Is the Internet Destroying your Intelligence?

December 9, 2010 By

I can’t focus
I’ve been diagnosed with adult ADD
I can’t sleep at night
I just can’t concentrate anymore
My memory stinks…
These are just a few of the complaints that I hear from my clients daily. What is going on and why do so many people have such a hard time with their minds? We are literally a nation of broken minds.  ADD, depression/Anxiety and memory/focus issues are just the most visible problems.  The average person is functioning at a much lower level then man did in the past.

First we need to make sure that nutrition is up to par before looking elsewhere. But if someone takes vitamins and eats right and gets a decent amount of sleep, what is the story? Is it possible that we are training our brains to focus shallowly? To simply skim the surface? To never delve deeply into researching and reading since we can find any fact we want by using Google? What an amazing tool, but like any other increase in technology there is always a downside.

There are several studies that demonstrate exactly  that. The mind will become patterned by the way it is used.  If you consistently move from channel to channel on the TV or from web site to website on the internet you are training your mind to think shallowly.  You are not spending time thinking through a problem so much as finding someone else who has done it for you on-line.  Rarely does anyone need to spend time in school delving through major amounts of text to find an answer. Instead we jump from idea to idea, concept to concept and maintain a “novelty seeking” mentality to finding the answers we desire. This results in permanent changes in brain function and the size of various parts of the brain. Multi-tasking has been  proven to be bad for the brain.

When we engage in thrill seeking or novelty addicted behavior we grow the part of our mind that responds to pleasure. Soon that part of our mind becomes addicted to the brain chemicals being released and needs more and more to get the same feeling.  Think gambling addictions, sex addicts or substance abuse.  Through using technology in a specific way we are turning technology into an addictive substance that integrates easily into our lives. But the results can be as negative long term as having any other kind of addiction.  Shrinking the prefrontal cortex creates  behavior problems like ADD, depression and Anxiety.

One of the best ways to change this pattern is to increase the size of the prefrontal cortex which is done by increasing blood flow to that part of your brain.  The prefrontal cortex controls executive functions and when you use hypnosis to still the mind or relax the mind into the alpha/theta brainwaves you are supplying nutrition to this part of the brain. You are building mental muscle. Buddhist monks who meditate daily are shown to have a much larger prefrontal cortex than the average person.

So give it a try…take a day off from the Internet.  Watch one show at a time on TV.  Read a non-fiction book instead of just snapping up information on Google. Turn off your “smart phone” .  Stop making calls and texting while driving.  Better yet just take some time to simply “be”. You may actually start feeling smarter, more focused and calm then you can remember feeling in a really long time.

Filed Under: Academic performance, Hypnosis & Depression, Hypnosis FAQ Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Fear and Peak Performance

October 21, 2010 By

Fear will stop you from performing at your peak.  Fear will paralyze you.  “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” FDR.   This is another incredibly powerful statement of the power that fear exerts over all of us.

So what is it about fear that makes it such a powerful emotion??  Its power lies in our instinct to survive.  That primal, basic part of the brain, the limbic system sounds the alarm and then a cascade of neurological activity follows.  The fear response is based upon our memories and experiences, our learned fears from the past.  However worries and anxieties are out in our future.  So obviously since it helps us to survive we need it, right?  Yes, we need fear as a call to action when something dangerous to our survival happens. However as FDR so succinctly stated, fear is something to be feared as well.  The problem lies in too much fear.  Unrelenting chronic fear that is based on the possibility of danger causes stress and is derogatory to our health and well-being. It creates high levels of stress hormones and that creates disease and other problems.  Also unrealistic fears or phobias are capable of taking control of our lives.

So what else can we learn about fear?  It is based on the past and we can trigger it by worrying about the future.  But right now there is no fear. If we stay in the present moment and we let go of old memories and fears from our past and stop focusing on the possibility of terrible things happening in our future the fear disappears.  In order to do this we need to change the way we think.  We need to take back some of the control because fear is an out of control emotion.

If you let circumstances control you when good things happen then you will also allow fear and negativity to rule your life when things are not going well. As reasonable people we need to be living in reality.  If things are really in a negative place in your life then thinking to yourself that your life is great is a delusion.  However when things are going well in life and we spend our free time worrying about what might happen to change our life for the negative, that is also deluded thinking.  People who tend to be on an “emotional rollercoaster” are an example of too much focus on momentary success and not enough on the process or the overall desired outcome.

When dealing with the concept of “peak performance” fear is the first thing that has to be addressed.  To perform the best you can entails getting you out of your way.  Whether it’s performing in sports, stage sales, academics or simply in life itself, fear stops clear focused action. Fear is the root cause of all negative emotions and behaviors.  Procrastination, limiting beliefs and self-sabotage are examples of mental thought processes  that are rooted in fear.   The two main fears are fear of failure and fear of success.  Most other fears like fear of public speaking, performance Anxiety or cold call reluctance can all be traced back to these two main performance fears.

