If you would like to find out how compatible you are with hypnosis, take a minute and try this easy experiment:

Imagine you have a lemon wedge sitting in your hand. Look at the pale citric cells, the white rind, the exposed seed. Feel the cool bumpy skin in the palm of your hand. Now, pop the lemon wedge into your mouth and bite down. Taste the intense sourness as the cold juice squirts onto your tongue. Feel the muscles in your cheeks clenching and puckering. Your whole mouth is filled with a tangy citrus flavour so bitter that it nearly brings tears to your eyes.

Did you start salivating?

If you answered yes, then you were successfully hypnotized because you suspended the critical part of your mind and allowed a series of suggestions to take hold. As you will note, three important elements occurred during this experiment. Firstly, at no point did you “lose control” of yourself. You remained completely aware of your situation at all times. Second of all, you had to withhold your disbelief for this to be effective. You knew that you didn’t actually have a lemon in your mouth; however, you went along with the idea anyway. And lastly, your body produced a physical response based on an idea. This means that your subconscious accepted the notion of the lemon and sent the according signals throughout your body.

The holidays have come and gone. The holiday cooking, decorating, and gifts are gone for the year. Now it’s January, time to focus on you. How are you going to improve yourself in 2011? Are you going to get on the ball and stop procrastinating? Finally go to the gym and drop that extra fifteen pounds you’ve been carrying around for the past decade? Are you finally going to quit smoking once and for all? Or perhaps this is year you’re going to buckle down and focus on your career, achieving the professional success you’ve always dreamed of?

Whatever it is you want to achieve in 2011, we can help. The reality is that New Year’s resolutions are hard, and most fizzle out by Valentine’s Day. What was your resolution last year? Did you stick to it? If so, congratulations, you are one of the very few Canadians who can make that claim. If you didn’t, you understand how difficult it can be to better yourself, even if your intentions are in the right place.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to ensure resolution success. The first step is to set a reasonable, measurable goal. If you aim too high, there’s a good chance you’ll become frustrated, discouraged and give up altogether. A second point is to be open-minded to adjusting your goals if you discover that your initial plan wasn’t realistic. If you slip up in the beginning, don’t give up! Reexamine, rethink, and readjust your goals. Remember, everything takes time to get used to and new routines and habits will become easier over time. Furthermore, spread the word! Tell everyone what your resolution is. Their support and interest will act as motivation to keep you going. And you may even find a buddy who wants to make the same changes you do who you can work with.

Here at the Morpheus Clinic, we would love to be a part of your personal journey to self-improvement and happiness. We can help you stay motivated and focused in order to achieve your goal, whatever that may be. If you’re trying to lose weight (the most common New Year’s resolution), hypnosis can help you uncover and overcome the root emotional cause of your over-eating. If you’re trying to quit smoking, hypnosis can greatly improve your chances of success. Of course, weight loss and smoking are just two of the countless issues we deal with here. Whether the change you want to make is physical, mental or emotional, one of our hypnotherapists would be happy to work with you in order to make 2010 a year of success. So give us a call today at 416 556 4068 to book an appointment.

What to Say When you Talk To Yourself
By: Shad Helmstetter

You don't have to be crazy to talk to yourself! We all talk to ourselves all of the time, usually without realizing it. And most of what we tell ourselves is negative, counterproductive and damaging, preventing us from enjoying a fulfilled and successful life. Shad Helmsetter's simple but profound techniques, based on an understanding of the processes of the human brain, have enabled thousands of people to get back in control of their lives. By learning how to talk to yourself in new ways, you will notice a dramatic improvement in all areas of your life. You will feel better and accomplish more. It will help you achieve more at work and at home, lose weight, overcome fears, stop smoking and become more confident. And it works. Shad Helmsetter, Ph.D, is a bestselling author of many personal growth books, and the leading authority in the field of Self-Talk. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Another way of illustrating the relationship between your conscious and subconscious mind is with the story of the policeman and the old woman:

A policeman was walking down the road when he saw an old woman crouched down beneath a streetlamp. Concerned, the policeman asked the old woman, “Are you alright, ma'am?”

“I've lost my keys,” confessed the old woman.

Being the kindhearted individual that he was, the policeman immediately dropped to the ground and began helping the old woman search. But even after several minutes of crawling around on his hands and knees, the keys remained illusive. Finally, the policeman asked, “Are you sure this is where you dropped them?”

“Actually,” said the old woman, “I dropped them about fifteen yards back.”

“What?! Then why on earth are you searching this spot?”

“Because this is where the light is.”

The old woman's approach to finding her keys is very similar to the average person's approach when it comes to dealing with difficult situations. The lighted area of the street represents our conscious minds and the darkened part is our subconscious. When faced with a dilemma, we tend to concentrate on what we know (or rather, what we know that we know) in order to overcome the challenge. Unfortunately, the solution does not always reside in our conscious. Sometimes, we have to open our mind and delve into our subconscious in order to find the answers.

