Tag Archives: self-improvement

Creative Genius: The Masks Of Pain & Sorrow

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Three years have passed since Robin Williams was found unconscious and pronounced dead at his home as a result of committing suicide. As we remember this phenomenal comedian and actor, may we keep in mind that many people live with—and are sometimes overcome by—challenges that are beyond our understanding.

The Tears Of A Clown

Often the masks that compensate for pain are brilliant and profound—insight, inspiration, and wondrous expression forged from the compress of despair and outrage at the human condition—a means of balance and equalization. This can manifest as art at its finest, yet it can be a precarious and fragile existence, an uncharted journey through the shifting moods of vulnerability, loss, isolation and melancholy. The psyche attempts to protect itself from behind the constructs of the mask, yet the vision of reality is a gestalt of the world’s wounds; and alas, even a legacy of creative genius cannot hide the hurt. Perhaps some reach a certain reckoning with that truth, while others must decide for themselves when the time has come to move along.

“Now there’s some sad things known to man
But ain’t too much sadder than
The tears of a clown
When there’s no one around.”
~Smokey Robinson

As we savor the uncanny and magnificent enchantment and laughter and unparalleled wit left by one of the greatest jesters the world has ever known, may we always keep in mind the battles others fight in their lives just to face each day, to bring themselves into our presence and share their special gifts. Let us welcome the painted faces of joy and laughter . . . and sorrow, the many masks and guises each of us wears, and may we pay special attention to those stained with tears.

©2014 By Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery

Mindfulness Meditation: The Science Of Sacred Time

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In teaching my clients mindfulness meditation, I emphasize the transformative nature of the present moment, which I reverently refer to as sacred time. So much of the stress and anxiety we experience in life is directly related to our preoccupation with rehashing the past or rehearsing for the future. The ability to pay attention to our immediate experience, to truly be present in the here and now, invites a pure awareness that diffuses the habituation of negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors that are obstacles to happiness and fulfillment.

Meditation is about raising consciousness, which can only be achieved in the present, as we notice and experience—beyond preconception or judgment—the intelligent energies of the living universe that exist beyond human thought. A personal sanctity occurs in this space, an empowerment of insight and meaning, a transcendence rooted in the physiology of focused breathing and the mind-body connection, that invites us into the spiritual ‘center’ of our individual worlds.

Dancing Circles Around The Sun

Like the practice of meditation, the concept of sacred time is ancient. The cycles of day and night, the turning of the seasons, the celestial system of astrology and ancient astronomy, are evidence of time being originally perceived as circular, and serve as a basis for the enduring representations from every culture of the circle and wheel as universal symbols of life.

In Celtic wisdom, time is contemplated in two distinct aspects:

  • Historical time as being linear and consisting of the past, present and future
  • Sacred time as being circular and existing solely in the present moment

Science reveals that the physical forces of the universe which function to create our perception of time are all cyclical. The prevailing viewpoint of time, however, is that of a linear phenomenon where the future is fundamentally different from the past, a perspective that has biblical foundations and corresponds to the evolution of written language and the recording of history. But science confesses to having trouble with time because Einstein’s theories of relativity rendered over a century ago disproved the idea of time as a universal constant. Consequently, the common belief that time is a temporal occurrence is not absolute in the learned minds of those who study the physical world. (See Discover Magazine article ‘Time May Not Exist’ here).

Sacred TimeThe earth spins at about 1000 miles per hour creating a gravitational pull that curves or ‘warps’ space-time. And with the moon in its orbital tow, the earth rotates in concert with eight other planets around the celestial fireball in the center of our solar system. No “past” or “future” exists in this circular equation of cosmic force; only the here and now. Akin to the mathematical conundrum of measuring the circumference of a circle, for which no formula is precisely accurate, there is also no true measure of time. Perhaps the most palatable theory comes from quantum physics and its contemplation of a constant increase in entropy—the continual expansion of the universe—which may be the origin of why we perceive time as always marching forward. (See Wired Magazine article ‘The Flow of Time’ here).

The Absolute Now

Timelines are man-made, visual constructs; they serve as a means of looking at what has gone before so that an ordering of the world might be conceived. Yet circles, like the divinity of creation itself, are infinite and therefore defy determinite resolution. Sacred time contemplates eternity as the absolute now. Practices such as mindfulness meditation expand consciousness in the present moment and enhance our ambient communion with a living, breathing, intelligent universe. Thus, when we embrace this subtle yet remarkable discipline and become present in the sacred time of our own lives, we are in-step with the entropic sentience of the cosmos . . . dancing circles around the sun.

©2015 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. and Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery

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Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht.

Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery specializes in innovative approaches to workplace wellness, mindfulness training, and personal development. Via private coaching, presentations, workshops, training events, and our partnership in the unique online wellness community Your Wellness Room—used by Kaiser Permanente, EFactor and other notable companies—our nationally recognized programs and practices help people and organizations make positive changes. Please call for a free consultation at (818) 512-4371 or contact us via email. 

