Wednesday May 2, 2001

Hypnosis Diet

Jackie is working on making better food choices. Zeta is working on getting to the gym more often and keeping a can do attitude. They are both trying to lose weight by harnessing the power of suggestion - hypnosis.

Jackie says, "I've been doing it seven months and I've lost 10 pounds."

Zeta says, "I lost a little over 30 pounds on this program whereas before I couldn't lose any weight."

It claims to be a low impact, stress free method that people of all ages have turned to. They have come to Dynamic Changes in Manhattan. Where executive director Richard Schefren says hypnosis can help you change a whole range of behaviors. He says, "It allows the subconscious mind to be more accessible, which is the part of your mind that's responsible for your habits. So you can replace negative habits with positive habits."

Patients are first interviewed to determine their problems and their goals. Then the hypnosis; Glasses flash rhythmic lights and earphones play soothing music. Richard says, "What light and sound technology does is it helps slow down the brain waves, so it's another way that we can guarantee that the client is going to be in a more receptive state.

They describe hypnotic suggestions as the kind of tips a coach might give an athlete … good ideas to help increase the chances of winning. Afterward, there are nutritional videos and something they call accelerator courses, sort of do-it-yourself hypno-sessions. If nothing else, the overall effect seems to be quite pleasant.

So if you are the sort of person who is generally receptive, you might want to give hypnosis a try.