Archive for May, 2008

Tobacco Hypnosis: “Cigarettes Are My Friend”
www.iwanttoquitsmoking.com The Stop Smoking Hypnosis people.


Practicing hypnotherapists hear many peculiar statements from smokers who ask for help in quitting. The idea that cigarettes could be someone’s “friend” is just one of them. One man believed that he couldn’t write music unless he was smoking. Others have been convinced that they couldn’t relax unless they were inhaling tobacco fumes. Those people were suffering from what I have come to call “tobacco hypnosis”. They had hypnotized themselves into some odd beliefs about the effects of tobacco and smoking.

It’s easy to understand how some of the “tobacco hypnosis” beliefs came about. For example, the notion that smoking is relaxing has a basis in fact. Taking a deep breath and holding it for a few seconds before exhaling does result in a relaxation response. The response of the body to deep breathing is so strong that it overrides the drug effects of the nicotine, which is a stimulant that increases muscle tension, raises blood pressure, and constricts circulation. Consider the power of suggestion , too. A great many people believe that smoking is relaxing, so relaxation becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. They relax while smoking because they believe that smoking causes relaxation. The power of that belief empowers the mind to actually reverse the drug effects of the nicotine.



Those kinds of beliefs can make it difficult for smokers to quit. After all, they’re not just putting down a bad habit, they’re giving up a friend, or worse yet, their ability to relax! Of course, all humans have the ability to relax without inhaling cigarette fumes, taking drugs, or a hot bath. However much some smokers may believe otherwise, we all have the capacity to take a break, or a deep breath, or to change our mood quickly with a smile, an expletive, or a good laugh.



The job of the hypnotherapist is to help clients loosen or blow out obstructing beliefs so that they can quit smoking easily. Humor works exceptionally well with “Cigarettes are my friend”. Simply look at the smoker quizzically, and ask, “Do you pull out cigarettes and have long conversations with them about all the things going on in your life? Or, maybe you put a pack on the pillow next to you and say ‘Good night’ before turning out the lights?” Usually, the response is a surprised laugh, and a smiling “no”.



The notion that cigarettes are relaxing can go up in smoke just as quickly. It’s simply a matter of explaining the stimulant effects of nicotine, and then having the smoker take a deep breath, hold for a few seconds, and then exhale as if blowing out cigarette smoke. Physical relaxation always follows, and without a single puff on a cigarette! Experiencing the relaxation from a deep breath is usually a strong convincer to a smoker who believed that they could only relax by smoking. And since, people usually relax when going into a hypnotic state, as well, it’s easy for the hypnotherapist to have them memorize the feelings for later.



Perhaps the most difficult and oppressive belief for smokers to give up is that cigarettes are “addicting”. Surprised that anyone could disagree after all the publicity that’s been given to the scientific research that’s been done on tobacco? From a hypnotherapist’s point of view, the word “addiction” means something different when applied to tobacco versus narcotics like heroin. And, making that distinction can be crucial in helping a smoker quit, because a smoker’s belief in addiction can turn into a self fulfilling prophesy of struggle and difficulty, hardly the ideal mindset for successfully quitting.



So what is the difference between heroin and tobacco? Someone addicted to heroin will go into withdrawal, feel sick and experience physical cravings too strong to ignore on a regular basis, say every 6 hours. Some smokers report having no cravings or withdrawal for 8 hours at work, “because smoking is not allowed”, although the first thing they when leaving is to light up. Others will forget cigarettes for an hour or two at a movie or church. And, no one seems to be awakened fifteen times a night by nicotine withdrawal. Once awakened a smoker may indulge, but it isn’t craving a cigarette that wakes them up in the first place. A heroin addict does not sleep through withdrawal cravings, or put off the next fix for a while just because it’s inconvenient.



This is not to downplay the difficulties that so many have had in quitting cigarettes. Their struggles, including cravings and unpleasant physical sensations, have been real, generated by a combination of supporting beliefs, and nicotine. Changing those beliefs is just one of the tools that hypnotherapist uses in helping smokers quit easily and for good.

About the Author

Wesley Anderson, DCH can be contacted through Healthy Life Centers at (888) 865-1870 and www.iwanttoquitsmoking.com

Technorati Tags: Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy, Hypnotism, 5 PATH Hypnotherapy, Hypnotherapist, Hypnotist

It’s such a struggle having to be positive all the time.

