Actress Jennifer Aniston uses hypnosis to manage a fear of flying.
From time-to-time I will share on this blog interesting
articles about how celebrities employ hypnosis to improve health and wellness,
as well as to overcome fears.Here is a post
from January 2013 and one seven years later I published
in January 2020.
I recently came across this article in People Magazine about
how Friends star and accomplished actress Jennifer Aniston has turned to
hypnosis to remedy a fear of flying.It
has allowed Aniston to enjoy traveling for work and leisure without the dread
of stepping on an airplane.
Venture capital funding is the fuel that powers many of
emerging technology companies that are re-shaping our world.That is why I was excited to read this
article in Crunchbase that overviews the more than $40M that has been invested
in start-ups that are developing online self-hypnosis applications for health
and wellness.
In addition to the time I volunteer to speak on campus with college and high school psychology students about hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness, I also donate my services to perform at wellness-themed events. I personally get a lot of fulfillment from sharing with people a tool to help them mitigate and manage stress.
Here is a nice note I received from a guidance counselor at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland after my appearance earlier this month at the school's "Wellness-Palooza."
We can’t thank you enough for your willingness to
be ready, available, unimaginably flexible, positive, genuine and so
generous helping us to promote wellness and care for our students and
faculty. Hypnotic Experience has been a great draw each time
we offer wellness opportunities. The kids arrive curious and nervous;
they leave so filled up with lasting goodness. Your partnership and contributions are so valuable to us.
For nearly ten years I have donated my time to speak on campus at Montgomery County high schools about hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness or as a tool for stress management. Although there is typically a high level of interest in the topic, speaking to students at this age in a classroom environment presents interesting challenges.
I thought I had seen, experienced, and worked through most everything. That is until yesterday!
I had the opportunity and privilege to visit Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where I spoke with students enrolled in health classes.
The final class of the day had a wonderful group of volunteers, many of whom achieved a deep level of hypnosis.
To gently bring my volunteers out of the hypnotic state, I count up slowly from one to three, snap my fingers, and say the words “back in the room.”
Just as I reached the number three and snapped my fingers, the electricity in the entire school building failed and the classroom was plunged into darkness.
The teacher and I were stunned and (thankfully) my volunteers emerged from hypnosis feeling positive and energized. A few moments later the power restored to the building, the lights came on, and I was left with yet another fun anecdote to share.
I have included below a video of my hypnosis induction from a presentation at Clarksburg High School, another Montgomery County school.
Research reveals stress causes distinct changes in brain function and health. (Photo source: ercare24.com)
According to this recent article published by ChiefExecutive Magazine, the answer is yes…literally! This is
why stress mitigation activities, such as meditation, mindfulness, and…yes…self-hypnosis,
are so important to our success, health, and overall wellness.
“Scientists studying the
relationship between well-being and leadership found that the brain’s
prefrontal cortex (or PFC) plays a key role in the quality of leadership
behavior.Dysfunctions in the prefrontal
cortex can be either more “chronic” or situational. Acute stress may disrupt
typical PFC functioning, causing negative actions such as handling emotions
poorly.”
