The alert trance is a type of trance used by many hypnotherapists.

“What is hypnosis?
Will I be unconscious?
I don’t want someone controlling my mind while I am under!”

"Since I hear these remarks with such regularity I figured it was best to address the issue in an article.

Some kinds of hypnosis therapy do indeed depend on the client being in a deep, nearly unconscious, state of hypnosis. In this state the client lies silently with eyes closed and may appear to be sound asleep. This is a restful, soothing, and very blissful state in which the body is floating, the mind is drifting, and one is mostly unconscious of the hypnotist’s words.

Such a state is sometimes referred to as somnambulism. This state is quite useful for hypnotic anesthesia in surgery and is an excellent state in which to deliver hypnotic suggestions, because it is a highly suggestible state.

Since it is the state preferred by many clinical hypnosis practitioners, it is the one most often associated with the word “hypnosis” in the public imagination.

It is indeed a state in which the client’s conscious mind is mostly gone, and the subconscious can be manipulated by the hypnotist’s words.

The client often awakens with no memory of what happened, as if they were in fact asleep.

It has been repeatedly documented that a hypnotized subject will never do anything to violate their internal ethical standards of behavior. Your subconscious mind will keep you safe in a hypnotic trance. Hypnotherapists who have proper training operate in an ethical fashion.

The alert trance is another type of trance used by many hypnotherapists.

The client is in a state of expanded awareness, similar to meditation, in which the client is completely, acutely aware of everything that is happening in their inner world, although they may be largely unaware of the normal stimuli of their physical environment, like the sound of traffic outside or the buzz of a phone. In this relaxed but alert state, the client may experience very powerful memories that emerge from the subconscious mind.

During the alert trance session, at no time are you asleep or in any way unconscious. Nor will you ever feel out of control or experience any loss of memory of the guided imagery trance journey. Instead every detail is recalled.

We have discovered that we don’t need to be unconscious in order to be hypnotized effectively! In fact in the alert state of trance we may have more energy and clarity to do effective emotional release than in deeper states.

When we hypnotists use the alert state of trance, we empower our clients to continue this powerful work on their own to create the results they desire. "

Summarized from
Hypnosis and the Alert State of Trance
By David Quigley

HYPNOSIS SEATTLE.

My talented and generous friend Rowan Peacock is moving to Florida with her family. As part of the transition, starting NOW I am the proud and happy new owner of HYPNOSIS SEATTLE. Please visit me on my new website for lots of really good information about how hypnosis and hypnotherapy can help you, right now!

For all our friends in Florida please visit Rowan starting in July 2009 at Hypnosis St. Petersburg.

Brain Waves and Age

From birth to four, babies' brains operate in the delta state, with brain waves running below 4 cycles per second. In adults, this level of brain wave activity is experienced in the deepest levels of sleep.

From four to seven, children operate in theta state, with brain waves running between four and seven cycles per second. In adults, this level of brain wave activity is experienced during sleep and also during states of fear when the body goes into a 'fight or flight' response. This is a powerful level from which to initiate change. In this state, we only need one or two experiences of learning to change behaviour.

From the ages seven to fourteen, we live in the alpha state of seven to fourteen cycles per second. In adults, this is associated with light sleep, meditation, or eyes closed relaxation. At this level effective learning can take place after about 21 repetitions. Practice a new behaviour for 21 consecutive days and that behaviour becomes a habit. Research has shown that strong levels of physical healing can take place when the brain is at 10 cycles per second.

From puberty through adulthood the brain operates in the beta state, 14 - 21 cycles per second. This is experienced in the normal state of eyes open, awake and alert. In this state it may take many thousands of repetitions to learn a new behaviour. To create significant change in our lives at this level takes extensive deal of time and effort.

