How can it be used for positive benefit?
As you are probably aware, we have both a conscious and subconscious mind and it is our subconscious mind that controls everything we do. It is our emotional centre where all our instincts, whether through birth or learning, are kept; it is without reason or logic and everything in our subconscious is black or white.
One of the primary functions of the subconscious is to keep us safe - our instincts reside in our subconscious and it is these that we use when we find ourselves in an uncomfortable or frightening situation; this is known as 'fight or flight' - we either stay put and attack or we run away. All of us are born with this instinct and it stays with us all our lives.
However, sometimes our subconscious seems to make mistakes about what is an actual threat to our survival and when this happens it manifests itself as a symptom of some kind.
Perhaps the best way to explain this is by way of example. Take Public Speaking. This is a fear that, normally, has no rational basis - what can happen to you? OK, you might forget your words, or stumble over them, but that's hardly life threatening. And in your conscious mind you know that; but your legs still wobble, your palms sweat, your pulse races and your heart feels like it will burst out of your chest - your subconscious mind has, for some reason, decided that this is going to be your reaction and, as an instinct, this is how it's going to protect you. Our conscious mind can do nothing to alter it.....well, almost nothing.
This is where hypnosis and hypnotherapy comes into it's own. During the state of heightened awareness mentioned earlier, we can achieve total concentration on an idea. This total concentration means that ideas and suggestions can be accepted by that non-logical, subconscious mind.
The hypnotic state allows for the barrier that sits between conscious and subconscious to be bypassed and for the issue that is causing the problems to be addressed. Suggestions to the subconscious during the hypnotic state would over-ride that feeling of fear of public speaking and replace it with a feeling of confidence and self-assurance. And when that person with the fear of public speaking goes to make their presentation, that fear sitting in the subconscious will have dissipated and, as their conscious state was already aware, understand that there is no life-threatening situation to be feared.
