Self Hypnosis is a subject which evokes a million responses from a million different people. Some feel overawed by it, yet others are plain scared of it; some others seem skeptical about it, and yet others are what we know as believers? Have you ever found yourself wondering what Self Hypnosis is all about? Have you been intrigued by the success stories you have heard, but never thought you could benefit from it?

Various people may have various reactions to self-hypnosis, however the fact remains that it is fast emerging as a field of science which can prove beneficial in successfully addressing a myriad problems in anyone's life. Contrary to popular belief it is not about "seeing a magician" or "getting help", it's about being self empowered. Self hypnosis is about taking the responsibility of bringing about changes in your life, in your own hands. It is meant for anyone who wants to work at changing aspects of their personality, or habits that they have formed.

At my practice in Oxfordshire I am often asked to describe what self-hypnosis is. I often find myself telling my clients that it is nothing but the awakening and strengthening of our subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind is more powerful than we can ever imagine, and it's high time we gave it, its due. Self-hypnosis is all about connecting our conscious mind, with the subconscious mind. It's like making two long lost friends meet each other. Or better still, it's like helping two spouses who often miss connecting with each other on a busy day, reconnect with each other. In order to master the art of awakening our subconscious mind, it is necessary that we take out time from our hectic schedules to talk to it, to coax it to blossom into its full glory.

I often equate the process of self-hypnosis as something that is as similar to driving a car. When we first learn to drive it, we are careful about all the maneuvers that we need to make to have a smooth ride...push the accelerator, release the clutch, steady the wheel. When we first begin, it seems like we would be reduced to nothing but nervous wrecks while driving; however, as time passed and driving became a routine, most of us did not pay even the slightest attention to the strategies required to drive a car. Because we function on something called auto-pilot. The act of driving, and all the maneuvers associated with it are so well imprinted in our minds, that we do not need to put in a conscious effort. It has by default become a part of the subconscious mind. Self-hypnosis too, is related to the subconscious and it requires practice. There is a certain amount of discipline required to awaken our sleeping subconscious.

Self Hypnosis is basically a means of letting your subconscious mind communicate with your conscious mind. We can only establish contact with our subconscious minds, when we relax and let our conscious mind take a back seat. Our subconscious mind has immense powers, and it can be mastered with routine practice. Once the programming has been done, our little computer functions automatically on the responses it has stored in early practice sessions.

With the help of self-hypnosis, you can successfully alter habits such as smoking, nervousness, drug or alcohol addiction. Similarly when it comes to personality development, use of self hypnosis can make you a more confident and assertive person, it can instill a positive self image, become a performance booster and even help make your life a better place to be in.

Research suggests that we only use about 10% of our subconscious's total potential. So just imagine if we could put into the use rest 90% how different life could be!