doctors had hoped. This news caused Wright to relapse right back into the disease and his tumors quickly returned. Back at the hospital, doctors convinced Wright that they would give him a new “double strength” dose of the drug. In reality, they injected him with pure water! In no time at all, Wright was healthy and tumor free once again. Two months later the AMA released their findings on the effectiveness of Krebiozen. Their conclusion: “Nationwide tests shows Krebiozen to be a worthless drug in treatment of cancer.” After hearing this, Wright died within a few days! So, it’s not the power of the pill that heals, it’s the power of one’s belief.

case study

Another interesting study was conducted in 2002 by the Veteran’s Administration and Baylor College in Houston, TX. The study was to determine the effects of “placebo” arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee. Results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in July of the same year.

There were 180 people who participated in the study. They were broken down into 3 groups. All members participating in the study were informed that some would receive actual surgery and some wouldn’t. Members of group 1 were given standard knee surgery where surgeons remove the damaged tissues. Members of group 2 were treated with an arthroscopic lavage that flushes out damaged cartilage. With group 3, participants underwent simulated arthroscopic surgery. There were incisions made in the skin only, but no surgery was performed on the damaged tissues in the knee. Sounds and videos of an actual surgery were played during this procedure to make the experience as “real” as possible.

After 2 years of follow-up examinations, ALL members of the study experienced similar results in pain reduction and functionality. What was most surprising was that the placebo group had even better outcomes than the other 2 groups!

the mind can heal the body

These true stories clearly demonstrate the awesome power of the body’s ability to heal itself… once you get the mind out of the way. This is essentially the way hypnosis works in certain cases. It bypasses the “critical factor” in the conscious mind and goes directly to the powerful sub-conscious mind. The sub-conscious mind and the body are in constant communication, and they know how to heal whatever needs to be healed.

The main reason why we have to bypass the conscious mind is because it thinks it’s in control. In reality, it has control over very little. The conscious mind is where the ego is – it thinks it knows everything about everything and is never wrong! Yes, it’s egotistical and highly resistant to changing. But it’s not all bad, and it plays an important role in our daily lives. There are many things it does very well.

just a tool

That being said, I think it’s also important to point out that not all of what we can do with hypnosis involves the placebo effect; in fact, very few procedures are dependent upon it. It’s just one small tool in our hypno-toolbox… just like the sugar pill is only one option for medical doctors. The vast majority of the work I do, has to do with making changes to my client’s beliefs and perspectives. Most of my clients have problems because they’re living with an outdated, obsolete belief somewhere.

Like most everything else, many of a person’s present-day problems are rooted in a belief they picked up earlier in life, possibly even in childhood. They don’t remember when or where they got it… but it’s there nonetheless. And perspectives (points of view) regarding their problem – or the cause of it – can be just as troublesome. These are what require the most attention in the majority of my sessions.

the bottom line

The bottom line to all of this is that we humans are amazing and complex creatures. In some ways brilliant, while at the same time quite primitive. It’s a good thing that our bodies know how to heal themselves, otherwise we would have gone extinct long ago! The body is an amazing bio-mechanical machine, complete with a built-in monitoring system that can detect the slightest malfunction, and correct it. And it does so without the conscious mind even knowing about it.

The sub-conscious mind never misses anything… ever! It works hand-in-hand, night-and-day with the wisdom of the body, to keep us alive and well. Moreover, the placebo effect is just a tool that is occasionally used to access and affect the sub-conscious mind directly. It’s the power of belief that makes the placebo effect possible. Beliefs are more powerful than anything you can get at the drug store – and a lot cheaper! If someone really believes that something will work, odds are it will. There’s nothing phony about their healing.

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The Benefits of Gratitude

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On October 8, 2020

the benefits of gratitude

The benefits of gratitude are numerous. Read on to learn how gratitude can change your entire outlook on situations, experiences, and life in general.

