| President Bush said we are addicted to oil. Most | | | | our own, often unknown, reasons. Sometimes we think |
| smokers say they are addicted to nicotine. I thought I | | | | we want to lose weight but our subconscious mind |
| was. Some, in attempting to quit, chew nicotine gum or | | | | says "no-way". That's why diets fail.One of my |
| apply nicotine patches. Neither work in more than | | | | students discovered through hypnosis that she wore |
| fifteen per cent of cases because nicotine is not | | | | her extra pounds to protect her from men "hitting on |
| addicting. Heroin is.Until recently I did not make that | | | | her". Because she did not know how to respond to |
| distinction. I once published an article about all kinds of | | | | flirtation, she wanted to avoid it altogether. Once she |
| addictions which were no more than habits.A relatively | | | | released guilt feelings about her past sexual responses |
| small percentage of the population is addicted to | | | | to men, she began losing weight without dieting. Now |
| alcohol. Heavy drinkers just have the habit of drinking a | | | | she is at her normal weight and feels, she says, "really |
| lot every day. Smokers have the habit of putting | | | | light-hearted".Hypnosis can help us develop new habits, |
| something in their mouth up to 400 times a day. | | | | too. If you're in debt and sinking further, you can |
| Americans have the habit of driving wherever and | | | | develop a daily habit of recording your income and |
| whenever they feel like it in gas guzzling vehicles. | | | | expenditures. If you keep losing things you need, like |
| Gamblers have the habit of ruining their lives to varying | | | | your car keys, you can hypnotize yourself into placing |
| degrees.Heroin is addicting. Nicotine is not. Heroin | | | | them in one spot every day.Some people fear |
| addicts have violent physical reactions when deprived. | | | | hypnosis because they don't know how safe it is. |
| True alcoholics have severe reactions, too. Heavy | | | | Some don't know any practicing hypnotists they'd trust |
| drinkers can go without a drink and not react physically. | | | | or can afford. Answer: Self-hypnosis.I used to grow |
| Cigarette smokers do not get sick when they run out | | | | mute every time I needed to speak for myself. I could |
| of cigarettes. Drivers may complain but don't get sick | | | | write what I wanted to say, but I couldn't say it. I'd |
| when forced to stay home. Gamblers just get | | | | forget it. My mind would go blank. Through |
| bored.Recognizing this distinction, we can see where | | | | self-hypnosis I learned how to talk. Now I have several |
| hypnosis can be the perfect cure for any habit we | | | | audio discs I listen to as the mood strikes me. One is |
| want to change. We develop habits early on to | | | | called "Break the Habit." Another is "Talking to Win", |
| compensate for some perceived lack in our selves or | | | | another, "Peak Performance." I gave that to my 15 |
| lives. They, and the reasons for them, get buried in our | | | | year- old grand-daughter before she was scheduled |
| subconscious minds.I started smoking when I was | | | | to give a speech to an audience of adults. My favorite, |
| twenty, a sophomore in college. I thought it helped me | | | | though, is just plain relaxing into Alpha waves before |
| go to sleep at night. Actually, I felt so anxious about | | | | using the computer to manage my website. Everything |
| everything I didn't breathe deeply unless I inhaled | | | | works much better for me afterward.Habits are |
| smoke. When I finally quit smoking several years later | | | | stored in the subconscious mind. Hypnosis lets you talk |
| all I needed to do whenever I thought I wanted a | | | | to your subconscious, eliminate old habits and create |
| cigarette was inhale air deeply. It worked. I was | | | | new ones. With self-hypnosis it takes about 30 days |
| amazed at how easy quitting turned out to be. I | | | | to re-program your subconscious mind. It's far easier |
| thought I was addicted to nicotine.Hypnosis not only | | | | than you'd expect.So, if you're in the habit of cruising |
| helps us access the subconscious mind, it can | | | | the freeways for Sunday recreation, try skateboarding |
| re-program our habits. And it can re-program our | | | | or walking. The U.S. Surgeon General will soon say |
| self-perception. It works for weight loss the same way. | | | | that cruising is hazardous to your health. |
| Each one of us who is overweight is overweight for | | | | |