It can be argued that hypnosis in various forms has existed since the beginnings of human society. Perhaps a more accurate statement may be that hypnosis began with the formation of religion and the concept of the spirit and/or spiritual elements. After all, hypnosis is strongly linked to meditation. Hypnosis has also been used throughout the ages as a means of healing. It has been documented that in ancient India, Greece and Egypt the sick were often brought to “sleep temples” to be cured by hypnotic suggestion. And before anaesthetic became widely available, many cultures relied on hypnotic-like methods for pain control, especially during childbirth.

The first inklings of modern hypnosis are traceable back to the fifteenth century when Swiss physician Paracelus used magnet therapy as a means of treating his patients. Because his patients were so deeply convinced that they could be cured of their ailments simply by having Paracelus touch their bodies with magnets that they actually were able to stimulate physical recovery within themselves. Magnet therapy remained popular in Europe over the next three hundred years. Around 1700, the first placebo experiment with magnet therapy was recorded. In this experiment, one tree was “magnetized” and another was not, and a blind-folded patient was treated using both. When the patient reacted positively to the un-magnetized tree, it was concluded that the healing power lay not within the magnets but within the patients themselves.

In the nineteenth century, structured hypnosis emerged as a form of anaesthetic by European physicians. Dr. James Esdaile reported successfully using hypnosis in 345 major operations in British India; it was also frequently used by doctors and nurses during the American Civil War. Eventually, chemical anaesthetic replaced these procedures and the use of hypnosis gradually shifted to the mental health spectrum. In 1892, the British Medical Association unanimously accepted and endorsed hypnosis for therapeutic usages.

Around the turn of the twentieth century, hypnosis was embraced by psychologists and became a popular method of self-help as well as treatment for mental maladies such as hysteria. In fact, both Pavlov and Freud used hypnotic methods in their practice. After the first world war, the use of hypnosis flourished as it was in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (or “shell shock”). It was at this time that hypnosis was carefully studied and experimented with by American scientists. In the 1950s, the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association approved the use of hypnosis, and the Vatican lifted its official ban on the practice. Modern hypnosis has been shaped namely by two individuals, Milton Erikson and Dave Elman. Their techniques are now widespread throughout the hypnosis world, as well as being implemented here at the Morpheus Clinic.

The Feeling Good Handbook (Paperback)
By: David D. Burns

Product Description
With his phenomenally successful Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, Dr. David Burns introduced a groundbreaking, drug-free treatment for depression. Now in this long-awaited sequel, he reveals powerful new techniques and provides step-by-step exercises that help you cope with the full range of everyday problems.
* Free from fears, phobias, and panic attacks
* Overcome self-defeating attitudes
* Discover the five secrets of intimate communication
* Put an end to marital conflict
* Conquer procrastination and unleash your potential for success

With an up-to-date section on everything you need to know about commonly prescribed psychiatric drugs and anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, this remarkable guide can show you how to feel good about yourself and the people you care about. You will discover that life can be an exhilarating experience.

Winter “blahs” getting you down? Maybe it’s SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder falls into the category of mood disorders, along with depression (including postpartem), bipolar disorders, cyclothymic disorder, dysthymic disorder and mania. Typical symptoms of “winter depression” or “cabin fever” include excessive sleep, increased appetite and weight gain.

There are several theories as to how SAD develops. Some evidence suggests that the hormone melatonin increases in production in winter due to the lack of sunlight and an increase in melatonin may trigger depression in some people. Another theory is that there is a disruption in circadian rhythms in winter.

It is interesting to note that the prevalence of SAD increases in the extreme latitudes due to lack of sunlight. (M. Terman, 1988) “A study conducted in Toronto showed that SAD occurred in 11 percent of those in the sample who were diagnosed with depression”. (Levit, et al., 2000) A comparable study done in Thompson, Manitoba (a more northern latitude) indicated a much higher prevalence (20%) of SAD. (B.J. Williams & Schmidt, 1993)

Whatever the cause, various treatments are available including medication, light therapy and hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy can help a person deal with some of the symptoms as well as anxiety that often goes hand-in-hand with depression. Many people choose hypnotherapy to help them with a variety of issues as it is a non-invasive, not chemically created source of relief. All of the hypnotherapists at the Morpheus Clinic for Hypnosis have received additional training above and beyond the requirements of the National Guild of Hypnotists so you can be assured of receiving the very best in hypnotherapy.

Christmas is a very busy time of year and for many of us, it can be quite overwhelming. Holiday shopping in and of itself is incredibly stressful: the pressure of selecting the perfect gift for everyone, the pushing crowds and epic queues at the mall, the possibility of your gift choice being sold out, the financial strain it puts on your budget, and the time it takes to get it all done. On top of that, there are parties to plan or attend, food to be purchased and cooked, cards to be written, and houses to be decorated. And that’s without mentioning the potential stress and strain of family gatherings and all the drama that might unfold with everybody under the same roof. Plus, this holiday season has the added stress of following a poor economic year.