So often people complain about things in their life. They say things like “I hate my job”, “Why did I get involved with him/her in the first place?” “I’ll never get over that bad experience” (or whatever it might be). Whenever we focus our attention on any experience or situation that we don’t like, it only makes us feel worse. Admittedly, it’s tough to focus on something else when you’re right in the middle of some challenging or unpleasant situation. However, its only by changing our point of view that we are able to escape its negative effects.

One of my favorite tools for helping someone alter their viewpoint and escape from the effects of a challenging experience, is called Reframing. I’d like to share with you a personal experience that exemplified reframing very well. Back in the 90’s there was a TV show on PBS called “The Joy of Painting, with Bob Ross”. Bob could create an amazingly beautiful painting in only about 20 minutes. I really enjoyed his shows and decided to give it a try for myself. It took some practice to learn, but eventually I got the hang of it and made some pretty nice paintings.

THE 2-COLOR EXPERIMENT

One day I was curious to see if I could do a painting by using only 2 colors. I chose Brown and Indian Yellow. I painted a picture of an old, abandoned cabin and a broken-down, horse-drawn wagon. Finally, I put some trees and shrubs in to fill up the spaces, along with some birds in the sky in the background. When it was finished, I thought it was okay, but nothing to get excited about.

Fast forward about 10 years. A neighbor lady stopped in one day – don’t remember why. I had a few of my favorite paintings on my walls, and a stack of other paintings that I wasn’t really crazy about. As she flipped through those paintings, she stopped on my 2-color painting. Much to my surprise, she loved it! So, I just gave it to her. Afterall, I was never impressed with it. It’s important to note here that I had never framed the painting, I just didn’t think it was worth it. But she liked it and said she’d get a frame for it.

the benefits of gratitude

A few months later, I went to her house to see how it looked. She had several beautiful paintings by real artists in her house – I was impressed with how good they were. Then, I couldn’t believe my eyes! Right there, prominently displayed alongside those professionally produced paintings, was MY painting with an immaculate frame around it. I was absolutely blown away! It was powerful, vibrant, alive, and just as good as all the other paintings! Laughingly I told her that “if I knew it was that good… I would have kept it!” She laughed.

My point here is that the frame can change everything inside it. And this is one of the ways I help people – by teaching them to look at their problems from a different angle or perspective. Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “When you change the way you look at something, the thing you’re looking at changes”. This is so true. A new frame made my “so-so” painting look incredibly good, and a different perspective can change how we feel about virtually any problem or situation. We are so quick to judge things as being either good or bad. But these are only judgements. What’s good to one person may be considered bad to another person. It’s really just a matter of personal perspective… a different frame.

TOUGH TIMES FORCE GROWTH

In my own life I’ve experienced some pretty heavy things. But it was exactly those heavy things that taught me to look at things from a higher perspective. One question I often ask my clients is “In what way(s) are you a better person because you had that experience?” It’s the tough experiences in life that make us grow, and teach us wisdom. Those who refuse to grow – always end up being bitter, angry, resentful, pessimistic, or just plain miserable. The hard knocks of life have taught me to develop an “attitude of gratitude”.

It was the tough times that helped (or sometimes forced) me to grow – much more than the easy times. Looking back, I appreciate those “tough” times, and I’m grateful for them. I wouldn’t want to go through them again, but I appreciate them none the less. And I’m grateful because it was the tough times that made me who I am today… and I like me!

Life is like the yin/yang symbol above. In every situation, there’s an up-side and a down-side. Nothing is 100% good or 100% bad. It’s all a matter of perspective. Taking the higher perspective (reframing) allows us to see the big picture which helps us to see both sides of the story, and much more. So often we let our pride and ego lock us into a less-than-satisfying point of view, belief, or situation. Many people are either stuck in the past over some experience, or living in fear of what the future might bring.

the benefits of gratitude

Developing an attitude of gratitude can reframe your world! Be thankful for the wisdom you learned from the tough times; they served a positive purpose. And realize, that if you could make it through those tough times, you can handle anything that comes to you in the future.