Managing Stress & Body Weight

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Managing Stress

Manage Stress & Body Weight By Regulating Your Blood Sugar 

The Simple Truths Of Blood Sugar

How does the body react to stress? What are the impacts of diet and exercise on this process? Stress is a fact of everyday life for most people, so it is important to know how to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally in responding to stressful situations.

When it comes to weight, the crucial element is understanding how stress impacts blood sugar. Our natural stress response involves the release of hormones that elevate blood sugar (glucose), which is needed by our brain to respond to challenges. But when blood sugar levels rise too high, the body begins converting the excess glucose to fat. Refined sugars and simple carbohydrates also elevate blood sugar, compounding this process. Therefore, it is imperative that we be mindful of our sugar intake during times of stress.

“Whole, unprocessed, single item foods that don’t require labeling of ingredients are the healthiest choices.”

During stressful situations we commonly feel hungry, so make sure nutritious choices are available. Include foods rich in protein such as lean meats, nuts, and legumes, and those high in soluble fiber such as fruits and vegetables; limit sweets and processed foods containing simple carbohydrates and sugars. The American Heart Association recommends restricting refined sugars added to our diets to no more than half of our daily calorie allowance. For American women, this averages about 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day, and for men, about 9 teaspoons per day (See American Heart Association article ‘Sugar 101’ here).

Exercise & Mindfulness Meditation

Exercise regulates blood sugar by burning calories and providing a physical release for the stress hormones in the body. Even in small doses throughout the day, physical activity counteracts the effects of elevated glucose levels and stimulates our brain chemistry to make us feel better. So remember to move around; avoid sitting for more than two hours at a time. And along with incorporating a regular exercise regimen to help achieve a healthy weight, invite activities into each day such as standing to perform certain tasks, walking whenever possible, and using the stairs instead of the elevator.

Mindfulness MeditationFinally, keep in mind that caffeine also elevates blood sugar and excess amounts actually make us feel more stressed. Mindfulness meditation is an excellent alternative as it boosts our energy in the best ways possible—calming anxious reactions that raise glucose levels, sharpening focus and concentration, and improving our mental and emotional outlook—giving us a positive and powerful coping tool for managing stress and maintaining a healthy body weight.

These links will help you learn more about stress management, healthy diet and body image,and wellness.

©2014 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery

Fireworks & Flashbacks: The Triggers Of PTSD

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PTSD Fireworks Flashbacks

Hypnotherapy resolves PTSD symptoms such as panic attacks & flasbacks

The Delayed Impact Of Trauma

In the aftermath of suffering a physical or psychological trauma, it is common for individuals to mentally and emotionally dissociate from the event or situation; this occurs as a natural defense mechanism of the human psyche. However, this dissociative state often becomes the catalyst for developing symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, which is a serious condition that can afflict a person in a variety of ways. Hypnotherapy is an effective means of helping people resolve the delayed impact of these stressful events from their past.

PTSD can occur after traumatic events such as:

  • Sexual Or Physical Assault
  • The Sudden Loss Of A Loved One
  • Military Combat
  • Witnessing Violence Or Experiencing A Catastrophe
  • Physically Or Psychologically Abusive Relationships

Post traumatic stress typically starts within a few months of a trauma, but can sometimes arise years later, especially when stemming from childhood incidents, and can be fueled by stressful situations or anxiety. Symptoms of PTSD include intrusive recall such as flashbacks or upsetting dreams of the traumatic event, avoidance of talking about the event, avoiding activities that were once enjoyable, hopelessness, overwhelming guilt or shame, memory and concentration problems, difficulty maintaining intimate relationships, insomnia, irritability and misplaced anger, self-destructive habits, being easily startled or frightened, seeing or hearing things that aren’t there.

“I managed to think my way through it, for the most part. I put it all up on a shelf in my mind. But then things would happen to make me remember, you know, like backyard fireworks on the 4th of July, and it would all come rushing back.”  ˜MJ.S., Air Force Veteran

Triggers To Traumatic Memories

Triggers to the intrusive recall of traumatic memories are often sensory in nature. Sights, sounds, smells, tactile sensations related to the distressing event or time in life, as well as encountering certain people or situations, may cause a flood of recollections with negative thoughts and fearful feelings. There are often elements of stress and anxiety present on these occasions, which are variables that render the intrusive recall of traumatic memories, or flashbacks, unpredictable. And expectations of situations perceived to be potentially problematic or threatening sometimes create ‘anticipatory anxiety,’ which can also act as a trigger. Intrusive recall of traumatic memories is typically accompanied by physiological changes in the body such as rapid heart-beat, shallow breathing, sweating, and panic reactions, and can result in anguished emotional responses, delusional thoughts, and irrational behavior.

