Hypnotherapy and Spirituality
Though society has become increasingly more secular, this has not impeded the increase of people being interested in spirituality in general and for their own developmental purposes. With the rise of modalities like Mindfulness, it is a reasonable question to ask where and if hypnotherapy fits into this new reality.
The hypnotic state is similar to most meditative practises, so it could be argued that the practise of self hypnosis would be akin to practising mindfulness meditation. The idea that one can control one’s mental state independent of another person is a very useful in mental discipline.
If one can control this state through trance, there is no reason at all, that a person can use the hypnotic state to improve their spirituality. Now of course, as a therapist, the client’s spiritual perspective and desire is not my responsibility, nor is it reasonable for the therapist to attempt to impose his or her spiritual beliefs and values onto the client in question.
When looking at hypnosis and spirituality, it is necessary to be neutral in the same fashion as we tend to be when doing regressive work. By which I mean, the therapist must not lead the client in any specific direction. The client must use the state in the way they see fit.