If you can see this page well enough to read it, be grateful for your eyesight! If your eyesight is such that you can’t read it, be grateful for all the years you did have good eyesight. At least you have the good memories of being able to see well. Some people are born blind – but that doesn’t prevent them from developing their other senses to compensate for it. Besides that, they don’t miss what they never had. There is always something to be grateful for.

YOUR THOUGHTS AFFECT YOUR BODY

Gratitude is so powerful that it affects our biology, physiology and overall health. Being grateful actually has a positive effect on our respiration and heartrate by slowing them down and lowering our blood pressure. It also reduces stress and anxiety levels. Lower stress levels boost our immune system and enhance our body’s healing capabilities. An attitude of gratitude enhances our cognitive abilities, allowing us to think more clearly. It may not always be easy to be grateful, but trust me… finding the upside is well worth the effort.

Here’s a very easy way to start developing your gratitude levels: Every day, write down 3 things you’re grateful for. You can write more, but start with just 3. Read through your list every day, and avoid repeats, no duplicate words. Do this every day for 14 days to start with. You’ll be surprised at how many things you can think of! Soon… very soon, you will build a new frame around your world, and view your life from an entirely different perspective. Give it a shot. Develop your own Attitude of Gratitude. I’m even grateful for my ability to write this post, and for those who choose to read it!

Call for a Free Consultation 724-691-3928

Self-Awareness is Key!

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On September 23, 2020

self-Awareness is key

There are dozens of mental and psychological problems, each one having its own unique traits. Yet underlying all of those problems and traits is one key condition… a lack of self-awareness. Without self-awareness, there can be no recovery.

So much of our time is devoted to things outside ourselves. Everything in our environment grabs for our attention, often to the point where we ignore what’s going on inside. From TVs, cell phones, and computers, to people, careers, responsibilities and relationships, all are constantly competing for our attention. When we lose touch with our feelings, our inner-self, we are at the mercy of literally everything on the outside.

Now it’s true that we all can’t become recluses, hermits or monks, but it’s vitally important to reconnect with our inner-self. That inner-self is who we REALLY are. Unfortunately, many people never make that connection; they suppress that soft, inner voice that’s begging for attention. And the price of doing so is huge! Money can’t fill it, relationships can’t fill it, drugs and alcohol can’t fill it, other people, power and careers can’t fill it. Nothing on the outside can fill that inner emptiness.

That inner emptiness never leads to anything good. Relationships fail, drug and alcohol addictions skyrocket, careers fall apart, and it sometimes even leads to suicide. How many “famous” people have gone into the gutter, losing everything they worked for? How many have committed suicide? Way too many. Elvis Presley was an example of someone who had everything they could possibly want… physically speaking. Yet, in the end, his inner emptiness led to drug addiction and ultimately to his death at age 42. So sad.

self-awareness is key

It’s interesting to note that little children don’t have this problem; they wear their feelings on their sleeves. Children are 100% honest and still connected to their inner-selves. They don’t hate, they don’t judge or seek revenge, and they don’t carry grudges. They easily forgive and forget the negative stuff in life, and get right back to being pure, innocent, loving little beings. Childhood is a very special, and even magical part of the overall human experience. Sadly, it’s a phase that gets overshadowed by gradually being subjected to the fears, injustices, challenges and unexpected “bumps” in the road of life. Growing up is unavoidable, but it’s important to reconnect with our inner child, and the feelings we tend to repress.

The Greek Philosopher Socrates said: “The unexamined life is not worth living”. There’s a lot of truth in that statement. And there are literally millions of people who have never re-connected with that childlike, inner-self… their TRUE self. As a result, there are more “chronic” illnesses and conditions in the world than ever before! And they all have essentially the same root cause… it’s a person’s disconnection with their true inner-self, a lack of self-awareness.

