subject: Why You Should Use Post Hypnotic Suggestions And Cues With Self Hypnosis [print this page] What is a posthypnotic suggestion? What is a posthypnotic suggestion?
A posthypnotic suggestion is a suggestion given, while the individual is in a hypnotic state (i.e. within a trance), for an action or other response to take place after the hypnotic experience.
So what is a posthypnotic cue?
Posthypnotic cues are any actions, thoughts, words, images, or events which initiate or trigger a posthypnotic suggestion outside the trance. The response can be an action, a feeling, or an internal physical change. For example to think of an image of a beach; to bring about calming and relaxing of stress.
Why do you use posthypnotic suggestions and cues?
Posthypnotic suggestions and cues are a powerful extension of your self hypnosis work. They enable you to modify or improve your behaviour and responses whenever you desire, not just while you are in self-hypnosis.
If it were not for this remarkable effect, the benefit of hypnosis would become vastly reduced. One reason why posthypnotic suggestions work is that your memories and past successes are used by your unconscious mind to provoke an action or a response that you have implanted while in self-hypnosis. The fact that it does work has been proven numerous times in clinical research.
Suppose your objective in self-hypnosis is to relax and lower your stress levels . While in a hypnotic trance , you are calm and relaxed. However what about when you are challenged with a stressful situation at work? You may feel your breathing getting quicker and your heart beating faster . You may not be able to tell your boss or a client. "Just a minute, please. I need to put myself in a trance for a few minutes. I will be back again shortly."
If you had given yourself a posthypnotic cue when you were in a hypnotic trance, previously, you could break down the stress without anyone even realising it. For instance, whilst in self-hypnosis you could have made an connection between deep breathing and relaxation. The deep breathing would have become a cue. With several deep breaths, the feeling of relaxation and calm could come back at any time.
You will need to perform repeatedly your posthypnotic suggestions within several hypnotic trance sessions prior to the time you would like them to be enacted. The more you repeat a posthypnotic suggestion while in self-hypnosis, the more effective it will be. Repetition is the cement that bonds the posthypnotic suggestion and cue to your unconscious mind. Give yourself suggestions six or eight times at the very minimum.
