When hypnosis is mentioned the first thought is usually about entertainment and people looking foolish on stage. The second thought is usually about smoking, and if there were any enthusiasm left for a third thought that would probably be about weight loss. These are the areas that hypnosis is associated with in the minds of most people.

And this is a real shame because hypnosis is a powerful tool for positive personal growth. It is a powerful tool that can make life much, much easier. Whenever people come to see me for help it is invariably because they've tried everything else and everything else (usually the world of medicine) has failed them. After treatment they frequently express the wish that they'd come to see me first.

The real problem is that since hypnosis is known primarily through its use for entertainment ? it's value is not appreciated in all the other areas where it can bring about great benefits.

So what exactly can hypnosis do for you?

It can change your life, and:

1. Achieve Success

Success is the thing most of us want. You can only want it if you don't believe you have it. But success isn't a thing, it's a feeling and hypnosis can help you feel successful. Now what use is that to me? You may be asking yourself. I've got bills to pay, I'd like a new car, or to visit family on the other side of the world. I want to run my own company, be the best at what I do?

These are tangibles. And, surprisingly hypnosis can help you to achieve these things too. It works on the basis of the idea that if you are not moving in the direction of what you want, then that is because there are subconscious blocks. In other words there is subconscious resistance that sabotages your attempts to achieve your goals in life. Because hypnosis works, primarily, by re-programming the subconscious, it can be utilised to bring the subconscious into alignment with the conscious and free you to move easily towards the achievements you desire.

2. Past-Life Regression

Belief in reincarnation is not necessary in order to experience a past-life under hypnotic regression. Hypnosis is a wonderful way to re-experience past-life memories comfortably. If you've heard just three too many people who were all Cleopatra, or other equally famous historical characters, then like me, you'd probably be more than a little sceptical. But, under hypnotic regression, most people experience mundane ordinary past lives ? like, farmers or soldiers, or merchants, or servants? My first past-life experience was as a Spanish Inquisitor, my second as a Roman soldier being killed in battle, my third as a tribal chieftain in ancient Britain, and the fourth one as a poor French farmer. So why would anyone want to go back to experience a life that, in essence, isn't romantic or exciting or special? What value is it? No matter how 'mundane' the life experienced - that life is special.

To re-experience memories of a time in history that you know nothing, or very little, about, is of itself a source of fascination when those memories are experienced by you. The experience makes it real for you. It can't fail to enhance your current life when you know, without doubt now, that your consciousness continues on after your body ceases to function. It means there is no Hell ? other than the one you make for yourself on planet Earth. If you engage in a series of regressions you will notice patterns in your behaviours and those of the people who are in those other lives with you. Becoming aware of these patterns can help you to free yourself from problems in this current life.

3. Heal disease.

Wow! There's a claim. Even doctors would have difficulty demonstrating they could do that. If hypnosis can heal disease why isn't everybody using it all the time? Hypnosis isn't what does the healing. The person with the disease does the healing themselves. What hypnosis does is make that process easier and more accessible. It isn't guaranteed, but then neither is any medical treatment. Oncologist O. Carl Simonton was one of the pioneers of the use of hypnosis to visualise a powerful immune system destroying weak cancer cells. This technique can be used with any disease process.

4. Reduce pain.

Minds are powerful things, but most of the power is lost because the mind isn't focused. There are several hypnotic techniques that can be used to reduce pain by training the mind to respond differently to the signals it interprets as pain. This can result in a reduction in the pain, or its removal. If you want to go further you can use hypnosis to explore the psychological reasons for the presence of the pain. This has the potential to bring about a release that results in healing.

5. Improve Sporting performance.

Whatever sporting activity you enjoy, professionally, or for fun ? hypnosis can help you to improve your game - as long as you have the physical ability and fitness to perform at the level you desire. (If you haven't hypnosis can be used to motivate you to achieve that). Hypnosis can be used to focus the mind, to visualise success, to avoid distractions, and to instil the muscle-memory that allows you to act faster than thought.

So you see, hypnosis is a valuable tool that allows you to become who you really are, freed from the burdens that hold you back and prevent you from living your life to the full.