You're driving down the same road, you've driven daily, to return home from work without realizing your mind wonders to the process of conjuring the evening meal   "What am I going to cook for the kids? Italian? Chinese..." or attentions safely shift to the unnecessary offensive gesture a competitive co-worker intentionally tossed in order to trigger you within that desiccated staff meeting, a few days ago "What was that about?" or that advertisement of an appealing movie witnessed last night "That looked good"... Before you realized it, you've approached the driveway, already in the process of parking the car, as you routinely do, without an added thought. The entire process of return from work escaped recollection without concern as safety capped familiar alertness that reassured an autonomic awareness for executing action.   It's something that happens to everyone, once in a while, or more often than preferred to confess. Although avoided at best when driving, it's a completely normal state and known as highway hypnosis. That's right... your brain did it on auto pilot; autonomic senses automatically secured safe travel, as your amazing multi-tasking mind offered a precious moment for indulgent analysis. Your subconscious reacted to the stop sign, appropriately, on the road you regularly pass to engage your desired destination; it didn't miss details yet simply dismissed insignificance as your main goal was to arrive home safely. Don't worry, hypnosis is a natural state, the mind uses, in countless occasions. The conscious mind's natural alertness decides when it is safe to multi-task concerns while accessing surroundings through accessed patterns of actions through many observations that we don't bother to analysis intimately (like how often traffic passes through the specific area and at what time of the day this detail is collected). Fortunately, our minds work nonstop, while we continue throughout the day at focused goals, in order to optimize the chances of survival. The subconscious, governs ninety percent of the human brain's activity, is our avid leader as well as our most devastated critique (or critic), leads direction to motivated action while discerning thought priority.  

In hypnotherapy, one understands control remains to the person who experiences the session. A hypnotherapist is simply an educated guide. Our subconscious is the master guide that opens the path to experience the insight of enlightenment in spirituality as well as the avenue to unravel the level of complexity within our personal issues. Enlightenment is achieved through faithful hours of serenity and dedication through diligence of research refraining from judgement of knowledge acquired. Faith in the self, the inner voice or subconscious, accepts the guided advice of the therapist through hypnotherapy, during the session. How can serenity help us, in a hasteful stress heaping life?

Not to separate spirituality from the mind, as this really isn't possible, let's consider, a quick brief. Prior, to the discovery of modern medicine, people who suffered diseases sought for what nature offered and divine aide.  As the study of nature and combination of mixtures evolved to medicine, we learned to trust, proven scientific methods of approach, to counter disorders, diseases, and ailments of all sorts. Oddly... the most over-looked fact remained abandoned in the shadows... The power of what nature provided and the healthy mind to heal the self, deduced irrelevant, (in contrast to lucrative private investments for expensive laboratory concoctions and pharmaceutical influence throughout decades of endless illnesses.

True, in dire circumstances, (odd how ailments accumulate accompanying   industrial advancements), we seek standardized medical assistance, such as chemotherapy for cancer.  Of course, after someone learns she has such a devastating disease, what reaction can be expected? Despair... Depression... Resentment... Anger... Loss... All stressful emotions proven detrimental to the physiology of the mind and body, as though the illness isn't enough. After placing faith in standardized medicine, the patient would actually believe all hope is lost. What if, at the acceptance of the diagnosis, the patient thought, "ok, one more hurdle to pass... I believe I can beat this disease without damaging the rest of my healthy cells," and chooses not to accept the doctor's treatments with the estimated percentage rate of survival. Instead, goes home with the sense of gratitude of being alive, welcomed every day of life with peace, love, serenity, and genuine gratitude wholeheartedly--without the sense of resentment or loss.  While, every night, prior to sleep, months after initial diagnosis, she chose to envision her cancer cells consumed by her body's white blood cells, with no doubts to disdain her belief. What was the worst that could happen--death was assured, either way--why not live emotionally to the fullest? Months later, shocking medical personal, her immune system combated the cancer, saving her life for years to come. So, where would she be, had she chosen otherwise--what quality of life would she have experienced, those crucial months, had she chosen otherwise?  

Despite deranged impressions stemmed of glutenous motives, facts luminated humanity, as truth was always open for the eyes to see and the ears to hear. Today, people globally accept that the power of the subconscious human mind surpasses the root of disorders, as countless miraculous healings can be explained naturally. Because life is an arena for warriors, we battle daily, regardless of conveniences.  It's the weapons we choose to defend ourselves with that matter the most; as weapons are words holding libraries of meaning, offering the foundation of a positive outlook that repels negative manipulation. 

"According to your faith let it be unto you." Mathew:9, verse 29. Bible, King James Version.

Faith is our steadfast fuel for belief.   It is not tainted with doubt, nor fragmented by others' motives. This is the power of our subconscious mind, when we reject non-beneficial (toxic) influences. Because the human mind is naturally open to influence, as a modern materialistic economy clearly arrays, each one of us is responsible for keeping our minds clean of undesired influence. Unfavored influences, including childhood trauma, can lead to potential self-degrade, harmful habits, or regretted decisions. Yet, the toxic cycle of accepting non-benficial influence continues, as unhealthy patterns ignore traumatic neglect. 

Meditation, much like hypnosis, is a state of extreme relaxation, where one focuses on a desired state of being. Enlightenment, with or without guides, concluded from faithful regimented sessions (much like payer) of meditation, offers a serenity of the mind, beneficial for clearer thinking.  The entire body relaxes, offering the mind an opportunity to recognize where pain in the body is located; in turn, balances breathe to achieve a state of countering stress. Stress, not only, is a conflicting factor in our modern daily lives, it is the proven instigator of diseases, disorders, and ailments of various kinds--heart disease (myocardial infarctions), neurological diseases, immune-suppresant diseases, psychological disorders, (sadly etc.).  As stress directly affects all cells in living organisms to the   devastating point of disfiguration.

Hypnosis can help, especially for circumstances requiring extended attention. Each case is   different, yet self-hypnosis can aide mild cases daily in relieving defined personal obstacles, before stress strikes in a cellular level.  Self-hypnosis is applied, as meditation, focused with positive emotions and affirmations, towards the self, with the genuine belief that trust (in the life source or Divine as one chooses to believe) will be doubtlessly fulfilled. In self-hypnosis, one aims to eliminate despair, depression, resentment, remorse... all negative emotions that keep us from our optimal beneficial ability to daily heal ourselves.

Let's face the facts. Life is best with good company. Good company is healthy company. Health is the result of commitment to applying care for the self. Good health is a balance that starts with an open mind to value the self, enough, to accept personal flaws without judgement or adopting them for a lifespan. Good health is earned in every evolving generation, just like everything else in life; it beckons for attention from every direction...   as the neglected inner child that seeks an endless perfection or the stifled inner self that chooses to unjustly attack   those who differ from its own internal self-image.   

Consider this, would you intentionally feed your child bad unhealthy food, when the option for good food is readily available to offer? Certainly not, a loving parent would instinctually respond. Is not your inner child worthy of equal care?   Oh so... What level of quality care can   parents offer to their children, when focus on the inner self has not been cared for so dearly in advanced? 

By resolving issues of early developmental trauma, we provide the opportunity for future generations to evolve with less trauma, providing less unnecessary obstacles for generations to endure and creating more opportunity for optimal quality lifestyles. 

We are born parents of our inner child in each of us. By caring for the inner self, we inadvertently reflect wise role models.

When meditation renders flooded by bombarding thoughts and self-hypnosis is impossible due to overexposure of daily stressors, impeded demands, and overwhelming anxiety, then through a trusted certified therapist, hypnotherapy can help the open mind. 

Written by, Chariklia Oikonomopoulou