Guided meditation and visualization are forms of hypnosis. In guided meditation the subject is taken to places in the imagination and led to healing spaces. It is important to understand that when we talk about visualization we do not just mean using one's inner eyes to see the "vision" but people do whatever is most natural to them. Some people are more sound oriented and use their auditory faculties to hear the visualization.

By meditation here I mean mantra meditation where one repeats a word (mantram) over and over concentrating on the gaps in between the words. In hypnosis one has words and silence but one concentrates on the words. The end results are similar, in producing a relaxing, healing state of consciousness. Other forms of meditation all entail some form of concentration and mindfulness and thus are similar to hypnosis and produce the same relaxing stress reducing effects as hypnosis.

Hypnosis is best described as an altered state of consciousness, a changed or focused state of awareness, concentration and perception. During the experience of hypnosis, the person remains in complete control and should they ever feel uncomfortable because of the experience, they can always reopen their eyes and terminate the experience. Everyone at some point or another naturally experiences the hypnotic state.

Hypnosis is a deep state of relaxation, which can be induced either by a Hypnotherapist or by self-hypnosis. Many long time practitioners of Meditation are able to experience a similar effect. With Hypnotherapy the effect is combined with a therapy to help you let go of negative thoughts and emotions, and replace them with positive ones.

Basically, the two processes are very similar. Guided Imagery, however, is a much lighter trance and allows you much more freedom to have an experience unique to you. Whereas hypnosis deals primarily with behavior modification with specific instructions and commands, imagery is more free flowing, affording new information and insight from the client, not the therapist.

Hypnosis is best described as an altered state of consciousness, a changed state of awareness, concentration and perception. During the experience of hypnosis, the person remains in complete control and should they ever feel uncomfortable because of the experience, they can always reopen their eyes and terminate the intervention. Everyone at some point or another has experienced hypnosis.

While both have a calming effect, beginners often find it easier, more pleasant to go into trance than to meditate. Because hypnosis allows you to focus on specific problems, results are usually more predictable and amenable to suggestion.

Self-hypnosis is a condition in which you your coach will teach you how to "program" your own subconscious mind. With the use of self-hypnosis, you will be able to continue programming yourself for the results you want, and the results will come much more quickly. Self-hypnosis differs from meditation in that during self-hypnosis the subconscious mind is in a state of focused concentration and receptivity -- alert, accepting and digesting the specific suggestions that are being fed into it.

Hypnosis is a condition, which allows the subject to reach his subconscious, unconscious, or "inner mind" and influence it. Some feel that it provides an opening into a wider psychological or spiritual dimension, transcending the limits of the individual's unconscious.

In self-hypnosis we evoke a very specific inner entity, an Inner Guide, which develops its own identity and its own agenda for helping us. Rather than using guided imagery, or repeating a word or phrase, we simply focus on an unchanging spot on the wall in order to minimize other stimuli so that the Inner Guide can become activated.

Roberta Shapiro, who is Board Certified in Hypnosis, has found from her extensive practice that combining hypnosis and meditation provides more rapid and beneficial results for sleep, stress management, and achieving one's goals than either hypnosis or meditation alone. She calls this hyno-meditation. Shopping could never be easier. Just make your selection, add to your shopping cart, click on "checkout" then give us some information so we can satisfy your order.

Relaxation is a common by-product of meditation. Relaxation itself can assume many forms, such as taking a hot bath or reclining in the Lazy-boy and watching tv, etc. Meditation is an active process where the meditator remains fully aware of what the awareness is doing. It also attempts to transcend the thought process whereas many forms of relaxation still engage the thought process.

From a functional point of view, there is none. Hypnosis (or 'self hypnosis') and meditation are simply different ways of achieving much the same outcome: a shift in mind state to slower mental frequencies normally referred to as 'alpha' and 'theta'. In these altered states the conscious mind becomes more aware of inner events and imagery, and because it enters a passive mode it becomes many times more suggestible.

The best thing to do if an unexpected or unwanted animal appears to you is to simply relax, take some deep breaths and promise yourself to withhold judgment for a while. The animal might have something really important to give you if you accept it and honor it and listen to what it has to say. Read the short story about "My Summer of Skunks" on the Companions Suit page for a good example of this. You certainly can! A good way to begin is to focus on the Committee Suit and the Community Suit.

A client is talked into a light, relaxed state, then is directed by a therapist to "see" a specific situation or circumstance in his mind, and then to allow the imagination to unfold a story. It's much like having a dream in an awake state. The story is literally tapping into the subconscious, where much truth can be learned. The process is lead by the client's subconscious insights and not by the Therapist.

Not a whole lot. In some instances, there may be some differences in techniques. But the goal is always the same--to become relaxed and focus the mind. Visualizations and guided imagery have long been techniques used in the art of hypnosis. This is because the subconscious mind relates best to symbols and imagery.

Self-hypnosis always involves some kind of control. However in Transcendental Meditation the mind experiences its most calm and restful state in an innocent and natural manner. Scientific research carried out world-wide shows that the physiological changes during Transcendental Meditation, and the wide range of benefits that they produce, are unique and completely distinguish Transcendental Meditation from self-hypnosis.

opposed to creating a trance state to counter pain, Calm Birth uses profound visualization to create a fearless state with increased tolerance of pain, and increased awareness and intuition to make the right decisions in the labor process.