Modern medicine does a fabulous job of treating acute conditions. If you get busted up in a car wreck, or have some other serious physical problem, they are able to handle it superbly. Sometimes it’s only with medications, sometimes it’s with a combination of medications and surgery. Either way, they have a high success rate. However, they are severely lacking when it comes to treating psychological and emotional issues – because they are NOT physical problems. They can treat the symptoms of these types of problems, but that only prolongs the condition. Pills and surgery cannot treat the non-physical root of the problem. Therefore, it never really goes away – and becomes chronic.

self-awareness is key

So, what other options are available? How do you reconnect with your inner-self and truly become self-aware? Actually, there are some very effective ways. But in order for any of them to work, one must be willing to put forth some personal effort and dedication. Living in this “instant gratification” world can be challenging. But like it or not, reconnecting is necessary. This is the first step in making personal changes. Unless you’re in it “head, hands and feet”, you’re wasting your time. For lasting changes to happen, you must be committed to the process.

For those of you who are ready to commit to reconnecting with your inner-self and becoming more self-aware, here are a few options to consider.

Yoga or Tai Chi

Yoga and Tai Chi are great methods for reconnecting. They both involve gentle physical movement and mental focus. The body and mind are connected – far more than most people realize. When you slow down the body, the mind will follow… and vise-versa. Learning how to slow down and relax both physically and mentally are essential in reconnecting with your inner-self, and becoming more self-aware. This process of learning how to be quiet, slow down, and listen, will help you to open up to your inner-self. Quietness can speak volumes… if you’re willing to listen.

Meditation

Although yoga and tai chi both involve a degree of meditation, sometimes their physical demands are too much for some people. Meditation on the other hand, does not require any strenuous physical activity. The important thing is to learn how to relax deeply, usually by focusing upon your breathing. Practicing meditation on a daily basis can definitely help you to learn how to slow down. It can also help you to focus your attention inward where it’s needed the most. In addition, playing soft music in the background can make the process much easier.

self-awareness is key

Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy

Being a hypnotherapist, I am partial to the use of hypnosis for helping people to develop their self-awareness. I have often told people that hypnosis is basically “meditation with an agenda”. The hypnotic state and the meditative state are virtually the same. The only difference is that hypnotherapy has someone to guide you through the process.

A hypnotherapist is one who is trained in various methods that help you to stay focused and on track with reaching your personal goals. Along that track, you will have “ah-ha!” moments where new insights into your problem will present themselves. These moments will make things clear to you. And when you are mentally clear about what your problem really is, the solution to the problem will become clear as well.

When you become clear about the problem and the solution, you ARE becoming self-aware! And once you experience self-awareness for the first time as a grownup, you’ll want to experience it again and again! It is an amazing, liberating experience!

Self-awareness really is the key to reconnecting with that little child of years gone by. He/she is still in there, patiently waiting for you to come full-circle, and reunite with your true essence. It’s a beautiful thing to experience. And as a hypnotherapist, it’s a beautiful thing to witness.

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How Hypnosis Works

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On September 8, 2020

How Hypnosis Works

Many people ask me how hypnosis works… a reasonable question to ask. There is a lot of curiosity about the subject and very little good information available on it. So, in this post I will attempt to answer the question as best I can – hopefully without getting too technical about it.

I think the best place to start would be to explain what hypnosis is. Hypnosis is a totally natural mental state that we all experience every day, but most people don’t know it. In the morning when you’re just beginning to wake up, before you start to think about anything or become aware of your surroundings, that is the hypnotic state. And the same hypnotic mental state occurs again at night, right before you fall asleep. Notice I said “before” you’re asleep and “before” you’re fully awake. The hypnotic state is NOT sleep. It’s in between being asleep and awake. It’s normal and natural.

