Cart / €0.00 The Difference between Meditation and Hypnosis
There is a lot of confusion around the difference between Meditation and Hypnosis as they are similar, and both work with the subconscious mind. However, in the pure essence of both modalities, both bring us into a subconscious heightened awareness. Both bring us into a conscious, relaxed state.
It is fair to point out that I am a qualified hypnotherapist, meditation teacher, and practitioner. However, despite the different schools of thought on self-hypnosis, I believe. One cannot hypnotise oneself.
Let us look at the two modalities, identify each, and then at the differences.
Hypnosis
Before we look at what it is,. It is very important to point out that in hypnosis. Hypnosis will only be induced if you allow it to happen. Therefore, even if you want to be, the hypnotherapist cannot make you do anything you don’t want to, not even if it’s good for you. The subconscious mind is self-protecting of its agenda, which always knows what is best for you.
Let me explain further here on the subconscious mind, knowing what’s best for you. We call the conscious mind the censor, as it censors everything we see, hear, do and feel. At the same time, our subconscious mind records everything we see, hear, do, and feel. The conscious mind will only act on episodes it feels appropriate or of important. It will only allow what it deems pertinent to access the subconscious mind. This is where the incongruence occurs, resulting in unresolved trauma—the abuse, stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, addictions and a host of other ailments.
The Subconscious Mind
When your subconscious mind is not in congruence with the conscious mind, for example, a traumatic event happens in your life, it is fully recorded by the subconscious mind. However, the conscious mind, the censor, may consider the event to be more than you can handle, so the conscious mind buries the trauma until you are ready. However, in most situations, the conscious mind will forget to bring this matter back into consciousness and leave it buried. This in turn, eventually causes an incongruence between the consciousness and the subconscious mind. The matter has not been reconciled, and therefore, the records of the conscious and subconscious minds differ.
In these cases, the subconscious mind will make suggestions to the censoring conscious mind in an effort to invoke a response. Sometimes the conscious mind will bring the matter into conscious awareness, and sometimes not. When it does not, the subconscious mind will up the ante and run programs to force the conscious mind to bring the matter into consciousness.
The Fear Of Reality
Sometimes a program is run that may seem more damaging. For example, we may come down with depression. A very Bad depression and be forced to attend therapy, and there, the trauma is expressed, and the subconscious mind gets the opportunity to balance its books. That is a simplistic way of explaining. However, its also good to note. Many ailments are created in the body. This is as a result of incongruence within the mind.
So back to what is Hypnotherapy, to start, you may forget what you’ve seen in the movies and on TV, that is stage hypnosis, and it is a whole different paradigm of hypnosis, which I may discuss in another article. But suffice to say, Hypnotherapy is NOT the same as stage hypnosis.
Difference between Meditation and Hypnosis. What Is Hypnosis
In Hypnosis, you are actually more in control of your mind & body than at any other time because your subconscious attention is focused. Hypnotherapy is a naturally occurring state of consciousness that can bring you into a trance-like state of relaxation and, simultaneously, a heightened awareness. It's not dissimilar to when you are driving a car. You can get from A to B, fully awake and fully aware, and yet, you wonder how you got to your destination.
In hypnotherapy, the therapist will distract the conscious mind into a state of relaxation, or non-censorship, while the subconscious mind moves into a heightened state of awareness. The therapist aims to move the brain from Bata brain waves to Alpha or Theta brain waves. In that state, the mind becomes open to suggestibility. It is also important to note. Just because the mind is in a suggestible state, it does not mean that all suggestions will be accepted. It’s a little bit like sowing seeds; some will bloom, and others will die. The same happens with suggestions. Some are accepted, and others are. Well they are merely ignored.
The Two Types Of Hypnotherapy
The two main types of hypnotherapy are suggestion hypnotherapy and analytical hypnotherapy.
Suggestion Therapy
As the name suggests, is about planting seeds, where the hypnotherapist has established from the client their goals or desires. Such as performance enhancement or public speaking. Areas of enhancement where there is no root cause of the issue. These issues are usually treatable with 1 or 2 sessions.
Analytical Hypnotherapy
This works in conjunction with Counselling, where there is a root cause with areas of depression, anxiety, stress, etc. Analytical hypnotherapy, in its conjunction with counselling, seeks to find the root cause of a problem and deal with the underlying issue rather than the presenting problem. This form of hypnotherapy usually requires much more commitment than suggestion therapy. However, once the root cause has been identified and dealt with. The results can be life-changing. Life changing in a positive way, one where you can deal with the issues.
It is also important to note, not everyone can be hypnotised.
What Is Meditation
So now, let’s look at what meditation is. Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique, such as focusing on their breath or on a particular object, to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. During our normal awake time, our brain is operating at Bata brain waves, fully conscious and fully aware. As we discussed earlier, both the conscious and subconscious mind are recording everything we see, hear, do and feel. One is censoring, and the other is recording and orchestrating.
In meditation, our aim is to calm the mind, the conscious mind, that is. We do this by tasking the conscious mind to perform a dull and mundane task. For example, focusing on our breathing or focusing on an object. After a while, the conscious mind realises there is nothing to censor here and stops censoring. This allows the subconscious mind to become heightened in awareness and connected to the matrix of our life force. The objective, in scientific terms, is to move the brain from Bata brain waves to Alpha or Theta brain waves. In that state, the subconscious mind becomes open to all possibilities.
Two Types Of Meditation
There are two main types of meditation. One is self-silence, focusing on the breath,. Then, there is guided meditation, which people generally find easier because the conscious mind has something to focus on externally. It still has the same effect as non-censorship.
How Long Have People Been Meditating
Meditation has been practised since antiquity across numerous religious traditions and beliefs. Records show since the 19th century, it has spread from its origins to other cultures where it is commonly practised in private and business life.
Meditation may be used to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain and increase peace, connecting to source, seeking clarification and well-being.
Meditation is a relaxing and enlightening experience where you can transcend the gap. The gap is the space between thought, between consciousness and subconsciousness. That space where we can connect to the past, and future. Into the realms of understanding, realms of other worlds, and the spirit world.
In the gap, we connect with Source, our life force, the pure energy of our existence and the cosmos.
We become fully centred and connected with every aspect of Universal consciousness and every cell of our own being. Only then, in that connection, do we become enlightened with wisdom and knowledge.
We gain such wisdom we know is real and true, and yet have no idea how we gained such insight.
For me,
The difference between Meditation and Hypnosis is as follows.
Hypnotherapy is always externally driven. It has outcomes and objectives, whether suggestive or analytical. The process seeks to sow a seed in the subconscious.
Meditation, on the other hand. It may be self-induced or guided. It has no outcome objectives, and if it does, you cannot enter the required trance state. The process seeks to calm the mind and allow a flow of unfocused. A non-predetermined energy to flow within and allowing oneself to flow into the gap where all potentiality and possibilities exist.
The difference between Meditation and Hypnosis