Why it’s all about mind over matter

Did you see the recent BBC 2 Horizon programme Out of Control? on the workings of the human brain?

If so, you could not fail to be fascinated by some of the findings. The conscious mind accounts for less than 10% of the brain’s activity – the rest is taken up by the unconscious mind.

To quote the Horizon programme guide: “We all like to think we are in control of our lives – of what we feel and what we think. But scientists are now discovering this is often simply an illusion.

“Surprising experiments are revealing that what you think you do and what you actually do can be very different. Your unconscious mind is often calling the shots, influencing the decisions you make, from what you eat to who you fall in love with. If you think you are really in control of your life, you may have to think again.”

Actually, although it was a fascinating programme to watch, much of the information has been known for years to those working with hypnotherapy and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming).

The simple fact is that every time you do something for the first time, whether it be take a driving lesson or learn how to play tennis, a neural pathway is laid down in the brain. An electrical charge jumps from one neuron (brain cell) to another, creating a connection called a synapse. The more often you perform that function, the stronger the synapse becomes – and the better you get.

It sounds complicated, but think of it as being like jumping over a small stream. The first time you might be a little hesitant, but the more you do it, the more confident you become, until you could do it blindfolded.

However, not everything we learn to do in life is good. All experiences lay down neural pathways – including negative ones. Everything from childhood events causing low self-esteem to the desire to smoke a cigarette. That's why these ‘habits’ are hard to break by conventional means.

Hypnotherapy is so successful because it works with your unconscious mind to lay down new, positive neural pathways, and in some cases we can ‘erase’ old ones.

I use the word ‘erase’ carefully – it certainly wouldn't be ethical to remove memories altogether. But hypnotherapy has shown remarkable success in helping to deal with issues such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), for instance. The individual won’t forget an event has taken place; hypnotherapy can, however, remove the pain and trauma associated with that event – and it can do so remarkably quickly.

Whether it be reforming bad habits, building self-confidence, removing phobias or pain relief, there seems to be little hypnotherapy can’t do. It can even help heal broken bones. Don’t believe me? Check out details of a clinical trial on our News page.

About the founder

After a lifetime working in the media, Richard Reed made the decision to take his life in a new direction by training as a clinical hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner, and launching New Horizons Therapy in Dorchester and Poole.
Richard says the move was prompted by a life-long interest in the workings of the brain, and in particular the deep-rooted links between mind and body.
“I remember as a teenager seeing an old black-and-white movie about a young woman who was paralysed, unable to move for months, before her condition was eventually diagnosed as psychosomatic. She made a full recovery. It started me thinking about the power of the mind over the body, and it’s an interest I’ve retained all my life.
“I also enjoy working with people and helping them to overcome their challenges. It’s incredibly rewarding to see someone who has been suffering, sometimes for years, be helped quickly and easily with hypnotherapy.”
Richard has an Advanced Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy and is a Master Practitioner of NLP. He is certified by the General Hypnotherapy Register and the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).

A wide range of therapies

In addition to the specific packages offered on the Home page, New Horizons Therapy, based in Dorchester and Poole, also offers a wide range of hypnotherapy and NLP strategies including personal and/or business motivation training, anxiety challenges, sleep difficulties, help with post-traumatic stress disorder, and past-life regression.

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