10 Reasons Hypnosis Downloads will NEVER Replace Live Hypnosis

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Will hypnosis downloads be the downfall of live hypnosis sessions?

The great bandleader John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) once said that recordings would be the downfall of live music. Because of his views, he refused to participate in his band’s recording sessions.

What about hypnosis? Will hypnosis downloads be the downfall of practicing hypnotists?

You are probably aware that self-hypnosis downloads are widely available. In fact, if you go on Amazon, or nearly any anywhere else, you can find hypnosis downloads on almost every subject. Through special apps, you can access thousands of them!

With all of these recordings widely available, is there any need for live hypnosis? After all, couldn’t you get the same results by listening to a hypnosis download? Who would pay a hypnotist $150 or more for a session when you can get the same thing for $20, even for free?

What most people don’t realize is that listening to a hypnosis download is NOT the same thing as hiring a hypnotist. There’s a reason is costs more to see a hypnotist. It’s because you get what you pay for!

Read on to learn 10 reasons why hypnosis downloads will NEVER replace skilled hypnotists.

Hypnotists are flexible guides. Hypnosis downloads are inflexible.

Do hypnotists just read scripts while clients are in hypnosis? Not hardly. Professional hypnotists are skilled guides. We guide people to make their own discoveries about themselves. As hypnotists, we have no idea where each session will go.

We have an outline, but the problem is that most clients don’t stay “on script.” By that I mean that you can’t always anticipate where clients will go. Sometimes unexpected things come up in session.

Skilled hypnotists are able to deal with these “detours” on the fly, instantly adapting the session to the unique needs of the client. Our mantra is “follow the client and process what emerges.” It is critical to the outcome that we meet the needs of our clients during each phase of the session.

A hypnosis download is inflexible, always remaining the same. That makes it much less likely to produce effective results.

A hypnotist will show you HOW to go into hypnosis  – A hypnosis download will not

Hypnotists learn multiple ways of guiding you into hypnosis. The reason we do this is because not everyone responds to the same techniques. Your hypnotist will find the best technique for YOU  to enter hypnosis. A hypnosis download will not do that!

A recording gives you only one set of instructions. If that one technique doesn’t work for you, then you’re out of luck!

Customized vs. Generic suggestions

A large part of hypnosis is hypnotic suggestions. This is the process of determining what negative thoughts are standing in the way of your success, then reversing those negatives into positives.

Hypnotic suggestions are very powerful because two opposing ideas cannot be held in the mind at the same time. When the mind accepts the positive suggestions, the negative ideas are eliminated.

The majority of the generic suggestions you hear on a hypnosis download won’t help you at all. That is because they do not correspond to the negatives  you hold in YOUR mind. Sure, it’s beneficial to expose your mind to new, positive ideas.

But the problem is that all the negative ideas that were holding you back in the first place are still there, so you don’t experience positive change.    

A hypnotist knows WHAT technique to use and WHEN to use it – A hypnosis download only uses 1 technique

However, what distinguishes a true hypnosis professional from an amateur is the fact that he/she knows what technique to use and when to use it. That’s what you’re paying your hypnotist for.

There is more to hypnosis than scripts and hypnotic suggestions. There are hundreds of techniques and processes. Due to logistical limitations, most recordings only use direct suggestion.

Most of the advanced techniques cannot be done on hypnosis downloads because they require continuous feedback from the client and constant improvisation from the hypnosis professional.

A hypnotist will ADAPT to you as you change and grow. A hypnosis download will never change.

Sometimes people will listen to a hypnosis download for awhile and get great results. Then, for seemingly no reason, they quit listening. I have had this experience myself. About 10 years ago, I was doing a self-hypnosis program and quadrupled my income in a 3 month period!

Shortly afterwards, I quit doing the program. Something didn’t quite seem right. I think it was because I changed. But, the recording stayed the same. I needed a new program customized to my needs to reflect the progress I made.

Had a been working with a hypnotist, he or she would have realized the need to change the program as I progressed. A completely new routine would have been created to meet my unique needs.

Hypnosis is very similar to exercise. You start out doing a particular routine, and get great results. However, as the body adapts to the exercise, the routine becomes less and less effective. Good coaches understand this and customize programs based on the client’s progress.

