How hypnosis can positively change your beliefs | Lucas Handwerker | TEDxBocaRaton

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

"It is my belief that in the right state of mind, all people are capable of all things. It is my goal to explore this state of mind with my audiences and facilitate a process. The minds full potential lies dormant, locked away, I am simply here to offer the key."

It is with this belief that Lucas uses hypnosis, Neurolinguistic Programing, and psychological suggestion to guide people to the part of their mind where there are no limits.

About a year ago,
I had a reoccurring dream.

I would dream I was walking
into a forest with a guide,

and the guide would bend over,
he'd pluck a flower out of the ground,

and he'd say, "This is poison."

He then would point clear
across the forest at another plant,

and he'd say, "But there is the antidote,
there is the remedy to this poison."

He then shared with me
a very simple truth.

He said, "In nature,
wherever there is a poison,

the remedy often grows nearby."

This is true in nature:
wherever there is a poison,

the antidote or the remedy
often does grow in the same environment.

I believe this to be true
in our minds, as well.

So whenever we have a negativity
or a poison in our minds,

the antidote can often be found nearby.

But the human mind is far more difficult
to navigate than the forest,

especially without the proper tools,
and especially without the proper guide.

Around the same time, about a year ago,

I began to see a hypnosis client;
we'll call him Martin.

Martin was a compulsive spender.

So, as soon as he got any money,
even if he had debts and bills to pay,

he would just spend it immediately.

Martin had been seeing a therapist
consistently for years on this issue

to no [avail.]

Martin's spending problem
stemmed from a limiting belief,

a negative belief,

a belief which told him
he did not deserve that money.

So as soon as he got it, he spent it.

We all have beliefs like this:
we believe we can't change,

we believe we can't accomplish
a goal or learn a new skill.

These negative beliefs
manifest themselves into negative habits,

habits like giving up before we even try

or fearing failure so much
we never even try.

These are our poisons.

But the antidote is nearby.

Most just never bothered to look.

But in order to understand
how to overcome these negative beliefs,

we must first understand
what forms our beliefs.

This is what I found.

What you focus on
influences what you believe,

and what you believe
influences your reality.

All of our realities
are completely subjective.

They're influenced
by what we choose to see in the world.

So if I were to ask
every single one of you,

every day for a year,

to make a list of everything in your life

that made you unhappy,
that made you depressed or miserable,

and I asked you at the end of that year

what you believe
the quality of your life to be,

most of you would say, "Terrible!",

and of course, you would, because all
you're doing is focusing on the terrible,

beginning to believe the terrible,

and your reality
will manifest in that way.

So, our beliefs are also our habits:

what you focus on turns into your beliefs,
what you believe turns into your habits,

and what your habits are
turns into your reality.

In this way, our realities are
entirely under our control.

But so often our beliefs and our habits
become so deeply ingrained in us,

it becomes nearly impossible
to rewrite them,

nearly impossible to change.

This is where I believe
hypnosis can come in.

Hypnosis allows us to quickly
and easily change our focus,

change our beliefs, change our habits,

and in turn, change our realities.

Hypnosis allows our realities to work
like clay in our hands to mold,

to fit any mold that we wish to see.

It's an incredible space.

But what is hypnosis even?

How does it work?

I'm glad you asked.

Hypnosis is an altered state
of consciousness.

It dances that fine line
between being awake and being asleep.

You're not quite awake,
but you're not fully asleep.

You experience it
almost every single night.

In scientific and medical studies
of hypnosis, they've found

there are two parts of the brain
that are active during hypnosis:

the part that controls
intense concentration

and the part that controls
intense relaxation.

In further studies, they found
the left hemisphere of the brain,

the part of the brain that controls
critical and analytical thinking

is less active;

and the right hemisphere of the brain,

the part of the brain that controls
creativity, fluidity of thought,

subconscious mind,
and dreaming is more active.

So what does this mean?

It means that hypnosis is a space
where you're largely unhindered,

you're relaxed, you're focused,

you have creativity
and fluidity of thought.

So knowing all this, let's bring it
back to Martin and his spending problem.

Martin's problem stemmed from
a negative association with money,

an association with money.

So now, whenever he gets money,
he has a negative feeling attached to it.

So it's very difficult
to remove associations,

it's far easier to add associations.

You associate the feeling of comfort
with your mom's chocolate-chip cookies.

But if I were to stand up here
on stage and set off fireworks

while eating chocolate-chip cookies,
you'd have a new association to cookies.

But what about your mom?

Would still be there
but you'd have a new one.

So it's much easier to add associations.
That's what we did with Martin.

Under the state of hypnosis,
I added a third association for Martin;

I added this: a clockwise spin -
really, really simple, literally this.

All we had to do is to give him
the proper hypnotic suggestions

and do this: reverse the spin.

Literally, by reversing the spin
and given the proper hypnotic suggestions,

we reverse-engineered
the emotion for Martin

and literally, reversed the emotion,
reversed the feeling.

So by adding a third association,
and then reversing the third association,

we reverse the feeling.

So now Martin associates
money with good feelings.

This is a very small, simple change,

but it led to many bigger changes
and many new beginnings in Martin's life.

This is a very profoundly simple
but incredibly effective technique.

But it's just the tip
of the iceberg with hypnosis.

We're all taught from such a young age,

that our minds are too complex,
too convoluted to navigate.

But that simply isn't true.

Hypnosis allows our minds
to be simple, open, and adjustable.

Hypnosis allows us
and gives us the proper tools -

the psychological Swiss Army knife -

to not only survive
but to navigate the forest of our mind

and find the remedies to our own poisons.

The quality of this life is determined
by how well we control our own thoughts.

I implore you to not only
understand, but to know

that any negative belief, or habit,
or state of being you may be in

can be completely changed,
can be overcome,

utilizing the powers of your own mind.

All you need to do is find
the proper tools and the proper guide.

(Applause)