When we are in that state, our conscious mind is basically offline – again, a normal and natural occurrence. Back in the 1700’s a Scottish surgeon (Dr. James Braid) discovered that people in that mental state were more open to suggestions and new ideas than when they are fully conscious. This makes sense because the conscious mind is where the ego is. The ego works well for some things but tends to be rigid, defensive, and isn’t very open to making changes. It can actually be a barrier to learning new things that will help us to grow and heal.

How hypnosis works

The sub-conscious mind however, is open to learning new things. It has no ego. The practice of hypnosis or hypnotherapy uses guided imagery and suggestions to bypass the conscious mind and gain direct access to the sub-conscious mind. In reality, it’s the sub-conscious mind that’s running the show, the conscious mind just thinks it is! When working directly with the sub-conscious mind, miraculous changes can take place with no conscious effort.

Unlike the conscious “ego” part of the mind, the sub-conscious mind doesn’t judge things; it accepts everything as being real and true. So, when we modify a troubling memory or feeling for example, it will accept it without resistance. For example, a person who is suffering from chronic pain can easily reduce their pain through the use of hypnosis and imagery. Our imagination is not imaginary – it’s real, and very powerful. By feeding the sub-conscious mind a suggestion (idea) that the pain is decreasing, it will respond by giving them the sensations of reduced pain. It’s quite amazing!

how hypnosis works

It’s important also to point out that hypnotic suggestions are NOT commands. The sub-conscious mind is very open to reasonable suggestions but can be resistant to authoritative commands. This is a good thing because one of its many jobs is to protect us. So, nobody can be “hypnotized” against their will to do anything they wouldn’t normally do when they are fully conscious. Besides, for a hypnotist or hypnotherapist to even attempt such a thing would be totally unethical.

The ethical use of hypnosis can help a person to bring about desired changes in the way they feel and act. It has proven to be very effective in treating things such as anxiety and panic attacks. It does so by helping the person to learn what’s really causing their anxiety, and also by helping them to come up with more productive solutions for dealing with it.

As mentioned above, hypnosis has also proven to be very effective in treating people who have chronic pain. In this case, the use of guided imagery can literally teach a person how to control their pain levels. This is a tremendous benefit! In many cases, chronic pain sufferers are able to reduce, or even eliminate the use of strong medications that can cause serious negative side effects.

In addition, hypnosis is also highly beneficial for people who have experienced some traumatic event in their life, and can’t get over it. It accomplishes this by making little changes to the actual memory of the event. When you make changes to a memory, it changes the way you feel about the experience. You don’t forget the experience, but it no longer has any power over you. It’s very liberating.

how hypnosis works

You might be wondering how we go about making changes to a memory. It helps to look at a memory as nothing more than a recording, like on a tape or CD. If you think of it as being like the magnetic strip on the back of a credit card, you know that if you drag a magnet across that strip, it scrambles the recorded data. Well we obviously can’t do that with a memory in your head! But what we can do is modify the details of the memory in a number of ways.

By using your imagination, you can do things like change the color, sound, texture and any other details in the memory. Like I said before, the sub-conscious mind can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined. It will accept the new data as being just as real as the original! Consequently, your feelings about the event will change, and that troublesome memory will become just a memory that doesn’t bother you anymore.

One of the people I learned Medical Hypnotherapy from was a career Chaplin in the Army… a Brigadier General by the name of Dr. Paul Durbin. And he used to say: “Anything the mind has caused; the mind can cure”. The mind is a powerful thing. Everything that’s ever been discovered, built, created or achieved… began with someone’s imagination and beliefs. Imagination and Beliefs are POWERFUL… and they’re free!

Your imagination & beliefs can make you sick, or they can help make you healthy. Like I said, imagination is not imaginary… it’s real… and it’s powerful. And beliefs, whether they’re true or not, are more powerful than any drug on the planet.

how hypnosis works

In my Hypnotherapy practice, I use 3 main tools: Imagination, Imagery, and relaxation. When you combine these 3 powerful tools, you can do a lot of good. And that’s my mission… to do a lot of people, a lot of good.

