Hello - and Welcome to Adam Up
Later on in today's edition of Adam Up, I want to tell you the real reason I ever decided to write a book.
I want to give a candid account of a very personal part of my own journey professionally and personally and how I discovered what it means to
truly be alive according to my own terms.
Find Out More About Hypnosis - Fun Filled Morning With Adam Eason - Learn About This Great Skill
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We always seem to have loads of courses and seminars for hypnotherapists.
NOW we have a seminar for those of you who are much newer to the subject of
hypnosis.
A great chance for you to discover how much this powerful mind skill can help you in your journey through life.
If two or more of you come together then the cost is just £20 for each person
The cold and flu bug season arrived at Chez Eason this past week. A day after my children had their flu vaccinations, we all got a cough, cold, sniffles and runny noses. I've been using self-hypnosis to help with it
and actually took a day off to get fully better.
There is a process that I use in my therapy rooms a great deal with both children and adults that I am sharing here today.
It would probably have made more sense to
simply refer to “a process that I use with my clients,” but it was something that I mainly used with children for a number of years and the theme is one that children love and really respond well to.
As I have got older, I have found it increasingly more important for me and my adult clients to
reconnect with many child-like qualities and so the more I use this type of strategy with my adult clients as a result.
They love it.
Today, we are going to create a confidence boosting superhero alter-ego!
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We’re going to adopt that alter-ego and apply it therapeutically to boost confidence in ourselves.
We use self-hypnosis to do so as self-hypnosis is proven to advance the quality of mental imagery, advance the level of belief we invest in that imagery and helps
makes it more convincing when combined with other evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behaviour therapy as you shall see here.
One of the main proponents of the cognitive behavioural perspective of hypnosis back in the
1950s was a man called Theodore Sarbin who challenged the concept of hypnosis as being a state. I’m not going to go into detail about this way of explaining hypnosis, but you can watch this 'What Is Hypnosis?' video.
Sarbin believed that when individuals were correctly educated about the role of hypnotic subject, had good levels of role-related expectancy, and were then asked to adopt the role of hypnotised subject,
engage their imagination vividly, this determined the effectiveness of the hypnotic responses.
To put this in another context, you can read about famous actors who have adopted their roles so well that they have felt the same emotions that their characters were portraying. The famous method acting technique, for
example, shows that when someone is really adopting a role, they can often be so immersed in that role that they take on those characteristics, can shed real tears and adopt the mindset of the character.
Therefore, when we choose to create our confident superhero alter-ego, we don’t want to just think it, we want
to truly adopt the role to make it as real and impactful upon our life as possible.
Another approach to hypnosis that has undergone an extensive programme of research, was led by Nicholas Spanos at Carleton University in Canada, in the 1980s, which produced the Carleton skill
training programme (CSTP), the most empirically-supported methodology for enhancing hypnotic responses. In a nutshell, according to Spanos, in the CSTP approach, the client is instructed in specific tactics, such as mental imagery, designed to produce specific responses, and is given the opportunity to observe models demonstrating the behavioural and cognitive responses desired (Gorassini & Spanos, 1999, p.
151).
With the CSTP individuals watch a demonstration of the hypnosis, then have it done to them by a hypnotist, then they practice self-hypnosis and hypnotic skills to get better at it. They become more responsive to hypnosis as a result. When then practicing by oneself, the individual imagines the responses are happening all by themselves. We can use this notion to advance what we do here.
It’ll start to make sense when I bring all this together shortly.
There are occasions in life when it is beneficial to be true to ourselves and who we are, however, we can reinvent who we are and truly be in charge of our lives too. When we truly are in control of our life, we can choose who we are and dictate it without being passive to old programming or former personality constructs that
might not be serving us well.
In fact, a recent study (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0104562) even shows that when it comes to boosting confidence, we can go as far as to deceive ourselves about it to help boost it! The study suggests that self-deception is a natural evolutionary trait. Therefore, the classic notion of “fake it till you make it,” applies here and it is proven to help develop confidence.
Before I get onto today’s technique then, to recap what I have written so far today, there is evidence to show and support the ideas that:
- You derive great gain from role-playing characters with confidence.
- You can adopt the confident role better by practicing
- You can deceive yourself with the confident role you are taking on.
- Self-hypnosis will make the related imagery more vivid and
believable.
Create Your Confident Superhero Alter-ego
In
one of my favourite sci-fi comedy shows Red Dwarf, there is an episode where Dave Lister’s alter-egos come true – his confidence and his paranoia (in the episode of the same name) become real people.
His confidence is tanned with very white teeth, smart loud clothes, with a really confident manner and way of
communicating with his posture straight and tall.
How would you imagine your confidence to be?
To start to fashion your
confident alter-ego, answer some of these questions:
- What famous people do you admire because of their confidence?
- What superheroes or mythical characters have appealed to you?
- What traits do you wish your confident alter-ego to possess?
- What kinds of super-powers would your confident alter-ego have?
