Have you ever wondered what happens during a hypnosis session? With hypnosis becoming a groundbreaking new way to lose weight, you may have wondered exactly how it works.

Our program at New England Hypnosis and Weight Loss is a small group session though whether hypnosis is done in a group or an individual session, the process is almost identical.

Before we describe our actual session, I’d like to give you a very brief overview of hypnosis in general.

Science has described four basic stages of consciousness.

1) Beta- the Beta level of consciousness is the state of being fully alert and aware. This is the state that we are in most of the day. This is where we are paying attention to the tasks at hand. We are processing information coming from others, from our environment, recalling information to help us carry out our jobs and daily activities. When we are working, having a conversation, out with friends or family, we are generally in a Beta state (or at least we should be).

2) Alpha–  The Alpha state is where the mind and body are relaxed and slightly slowed down to allow the person to focus their thoughts on one thing while ignoring some of the outside environment.  I often compare the Alpha state to a few common scenarios that we can experience frequently.

One such Alpha state is when you are watching TV late at night. The house may be quiet and your eyes get kind of heavy. You feel drowsy and you hear some of the TV show but your mind is drowsy and drifting a bit too. You can perhaps let your eyes relax and go into a deep sleep. It’s that transition period from alert to sleepy that you are near an Alpha state.  ( It is at this time that you can fight to fall asleep and wake from the Alpha state if you’d like)

Another such Alpha state is when you’re driving home late at night. You may have the radio on and be driving down some quiet roads, passing through intersections, lights, stop signs, and then you suddenly pull into your driveway and wonder how you got there. You were alert enough to safely drive how but you were almost in a trance-like state so you now barely remember the drive home.

 In this state, if you heard a siren, a car pulled from a side road or someone blew their horn, you would have ‘snapped out of it’ immediately and proceeded to drive safely home.

Alpha is often compared to a ‘not really here but still not really out of it state’ as well.  In the Alpha state, outside stimuli no longer distract us so we are very open to receiving habit altering messages from the hypnotist directly to the subconscious mind.

In our monthly programs at New England Hypnosis & Weight Loss, this Alpha state is the level we commonly reach with our clients. Many clients feel that they are very relaxed and comfortable, almost in a light nap like state.

Many come into the program wondering what happens during a hypnosis session. This is where we can make suggestions to the subconscious mind to help clients make changes in their thoughts, actions, and habits regarding their eating snacking, willpower, and helping them turn away from foods that cause weight gain and they can begin to crave and desire foods that help them lose weight.

Our in-person, hypnosis for weight loss sessions that are held in Berlin, CT every month are done in a small group format and most clients find it easy to reach the Alpha state.

A false but common belief is that a client that is in an Alpha hypnotic state cannot react to the environment and they lose control to the hypnotist.

This is completely untrue. The fact is the client remains in control and is fully capable of reacting to outside stimuli. You will NEVER do anything under hypnosis that is against your ethics or morals.

3) Theta   The Theta state is a level deeper than the Alpha state. This is more akin to a deep sleep where the client is less aware of the surroundings. In this state, some people are not even aware of what has been said during the hypnosis session.

There is no problem if a client doesn’t hear what is said during the session as the subconscious hears everything and will still act on the suggestions made during the hypnosis session.

In our monthly sessions at New England Hypnosis and Weight Loss, some clients can reach the Theta state while others may transition between Alpha and Theta. Due to the transition of states, some people hear everything that is said in the session, some hear nothing that is said, and many hear things in bits and pieces. As mentioned the subconscious always hears and helps us act in ways that will help us change our actions to create new healthy habits for weight loss that will last permanently.

An interesting side note is that during our program, some clients awaken from the hypnosis session and think they heard everything but when asked if they heard  X, Y, or Z they have no recollection of it.

There was even a time when we were doing a follow-up session with a group of clients and through our hypnosis office room is generally very quiet, on this particular night there was some sort of emergency call and multiple police cars and fire trucks went by the office with sirens blaring.