Intrusive recall events can be very disconcerting, especially for someone who does not realize they suffer from post traumatic stress, or for those unfamiliar with their own triggers. Unfortunately, PTSD is not always accurately diagnosed by the medical and psychological communities. Anyone who was abused physically, emotionally, sexually, or psychologically during their formative years, which includes bullying in its various forms, or who grew up in a household where there was domestic violence and/or verbal battering, may experience intrusive recall of traumatic memories or manifest other symptoms of PTSD.

Hypnotherapy And PTSD 

Hypnotherapy is an effective, widely recognized, and scientifically supported treatment alternative for those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Randomized, controlled clinical trials have shown that hypnosis significantly decreases PTSD symptoms and is more efficient than comparison treatments (see study from Effective Treatments For PTSD, Second Edition, By Edna Foa, Ph.D. here). There is also evidence that PTSD sufferers are highly suggestible to hypnosis (see abstract from Journal of Clinical Psychiatry here).

37256018_sHypnosis directly accesses the subconscious mind, where all of our experiences, good and bad, exist as picture stories that are recalled by both thought and sensory stimulation. Hypnotherapy utilizes the interactive techniques of therapeutic imagery, along with desensitization methods such as EMDR, to gently reframe unhealthy responses—both psychological and physiological—to memories of traumatic events, diffusing their emotional charge and negative impact.  Here are some of the ways hypnotherapy is effective in treating PTSD:

  1. Empowerment through immediate coping strategies;
  2. Identifying and neutralizing common PTSD triggers;
  3. Alleviating intrusive recall events;
  4. Mitigation of symptoms such as moodiness, irritability, and insomnia; and
  5. Increased ability to focus and concentrate.

While the efficacy of any therapeutic modality depends in part on the severity of the trauma and the commitment of a given participant, hypnotherapy has successfully transformed many PTSD victims into survivors.

©2014 By Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht, & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery

Mastering Mindfulness: A New Horizon In Coaching

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Mindfulness Coaching

Mastering Mindfulness is an innovative and transformative coaching modality that cultivates emotional intelligence. The skills of presence, empathy, critical attending and reframing, and positive affirmation accelerate success by enhancing the inherent bounty of human connection.

Perhaps you have noticed how more people, especially those who have achieved a degree of the particular success they desire, have used a coach somewhere along the way. For many, a coaching relationship serves as the catalyst for achieving the growth and self-actualization they desire. A skilled coach can help you acquire greater objectivity and learn to view yourself and others in a more liberating light, free of judgment or criticism. In essence, you work on realizing how to expand not just your own self-image, but your vision of life’s infinite possibilities—to let go of limitations imposed by old attitudes and beliefs you may hold about yourself and the world, and to embrace a more profound sense of your unique value and worth within the broader context of human potential.

“Everybody needs a coach . . . every famous athlete, every famous performer, has somebody who’s a coach . . . someone who can help them see themselves as others see them.”  ~ Eric Schmidt, Former Google CEO

Because coaching is an unregulated industry, many choose credentialed professionals as coaches. Athletes, sports teams, performers and professional speakers, among others, routinely employ clinical hypnotherapists to serve in this capacity. Trance state techniques such as hypnotherapy, therapeutic imagery and mindfulness meditation have proven track records as powerful mediums for motivation, focus, concentration, and for consistently producing reliable and measurable results.

Mastering Mindfulness®

Mastering Mindfulness® is a transformative coaching modality used in the meditation and mindfulness training for corporate leadership and workplace culture designed and facilitated by Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. A combination of hypnotherapy, mindfulness meditation and therapeutic imagery—each applied to the individual landscape of your life—facilitates a keener focus and conviction for attracting a purposeful existence, one that vibrates with a deep and directed intention about the particular type of success you desire.

The disciplines, practices and interactive techniques of Mastering Mindfulness® teach you to pay deliberate attention to the current moment, without attachment to outcomes predicated upon past experiences or expectations for the future, so that you become more present in your own life. Negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors that serve as obstacles to achieving your goals are diffused, and you acclimate to a new mindset of positive insights and empowering realizations that reaffirm your motivation, commitment and resilience. You acquire new linguistic skills and tools that support a mindful framework for your personal and relational success, including:

  • The Cognitive Empathy Equation
  • Critical Attending & Reframing
  • The Art Of Positive Affirmation

By developing a better understanding of your own actions and feelings—and the motivational influences that undergird them—as well as an awareness of how those actions and feelings affect both you and the people around you, the connective and transcendent force of emotional intelligence begins to resonate in your life. And as you master the practice of mindfulness, your emotional intelligence develops into an enlightened and inspired consciousness. Your ability to perceive the behaviors, motivations and emotional states of yourself and others, and to positively negotiate conflicted interactions by acting rather than reacting, blossoms into a remarkable symmetry of poise, focus and self-possession.