Oh no, even the toughest Mixed Martial Arts fighters face fear and create a fantasy alter-ego in order to boost confidence.
Before you then move on to the step-be-step self-hypnosis process, create your superhero alter ego.
- Are you Ultra
Confidence Man?
- Are you Super Self-Esteem Woman?
- Are you a Batman and Tony Robbins hybrid?
- Are you a Wonderwoman and Oprah Winfrey hybrid?
- What about Superman and Richard Branson?
Self-hypnosis Superhero Businessman
Perhaps you simply create your own alter-ego from scratch with all the qualities, posture and characteristics that you deem most important. Be
creative and have your alter-ego ready to use in the upcoming process.
Once it is established, simply follow these steps to bring it to life and have it influence your real-life confidence:
Step One: Induce Hypnosis.
You can do so by any means you desire or know of. You can use the process in my Science of self-hypnosis book, use the free audio we give away on this
website to practice or have a look at the following articles as and when you need them; they are basic processes to help you simply open the door of your mind:
Once you have induced
hypnosis, move on to step two.
Step Two:
Picture your alter-ego in front of you.
Notice the way he/she holds his body, notice the way he/she communicates and the clothes he/she is wearing.
What is it tells you that this superhero is so confident?
See all the tiniest of details and make the imagery as vivid as possible in front of you. It should make you start feeling more confident just to look at.
Once you have done that, move
on to step three. Step Three:
As you look at your confident superhero alter-ego, step into those shoes. Wear it, act that way, become that superhero alter-ego.
- Think like that,
- feel
like that,
- behave like that.
- See through those eyes,
- hear through those ears,
- feel with that heart,
- feel with that gut.
- Walk around in this body, feel how it is.
- Act that way in every way, become that person on every level.
Notice all the smallest of
details and when you really are sure that you have become this superhero alter-ego, notice how it makes you feel. Notice whereabouts in your body the feelings of confidence are and start top spread them around and throughout the body.
Turn the feelings up; imagine they are a colour getting more vibrant, imagine they are a sound resonating more wonderfully throughout your body, imagine they are a
feeling that moves faster and stronger through you. Really build and develop those feelings and when you notice them growing healthily, move on to the next step.
Stop Four:
Repeat an affirmation or positive cognition to yourself now as you enjoy those feelings:
“I am more and more confident.”
“I feel better and better about myself.”
“My self-esteem is glowing more powerfully.”
Or choose words that you prefer and make you feel confident. Say them in a way that you find to be undeniably convincing. like you really mean them. The words should be advancing the confidence you feel as you say them, so say them with conviction. Then move on to the next step.
Now imagine a particular situation or circumstance in your life where you would like to be more confident and where you would benefit from being more
confident.
Be there as your superhero alter-ego of confidence. See the people, see the sights of the place, hear the sounds, and be there, interacting with your environment, with the people as your alter-ego. Notice how things are different and how easy and enjoyable it is to be this confident in this situation. Take all the time necessary to really be here, enjoying
this.
Tell yourself that you know you’ll be this way in these future circumstances. Then, move on to the final step
Step Six: Exit
hypnosis.
If you follow the process in my own science of self-hypnosis book, then count from one through to five to bring yourself up and out of hypnosis.
Otherwise, take some deep breaths, wiggle your fingers and
toes and open your eyes to reorient yourself with your surroundings.
There you have it.
Be sure to take adequate time to do each step
patiently and thoroughly. You want to get a full sense of how things will be in your life when you are adopting the role of your alter-ego.
When you’ve practice this in hypnosis a few times, it becomes very transportable and useable anywhere as you go about your day; so when you enter certain situations and
scenarios in your life, become your alter-ego.
Act that way, adopt the posture, the manner, the thoughts, the feelings and start to notice that the more you act this way, the more natural it becomes and the more readily you become this way.
You are training yourself to become confident in a fun, but surefire evidence based way.
Ok, I’m off to find a telephone box to get changed in….
Write A Book Webinar Series |
The Real Reason I Decided To Write a Book
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This might sound odd, but I did not become fully aware of why I wanted to become an author until my first book was actually in print. I thought I knew the reasons why when I started.
Certainly I had a number of motivations initially, but the real reason was discovered in the depths of the journey to becoming a published author and is something I’ve celebrated throughout the process of writing each of my other books since then.
Let me explain what I mean by that.
To begin with, I was not interested in it being something that I wanted to make a lot of money from. I wanted the professional kudos, respect and I also wanted to help develop my career by being a published author.
The book served these purposes comprehensively.
All of my books at one time or another have been referred to as ‘my baby’ - when I have been writing them. I conceived them. I brought them into the world. They did not exist until they were created by me, my thoughts, my ideas, my research, my collating.
I distinctly recall sitting at the screen
of my old PC, with a keyboard filled with old-school fat buttons that made a big noise when you typed, and that required a lot more effort to press down upon. I would struggle to type coherent, non-clumsy sentences on such a keyboard today.
