As a middle school counselor in Campbell California in the late 1990s, part of my duties entailed reading the morning announcements over the intercom. This was in the days before televised newscasts as most schools have now. After reading assorted announcements from the principal and teacher, I would end with “Words of Wisdom.” The Words of Wisdom came from a character education program called Project Wisdom. projectwisdom.com There was a different inspirational message everyday. Topics included: encouraging others, integrity, role models, compassion, and self management. Each message ended with, “Make it a great day . . . or not, the choice is yours.” The students and staff loved the messages and they really helped promote a positive school climate. One day however, a 7th grade boy with a disgruntled look on his face, came up to me after the announcements and said, “Are you trying to hypnotize us!?”
Even further back in time, as a first grade teacher in 1991 I devised a process to help my students manage test taking. Before a test I would ask them to close their eyes and take a deep breath. Then I would ask them to pretend that they were taking the test and feeling really good. “The answers are all in your mind and it is so easy to write them down on the paper. Even if you don’t know one or two of the answers, you don’t worry about it. You skip any you’re not sure of and go back to them later. You feel great about yourself because you know that you are trying your best.” After this the students were instructed to open their eyes and we would begin the test. Although I did not do any comparison studies, I believe that not only did my students perform better on tests due to this process, they also felt more calm about taking tests, and perhaps most importantly, felt better about themselves from the experience.
Looking back on both of these situations, one could propose that I was, in fact, utilizing hypnosis. Certainly I did not think of it in that way at the time. Today meditation is now taught and utilized in many schools. However, to use the word hypnosis, or even meditation at that time could have meant trouble for me with parents and the school board!
So what is hypnosis? There are many different definitions of the word. Most hypnotherapists would agree with the following definition of hypnosis: Hypnosis is a state of inner absorption which assists a client in altering some aspect of perception, thought, emotion, or behavior. In my work now as a hypnotherapist and mental health counselor, I use hypnosis with clients regularly. After assisting the client in relaxing the body and mind and focusing on their inner world, I give suggestions for enhanced wellbeing. Of course sometimes it is a bit more complicated than this, but this is the basic format.
Remembering my work in the schools, I often used my voice in specific ways to assist students in becoming calm. As a teacher and counselor, I was in a position of authority, in a role of frequently giving suggestions. In effect, I was using an informal version of hypnosis. When you think about it, informal hypnosis is all around us, some of it positive, some of it negative. Television and the internet offer prime examples. In my work with clients, I invite people to take a closer look at their own inner programmimg, and then empower them to revise that programming to better serve them.