Hello, my name is Lewis Heller and I am the current president for the Arizona Society for professional hypnotists otherwise known as ASPH. The purpose of this blog post is communicate the intention and utilization of hypnotherapy.
You see, hypnosis is really about communication. Since all hypnosis is essentially self hypnosis, this is about being able to communicate better with your internal self. We as hypnotists attempt to guide the inner mind to be able to understand and make changes that are beneficial. We have no supernatural powers. We just understand effective ways to assist people in internal communication and positive change.
Hypnotists understand that we cannot change the past nor know the future. We focus on living in the present. Many people who relive the past relive moments of sorrow and grief hence leading to a chronic feelings of depression. We also understand that many people anticipate future events which may never occur, yet this “living” the future can create anxiety. All we have is the present moment and that is all we have the capability of influencing.
Many of the clients we see are stuck in the past. They would like to do things differently if they could. They believe that if they had done things differently their life in the current moment would be different and perhaps more positive.
With this in mind, I would like to speak for a few moments about a new movie that was just released on June 6, 2014. Edge of tomorrow was a very interesting science fiction movie based somewhat on the concept of a previous movie called Groundhog Day. In this movie, Tom Cruise keeps reliving a critical day in the turning point of human civilization until he gets it right. The movie is quite humorous at times, displays moments of frustration at time, and very entertaining for the most part. What Tom Cruise is able to do in this movie, many of my patients would like to be able to do as well.
However, this movie is science fiction. We do not get this opportunity to repeat days that have not gone the way we want. Despite this, many of us relive agonies and disappointments over and over and over again with no ability to change the outcomes. What we can change is how we choose to respond or think about these events. We could also change what we choose to think about. Hence, focusing on the present in many ways is more beneficial then ruminating in the past. Helping someone to make these shifts can play a vital role in returning someone to a very productive and happy life.
It took Tom Cruise hundreds of “do overs” to finally get it right. In the movie, when he had no “do overs” left, and the pressure was on, all those characters involved rose to the occasion.
Isn’t it time that you move on with your life and rise to the occasions that are now in your present moment. Whether you are a student, an athlete, a business person, a professional, we all get bogged down in past disappointments. Allowing you to refocus on the present moment allows for success as well as enjoyment in the present moment. Keep that in mind so that when you are faced with your next challenge you remain focused on that challenge and just know that you are giving everything you have on that specific challenge. Unlike Tom Cruise, you will not have tomorrow to repeat it!
Be well,
Lewis Heller MD, MBA