This info is from :Synthesis Learning
and NLP Learning Systems

Specific Brain Frequencies

The information below shows the effects of specific frequencies within each brain wave frequency range:

Delta Brain Waves ( O.5 to 4Hz)

0.5 Hz - Relaxation, helps soothe headaches
0.5 - 1.5 Hz - Pain relief. Endorphin release
0.9 Hz - Euphoric feeling1 Hz - Well being. Harmony and balance
2.5 Hz - Production of endogenous opiates (pain killers, reduce anxiety)
2.5 Hz - Relieves migraine pain. Produces endogenous opiates
3.4 Hz - Helps achieve restful sleep
3.5 Hz - Feeling of unity with everything. Whole being regeneration
3.9 Hz - Self renewal, enhanced inner awareness
4.0 Hz - Enkephalin release for reduced stress
4.0 Hz - Allows brain to produce enkaphalins, all natural pain killer
4.0 Hz - Full memory scanning. Releases enkephalins
4.0 Hz - Vital for memory and learning. Problem solving, object naming
1 - 3 Hz - Profound relaxation, restorative sleep. Tranquillity and peace

Theta Brain Waves ( 4 to 8 Hz)

4.5 Hz - Brings about Shamanic/Tibetan state of consciousness, Tibetan chants.
4.9 Hz - Induce relaxation and deeper sleep
4.9 Hz - Introspection. Relaxation, meditation
5 Hz - Reduces sleep required. Theta replaces need for extensive dreaming
5.35 Hz - Allows relaxing breathing, free and efficient
5.5 Hz - Inner guidance, intuition
6.5 Hz - Centre of Theta frequency. Activates creative frontal lobe
7.5 Hz - Activates creative thought for art, invention, music. Problem solving
7.5 Hz - Ease of overcoming troublesome issues
7.83 Hz - Schumann earth resonance. Grounding, meditative, Leaves you revitalized
3 - 8 Hz - Deep relaxation, meditation. Lucid dreaming
3 - 8 Hz - Increased memory, focus, creativity
4 - 7 Hz - Profound inner peace, emotional healing. Lowers mental fatigue
4 - 7 Hz - Deep meditation, near-sleep brainwaves.

Alpha brain waves ( 8 to 12Hz)

8- 10 Hz Super-learning new information, memorisation, not comprehension.
8.22 Hz - Associated with the mouth. Brings creativity
10 Hz - Enhanced serotonin release. Mood elevation, arousal, stimulant
10 Hz - Provides relief from lost sleep, improves general mood
10 Hz - Mood elevator. Used to dramatically reduce headaches
10 Hz - Clarity, subconscious correlation. Releases serotonin
11 Hz - Relaxed yet awake state12 Hz - Centering, mental stability.
11 - 14 Hz - Increased focus and awareness
12 - 14 Hz - Learning frequency, good for absorbing information passively

Beta brain waves ( 13 to 30Hz)

14 Hz - Awakeness, alert. Concentration on tasks, Focusing, vitality.
16 Hz - Bottom of hearing range. Releases oxygen/calcium into cells
12 - 15 Hz - Relaxed focus, improved attentive abilities
13 - 27 Hz - Promotes focused attention toward external stimuli
13 - 30 Hz - Problem solving, conscious thinking
18-24 Hz — Euphoria, can result in headaches, anxiety.

From Brain Wave States and How to Access Them

The Top Secret 5 foods that are making you fat.

The Top Secret 5 foods that are making you fat.

Never, ever eat these 5 foods.

1- High fructose corn syrup.

Read every label, this is the ingredient that interferes with your hormone that tells your brain that you are full. This one ingredient is suspected of being responsible for our obesity epidemic. Read your label. If you eat this you will stay hungry!

2- White flour / bread.

It is basically like eating sugar. It is stripped of everything good and has only starch that turns to sugar immediately in your body and spikes your blood sugar. Other white foods are bad, but sugar and white bread are the worst.

3- Breakfast Cereal

This can be the worst thing to eat! Eat sugary breakfast foods or fast food in the morning and you are doomed!

When you start eating this amazing organic, nutrient rich, super food smoothy for breakfast you will burn fat and have a clear head.