Four Ways Mastering Mindfulness® Can Help You

1. Happiness & Fulfillment: It is not uncommon to feel at times that life has lost some excitement and hope; perhaps your routines and daily demands have left you in an emotional rut, or important relationships are presenting difficult challenges, or you have recently lost a loved one. Indeed, these are a few of the myriad reasons one might come to believe the luster and verve for living—the awe and enthusiasm and wonder—have somehow become elusive and fleeting. Just the act of finding a coach can shift this perspective and renew the conviction to seek a deeper meaning and purpose to your most trying experiences. A structured, one-on-one coaching relationship serves as a catalyst to understanding how the conscious energy of positive thoughts and self-dialogue, the honing of your emotional intelligence, forges the motivation and inspiration to overcome hardships and restore your faith and confidence in the ability to synergize the world around you in new and imaginative ways.

2. Love Relationships: Are you looking to solve problems you are experiencing with your significant other? Are you trying to attract a special partner or soul mate? Are you attempting to discover why you seem to draw a specific ‘type’ of person? Or are you perhaps trying to figure out why your romantic relationships follow certain patterns? A coach can lend invaluable insight into how self-perception, moods, disposition, and expectations affect your love life, both in the kind of people you attract and in the affection and gratification you manifest. Intimacy is a measure of self-awareness, and fostering the trust of another person in such a way that both continue to grow is the key in successful love relationships. An experienced coach can be critical in achieving the objectivity necessary for this kind of success and fulfillment.

3. Career Success: How might you actualize a career goal, such as changing professions or starting your own business, despite circumstances and practical demands that stand in your way? Maybe you are wondering if it is possible to find greater satisfaction and attract more success in your current profession? Or perhaps you just haven’t figured out the best way to combine your talents, desires, and resources into a rewarding occupational pursuit. These are some common questions you might ask when searching for direction or considering making changes in your vocational life. And quite often, it is at these critical junctures that limiting attitudes, beliefs, and self-defeating behaviors arise, perhaps preventing you from envisioning and enacting the steps necessary to realize your true potential. A coaching relationship is about challenging doubts and fears by bringing them out into the light, where they can no longer cast shadows on your ability to see and attract the infinite pathways of possibility. Mastering Mindfulness® instills the thought processes, habit behaviors, and motivation to sustain focus and direct consciousness toward fulfillment of your goal.

4. Body Image/Healthy Lifestyle: Many who struggle with weight problems have difficulty with diet and exercise; indeed, poor dietary choices and eating habits often seem to fulfill unhealthy needs, and exercise represents acknowledging this fact. Mastering Mindfulness® places emphasis on personal integrity and healthy body image, which includes acquiring a better understanding of how practicing mindfulness changes our biology in positive ways, and acceptance that regardless of individual circumstances, the equations for fitness and healthy living are similar for everyone. The accountability and encouragement involved in a coaching relationship, along with shifts in perspective brought about by trance state disciplines such as hypnosis and meditation, quickly result in a new ease of lifestyle choices that are restorative and affirming. The idea of ‘dieting’ gives way to a welcome regimen of daily nutrition and physical activity that is invigorating and stimulating, imparting renewed energy and drive for living life to its fullest.

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“The secret of achievement is to hold a picture of a successful outcome in the mind.”  ~Henry David Thoreau

 

 

 What Is Your Takeaway?

Many people experience a nagging feeling of not living up to their true potential, a sense of failing to answer a deeper and more meaningful calling in their lives, even though on the surface things may appear to be fine. Mastering Mindfulness® is a coaching modality aimed at overcoming reactive and self-sabotaging behaviors that are rooted in fear, and at developing and trusting your inner voice—the part of you which intuitively understands the connective and enriching qualities of compassion and empathy. You learn to be present in the present by separating unhealthy emotional attachments and by utilizing the executive function required to plan and accomplish the success you desire. Hypnotherapy, mindfulness meditation, and therapeutic imagery are proven and effective motivational tools that promote emotional intelligence, inviting you to discover your own creative ways of manifesting a more significant and gratifying life.

©2014 & 2016 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery 

Cathexis Logo Pic MemeCathexis Therapeutic Imagery specializes in innovative approaches to workplace wellness, mindfulness training, and personal development. Via private coaching, presentations, workshops, training events, and our partnership in the unique online wellness community Your Wellness Room—used by Kaiser Permanente, EFactor and other notable companies—our nationally recognized programs and practices help people and organizations make positive changes. Please call for a free consultation at (818) 512-4371 or contact us via email.

 

Stop Smoking Hypnosis: The Secrets To Success

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Stop Smoking Hypnosis

Stop Smoking Hypnosis: Rising To The Challenge Of A Healthier You

The Proven Method

Research evidence shows that hypnosis is far superior to drugs and nicotine patches for helping you quit smoking (See Review Of Research Evidence On Stop Smoking Hypnosis here). The reason for this success is that hypnosis goes directly to the root of the problem, which is the fight between your conscious and subconscious mind—you are fully aware that smoking is unhealthy—yet your attachment on a deeper level prevents you from letting go of the habit. Hypnosis is the proven method of intervention and the most powerful ally you can possibly enlist to achieve your goal.

