Thursday, March 24, 2011

You are getting sleepy . . . sleepy . . .

[The deep, dark truth about Hypnotherapy]

            As a hypnotherapist, my main tool for helping people deal with problems and bring about change in their lives is hypnosis.   A natural state of mind which recruits a person's subconscious mind in rewriting their mental and behavioral programming.  It's safe, easy and enjoyable.  I also use other tools, but it’s hypnosis that most people seem to be most interested in.  And are most confused and misinformed about.  So, I thought I’d write a short post about what hypnotherapy is and isn’t.


Hypnotherapy isn’t -

                   

           


Hypnotherapy is -


           

Don't worry -

             The "Id Monster"** is fiction.  There's no such thing.  Monsters aren't gonna jump out of your subconscious mind and eat you or your therapist.  And if one does try it, don't worry - your therapist has seen worse - she can take care of both of you.  Nothing's gonna come forth that you aren't capable, with help, of dealing with.


**"Forbidden Planet," MGM, 1956.

 
The final truth - 

           Hypnotherapy isn't magic, even though it may seem like it.  But it can be a very useful tool.  In the long run, it's still your life, and you are the one who has to do the work. 

Good Luck


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Monday, March 21, 2011

What do you mean, you can’t wait for the ETs to take you again? Are you nuts?!

           One of the most puzzling aspects of the ET Experiencer phenomenon is the apparent contradiction between individual ET experiences.  Some abductees enjoy the event while others hate every single second.   We human beings are as different from one another, in some respects, as if we actually came from different planets.  Based on that, it really isn't surprising that our ET experiences, like nearly every other experience in our lives, can be so different.

          Anyway, based on my own experiences with ETs, those that my clients have shared with me, and theories propounded by other therapists and researchers,  I decided to take a flying leap at a plausible explanation to this conundrum.  Please be advised that I'm not the first person to come up with similar ideas, so if it's just too ridiculous for you to accept, don't blame it solely on me.  While there are many different types of ET experiences, for the purposes of this article, I’m gonna divide the typical types of experiences into two kinds – the ride you can’t wait to get back on, and the one that made you so sick you’ll never be able to look a corn dog in the face again.


           Yay!!!!!  Individuals in the first group tend to use effusive phrases like “I never felt so much pure love in my life!”  “When they touched my mind I felt all the wisdom of the universe.”  “It was the best sex I’ve ever had!” etc., when describing their ET experiences.  They also speak of being singled out, blessed, taught, guided, gifted, etc.  I suspect that if most of these individuals had their choice, the next time they went out for an ET happy hour, they wouldn’t come back.  And while I think luck has very little to do with it, for purposes of our present discussion, I will refer to them as the Lucky Ones.



           The other camp sees things a bit differently.  Words like rape, torture, abduction, forced against my will, terrified and helpless, tend to pepper the play-by-play description of their ET visits.  Some of these people believe that ETs are demons intent on, at the very least, sucking out their brains, and at the worst, sucking out their souls.  They are the victims.  These are the people who usually end up in my office, looking for a means to deal with what has been done to them, or a way to forget it.  (If I sold mental blocks, I'd be rich.)  I call these people the Unlucky Ones.  Even though, again, I don’t think luck has anything to do with it.

           As a therapist, I’ve spent a lot of time wondering how some Experiencers seem to get rainbows and cotton candy, while others get broken glass and the fuzzy end of the lollipop.  I wish I had a solid answer to give them when they ask.  Since ETs are not known for sharing information, the only place I can look for an answer is the human side of the equation.  As a student of the mind, I tend to go to the subconscious for the explanation of all human behavior.  It is in that vast mental storehouse where the answer is frequently found.  So whether you are a Lucky One or an Unlucky One, you are a human, with a subconscious mind, and that’s where we’re gonna start.

"Two monks were arguing about the temple flag waving in the wind.
One said, "The flag moves."  The other said, "The wind moves."  They
argued back and forth but could not agree.  The Sixth Ancestor said,
"Gentlemen!  It is not the wind that moves; it is not the flag that moves;
it is your mind that moves."  The two monks were struck with awe."
                                                                 
          Psychologists (and Buddhist monks) tell us that our perceptions of the world are colored by the things we learned during our lifetimes - in our mother’s arms, at church, in school, in the back rows of movie theatres, at work, etc.  These everyday events are the things that shape our basic world view.  And this world view is the lens through which we see reality.  It must ever be so and can never be otherwise.  It's the only show in town.  In other words, what you see on the street is colored, shaped and conditioned by the lens (beliefs) that you view it through.  Rose-colored glasses do, indeed, create a rose-colored world.  So, what if that applies to ET experiences as well?  What if the positiveness or negativeness of an ET experience is  determined not by the actions of the ETs, but by the perception of the Experiencer?


If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one there to hear it, will it make a sound? 