In a blender combine:
Organic sprouted ground golden Flax
Dark Berries, Fresh or Frozen
Whey Protein Powder
Organic Kefer or Goat Yogurt

4- MSG

Scary stuff ... and it is hidden in a lot of foods. It affects your weight, and it is used to make laboratory animals fat without increasing their food intake! It affects the hunger and weight control centers of the brain. And your body will feel bad after eating it, rather that the energy you get from really good foods.

5- Soda and Coffee

The acid balance in your cells determines if your cells will release fat or hold onto the fat. Diet soda is bad, and just because it is sugar free doesn't make it good for you.

Limit the amount of coffee, but even better switch to green tea.

And use fresh organic lemon (lots of it!) in your water to alkalinize your cells and lose fat fast! The alkalinity level of your body will make the fat fly off your body.


Wendi's Think Yourself Thin

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

Tip #1: Drink your water. So don’t wait until you get that thirsty feeling in your mouth. By that point you are already dehydrated, which can impair your physical and mental functioning. Don’t fool yourself into thinking any type of liquid counts toward your water intake. Liquids like coffee or cola dehydrate you.

Tip #2: Avoid sugar and simple carbohydrates. Sugar and simple carbohydrates get absorbed immediately into the bloodstream. In response, your blood sugar rises, and your body secretes insulin to bring your sugar level back down. Unfortunately, your body doesn’t know when you’ve stopped eating the candy, so it drops you down into a low blood sugar level by taking too much sugar out of your body. This is why people who rely on sugar for energy have highs and lows throughout the day. But candy isn’t the only culprit. Simple carbohydrates, such as a white bread sandwich and some dessert at lunchtime, can cause your blood sugar to drop after an hour or two. To avoid this, incorporate more proteins and complex carbohydrates into your diet. They won’t trigger blood sugar highs and lows, putting you more on an even keel.

Tip #3: Eat small meals. Have six small meals over the course of the day instead of three large ones. When you eat a big meal in one sitting, it overwhelms your body, causing it to work harder to digest the food. As a result, the digestive process diverts blood away from your brain and your extremities and uses it in the digestive track. With smaller meals, your body doesn’t have to work as hard.

Tip #4: Evaluate your lighting. Cool white fluorescent light tubes have a terrible effect on how people feel and function. A better option is full spectrum light, as these simulate the wavelength of sunlight. Studies have shown that full spectrum lighting provides many benefits: headaches disappear and afternoon fatigue declines, while productivity levels actually rise.

Tip #5: Take walking breaks. Walking gets your blood circulating, helps you breathe better, and stimulates your brain due to the increased blood flow. Take a five or ten minute walk during the day. Walking outside will give you the extra benefit of fresh air. If you don’t have time to take a walk, run up and down the stairs for two minutes. That will give you the same benefits in half the time.

Tip #6: Meditate. Meditation is great for rejuvenating your body. Each time you meditate, you’ll feel like you just took a six-hour nap. By meditating for fifteen to twenty minutes twice a day, you’re keeping your body continually energized. If you do run into a slump, meditating for a quick five minutes can immediately re-energize you. Physiologically, when you meditate, you go into a state that’s similar to deep sleep. Your heart rate, breath rate, and vital signs are lower than the normal state of sleep, so in effect, you give your cells and your body a tremendous amount of rest in a very short period of time.

Tip #7: Take your vitamins and supplements. Several vitamins have an energizing affect on your body so take them every day. You get the maximum benefit from your vitamins when you divide your dose throughout the day and take them with a meal. For example instead of taking 100 milligrams once a day, take fifty milligrams with breakfast and fifty with lunch. By doing so, you get much better absorption and greater benefit.

Tip #8: Listen to some music. Music can energize you, but choose carefully. Some music can actually weaken your system and fatigue you. Find some music you enjoy. Upbeat music can get your body into a more upward stance. If you are listening to music with lyrics, make sure they are positive and motivating.