In this video, Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. discusses how hypnosis works with smoking cessation:

The Secrets To Stop Smoking Hypnosis

  1. Motivation and Confidence: Your strong desire to stop smoking will be reinforced. Hypnosis will alter your long standing relationship with tobacco. The urges and triggers related to smoking will change forever, and you will immediately embrace a new identity as a non-smoker. You will wonder if it can really be this easy and effortless.
  2. Overcoming False Beliefs: You will realize that smoking never calmed you down, comforted you, or enhanced your image in any way. The idea that you ever actually needed to smoke will suddenly seem ridiculous.
  3. Regaining Your Senses: Tastes and smells will quickly start improving. The odor of tobacco smoke, cigar and cigarette butts, and the strong residue they leave behind, will become increasingly unpleasant; yet this will strengthen your resolve. Your ability to sustain focus and concentration will increase as you lose preoccupation with taking smoking breaks.
  4. Self-Hypnosis: The Game Changer: You will learn self-hypnosis, which fortifies the hypnotic suggestions that have made you a non-smoker and provides a true means of relaxation and relief from daily stress and over-stimulation. 

Your Return On Investment

Costs Of SmokingGiving up smoking will save you several thousand dollars each year in the purchase price of tobacco products alone, while your health insurance and other costs directly and indirectly related to smoking will be significantly reduced (see Investopedia.Com article here). You can use pre-tax income from health savings accounts or flex plans to pay for stop smoking hypnosis. As well, the fee for stop smoking hypnosis is an allowed personal income tax deduction, while the cost of non-prescription remedies such as nicotine patches, gums, and electronic cigarettes are not (see IRS Publication 502 here). 

The more important return on your investment, however, is your health. Within hours of stopping smoking your body starts to recover from the effects of nicotine and toxic additives. Your blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature, all of which are elevated because of nicotine, return to healthier levels. Your lung capacity immediately increases and the bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier. Poisonous carbon monoxide decreases in your blood, allowing it to carry more oxygen. You reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung diseases, and improve your life expectancy. 

You cannot be hypnotized into to wanting to stop smoking; however, once you have made the decision to quit, stop smoking hypnosis is the most successful and cost effective method to help you rise to the challenge of a healthier you.

©2013 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. and Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery

 

 

Weight Loss Hypnosis: 5 Reasons It Works

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Hypnotherapy Helps You Integrate Diet, Nutrition & Exercise To Lose Weight

According to the National Center On Health Statistics, 30% of adults in the United States—more than 60 million people—are obese. As well, the number of overweight children and teens has tripled since 1980 (see ABC News Article here). Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Losing Weight Safely & Successfully

Weight loss requires an integrative approach that includes diet, proper nutrition, and exercise.  In the long term, combining these basic elements or “lifestyle” choices have proven safe and successful in overcoming weight problems. Yet this approach can require a serious and sustained shift in focus, behavior, and attitude that many find overwhelming.

So exactly how can hypnosis help you overcome the physical, psychological, and emotional challenges necessary to lose weight? How can hypnotherapy alter your emotional relationship with food, and motivate you to embrace fitness and nutrition?

The 5 Ways Hypnosis Helps You Achieve Weight Loss

  1. Trusting Yourself: Crash diets and appetite suppressants undermine your self-confidence. You have what you need to succeed and hypnosis engages your innate trust and judgment. Finding and maintaining a healthy weight is a matter of balance—just like riding a bicycle, it is easy and effortless once you hit your stride.
  2. The Trance State: Sugary and fatty foods stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain in the same ways as mood altering drugs, producing a high or ‘trance state.’ Hypnosis is a positive way to alter consciousness and reinforce your commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
  3. Say Goodbye To Cravings: In the same way food and snack advertisements stimulate your appetite through the power of suggestion, hypnosis dispenses your cravings and replaces them with triggers urging healthy dietary choices.
  4. Connecting Mind, Body & Spirit: Hypnosis awakens the deeper self and shifts perspective on how the mind functions, both in the brain and the body. You consciously connect with your life energy in a way that promotes health, reinforces positive lifestyle decisions, and invites new attitudes about exercise and staying active.
  5. Self-Hypnosis: Experience Is Believing: You will learn to utilize the discipline of self-hypnosis.  Studies on psychotherapy patients have shown that those who practiced self-hypnosis lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t, and  kept the weight off after treatment (see Oprah.com article here). 

Your Weight Loss Transformation

Hypnosis facilitates physiological changes in brainwaves and neural pathways in the body, making you immediately receptive to positive suggestions and affirmations that have previously felt difficult or even impossible for you. Indeed, the idea of what it will take for you to lose weight transforms into a plan of action. And the experience is both pleasant and rewarding—the conviction to challenge unhealthy habits and behavior patterns by dieting, exercising and staying active, and practicing proper nutrition—suddenly becomes a compelling force in your life.

©2013 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. and Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery

Right & Left Brain Balance

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Brain lateralization refers to the functional specialization of the two cerebral hemispheres. The left hemisphere of most adults is more active than the right during language production, while the reverse pattern has been observed during tasks involving visuospatial abilities. These findings are among the most replicated in neuropsychological research studies.

