Creative Guided Imagery & Hypnosis
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What is Hypnosis through Guided Imagery
 
Guided imagery is a gentle but powerful technique that focuses and directs the imagination.     It can make a removal of a habit, such as smoking, much, much easier by simply reminding the subconscious mind what life was before they smoked that first cigarette.   Or it can help you to achieve your dreams by mental visualization of an future actitivity.  

Because it utilizes the subconscious and pre-conscious processes to assist with conscious goals, it can bring to bear much more of a person's strength and motivation to accomplish a desired end. So, subtle and gentle as this technique is, it can be VERY POWERFUL, and more and more so over time.

One of the most appealing and forgiving features about hypnosis through imagery is that almost anyone can use it. Although children and women probably have a slight, natural advantage, imagery skips across the barriers of education, class, race, gender and age,  It is truly an equal opportunity tool.

When listening to imagery that's been created in advance, the mind will automatically edit, skip, change or substitute what's being offered for what is needed. My recorded CD's that I give my clients will become a kind of internal launching pad for the genius of each person's unique imagination.

At Creative Guided Imagery, we use 5 kinds of Guided Imagery methods.

Improved Emotion Imagery: This is a simple imagery that changes mood, such as seeing yourself in your favorite place, or recalling a happy, peaceful time. Any imagery that can genuinely elicit feelings of love, care, safety and gratitude, will crowd out feelings of fear, anxiety, resentment and anger.

Desired Outcome Imagery: This is imagery that is used  for any desired outcome or goal, in all it's realistic particulars.  Imagining an easy and rapid recovery from surgery; a perfectly played game of tennis; or publically speaking for the first time , this method is used to gain confidence in an otherwise stressful situation.

Energetic Imagery: This is imagery that uses the notion of plentiful, coherent, free-flowing, unblocked energy as the underlying dynamic of good health.

Metaphoric Imagery: This is imagery that works with symbols instead of concrete reality, such as seeing a flower opening its petals as a metaphor for enhanced creativity blossoming again or the pulling of weeds in a beautiful garden to release old detrimental thought patterns.

Spiritual Imagery: This imagery evokes the wider perspective and peaceful feelings. Imagery that fosters a sense of oneness and connection with one's own spiritual belief in which deeply opens the heart.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are some really good conditions for making my imagery as effective as possible? Being relaxed; using all of your senses, especially your feeling sense; continued reinforcement by listening to CD's; going to the same place with the same music each time; using touch as a conditioning cue (such as putting your hands over your belly each time, and breathing deeply); not trying too hard or being too exacting about how you do this.

Is imagery the same as self-hypnosis? Yes.  Guided Imagery is hypnosis at its best.  Often, hypnosis depends on touch induction methods and verbal suggestions whereas Hypnosis through Guided Imagery only uses the soothing and nurturing of the client's imagination to lead them into the subconscious where they create new thought patterns of well-being. 

How often should I listen to the recordings? Everyone's needs are different, but it is recommended that you use a recorded imagery two weeks prior to your event or surgery.  In elimination of habits, use of the recording after a one-on-one session should be used consistently for 30 days.  This gives the brain ample opportunity to effectively re-wire itself to the new positive habits instilled through hypnosis.

Do I have to believe it will work for it to work? No. You just have to relax and have a great time using your imagination!  As with anything, the more you use hypnosis and/or the recordings the more you will feel a difference.  Many skeptics end up doing quite well with imagery because EVERYONE has an imagination!

How do kids do with guided imagery? Kids are naturals at this, responding to it easily and intensely, because they haven't had time to be acculturated away from this natural, inborn ability. Contrary to what many people assume, adolescents are excellent candidates for guided imagery, probably due, at least in part, to all those trancey hormones coursing through their overheated little veins.