Stop Smoking With Hypnosis!
By Dr. Cernie

Most smokers, perhaps all, have been exposed to the physical, mental and emotional consequences of their smoking habit.  So why smoke?  Many people will say their smoking routine is due to an addiction and/or habit, but is there a deeper reason.  Is smoking a physical habit or is there more to smoking than meets the eye.

Hypnotists believe the problem is much deeper, and that your smoking habit lies deep in the subconscious mind.  It is not through your own fault, but rather, subconscious thoughts that have developed over many years.  We spoke to Dr. Cernie of the Valley Hypnosis Center in Riverside, who said, “There is no question in my mind; smoking can lead to psychological dependency that can last a life time, and many times is connected to other deep-seated emotional problems.”

What are the most common health issues associated with smoking?  Smoking seems to damage nearly every part of the body.  Not surprisingly, it is the nation’s leading preventable cause of death, according to the American Lung Association; costing 430,000 lives per year in the U.S. alone.  That is why public health experts believe if you smoke, quitting is the single most powerful action you can take to improve your health.  Cardiovascular disease caused by second hand smoke, alone, kills over 40,000 people a year, according to the American heart Association.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes cost the average smoker $1600 a year.  They cost the United States about $157 billion in healthcare costs and loss of productivity, every year.

Let’s discover why people begin smoking in the first place:

• To belong
• To look and feel grown up
• To be a rebel
• As a stress reliever
• To relieve boredom
• To relieve loneliness
• To avoid gaining weight
• To relieve emotional pain

The good news is hypnosis can help.  Once your subconscious patterns are shifted and your perception of yourself as a smoker is gone, it is easy to stay “smoke free.”

The thoughts controlling our habits and behavior reside in what is called our subconscious mind.  It’s called that because it is deeper than our conscious mind.  We are unaware of the thoughts and feelings that reside there and that is where, hypnotists believe, resides the solution for our bad habits.
   
Imagine that there is a trapdoor between your conscious mind and subconscious mind.  Normally, the trapdoor is closed until your brain waves slow down (this happens when you are asleep).  The door opens for short periods of time, and ideas, images and thoughts (also called dreams) come out of your subconscious mind.

When you are hypnotized, the door also opens, and helpful suggestions can be directed into your subconscious mind.  The hypnotic state hypnotists use is simply a way to focus your attention and concentration so you will go into a natural hypnotic state.  Once in the state of hypnosis, the trapdoor opens and suggestions to help can be given.

The ways in which hypnosis has been used is practically endless, helping people: stop smoking, lose weight, build self-confidence and self-esteem, improve academic performance, relieve insomnia, manage stress and pain, heal other physical problems, and eliminate anxiety, fear and phobias.

Most of the habits, feelings and emotions we want to change are deeply implanted in our subconscious mind and will not just go away with one set of suggestions.  Most of the time, the hypnotic suggestions need to be repeated on a regular basis.  This is one reason why most specialists in hypnosis give their clients a tape of the recorded sessions, so they can listen to them every day.

One final note; hypnosis is not dangerous.  There are almost no risks when used by a trained professional.  You cannot be made to do anything that goes against your moral values.  Over the years, self-improvement and personal growth professionals using hypnosis have helped millions of people change their lives permanently, because it is a safe and powerful tool for changing thoughts, feelings and habits.  So, next time you want to make a change in your life but have been unsuccessful, try hypnosis, and unlock the power of the mind.

Dr. Cernie can be contacted at the Valley Hypnosis Center in Riverside (951) 781-0282