In summary, hypnosis works by helping a person who is suffering from a physical condition, an emotional condition, or both. It does so by teaching them how to access the tremendous healing abilities of their own sub-conscious mind. It is infinitely more powerful than the conscious mind. It knows what the real problem is – and the best way to fix it.

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Hypnosis: True or False?

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On August 23, 2020

Hypnosis: True or False?

This post presents the truth regarding some of the most common myths, misunderstandings, and beliefs about hypnosis. Hypnosis is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the world; that’s why a lot of people are afraid of it. My goal is to explain it in such a way as to help readers understand what it really is, and just as importantly… what it’s not! I’ve been using hypnosis to help people for over 30 years. I speak from experience. Hopefully, this post will enlighten readers a bit by taking the mystery out of it.

#1. Probably the most common misconception about hypnosis is that it will MAKE you do (or not do) something. FALSE. You always have Free Will – even in the hypnotic state. Just because you’re in the state of hypnosis doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your awareness or ability to choose. Hypnosis can HELP you make desired changes in your life, but it can’t make you do anything, or make you stop doing anything. In fact, without your proactive commitment to the process… it won’t help you one bit.

are you awake?

#2. The hypnotist puts you to sleep. FALSE! This whole idea about being asleep originated in the early days of hypnosis, back in the 1700’s. The first book ever published on the subject was by a Scottish surgeon named James Braid. In his book, Dr. Braid did in fact use the Greek word “hypnos” which means “the coming on of sleep”, not actual sleep. The Greek language is more specific than English. In Greek, there are 3 different words for sleep… unfortunately in English there’s only one. Dr. Braid wanted to change it, but this was back when they used printing presses and it would have been a huge job to change the word hypnos to something more accurate, so it remained the same. Consequently, this has caused a great deal of confusion ever since.

#3. You can be hypnotized against your will. FALSE! In order for a hypnotist or hypnotherapist to guide you into the hypnotic state, you must allow it to happen. You actually play an important role in the process, and unless you actively participate – you will NOT go into “trance”. Any resistance on your part will nullify your efforts to enter the hypnotic state, and neutralize all efforts to be helped by the process. You are an active participant.

Hypnosis: True or false?

#4. You can get stuck in hypnosis. FALSE! The hypnotic state is not like a coma, you can come out of it any time you want. Even if the hypnotist or hypnotherapist were to leave the room, you would still come out of it once you realized something wasn’t right. Remember, even in the state of hypnosis, you are fully aware of everything at all times. In fact, you are even MORE self-aware than you are when fully conscious! The state of hypnosis is similar to having a daydream, you’re highly focused on one thing, but still aware of everything around you.

#5. Only weak-minded people can be hypnotized. FALSE. First of all, when we look at the phrase “can be hypnotized”, it implies something being done to you. This is not the case. Entering the hypnotic state requires a 50/50 participation between the hypnotist and the client. I do my part and you do your part. I’ve been doing this work since 1992 and have NEVER hypnotized anyone! And the notion that only “weak-minded” people can be guided into the hypnotic state, is completely false. I’ve worked with highly intelligent clients as well as those who might be considered of lower intelligence. I don’t judge. Any person, regardless of educational level or intelligence can experience the hypnotic state if they want to. The fact is, you’ve experienced the hypnotic state thousands of times and didn’t even know it!

reality check

#6. It only takes one session to fix any problem you have. FALSE! Have you ever gone to a physical therapist who fixed you up with only one visit? Not likely. It typically requires multiple sessions to address a physical problem. In fact, people generally expect to return for several visits before the physical therapist releases them. Yet when it comes to hypnotherapy, many expect to get all fixed up in one session! Remember, the second half of the word hypnotherapy, is THERAPY. And just like physical therapy, it often requires multiple sessions to accomplish your goals. Granted, there are some small issues that can be treated with only one session, but be realistic. It may have taken years to develop your problem; you can’t expect to get rid of it in only one session. If that’s what you expect, that’s called magic – and it doesn’t exist.