All of that considered, it’s no wonder we tend to find ourselves anxious and overwhelmed at this time of the year. And for those of us who are not able to spend the season with loved ones, it can get exceptionally lonely and depressing. If you find yourself feeling anxious or depressed due to the looming holiday season, don’t worry—we’re here to help. Any one of our hypnotherapists would be happy to work with you to help you combat your anxiety or feelings of sadness in order to help you have a wonderful Christmastime.

Also, December can be an extremely hectic and high-pressure time for those of us who work in business. Because it is Year End, there is usually a lot of residual work to be done. It is also the time when many companies evaluate their employees’ performance for the year. As a result, a lot us find ourselves stressed out and worried about keeping pace with our jobs’ demands. If you find yourself in this situation, we can work with you in order to help manage your stress level and keep you focused when it counts.

So give us a call at 416-556-4068 and schedule an appointment today.

It is a common misconception that hypnosis can only be used with adults. In fact, children are some of the best hypnotic subjects. One of the most famous cases of hypnosis involved an eight-year-old boy in Germany in the eighteenth century. He had to undergo an operation to remove a tumour on his head, and there was no anaesthesia available. To distract him from the pain, his mother told him the fairy tale Snow White, and he was so engrossed in the story that he felt little discomfort and the operation was a success. As a side note, he later republished the story of Snow White in the popular book “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.”

Children are so responsive to hypnosis because of their large imaginations. Up until the age of puberty, most children don’t develop their critical faculty—the part of their brain which divides the “believable” from the “unbelievable.” This means that they are more willing to accept suggestion without doubt than their adult counterparts.

Often times, parents use waking hypnosis on their children without even realising it. If a child is afraid of the dark, a parent will offer him a stuffed animal that will “guard” him and keep him safe. Immediately, the child feels reassured and is able to fall asleep easily. Similarly, children are sometimes able to hypnotise themselves without even realising it. It isn’t uncommon for a child who is faking sick to get out of school to have convinced themselves so wholeheartedly that by the end of the day, he actually does experience the symptoms he was pretending to have.

Because many of the issues that come back to haunt us later in life begin in childhood, hypnosis for children is an excellent way of nipping problems in the bud. Certain problems children can be hypnotised for include: bad habits (such as nail-biting), destructive behaviour, low self-esteem and poor concentration/effort in school.

How did you first become interested in hypnosis?

As some of you may know, it began back in grade ten when I had to give a class presentation. I was terrified; my hands shook so bad I couldn’t read my notes. It was such an awful experience that I knew I had to do something. I started researching “how to overcome a fear of public speaking” on the internet and stumbled across hypnosis on PubMed, a database of scientific papers. I tried some self-hypnosis and was astounded by the results. And if it could work for me, I knew it would work for others. After university, I became a certified hypnotist, and later on, hypnosis instructor as well.

Why did you take that next step by opening a hypnosis clinic and hiring associates?

I’ve always had a love of business and marketing, even though I have no formal education in either. Opening the clinic allowed me to combine my two passions, hypnosis and business. Also, if you’re a hypnotist working on your own, there’s only so far you can go. With a hypnosis business, the expansion possibilities are endless.

Why did you become a hypnosis instructor? Aren’t you afraid of training your own competition?

When I was first becoming a hypnotist, I discovered quickly that the majority of the hypnosis programs offered are sub-par when it comes to instruction. You get the basics, but many people find that it isn’t enough for them to become confident hypnotists. My hypnosis knowledge is an accumulation of many different sources. The reason why I began teaching the course is because I wanted to hire associates to work at Morpheus, and I wasn’t confident in the teachings they would receive from others. What other hypnotists see as training competition, I see as training partners, and so I want them to be as skilled and knowledgeable as possible.

What is the biggest mistake new hypnotists make when starting out?

Lack of marketing. Even if you’re working out of your home, it still takes a lot of effort to get your name out there. Being self-employed still counts as working in the field of business. To anyone just starting out, I recommend reading up on marketing and planning a strategy. When it comes down to it, succeeding as a hypnotist is fifty percent skill and fifty percent marketing. It’s important to be a talented hypnotist in order to keep your clients happy, but if you don’t know how to advertise yourself you won’t have any clients to keep happy in the first place.

Is it possible to make a living as a full-time hypnotist?

Definitely—but again, it all comes down to if you’re business-minded enough to generate clients for yourself. If not, then I would recommend working for a hypnosis clinic where someone else is responsible for bringing in clients. The associates at Morpheus earn $50 for each one-hour session, so it can be a lucrative position.

Do you think the hypnosis industry is growing or shrinking?

It’s absolutely growing. I see hypnosis as where chiropractics was twenty years ago. Although the practice of hypnosis itself is extremely old, it’s just starting to become incorporated into western society as a method of self-improvement. In the past ten years, people have started really exploring alternative medicine and healthcare, and it won’t be long before hypnosis becomes as popular as acupuncture or naturopathy.