Hypnosis and Weight Loss | Video

There was a time in my life that a relative of mine had lost
weight, and she had used hypnosis to do it. As a result,
long before I was ever a hypnotist, I got to experience
weight loss as a result of hypnotic suggestion.

The problem was, though, once I stopped the hypnosis, the
weight came back. What I now know as a hypnotist is that
when our unconscious has a plan, it seeks to fulfill it,
even if the actions are to our detriment. It is not that
we are seeking to hurt ourselves, it is quite the opposite.
We are seeking to give ourselves the familiarity that we
"need."

For instance, if food provides some sort of comfort, we
will seek it out when we need to be comforted. We can
change our habits - with or without hypnosis - but if we
do not change the piece of us that has a need that it
sees our old habit fulfilling, odds are we may at some
point find ourselves in the same predicament in the same,
or similar way.

I am reminded of this today because of a couple of news
items. You may remember Carnie Wilson had had gastric
bypass surgery several years ago. She lost so much weight,
she even posed for Playboy. After having two children she
gained much of her weight back, and is now wearing a band
and losing weight.

The other news item is about gastric bypass, hypnotic
style. People under hypnosis are given suggestions that
they are having the surgery. The news story shows two
women for whom this approach appears to be working. The
doctor in the story is skeptical about what hypnosis can
do.

Interestingly, I would say that if someone is suggestible
enough to lose weight via this method, s/he may have a
better chance of keeping it off, given that hypnosis is
working with changing what the mind believes unconsciously,
which the surgery (obviously) does not. Stories like
Carney's are "proof" that while it can work, there are
ways that it can also fail. Might it be due to the
unconscious mind?

Of course I wouldn't say that it is. However, it is an
important component, given that there are estimates that
90% of what we do is driven by our unconscious. So while
it may not be able to be determined to be everything, it
certainly is unlikely to be nothing.

At the same time, in the last several weeks as I have
changed the way I eat, I have lost 10 pounds myself, and
I am more convinced than ever that what is in our food
is certainly an issue. Certain foods, regardless of
calories, seem to affect my weight more than others.
So it would certainly seem reasonable to me that if one
was able to alter a person's diet and preferences alone
with hypnosis, it is quite possible their weight could
be affected.

In the end, gastric bypass whether hypnotic or real
ultimately affects a symptom, and unless the cause is
addressed, it seems to me possible that there will
continue to be an issue. Interestingly, the surgery
is many more times expensive than the hypnosis and
likely, by its nature, to be many more times dangerous
as well.

As with anything, we have choices to make and the best
ones we make come with as many levels of understanding
as we can get. Learn what you can before you do what
you do and you will be more likely to succeed at what
you are trying to do.

If interested, below are the videos I have been
referring to. Have a great night!

For Video/News regarding Carnie Wilson click here.