How to do Self Hypnosis … The Easy Way

People email us asking "How do I do self hypnosis" all the time. What if I told you self-hypnosis is easy, effective, and enjoyable?

I have a little secret for you. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. A trained hypnotist guides you into trance using a hypnotic induction, so you can access the part of you that knows the answer to your problem. The great news is, you can learn to do the same for yourself.

This article will teach you how to easily tap into your internal problem solver; your unconscious mind.

Conscious mind vs. unconscious mind

You can consciously pay attention to about 7 things at a time. As you read this article, you may start to be aware of the temperature of the room, the sounds around you, the way your clothes feel on your skin, or the rate of your breathing.

Did you notice those things before I pointed them out? Maybe not consciously, but a part of you, beneath your awareness, was recording all of it. This is your unconscious mind.

Your unconscious mind can process millions of bits of information per second. It notices the way your shirt tag feels on the back of your neck. It hears the clicks and whirs of the ventilation system. It records everything you see, hear, feel, smell, taste, and touch all the time.

Your unconscious has been recording your life in great detail since the moment you entered the world. It remembers every experience you’ve ever had, every book you’ve ever read, and every word you’ve ever heard. All of these experiences have been absorbed and helped to make you the person you are.

Imagine a giant museum that stretches out for miles and is many stories high. This museum is full of artifacts and books of knowledge. The museum is dark. A security guard inside has a flashlight that can only illuminate 7 things at a time.

During hypnosis, the security guard relaxes enough to allow you to shine light on the resources you need to solve your problem. The answer comes from inside your own personal museum, filled with your stuff, so it’s custom tailored to you.

Traditional therapy vs. hypnosis

When we try to solve our problems by talking about them and trying to figure them out consciously, we may tend to reinforce the problem. The problem starts to feel bigger and scarier and more insurmountable. We may think we know why we have the problem but we’re almost always wrong.

There’s a simple, effective way to access your unconscious mind and shine the flashlight on the solution.

Tell your unconscious mind what you want.

Your unconscious mind wants to give you what you want. It determines what you want by noticing what you focus on. If you focus on what you don’t want, your unconscious mind tries to give you that thing. That’s why focusing on the right things is so important.

For example: If you tell a child, “Don’t spill that milk.” the child must first form an idea of what it means to spill milk. The child's brain must then apply "don't" to the statement.

Under stress, the chances are actually higher that the kid will spill the milk before processing the "don't" part.

It would be more helpful to say, “Be careful with the milk.” This creates an image of being careful, instead of an image of spills and disaster.

When you think, “I really wish I could stop overeating”, your brain creates an image of overeating. Your unconscious mind thinks “overeating” is what you want and makes it happen. Instead you must tell your brain what you DO want, because what we resist, tends to persist.

If you say, “I want to be thin and fit.” Your brain creates an image of thin and fit and works to make it happen.

Here's How to Do Self Hypnosis

Step 1: Keep it Super Simple

Clearly state the following 3 things.

1) Duration of session: Decide how long you'll do self-hypnosis.
Example: I am going into a trance for 20 minutes

2) Purpose: Very clearly state what you want from the session.
Example: I want to eliminate these stressed-out feelings and feel more relaxed.

3) How you'll feel: What do you want to feel like  when you end the session?
Example: I will awaken feeling wide awake, refreshed, and alert. 

Tip: If you’re using self hypnosis just before bed, you may wish to say, “I will awaken feeling deeply relaxed and will easily fall sound asleep.

The part of you that’s always recording everything also records time. Tell your unconscious when to wake you up and trust it to do so. 

Step 2: Put Yourself in Trance (aka Hypnotize Yourself)

After you’ve made the above statement, it’s time to go into trance. Does the word “trance” make you think of Scooby Doo zoning out while the bad guy dangles a pocket watch in front of him?

That’s not what you’ll be doing. Trance can take many forms, but this article focuses on the deeply relaxed state that many people associate with meditation. It’s a very healing, nourishing state. Even if your mind wanders while you’re in trance, you can rest assured (pun intended) that your unconscious mind is doing the work you requested. Remember, it’s all happening beneath the surface.

This deeply relaxed state will allow your inner security guard to relax enough to let your unconscious mind find the perfect solution for you.

You may or may not be aware of the changes taking place but you can trust your unconscious mind to do the work.

How do I go into trance?

Going into trance starts with the belief that it’s easy to go into trance. If you find this hard to believe, just pretend you believe it. The results will be the same.

Remember, your inner genie works overtime to make your wish come true. If you say, “I don’t know how to go into trance.” or “I have a hard time relaxing.” Your genie will say, “Your wish is my command.” and make it so.

It may be helpful to say out loud, “It’s easy for me to deeply relax...” Say it even if it feels like a lie. Your genie will understand what you want and each time you practice self-hypnosis it will be easier for you to go deeper than the time before.

Step 3: Relax and Enjoy!

Now that you’re in a deeply relaxed state, you don’t need to do anything. Just let it happen until your unconscious mind awakens you. If your mind wanders, let it wander. Trust that your unconscious is doing the thing you asked. It’s working out the problem beneath your level of awareness.

You may experience, a floating sensation, or a sinking sensation. Or you may just feel like you’re sitting or lying with your eyes closed and nothing is happening.

Whatever you experience is just right for you.

I encourage you to experiment with self-hypnosis. You will notice subtle shifts that continue for days, weeks, or even months. When you tap into your internal resources, you recode and rewire your brain in ways that bring quick and lasting freedom.