#7. When under hypnosis you will say or do things you wouldn’t normally say or do. False. This belief comes from watching those so-called “stage hypnotists”. What they are doing – although it’s being called hypnosis – is NOT hypnosis… it’s Manipulation. Stage “hypnotists” know that you already believe that someone under hypnosis will say or do things they would not normally say or do, and the “hypnotist” is exploiting that belief to make money. It’s a very poor representation of a legitimate healing method. Personally, I believe it’s unethical. People in a hypnotic state will NOT say or do anything that violates their moral or ethical belief systems.

hypnosis: true or false?

#8. Hypnosis goes against my religious beliefs. This is not really a true/false issue, but I think it’s important to cover. I think that most of the concern comes from the belief that hypnosis can control your mind and beliefs in some way. With all the junk that comes out of Hollywood, and the bogus stuff that “stage hypnotists” do, it’s no wonder that a lot of people see it that way. I once did myself before researching it and looking at it objectively. Once I began to really study it with the intention of helping people, it became clear to me that hypnosis as done by an ethical hypnotherapist such as myself, is not about controlling anyone.

There’s no mystical power that I have to control people. My only objective is to do my best to help them. Hypnosis is just a tool, a method of helping people to regain their own control over the things that are causing them emotional or physical problems. Any tool can be use for good or evil. I choose the good.

hypnosis: true or false?

#9. Hypnosis is nothing but the placebo effect. False. Did you know that well over 1/3 of all prescription medications are no better than a placebo? Other studies have found that 50%-55% of the effectiveness of all prescription medications – is actually due to the placebo effect! Doctors know about the placebo effect… and they use it! The following quote is from a Dr. Steve Harris, MD at the University of Utah School of Medicine regarding antidepressant medications: “The placebo effect of most antidepressants is so large that it outstrips the total effect of the active drug in most studies, for as long as the drug is taken”. Learn more about the placebo effect Here.

The mind is more powerful than any drug and it can do amazing things – if we get our egos out of the way. That’s what hypnosis does; it gets your conscious mind out of the way so that the subconscious mind can do its job of healing. It’s been estimated that the subconscious mind is 30,000 more powerful than the conscious mind! The only reason mainstream medicine doesn’t take hypnosis seriously is because they can’t bottle it and sell it. It’s all about the money.

use hypnosis for a change

#10. Hypnosis can help me to make desired positive changes in my life. This brings us to our first TRUE! The key word in that statement is “help”. Hypnosis is a very effective and powerful methodology that can assist you in making desired, positive changes. These changes can be in the form of thoughts, feelings, beliefs, behaviors and/or perspectives.

You may be surprised to learn that most of our deeply-rooted beliefs were learned within the first 7 years of life. When you change a belief or perspective about someone or something, it automatically changes the way you feel. This is a scientific fact. How we think determines how we feel… ALWAYS. Hypnosis helps you to zero in on your troublesome, outdated beliefs or mental programs, and change them to something that is more in harmony with where you are today. Having an outdated belief is like letting a 5-year old determine the way you think, feel and act! No wonder we develop problems as adults!

hypnosis: true or false?

In closing, as you can see there are a lot of false beliefs about hypnosis. False beliefs are at the root of many social, physical and emotional problems. Our bodies automatically respond to our thoughts, beliefs and perspectives – either in a positive way or in a negative way. However, true freedom comes when we identify and update our internal programs (beliefs). It’s just like updating the software in your computer… everything simply runs better!

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What is Hypnosis… Really?

Posted by Jeffrey Lewis On August 8, 2020

What is Hypnosis… Really?