          This old riddle has been revived by the new scientific religion of our time - quantum physics.  The question it poses is a head-scratcher for even some of our biggest brains.  It asks - can something exist without someone there to perceive it?  And it expresses a dichotomy between perceived existence and intrensic existence.  It implies that reality is colored, if not wholly created, by human perception.  What it boils down to is this - if my basic belief system supports positive experiences, my ET visits will be positive.  If my belief system supports negative experiences, I'll get the fuzzy end of the ET lollipop every time.

            I like this theory for a couple of reasons.  It provides a perfect rationalization when I'm tempted to go off my diet.  According to this idea, if I perceive the chocolate bar as Melba Toast, then it really is Melba Toast, and I can gobble it up without guilt.  Easy.  But I also like the theory because it is empowering.  It means that I'm responsible for the consequences of eating the chocolate bar.  I'm not a victim of the chocolate bar, but of my own faulty belief that I can eat it without consequences.  Presto-chango, victimhood is no more!  Free at last, free at last!  Thank God almighty, I'm free at last!  Ergo, whether I turn out to be a Lucky One or Unlucky One is determined by the contents of my own mind.  If I am a victim, it's my own doing. 

            Like attracts like in the realm of the mind.  This is the basis for the law of attraction.  According to that law, we draw to us things that are in line with our own beliefs and thinking.  Positive draws positive - negative draws negative.  This seems to apply in the realm of ET-human contact as well.  Positive beliefs attract positive ETs, and we perceive whatever they do to us as positive.  Likewise, negative or fear-based belief systems, attract negative ETs – or ETs with negative motives – and we perceive our experiences with them as negative.  Too simple, you say?  Not really.  Despite our natural human tendency to obfuscate, the truth is usually pretty simple.

           Unfortunately, belief systems that have developed throughout a lifetime are not easily changed.  If you are drawing negative ET experiences to you, and aren't able to change your beliefs about them, you may not be able to easily transform the fuzzy end of the lollipop into cotton candy.  But the good news is that by simply understanding the situation and recognizing your beliefs and their control over you, you can begin to empower yourself and thereby begin to change your perception - and thus, your reality.

           This theory also clears up another common question.  You know the one - are ETs good or bad?  I've seen otherwise rational people nearly come to blows over this question.  But the truth is that ETs are neither good nor bad.  Look at it this way, I like mustard on my hamburger - you may like mayo on yours.  There's no right or wrong, good or bad - just human perception.  I know this idea may not be easy to accept if you are one of the Unlucky Ones.  But the truth is the only individual in the universe who can turn you into a victim is you.  ETs possess technology that enables them to pretty much do with us what they will.  The only aspect of the experience we have much control over is our attitude.  It's just like everything else in life.  Good things happen and bad things happen, and the only difference is how we accept them and live with them.  So, at the risk of trotting out another old bromide - when life gives you lemons, try making lemonade.

            Give it a try.  Beginning to look at your ET visits in a different light, from a different point of view, can make a huge difference.  I know it's not easy to let go of the fear and anger, and change beliefs that have accumulated through an entire lifetime, but, trust me, you do have the power.  This is the basis for overcoming all the fears in your life.  This is what all psychologists and therapists understand.  The human mind - and yes, that includes yours - is the most powerful entity in the universe.  Why else do you think the ETs are here probing it?  Changing your mind can change the way you feel about your ET experiences and your life.  Not easy, but well worth working on.  Talk to a friend.  Talk to a therapist.  Meditate.  Realize that whether you are a victim or not is up to you.  You don't have to agree with what the ETs may be doing to you, but as long as you take your power, you can learn not to be afraid.  And you can stand up to them.  They might actually leave you alone.  It has happened.


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Monday, March 14, 2011

Many Hats

Dennis Rano is a very talented and perceptive artist who does caricatures of UFOlogists.   I am honored to be one of his list of renderings.  I wear many hats in the UFO field - experiencer, therapist, writer, investigator - which he has portrayed in his own inimitable way.  Check out his other work at http://www.theufologists.com/ .


MANY HATS

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Thursday, March 3, 2011

Why Don't I Remember My ET Visits?


            Some Experiencers (ET abductees, contactees) have conscious recall of their ET experiences, some have partial conscious recall and many have no conscious recall at all.  Conscious recall of an ET event doesn't affect the credence or validity of the event.  In other words, just because an individual consciously remembers their ET interactions, that doesn't mean the experiences are more real or more valid than someone who doesn't.  Nor does it make it any easier to live with.  On the face of it, it might seem advantageous to have conscious recall of your ET visits, but some Experiencers would give anything not to remember.  In the case of traumatic experiences, it's often a blessing.  Some Experiencers want to remember, others want to forget.  There's no right or wrong. 

             But back to why you don't remember.   Psychologists spend an inordinate amount of time and energy arguing among themselves about why humans remember and why they don't, but probably most would agree that there are some basic reasons why you may not remember your late night ET rendezvous.   (I will cover the physiological causes for not remembering in another post - if I can remember what they are.)



Repressed memory?

