Hypnosis is an altered state, a form of deep physical relaxation in which the unconscious mind is more aware and becomes open to helpful and healing suggestions.

In a busy life, the conscious mind often undermines our efforts to help ourselves. We feel guilt; we worry; we suffer from stress and anxiety; we try harder and fail more often. But when the unconscious mind is accessed it reveals a huge and wonderful resource, open to visualisation and sensual experience. The more real the experience in this state, the more effect is has on our waking behaviour.

Have you ever been on a train journey and sat there with half-closed eyes whiling away the time? At this boundary between sleep and awake our brain produces alpha waves. It is very pleasant and extremely relaxing and different both from the waking state, when your brain produces beta waves, and from the sleep state when they are called theta waves. The state of hypnosis is like this, for in hypnosis your brain produces something very similar to alpha waves and loves every moment of it.

Now imagine being in this relaxed alpha-wave condition and discovering that when you reach your destination you feel more confident, more able to do well in your work, full of plans for your future, lighter and less worried. How good would that be to let go of anxiety and stress, rise above depression or shed fear and phobia?