“Military Hypnosis” is an accepted term for a “specialist application of the normal tehniques of hypnotherapy.” According to the School of Hypnosis department of the College of Management Science in London, England, it applies to four major categories while in active duty. It is used in 1. Battlefield analgesia -where access to pain killers is not practical, 2. Surviving pain or mental pressure under torture, 3. Convincing a captured enemy to co-operate and 4. Enhancing battlefield performance or special operations. That’s quite a bit to take in. Yet, with a little research and common sense, it becomes quite clear early on that military applications for hypnosis go much further. Whether you want to investigate Radio-Hypnotic Intracerebral Control, used by the Russians as early as 1930, or present day treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, one trail to follow is how the military introduces hypnosis through the terms “allowing” and “conceptualize”.

If you go to school to get certified as a hypnotherapist at The Northwest School of Hypnotherapy in Portland, Or. both terms will come up in the first week – it’s a familiar way to introduce some of the more advanced concepts that need to be understood and applied later to be a effective hypnotherapist. If you’re in boot camp, the same terms may apply to become an effective soldier. Read more »

In a culture where alternative medicine has been accepted practise for centuries, I was surprised to find hypnotherapy is just coming into vogue.
Although the somewhat modern age of hypnotherapy was ushered in by Jan Zhou in the 18th. century, it is still commonly referred to as “social constructionism” or “role-playing theory.” This theory suggests that the subject and “hypnotist” are really engaged in a role-play relationship, and therefore there is no hypnotism going on at all ( sounds very much like China ). Today, with no existing laws or guidelines for hypnotists or hypnotherapy training programs, small wonder the subject is a source of hot debate.
The Global Times reports two very conflictng views in the same article from Feb. 26, 2010. On one hand, there’s a quote from an anonymous employee of an eight day hypnotherapy school that charges the equivalent of four semesters at an accredited University stating, “that even a junior high school graduate could master the skills of a professional hypnotist.” On the other, they quote Dr. Wu Rengang, a psychiatrist at the No.2 Hospital in Beijing going so far as to say that, “as far as I know, there are only two qualified hypnotisits in China,” and “Maybe you can learn how to hypnotize someone within a week, but to become a professional hypnotist requires the skills needed to provide proper psychological guidance after hypnosis.” Read more »

If you’ve been reading the sports section these days, chances are good you have run into an article or two on how the world of sports is starting to take hypnosis and hypnotherapy very seriously.

“In the Zone” is a term recognized throughout competitive sports as a state of optimal performance. The use of hypnotherapy is increasingly associtated with facilitating this highly desired mindset. It seems, however, for many coaches and trainers who use hypnosos tehniques, the first hurdle is to get past the negative associatton many athletes have towards the term “hypnosis” and “hypnotherapy.”

“One thing I learned early on about hypnosis is quit calling it that,” quotes a New York Times article with Bob Reese, former head trainer of the New York Jets. Once an athelete is comfortable enough with “suggestions” to help use his concentration powers to get “in the zone”, Reese continues, he uses a post hypnotic command, such as tugging on an ear, that brings the athelete back to that heightened sense of concentration while staying in the game. In the same article, Dr. Dwight Damon, then president of The National Guild of Hypnotists, was referred to as saying that he believed more and more often the Guilds then 7,000 members were using hypnosis to help athletes improve performance. Read more »

Hello World…
the Portland Hypnosis scene just got {real}!

We’re excited to launch this website… hypnosis is soooo fascinating and simple yet powerful.  That is because the human mind is so complex yet abstract and basic.  Many don’t realize the amazing “change work” that has been facilitated by Hypnosis professionals right here in Portland (P-Town, PDX, etc.) BUT we aim to change that.  We’re going to pull the curtain back and breath a deep fresh invigorating breath of levity to the personal growth and empowerment movement that has been gaining momentum via hypnosis, hypnotherapy and NLP.

CHEERS to us all on our path to being the Best Versions of ourselves and THANK YOU to all those before us who have grown Hypnosis into the powerful tool it has become, Today!