Do you struggle to “see” pictures in your mind? That does not mean you lack imagination—and it certainly does not prove that you cannot use hypnosis.
Too many hypnosis sessions treat imagination and visualisation as though they are identical:
“See the staircase.”
“Picture the beach.”
“Watch your confident future self…”
These instructions may work beautifully for some people. But imagination can also involve physical sensations, inner speech, sound, movement, emotion, memory, spatial awareness and simply knowing what an idea means.
In this video, I explain:
• Why mental imagery differs considerably between people
• Why vivid pictures are not required for hypnosis
• How to translate visual instructions into something your mind can use
• Why vivid imagery is not necessarily useful imagery
• How skilled hypnotherapists adapt to the way an individual thinks
• Why hypnosis scripts should be tools—not commandments
And yes, we shall also consider whether a slightly damp car park can have therapeutic value.
If you have ever thought, “I can’t visualise, so hypnosis won’t work for me,” watch this video through to the end. You may discover that you do not need a better mental picture—you need a different route into the experience.
You can explore my Science of Self-Hypnosis educational programme and my hypnosis audio programmes without the added pressure of needing to visualise, and when asked to engage the imagination, explore the varying ways you can do so as described here.
… and by the way… if you want to learn my official, structured approach to self-hypnosis, visit this page of my college website and download the self-hypnosis roadmap that gives instructions on how to do that: Learn Self-Hypnosis Here.
For professional hypnotherapy training with the Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis, visit: Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma Course.