Brain Lateralization

In psychology, the theory of right and left brain function is known as ‘brain lateralization.’ The concept evolved from the work of neuropsychologist Roger W. Sperry, who won the 1981 Nobel Peace Prize for research indicating that each side of the brain controls different types of thinking.

Continuing research on brainwave activity and cognition has contributed to our growing understanding of the phenomenon. Studies now suggest that language, originally thought to be a left hemisphere function, is a split brain operation; tone and voice patterns are recognized in the right brain, while word meaning and order are processed in the left brain. Infants demonstrate considerably more activity in the right hemisphere than in the left when they begin communicating orally, which is instinctively understood by parents who use melodic cues and voice inflections, or ‘baby talk,’ with their children. Research further indicates that deviance in the childhood development of this right and left brain linguistic hierarchy may relate to Autism Spectrum Disorders (see Scientific Learning article here).

Scientists have also found that the left hemisphere shows a preference for interacting more exclusively within itself, especially in the regions of the brain linked to language and fine motor control. Conversely, in the right hemisphere, brain regions linked to attention span, spatial processing, and visualization interacted in a more integrative fashion with both hemispheres (see National Academy of Sciences article here).

Suggestibility: Right & Left Brain Thinking

29675543_sIn this context, the term suggestibility is associated with induction of the hypnotic state. Suggestibility is the way we learn, perceive, and assign meaning to information, and is determined by gauging whether one prefers right or left brained thinking. Dr. John Kappas, PhD, founder of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, revolutionized hypnosis by pioneering his theory of the three types of suggestibility:

  • Physical Suggestibility: Characterized by responsiveness to literal suggestions influencing physical responses over emotions. The physical suggestible learns literally and is considered to be right brain lateralized.
  • Emotional Suggestibility: Characterized by responsiveness to inferred suggestions that influence emotions over physical responses. The emotional suggestible learns by inference and is considered to be left brain lateralized.
  • Intellectual Suggestibility: A sub-category of emotional suggestibility characterized by fear of being controlled by the hypnotist, as well as by analysis, rejection, and rationalization of suggestions. Intellectual suggestible subjects are considered to be severely left brain lateralized (80% or higher) and must be maneuvered into hypnotizing themselves.

According to this theory, predisposition to right or left brain thinking occurs in the formative years of upbringing in response to fulfillment of fundamental needs, and is influenced by an individual’s relationship with their primary caregiver. Dr. Kappas developed a comprehensive system of questions, instructions, and observations for equivocating the approximate degree of physical or emotional suggestibility in subjects as part of the hypnotic induction process. When used properly, this approach induces hypnosis in virtually anyone.

Synchronization Of Hemispheres

The physiology of brain lateralization occurs through an intricate network of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum, which connects the brain cells in the right and left hemispheres and acts as a bridge of communication. A unique characteristic of this ‘neurological crossover’ is that the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body. This also means that left body sensory data is processed in the right brain, and right body sensory data is processed in the left brain.

13322375_sAccordingly, during hypnosis a person’s suggestibility can be altered by use of right or left body ideomotor responses; common examples are fingers, hands, or arms raised in response to suggestive questions. The brain hemispheres are thus stimulated to share perception of a problem in a more balanced way, changing the mental processes and emotional reactions. For instance, a physical suggestible who is having difficulty getting over the passing of a loved one encounters the challenge from a right brained, emotive viewpoint. Ideomotor responses focused on the right side of the body lateralize their thinking process to the logical and analytical left brain. This hypnotic technique shifts the individual’s perspective from the literal pain of grieving to the inference of accepting the loss.

While ideomotor desensitization in hypnotherapy can alter suggestibility to particular problems, we revert to our familiar literal or inferred thinking in everyday life. On a long term basis, daily meditation and self-hypnosis, which engage integrative right hemisphere brainwave activity, have proven highly effective in achieving hemispheric synchronicity, particularly for individuals prone to left brain thinking and for right brain thinkers whose daily lives demand a left brained presence.

©2013 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery

 

 

 

 

Dream Therapy

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Dream Therapy

Dreams Are A Portal To The Mystical Realms Of The Subconscious

  • Have you ever consulted a dream dictionary to try and understand puzzling symbols that have appeared in your dreams?
  • Do you have nightmares or wake up with dream memories that stay with you through the day?
  • Have you ever had an out of body experience during a dream?
  • Are you familiar with lucid dreaming and have you experienced it?
  • Does the idea of dream analysis appeal to you as a way to find out more about yourself?