Having a good attitude. Seeing the bright side to everything. Life’s hard enough as it is and when that becomes apparent, sometimes it really *is* right and proper to really express yourself.

You know, emotions build up. Or should I say, energies build up. And up. It is just like a pressure beginning to rise – hardly noticeable at first, then more and more. The pressure grows, the energy gets denser and tighter. And then there comes the point where the energy body needs to have this pressure removed or else it seriously starts to hurt, seriously starts to unbalance body and mind – and that’s why and when people blow their tops, start shouting or the tears begin to flow.

Of course, the reason for this is a blockage in the energy system, a stopper in the flow that causes the normal energy flow to back up and creates this pressure scenario. When you take out the blockages, the energy rushes through and out and phew – what a relief! That’s when people say, “Oh that’s so strange, that feeling isn’t there anymore – I feel fine now!”

The classical EFT effect, if you will.

But here’s our special application – whining.

Whining is an activity to *express* backed up emotions just as much as a panic attack or a temper tantrum – just at a lower end of the scale.

Here, we are talking about blockages not in the “life-and-death” systems of the energy body but more like a nagging pain or a thorn in the foot.

Even so, when the pressure gets too bad something has to be done and then we whine – about the government, about our spouses, our children, our finances, the weather, anything really to release the pressure for a while.

Interestingly, if people were allowed to whine more frequently to their partners, their co-workers and strangers in the street, they might be more healthy in the long run. But our 21st century First World civilisation frowns upon those who whine, accusing them of having a bad attitude, shunning them at parties and overlooking them for promotions.

We soon learn that whining is NOT how to make friends and influence people (other than to walk away swiftly with a sense of disgust!) and guess what?

What happens to the unexpressed pressure build up which could have been released with a jolly good, “Oh I’m so fed up! It’s so unfair! Whaaa …”?

Well of course, it will have to be *expressed* *somehow* – in other and possibly more damaging ways. In addictions and overeating, in repetitive behaviours, exercise, compulsive cleaning or working, and of course, there are many substances that can come to our aid, producing a state shift and making us move somewhere else for a time where we are unaware of that pressure down there …

So I have decided that whining is indeed, healthy and should be seriously tackled on a regular basis as a prophylactic mental and physical health measure.

Hopefully, we can use EFT as we whine to actually target and unblock the energy flow which *causes* the whining in the first place and thereby not only drain the metaphorical/energetic puss out of the boil but actually heal what caused the boil in the first place – so more whining will lead to less, and less, and eventually we will actually be *really* able to display that “good attitude” of fortitude, pro-activity, strength and courage we have *pretended* to have had for oh so long.

So, and without any further ado, here is:

The EFT Whining Protocol

1. When the time is right, with or without another, sit down with an EFT protocol to hand.

2. Think about something that really annoys you about your life.

Please note we are not talking about major past issues of trauma and abuse in this case, but something you could really whine on about in no uncertain terms for ages. Pick your topic, take a deep breath and start whining.

Example. “Ok, about my wife. She *really* gets on my nerves. Always wanting to watch TV, can’t get her off the couch with a forklift truck! And that’s the least of it. The other day, she actually (insert next item) …”

3. As you whine, you tap. You may tap randomly or intuitively, or simply just tap the whole round, round and round, all through the whine. When you get to the Karate Chop point, you start again with the top of the eyebrow.

Please note: The tapping tends to get faster as you get into the whine. That’s alright and a natural response!

4. Continue until you:

a) run out of things to tap on;
b) feel lots better;
c) start laughing;
d) have somehow forgotten what you were tapping on.

To sum up:

Whining is a natural human activity that denotes the need for an energy release. In and of itself it is very healthy and prevents the need for escalation into cocain abuse, panic attacks, road rage and psychosomatic illness.

However, when the activity of whining is paired with the release and un-blocking effects of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), mind-body health is served in a profound way.

The EFT Whining Protocol is thereby fully recommended as a prophylactic measure and method for all.

Seriously!

Dr Silvia Hartmann is the author of “Adventures In EFT”, “The Advanced Patterns Of EFT”, and the AMT MET Certification programmes. A free EFT Emotional Freedom Techniques protocol can be found in the free downloads section at http://StarFields.org

Technorati Tags: EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, Energy Healing, Energy Psychology