Tip # 9: Take time to breathe and stretch. Deep breathing is another way to give yourself an energy boost. Your cells require an exchange of air in the lungs to get the waste products out of the body. If you’re not breathing enough, you’re getting a build-up of waste products. By doing some breathing exercises during the day, you’ll get a lot more fresh air into your system, your cells, and your brain.

Try this exercise: Breathe in slowly, filling your lower belly and stomach first, then the chest, and finally the shoulders while counting to seven. Then exhale slowly, starting to exhale at the shoulders first and finish with the stomach, again while counting to seven. Do this three to six times. When you do, you are dramatically increasing the exchange of fresh air in your body. Equally important is to stand up and stretch. When you stretch and move, you not only increase the blood flow in your body, but you are also stimulating the lymphatic system, which removes waste products from your body and only functions from muscular contractions. So if you are sitting for hours at a time, you are actually building up waste products in your body.

Tip #10: Handle negativity. Negative people and images can have a draining effect on your energy. Conversely, if you spend the day surrounded by positive people and images, you can feel energized by them. Make a conscious effort to stay positive. Replace any negative thoughts with a positive statement.

Understand How The Mind Works

Once you understand how the mind works, you will be on your way to making major changes in your life.

The conscious mind is our short-term memory.

It is the logical, reasoning, decision-making part of the mind. It's the part of our brain that controls our will-power. In order to make positive changes and become mentally fit, we need to be consciously aware of the need for change, be motivated to get better, and believe we can achieve our goal. The conscious is the part of the mind that is in-charge. It makes up about 12% of our brain-capacity.

The subconscious mind is our long-term memory.

It makes up the other 88% and it always hears, always pays attention and is anxiously awaiting instructions on how to help the proper way. It is the most powerful computer ever created, capable of running multiple tasks simultaneously. It does not judge, criticize, analyze or reject. It simply records and reacts. It does not understand, does not have a sense of humor and it takes everything literally.

The mind is like a computer. The subconscious is like the operating system, always on, in the background, doing all the basic functions that we don't have to "think about" such as breathing, walking, etc. The subconscious doesn't know the difference between fact and fiction; it just stores information and reacts according to the information stored.

Everything to the subconscious, whether real or imagined, is a FACT.

The conscious mind meanwhile, is in the foreground executing our behavior. This is where we get our "will-power".

Between the conscious and the subconscious is a sort of filter, called the "critical mind". (You probably know it as "critical thinking".) This filter helps to protect us, keeping us from taking in information that is incorrect or negative, sort of like our own personal little Spam-filter. Sometimes, however, negative or incorrect information slips through this filter and goes into our subconscious. Once it is in the subconscious, it is locked in and is very difficult to change, at least on the conscious level.

If we want to change a behavior, we just need to "hack in" to the subconscious and modify the existing belief system (reprogramming the operating system).

We do this through Hypnosis.

How many times have you tried to do something that required Will-Power, only to fail? It doesn't mean that you're weak. You see, the conscious mind, where Will-Power and Reason come from, only uses up approximately 12% of our Brain-Power. The other 88% comes from the subconscious.

While in hypnosis, the critical mind gets placed in the background, allowing the subconscious mind to open up and accept positive suggestions (like turning off the spam-filter to allow a specific program to download onto your hard-drive). In this way, we can "download" new suggestions into your subconscious to change your way of thinking, therefore helping you to achieve your goals!

It's very simple really. Once a suggestion is "downloaded" into the subconscious mind, it is considered a "known fact".

We often use self-suggestion in our everyday lives, many times without even realizing we're doing it. You see, it all has to do with the way that we perceive ourselves to be.

Our subconscious mind is innocent and naive. It tries to protect and help us as much as possible, and tries the best way it knows how. However, having the intelligence level of approximately a four year old child, many times it does not help us the proper way and needs to be redirected.

This is where hypnosis comes in. Hypnotherapy is a highly effective means of achieving habit control to correct problems.

Edited excerpt from The Reason Diets Don't Work by Sheila Kharfaoui