Dream Therapy

Dream therapy can help you realize and fulfill goals, improve your performance and problem solving ability (see NY Times article here), discover and understand your deeper self, and increase your focus and energy. Positive side effects often occur as a result of the process, including development of better sleeping habits, experiencing deep and restful sleep on a consistent basis, and gaining a new respect for the important role sleep and dreaming play in mental, physical, and emotional health. Exploring dream therapy has helped clients with insomnia move beyond the common fixation on falling asleep, and has also proven beneficial with weight loss and addiction clients who decide to improve dietary habits—mostly related to sugar intake—in order to sleep better, recall their nightly dreams, and begin to decipher them.

Many clues to the psychological reasoning of the mind can be uncovered in the symbols of dreams. Some dreams are tied to daily stresses, pressures, and challenges, while others are archetypal in nature and may represent fears, apprehensions, grief, or unresolved traumas from the past that are being triggered by current life events. Extensive scientific research has shown that everyone dreams for about 100 minutes each night (see the article Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep here), including several separate dreams during the normal rapid eye movement (REM) dream cycles. People who say they do not dream simply do not remember their dreams.  Nonetheless, almost everyone can be conditioned to sleep in a manner conducive to vivid dreaming and recall, and to record their dreams for interpretation and analysis.

Lucid Dreaming

Lucid DreamingA lucid dream is any dream in which you have conscious awareness. Lucid dreaming is characterized by elements of both waking and dreaming and has attracted the attention of scientists with an interest in further specifying the brain basis of consciousness (see Harvard Medical School article The Neurobiology of Consciousness: Lucid Dreaming Wakes Up here). Lucid dreams can happen when you have just begun to fall asleep, during deep sleep when physiological factors such as pain or illness are present, and in the early morning hours when you are about to awaken. Yet lucid dreams commonly occur at other times as well, such as in guided imagery, while under hypnosis and during meditation, or when taking a nap.

Another way lucid dreaming takes place is through dream therapy and the process of remembering your dreams.  As you train yourself to recall dreams and think about what they mean, you may begin visiting those recollections at times throughout the day and find yourself re-entering certain dreams in a detached sort of way, as if you are on a threshold between two points of consciousness. Studies and research conducted on lucid dreaming (see Wake Up World article here) show that like meditation and self-hypnosis, it is a manifestation of consciousness you can condition yourself to become more adept at, with the only limitations being your self-discipline and imagination.

Astral Projection

Implicit in the discussion of lucid dreaming is the out of body experience, also known as astral projection, which is consciousness outside of the physical body. There are many definitions and philosophical arguments about this controversial subject that has ancient roots in common world religions and is associated with near death experiences, sleeping and dreaming, illness, surgical procedures, psychoactive drugs, and hypnosis and meditation. While it defies the limits of conventional testing and thus invites skepticism, science nonetheless acknowledges the phenomena (see the article Understanding The Out-Of-Body Experience from a Neuroscientific Perspective here). Perception beyond the physical plane is supported by the quantum physics theory of a unified energy field of consciousness, otherwise known as the quantum hologram, as well as by holistic and spiritual healers, teachers, practitioners, and by many who have had out of body experiences. As it relates to sleep and dreaming, perhaps the most familiar out of body experience is the sensation of having to “get back to your body” and wake yourself from a dream.

The Secrets To Dream Interpretation

Archetypes

An archetype is like an old watercourse along which the water of life has flowed for centuries, digging a deep channel for itself. ~Carl Jung

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung both used dream analysis with patients and wrote extensively on the subject. Freud, whose name is synonymous with the term psychoanalysis, proposed that dreams were primarily tied to the fulfillment of wishes. Considered a seminal figure in the history of psychology, Jung is widely believed to have advanced many of the ideas Freud introduced. Among Jung’s contributions were the concepts of genetic memory and the collective unconscious, which stemmed in part from the significance he placed on the familiar archetypes that appeared in the dreams of his patients; his belief was that dreams were deeply anchored in the psyche and expressed more than repressed wishes (see About.Com article on Freud and Jung here).

Dr. John Kappas, Ph.D., who founded the Hypnosis Motivation Institute (see HMI link here), was a modern day pioneer in dream analysis and developed a model of dream therapy currently used by many psychologists and hypnotherapists. This approach incorporates aspects of both Freud’s and Jung’s work, yet distinguishes itself in its separation of dream stages and individualized interpretations of the unique dreamscape of each client.

The Kapassinian model of dream therapy contemplates three distinct periods in which we dream each night. These can be described as follows:

  • The Wishful Thinking Stage: The initial dreaming period where the mind sorts and prioritizes the stimuli of the day based on emotional attachment.
  • The Precognitive Stage: The second dreaming period occurs during the middle of the night when the primal, instinctive part of the mind sorts both the familiar and unfamiliar aspects of current life challenges, which are filtered by the deeper attitudes and beliefs of our life script. In this stage, we try to predict outcomes as a means of survival.
  • The Venting Stage: The final period of dreaming is in the early morning hours when we release emotional charges attached to relationships, events, and transactions to which we are no longer invested. These dreams are the easiest to remember, the most hallucinogenic in nature, and can infuse unlikely mixes of people, places, and times with uninhibited and sometimes bizarre or objectionable circumstances.

