Hypnotherapy Terms and Definitions

Hypnosis Glossary of Terms - A

Abreaction

A physical movement or an emotional outburst as a reaction to a suggestion while in the state of hypnosis. Some hypnotic abreactions are spontaneous and others are created by the hypnotist. Hypnotic abreaction can be used to acquire greater depth, cause a revivification, or remove repressed emotions.

Affirmations

Positive suggestions given though hypnosis and in mental bank ideomotor exercises in order to reprogram one's life script.

Age Regression

A hypnotized subject is given suggestions that he or she is of a younger age so that the subject can relive certain experiences and/or re-experience events from a more resourceful state.

Alpha

Slow brainwave activity state of hypnosis (resting but awake). Also known as hypnoidal. Alpha is slower (deeper) than Beta, the awake state, and faster than Theta, a deep hypnotic state.

Anchor

A specific stimulus such as a word, image or touch that through the rule of association evokes a particular mental, emotional, and/or physiological state.

Arm Raising / Primary Induction

The Arm Raising Induction is known as the primary induction because it is used only in the first session to create the association of hypnotic depth and establish  the expectation of a successful therapy. The therapist is able to use misdirection, as well as inferred and literal suggestions in order to affect either the Emotionally or Physically Suggestible client. Through these suggestions, the therapist influences the client's subconscious, causing their arm, from the fingertips to the elbow, to lift up off the table, with the hand eventually making contact with the face. At this point it is stated that they have reached the peak of their suggestibility and a challenge can be given with respect to the client's hand sticking to their face. Deepening techniques would follow.

Associated

A sub-modality of NLP; a picture or visual image where you see the world out of your own eyes. Contrast with the disassociated state where you visually observe your body from outside the view of your eyes.

Association

Also known as Pavlovian conditioning. A process by which a subject comes to respond in a desired manner to a previously neutral stimulus that has been repeatedly presented along with a stimulus that elicits the desired response. Most common Kappasinian association is conditioning the words "deep sleep" with the hypnotic state.

Auto Dual Induction

An induction primarily given to Intellectual Suggestibles, where the client believes they are hypnotizing themselves. While feeling the pulse in their own outstretched arm, the client repeats what the Hypnotherapist says, leading to a count from five to zero and Deep Sleep.

Aversion

Relating to hearing or sound. One of the three major representational systems of encoding information, alongside visual and kinesthetic.

Last modified: 2008-04-07T12:25:13-0700