          Repressed memory is a concept used to describe a significant memory, usually traumatic, that you can't recall.  It's there; you just can't remember it.  This is also known as motivated forgetting - you purposefully don't remember something because it's too painful to deal with consciously.  The protective powers of the human mind are amazing.  Basically, you can forget anything that you don't want to deal with.  Any parent can attest to the ability of their teenage offspring to do that.  Repressed memories may be recoverable, if you want to recover them.  But it's a good idea to trust your mind and not go digging around for repressed information unless you really need to for your health and sanity.  Just be aware that's one can of worms that may be better left unopened.



Memory block?

        While a repressed memory is a function of your own protective mind, a memory block or mental block may be placed there by or under the influence of someone or something else.  Again, the memory may still be in your subconscious, but you can't recall it because you aren't meant to.  We know that ETs possess technology far in advance of our own, and apparently are able to manipulate us mentally.  (The technical term is f_____g with your mind.)  Many Experiencers comment that during the event a machine was placed on their head or some type of tool was touched to their heads, causing them to forget.  Did they really forget?  Or was the memory merely blocked?   If you forgot, then the memory is gone and unrecoverable.  If it was blocked, you may be able to remove the block and retrieve the memory.

         The next question, then, is why would ETs block our memories?  To protect themselves?  You're kidding, right?  From whom?  Let's face it, probably no one is gonna believe the rantings of our twisted minds.  And the human powers that might be strong enough to stand up to the ETs aren't gonna admit that they even know about them.  Believe me, we are not a threat to the ETs.    Do they block our memories because they are nice guys and they don't want us to suffer traumatic memories?  Or because they are bad guys who don't want us to struggle the next time they come for you?  Maybe.





Did you make an agreement?

          Take a deep breath and let it out slowly.  That's right.  This may be really hard for you to accept, but many Experiencers believe that at some point in time - either before or during this life - they made an agreement or contract with certain ETs to participate in their experiments, studies and activities.  And knowing that some of those might be unpleasant, they agreed to have their memories repressed or erased.  I call this "The Ignorance Is Bliss Contract."   I'm very familiar with it, because it's the one I made.  You may be in on the same type of deal.  It might be difficult to accept, but it's a lot more empowering than thinking you're a helpless victim.



Amnesia?

            Despite all the dramatic movies and stories about it, amnesia is really just a natural function of the human mind that we all experience every day.  It can also be caused by trauma.  Basically, amnesia is when memories are either not stored in the first place, when short term memory is not moved into long term storage or when an event is immediately forgotten because it's not important enough to remember or our minds can't relate to it - what psychologists call dissociation.  Every day our minds are flooded with sensory input from the environment - most of which isn't necessary to remember.  Believe it nor not, your mind may have determined that your ET experience wasn't something you would need or want to recall later, so a memory simply wasn't made.  And, obviously, if it's not there, you won't be able to retrieve it.




The mind flush?

            Not everyone agrees about the purpose of dreaming, but one explanation is that dreaming is our mind's natural way of flushing out unneeded information from our subconscious mind.  Because dreams happen when we are unconscious (asleep), we can feel all the emotions and activity of the real experience while we are at rest.  We can feel the exhilaration of flying without actually jumping off the roof, fight off vampires with a Twizzler or have a variety of sexual escapades with people we'd never even speak to in real life.  Dreaming is a lot safer than actually doing.  And much less embarrassing.  The human subconscious mind is a huge storehouse of information, but it doesn't have room for every single sensory input it has received since you were conceived.  That's a lot of stuff - most of it worthless.   So dreaming gets rid of it for us.  If a memory was flushed out in a dream, it's gone and unrecoverable.




Reliability?

            At this point, I would be remiss if I didn't say something about the reliability of human memory.  It's pretty much squat.  Human memories are notoriously unreliable.  They are very easily influenced by whatever we have taken into our mind since the event, and whatever happens to be on our mind at the time we are trying to remember.  That's one reason it's a good idea to elicit the help of a counsellor or therapist trained in the function of the human mind and the nuts and bolts of the UFO/ET abduction phenomenon to accompany you on your journey into the Twilight Zone.  You want someone who won't think you've gone completely off your nut and prescribe shock treatments and who can help you keep it real - at least as real as possible, considering what you're dealing with.



            

So what should I do?

           Experiencer Therapy is much more than simply the recovery of memories.  That's just the beginning.  The hard work comes in successfully integrating the experience into your daily life.  Whether you like it or not, if you've been taken, abducted or visited by ETs, it is a fact of your life.  The traces (memories) of the event may have been stored in your subconscious mind, and if they are causing problems, you need to find some way to get past the trauma, fear, confusion, etc.  So whether you have full recall of the experience or not, if it's problematic, looking into it would prove helpful.  There are a lot of options for trying to deal with your experiences - alcoholism, drug, sex or food addictions, joining a convent, etc. - some healthier than others.  And it is true that sometimes memories come back on their own over time, and when they do, you may be just fine.  But if you need help, get some.   And know that all your fellow Experiencers wish you well!



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