In order for a proper analysis to take place, the dreams must be written down, no matter how disjointed or fragmented the memories of them may seem, with a notation of the time each dream occurred; it is best to do this immediately upon waking. After practicing this journaling exercise for awhile, the ability to remember your dreams will improve and you will only need to jot a few things down in order to accurately reconstruct them during therapy. Then you and your therapist work together to analyze your dreams based on what stages they occurred in, what symbols, emotions, and physiological factors were present, and how they may relate to the circumstances in your life.

Symbols Of The Dream World

Conveying more than obvious or immediate meanings and representing broader expressions, symbols elude absolute definition because they have different connotations to different cultures and peoples. As the mind contemplates a symbolic image, it is compelled to consider ideas beyond the immediate grasp of reason or conviction. Many symbols are collective in nature, having originated from religious beliefs and customs—believers contend they are divine revelations, while skeptics argue they have been invented. Examples of such symbolic images are the wheel and the cross, both of which are known around the world yet have different significance under various conditions and renderings.

A symbol may occur in a dream because an event has taken place in our life that we are subconsciously aware of but are not yet willing to acknowledge; hence, the awareness manifests symbolically in the dream state. Symbols may also recur in dreams, or the dreams themselves may recur, sometimes in slightly varying episodes. Recurring dreams and dream symbols that invoke a similar emotional response can be rooted in a past anguish or forgotten trauma, or represent an attempt by the dreamer to compensate for some perceived defect in character or attitude.

Dream SymbolsYet expressions of repressed emotions, memories, traumas, challenges of character, or events we are not ready to consciously acknowledge, are not the only basis for dream symbols. Indeed, certain elements of dreams can occur which are not necessarily particular to, nor derived from, the personality or individual experience of the dreamer. Freud first observed such elements and called them “archaic remnants.” Carl Jung referred to them as “primordial images” or “archetypes,” and described them as:

” . . . mental forms whose presence cannot be explained by anything in the individual’s own life and which seem to be aboriginal, innate, and inherited shapes of the human mind.”

Jung connected archetypes across cultural boundaries and conceptualized them as fundamental, instinctual forces that somehow exist beyond our comprehension. Perhaps this is why dreams have served as a portal to other realms for shaman, holy men, spirit walkers, prophets, and medicine men from indigenous cultures throughout time, reminding us of the importance of this mystical otherworld of consciousness.

©2013 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery

 

 

 

 

 

Higher Consciousness: The Cosmic Connection

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Is it possible to change neural pathways, control blood flow in the body, send endorphins from the brain to manage pain, and engage the mind and heart to attract a desired result in life? Can trance states such as hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and therapeutic imagery really help us tap into the subconscious mind to manifest higher consciousness and enlightenment?

Our Cosmic Connection

Let’s first use science as a point of reference and quote Neil deGrasse Tyson, a popular astrophysicist and current director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space:

“Not only do we live among the stars, the stars live within us . . . the atoms of our bodies are traceable to stars that manufactured them in their cores and exploded these enriched ingredients across our galaxy, billions of years ago. For this reason, we are biologically connected to every other living thing in the world. We are chemically connected to all molecules on Earth. And we are atomically connected to all atoms in the universe.” 

According to mainstream quantum physics theory, beneath molecules, atoms, subatomic particles, and quarks lies a singular unified field of energy, an intelligence from which all forces and particles emerge, a conscious structural matrix that exists everywhere in the universe. This energy field is referred to as ‘consciousness’ or ‘intelligence’ because it encompasses the basic behavior of all things within the functioning laws of nature. We individualize perception through our own sensory and mind processes, yet consciousness itself, the innate intelligence of creation, is a phenomenon of the universe and represents the interconnection of all of life.

Engaging The Human Energy Field

Like all living things, each of us is comprised of energy that radiates an aura which can be captured by infrared and Kirlian photography. Science calls this a “bio-electro-magnetic field” and it results from electrical impulses generated by the movement of electrons around the nucleus of our cells.

5577426_sThe human energy field is a dynamic matrix that includes physical, emotional, and mental/spiritual aspects, and represents this universal chemical, biological, and atomical connection. Hypnotherapy, mindfulness meditation, and therapeutic imagery can be used to effectively engage the mind and bring the aura into balance, aligning it with the geomagnetic energy field of the earth and catalyzing its connection to the conscious universe. This is also known as “auric” or “pranic healing” and is a potent connection to our cosmic origins, a force that can be focused and directed.

All aspects of the human energy field, physical, emotional, and mental/spiritual, can be stimulated. Pain, from acute to chronic, can be drastically altered; emotional responses such as panic, anxiety, grief, or anger, can be shifted and detached; concentration can be greatly enhanced; unhealthy habits can be replaced; quality of life can be improved; and true purpose—the sense of higher self—can be realized. Engaging the power of the subconscious mind is indeed how we enhance this cosmic connection, the etheric force of higher consciousness that connects us with all of life.

©2013 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht., Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery