The right mindset multiplies success with hypnosis. If you know what it is and put it to work for you, you can be oodles more effective. What’s the mindset, then?

Well, to understand how this mindset works and use it effectively, it’s good to understand how hypnosis works. One definition of hypnosis is bypassing the part of the mind that makes judgements and concentrating on a particular idea. Now, why would we need to bypass the part of the mind that makes judgements? Isn’t that dangerous? Don’t we want to be able to use our logical brains?

When we need to get something new into the mind, we may need to get around pre-existing judgements. They may be the problem. It’s that old chestnut about not being able to solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it

When Is Critical Factor Bypass Unsafe?

It’s good to realize that the part of the mind that makes judgements (the ‘critical factor’, or ‘critical faculty’) is regularly bypassed. When you’re watching a movie, you usually let yourself “pretend” that the movie is real. You know it’s not, but in order to enjoy the movie more, you allow yourself to think of the characters as real people and the situation as a real situation. That’s a critical factor bypass.

And yes, it can be dangerous. Children don’t have a fully developed critical factor. So, it’s dangerous when a kid grows up in a situation where a parent (or other authority figure), is constantly telling a child that the world is a bad place or that the child is not worth anything. As an adult, it’s best to have your critical factor up and running when you’re exposed to advertising or propaganda.

It’s when you don’t know a suggestion is being given (such as in an advertisement) that you’re in danger of taking on ideas you don’t want. Why do you think ads often show beautiful people having fun with the product? They do their best to plant the suggestion that you too will have fun and be surrounded with attractive people if you just drink that soft drink. It’s good to remind yourself that those specific, attractive people probably won’t appear in your mom’s basement, just because you pop open a can there.

When Is Critical Factor Bypass Safe?

But if you’re in the office of a hypnotist/hypnotherapist, you’re in just about the safest place you can be for letting go the judgmental mind.

Why? Because you know that you’re going to receive hypnotic suggestions! Look at it this way…

When you’re watching a movie, at any point, you can direct yourself to remember that it’s a movie. You can imagine where the cameras are, how the shot was set up and edited and wonder where the microphones are hidden. The same is true in an office, under hypnosis. At any point you can bring your critical factor back into play and reject any suggestion you don’t like.

While in hypnosis, you’re conscious, you can hear and you’re aware. If you’re working with a good hypnotist, they’ll work out any suggestions with you in advance. That way you already know what the suggestions are and agree with them. Plus, you can block suggestions you wish to block. Which brings up the point — your mindset has a great deal to do with how effective a suggestion is. You can block it, or you can have a mindset that multiplies the success, strength and effectiveness of an hypnotic suggestion.

So, What’s That ‘Success Attitude’?

I noticed an attitude of mine the other day in Yoga class (I started doing Yoga a few weeks ago). My goal, when I’ve given an instruction, is to follow the instruction as accurately and as completely as I can. And I do it right away. That got me thinking about all the other times I am focused on doing exactly what another person asks me to do, without question.

The best way I can describe it is if you have a coach you really trust. Let’s say it’s a baseball hitting coach. You’re standing at the plate, with a bat in your hands, ready for the pitch. The coach says, “lift your left elbow.” If you’re smart, you don’t question. You just do it. You accept it and do it immediately.

It’s the same way with the vocal lessons I take. My goal is to carry out instructions as best as I can — no questions.

Think about in what types of situations you act that same way. There’s an old quote, “No matter how tough you are, if a toddler hands you their ringing toy phone, you answer it.” Does that apply to you? When the dentist says, “Open your mouth,” do you do it instantly? When you hand your movie ticket to the ticket taker and she says, “It’s the 3rd door on the left,” do you automatically go where she pointed?

The point is, you can make a decision to follow suggestions in just that way. Your job is to think, “Yes!” when you hear a suggestion. Now, if you hear something you don’t like, you can always say “cancel that one” to yourself. You have that power.

So, a bypass of the critical factor (which should be in your induction) and this attitude will go a long way toward ensuring your suggestions have maximal impact. And if you’re a hypnotherapist working with clients, explain this to your clients and let them know their attitude plays an important role.