This was just after we finished the hypnosis induction and deepening and I thought it might have ruined the hypnosis session for everyone. The sirens lasted about 30-45 seconds and I just continued on and carried out the hypnosis as though nothing had happened.

We always have a question and answer portion after weight loss hypnosis sessions so as we ended the session, I mentioned that I hoped the sirens weren’t too much of a distraction. What I got back was about 22 blank stares because nobody knew what I was talking about. No one heard the sirens that I was so sure had ruined the hypnosis experience.

This may have happened because it was a follow-up session and all of these people had already been through our entire 3 session program.  The follow-up sessions are offered every month and the client can attend if they need a little boost to keep them on track. What most people find is that the more sessions they attend, the easier it is to reach a deeper level of relaxation and ultimately a deeper level of the hypnotic state.

4) Delta –  The Delta state is a very deep level of hypnotic trance or sleep that is far beyond anything we reach in our in-person hypnosis for weight loss sessions. Delta is a state that not many can reach and though I have been certified in hypnosis for years, I don’t know that I’ve had a client reach the Delta state.

We strive to have our clients reach the Alpha or lower state of hypnosis and while they are under hypnosis, I make very specific hypnotic suggestions to help clients learn to eat better, eat healthy foods, be able to consistently make healthy food choices, turn away from junk food and begin to crave and desire healthy foods.

We also use a guided meditation to help clients visualize exactly how they will look when they reach their weight loss goal.

This implants a vision to the subconscious and though I have never seen research on it, I have heard it said that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real experience and one vividly imagined in great, minute detail. This vision about how you want the body to look will help the mind make it a soon to realized reality for you.

We also use very specific language to stop cravings, stop emotional eating, stop comfort eating, and stop mindless snacking. These mind tools alone can often help people achieve significant weight loss.

The small group program at New England Hypnosis and Weight Loss, we use 3 hypnosis weight loss sessions over the course of 3 weeks and each session building upon the last. When a client finishes our program, they have a clear knowledge of how to eat to promote fat loss, prevent hunger, and have the mindset to almost effortlessly reach their weight loss goal. Now it does take consistent work but the hypnosis makes the weight loss process so much easier because the mind is laser-focused to stay on track.

Each session is a little over 2 hours and when clients leave, they are motivated to start to implement the weight loss process right away. Hypnosis helps the clients get on track, start the program and follow through. This follows through is what makes the program unique. With most eating plans, you are left to do the hard work on your own. With our program, you have the mindset for weight loss success, you have the eating plan to help you lose weight, and you have the follow-up that most other plans are lacking.

If there is ever a time when it is difficult to follow through with weight loss, we offer follow-up sessions every month and clients may attend these as they feel they need to stay on track.

As mentioned briefly above, one of the most amazing things about the mind and hypnosis is that often a person’s mind and the body does not know the difference between imagining something in great detail and having actually experienced something. As far as the mind/body is concerned, the physiological and emotional responses are the same, regardless of whether you are imagining something or actually experiencing it.

This is what tells the mind you are able and willing to do what it takes to reach your weight loss goal. You will have the advantage of knowing and seeing in your mind while under hypnosis that a situation or goal not only possible but your mind will act and believe it has already happened.

You as a client get the distinct benefit of tackling have seen yourself losing weight, becoming motivated, and following through without ever having left the comfort or a recliner chair. As far as the mind knows, you have already overcome cravings, lost weight, and reached your goal.

This is one-way hypnosis gives you the confidence and ability to move forward. If you feel you are ready to learn more, please feel free to reach out at any time. I am always available to answer questions to help you know weight loss hypnosis is the right decision for you.

If you’re still wondering what happens during a hypnosis session, you can inquire to learn more about our program.  Our group sessions meet monthly at 1436 Berlin Turnpike in Berlin, CT. You can call  (860) 438-8788 or email –  info@NEhypnosis.com  for more information.