Answering this question is a great place to start. Most people have a fear of hypnosis, they think it’s some sort of mind-control. Or they think it’s just a bunch of B.S. that can’t do anybody any good. So, let’s talk about the mind-control part first.

Hypnosis is a mental state… a state of mind. For example, when you’re alone you have a different mental state than when you’re with a crowd of people. When you’re at work you have a different mental state than when you’re at home. We go through many different states of mind every day, it’s just a part of being alive.

Now when we mention the state of hypnosis, I know that most of you are thinking about those guys who do the stage-show stuff where they seem to be controlling the minds of those people on stage with them. Here’s what’s really going on:

Those people on stage are expecting exactly what the “hypnotist” is going to do with them, and so they go along with whatever he says. Looking at it from that perspective, you’re absolutely right about the mind-control thing. Those people are responding to what they EXPECT to happen to them for 2 reasons:

First, they don’t want to look foolish in front of the crowd by not complying with what the “hypnotist” tells them. And secondly, they don’t want to make the guy look bad by not playing along. So, they do exactly what he tells them. And guess what… this IS mind-control, NOT HYPNOSIS. It’s manipulation at its best. Personally, I wish these so-called “hypnotists” would be banned; they make my job 10 times harder! Besides that, I believe it’s unethical.

WHAT IS HYPNOSIS… REALLY?

The truth regarding mind-control is this: When someone comes to me with a problem (anxiety for example), their mind is already out-of-control when it comes to the issues that are causing their anxiety. My job is to help them regain their control and reduce the anxiety. I merely act as a guide by helping them to become aware of what’s really causing that anxiety, and to change their thoughts, beliefs and perspectives about it. Like Dr. Wayne Dyer said: “When you change the way you look at something, the thing you’re looking at changes”.

The methods I use are not manipulative in any way. They are designed to help people with serious problems to find better solutions to dealing with those problems… and that’s it!

The state of hypnosis is not spooky or something unnatural. We all go through the hypnotic state many times every day. Specifically, in the morning when we’re just beginning to wake up, and at night right before we fall asleep. It has to do with brain frequencies. There are mainly 4 mental/brainwave states: Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta. Beta is wide awake, Alpha is when you’re just really relaxed, Theta is that state mentioned above… almost awake and almost asleep, and Delta is when we’re asleep.

The Theta state can also be experienced via meditation, yoga and even bio-feedback. It is NORMAL. The therapeutic benefit of the Theta state is that the busy, conscious part of the mind is temporarily off-line. This is a good thing because it’s usually the conscious mind that judges, worries, makes excuses and causes problems. It thinks it’s running the show but in reality, it’s the sub-conscious mind that’s running it.

WHAT IS HYPNOSIS… REALLY?

There are many other times when you’re experiencing the Theta state. If you were ever watching a movie and someone said something to you… and you didn’t even hear them… you were in the Theta/Hypnotic state. When we daydream… same thing. When we’re driving on an inter-state highway, not really noticing anything along the road, that’s another example.

So as you can see, the Theta/Hypnotic state is normal, natural and nothing to be afraid of. And NO – you cannot get “stuck” there. It’s impossible. And NO, you will not say or do anything that you wouldn’t normally say or do in the Beta or Alpha state. Many of my clients are amazed at how relaxed the can become and still be mentally aware!

Now for those who think that hypnotherapy is just a bunch of bull and can’t do anybody any good, listen up. I’ve helped people that medical doctors and psychiatrists couldn’t help. I have watched people face to face as they got a profound breakthrough regarding a major physical and/or emotional problem they’d been struggling with… often for many years. I’ve helped people who have been hospitalized for their problem and it didn’t help them one bit. Believe what you want. I know hypnosis works.

In closing, the hypnotic state is 100% natural and safe. My job is to help people by guiding them to the answers and resources that are already inside them. I am a guide, a facilitator of healing. My clients heal themselves. They just need a little help, and I provide it.

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Western Pa Hypnosis