A hypnotist will do the same think with your “mental exercise” routine. A recording will never adapt to your unique needs.

The psychic connection  

No, I’m not talking about a 1-800 number you call when you’re bored late at night. I’m talking about the mental connection between hypnotist and client. A hypnotist doesn’t just help you change your mindset. A truly competent practitioner will use his/her full mental faculties to aid your healing.

That is to say that when you are imagining yourself achieving your goals, YOUR HYPNOTIST also imagines you achieving your goal. So, you have two humans minds working to assist you in positive change.

To give you an analogy, think about computers for a second. Which is more powerful, a single-core processor or a dual-core processor? Of course, a dual-core processor is more powerful. In theory, such a processor has twice the computing power as a single-core.

One human mind is more powerful than all the computers on the face of the earth COMBINED. Just think about the power of TWO human minds molding the creative substance of the universe into form on YOUR behalf. That is a dual-core processor like none other!

When you listen to a hypnosis download, you are missing that psychic energy with another human that is so powerful.

Deeper work is beyond the scope of a hypnosis download

There are two basic branches of hypnotic technique. The first is suggestion therapy which is very similar to positive affirmations, but more precise. Suggestion therapy also encompasses visualization techniques. Both therapeutic suggestions and visual techniques are highly effective, but have their limitations.

Sometimes deeper work is needed. The second branch of hypnotic technique consists of analytical work such as emotions and regression therapy. This type of work is totally beyond the scope of self-hypnosis. According to Adam Burke, Ph.D. in Self-Hypnosis Demystified: New Tools for Deep and Lasting Transformation, self-hypnosis is more of a reinforcement tool. Emotional work including regression/review therapy is better undertaken in the presence of a professional hypnotist.

That being said, there are regression recordings. However, I seriously doubt the effectiveness of such recordings. Effective regression requires the hypnotist to be highly flexible, listen, and adapt the technique to the client moment-by-moment.

Such techniques are not based on scripts, but a free-form process. Since a recording can’t adapt based on your responses, the recording is unlikely to get down to the root cause of the issue.

In the hands of a highly skilled professional, regression therapy can be life-changing tool!

A hypnosis download will not coach you to improve your experience

When people that are new to hypnosis start listening to a recording they typically have a ton of questions – and rightly so.

A hypnotist not only guides you into hypnosis, he/she also coaches you on how to improve your experience. A skilled hypnotist will give you practical tips to deal with whatever challenges you may face. Any questions you have about your experience will likely turn into a coachable moment, further improving your success with hypnosis.

With a recording, there is no one to answer your questions. You will be left without any support, wondering if you’re “doing it right.”

A hypnosis download will not hold you accountable

A recording could care less whether you listen to it or not. However, you WILL have to go to your hypnotist’s office next week, look him/her straight in the eye, and tell them how many times you listened to your recording. Now that’s accountability!

With a professional hypnotist, you will receive recordings, take-home assignments, and the accountability to actually complete them! A recording may remain on your shelf in the original shrink wrap indefinitely.   

A hypnosis download won’t help you with fear

Suppose you were going to climb a mountain that you had never climbed before. Would you want to go by yourself, or hire a guide that is a skilled climber? Or course, you would hire a guide! A skilled guide helps you feel more comfortable and avoid some of the mistakes/pitfalls that a new climber might encounter. You guide’s experience also helps you feel safer and more at ease during the experience.

When you’re embarking on a journey to an altered state such as hypnosis, you are just like the explorer who climbs a mountain. Having an experienced guide to take you by the hand and lead you through the journey makes all the difference to your therapeutic outcome. If you’re not quite ready to experience something in hypnosis, your guide will either encourage you to take the leap, or help you find an alternative path.

A recorded hypnotic journey will proceed full steam ahead without any regard to how YOU’RE feeling about the experience.

From this article, it might sound like I’m against all hypnosis recordings. Actually I like recordings as a reinforcement tool. But, I want you to understand that they are not a replacement for hiring a skilled hypnotist. So, for the quickest and easiest path to your goal, call up your local hypnosis professional, and schedule a session! Do it now!

5-Star Rated Dallas Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Programs By Award-Winning Dallas Hypnotist, Sean Maness