Then I got to unload what I had learned over the years of my career up until then, and I was surprised at how much I thought I knew.
Things started to happen as I got into the flow of it, I started recalling experiences from my life, I drew upon my TV influences, I remembered schoolboy pranks and adult jokes, I wove stories and anecdotes into the theoretical content of my book, and I filled pages of word documents.
I loved every second of that process. I was liberated, I was expressing myself, I was sharing things that I believed would truly impact the lives of others positively.
That is being alive. That is being alive.
Intentionally, productively creating something that represents some good in the world made me feel alive.
That is the reason I wrote my first book. That is the reason I wrote my other 5 books that followed.
I have been a bit tough on that first book since because the theoretical underpinning of it is now flawed in my opinion. I have written a book that supersedes it and which is better, more accurate and
Before I wrote that book, I felt confined with my
career, I felt confined with certain elements of my life too. I felt like a passive recipient to my chosen career and the field of hypnotherapy.
At that time, I had been a passive recipient of it, letting it happen to me, going with the flow, doing what virtually every other hypnotherapist was doing and recommended
that I do. It treated me fairly well.
But who wants to live a life branded as ‘fairly well’???
Writing the first book emancipated me from that. It set me free. Symbolically, it showed me how to be properly productive when I set my mind to it. The process showed
me how I can take control of my life and my career. It showed me how to elevate my career and how to rise massively in credibility.
Although I may not be as proud of the content today as I was when I wrote it, when I revisit all those old scrawling and drafts that I keep fondly on my hard drive, I smile because it reminds of how to be alive.
In addition to that, what sprung up out of the subsequent marketing frenzy and promotion that led to my first book becoming a bestseller, were emails from people all over the world; the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Egypt, Europe and beyond telling me about how much they enjoyed the book, how much it had helped them, and as it got translated into other languages, I felt exponentially more free and liberated. My reach had gone beyond
anything I could have imagined when I first sat down to type those first words.
My true purpose with writing was being discovered and fulfilled all at once!
I had chosen to become a therapist because I wanted
to do good in the world, to serve my fellow man, to actively shine a light and help prop up those in need, help educate those wanting to learn more, help expand horizons, and I got to do so in my own unique fashion, adhering to my own style, being myself.
I was living on purpose, my work was satisfying my life
purpose with a depth and a breadth.
That is being alive.
By writing the book, I got to connect with people all around the world. I got to help others to make progressive, positive changes in their life, I got to share a part of my life, my world, my field with those people.
My sense of purpose was being fulfilled.
That first book represented me pushing back the boundaries, recognising and having proof that the old adage “the only limits are those that exist in your own mind” was true.
When I sit down to write my books, I say those words to myself “this is being alive” - some people think of writing as a chore, they just
want the end result of being an author for the gain it might bring them. Yet the journey is one to celebrate and enjoy immensely because it reveals so much about who and how you are and it will set you free in a number of ways.
It might not be a book, the book represents anything in your life that for some reason you are not doing but dream about. That thing that will set you free,
that will be evidence of you breaking out beyond those limits that have been set, that thing that will make you look deep inside yourself and realise…..
That is being alive.
Help Yourself With Self-Hypnosis Audios - 60% Discount |
Hypnotherapists - Please Note - This Could Be Part Of 30 Month Pass CPD
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If you are a hypnotherapist who is keen to constantly update your practice and what you can offer - then do check out our advanced training at our College Of Hypnosis Website
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We really did start something with the high brow and science gags in recent weeks, loads of you are sending them in to me. Here are this week's offerings...
How many people of a certain demographic does it take to perform a specified task? It takes a finite number: one person to perform the task and an additional number to act in a manner stereotypical of the group to which they belong.
Schroedinger’s cat walks into a bar. And it doesn’t.
Why did the inverse function
cross the road? To get to the same side.
Descartes walks into a bar. “Beer?” asks the barman. “I think not” replies Rene, who disappears.
A Higgs boson walks into a church. The priest says, “Get out, you blasphemer. How dare you call yourself the ‘God particle’?” The Higgs boson replies: “But I make up the mass.”
Thank you everyone who sends in the jokes each week, I love getting them.
Why not get over and join Adam's Hypnosis Hub. Anyone interested in Hypnosis may join. You could then add a caption to our weekly image.
Any Questions Or Help Needed -
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Us:- Do feel free to contact us if you need help or more information about our courses, seminars, products. It is in fact great to get to know you all.
We can take payments for products or services over the
Phone or Skype if preferred.
Please use Support Centre rather than e-mails which are notoriously
unreliable
Support Centre
Do leave a message if
we are not available and we will call you back. Adam: 01202 526977 or 0044 1202 526977 (outside UK) Keith: 01202 247301 or 0044 1202 247301 (outside UK) Skype:
Another thing that we encourage is contacting
us via Skype. Keith's Skype ID - keithaw2k1. Adam can be contacted on Skype by arrangement. |
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