I use hypnosis, and Neuro-linguistics(NLP) to take my clients past old fears and to create the ability to focus more on the present moment and the future that they desire.   When you get out of old fears and focus on the here and now you will be able to see the future more clearly.  This will move you to take action and the fear will truly be a thing of the past.

Filed Under: Academic performance, Hypnosis & Performance, Hypnosis FAQ, Sales & Hypnosis, Sports Performance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Virtual or Hypnotic Gastric Bypass

October 1, 2010 By

I have been getting calls recently for information on the hypnotic or virtual gastric bypass.  This process has gained national prominence due to a profile on Good Morning America this past week.

The hypnotic gastric lap band or bypass process works on the concept that in hypnosis the client believes and experience things so vividly that the brain cannot tell the difference between the hypnotic experience and reality.  During the imagined procedure you will mentally be taken through the process of the bypass operation.  This gets your mind to accept that your stomach has very limited capacity.   If you believe that your stomach is tiny you will not want to eat too much and if you do overeat you will experience pain and discomfort and so begin to associate that discomfort with overeating.  The subsequent hypnosis sessions take the client through the new way of eating.  Creating the desire to eat healthy high quality foods in small amounts and using additional reinforcement to maintain the weight loss.

Because there is no physical surgery taking place there are none of the usual surgical side effects and the only down side I can see is that it might not work for some, just as a small percentage of smokers will not stop smoking with hypnosis.  As with anything in life, some people will have great results and others minimal.  The upside is that it is much less expensive then the surgical procedure and if it doesn’t work as well as you would like you can still get the surgery later.

It is definitely recommended for anyone who needs to lose a considerable amount of weight and would rather not go the surgical route.

Filed Under: Hypnosis & Performance, Weight Loss with Hypnosis Tagged With: , ,

Overcoming Self-Sabotage

September 28, 2010 By

Does it sometimes feel as though you are two very different people?  Well that’s because you are. Self-sabotage is at the most basic level a tug-of- war between the conscious and subconscious minds.

The conscious mind is the part of your mind that sets goals, analyzes information and then takes action using will-power and self-discipline.  The problem arises when the subconscious mind is not on board with the action you want to take. The subconscious is the part of your mind where feelings and emotions come from, so if you want to reach a sales goal consciously, but your feelings are not aligned with that goal they will stop you from moving forward.  Self sabotage is ultimately due to lack of self worth, self-esteem, and self confidence.

The specific ways that people sabotage themselves probably falls into one of these 4 categories.

  • Fear of success. Deep inside, there can be numerous reasons you do not want to succeed.  These are referred to as limiting beliefs.  You must overcome these limiting beliefs and break free from your fear of success.
  • Unworthiness. Unworthiness is the belief or feeling that you do not deserve success.  This is due to low self-esteem and or a poor self-image. Build your self-esteem and realize that you are not only worthy of success, but it is your right to live in abundance and pursue happiness.
  • Lack of belief in abilities. Do you not believe that you have what it takes to succeed?  Do you think your goals are too far-fetched or unrealistic?  Rather than lower your goals, increase your self-confidence and your belief in your ability to succeed.
  • Working against true desires. Many people never figure out what their true desires in life are. These are the people who think they know what they want, but never end up getting it due to self-sabotage.  Well known examples are college drop-outs who choose majors based on what a parent wants them to do or employees who work for paychecks rather than the love of the work.  Take the time to figure out what you really want in life and then focus your entire mind on moving towards your true desire.

If you recognize yourself in any of these categories, it’s time to do something to break free of self-sabotage.  Resolving the conflict between conscious goals and subconscious feelings is a great place to start.  By using hypnosis and NLP you can efficiently and effectively make the changes you desire.

Filed Under: Hypnosis & Performance Tagged With: , , ,

Happiness Set Point

August 27, 2010 By

My mother started me in my quest to be more positive at an early age.  “The Power of Positive Thinking” and other similar books were part of our home library.  But does thinking more positive make you happier?  Or maybe people who are happier just tend to be more positive.  Is happiness the same as optimism? If we don’t know what it is how do we know if we are indeed happy?

Growing up, I was labeled “Pollyanna” by my little sister.  I really didn’t realize at the age of 12 that I was that positive a person.  I remember feeling pretty lonely, bored and unhappy.  But her perception was that I was unrealistically happy.  Which of course I hated at that time. However I believe that it was that ability even when bored and lonely to find something positive that has made me so resilient in life.  To some degree I was better at choosing the more positive thoughts

Louise Hay is an author and speaker who has spent her life demonstrating the power of positive thought.  She agrees that we can and do choose our thoughts. It is her contention that she cured her cancer with positive thought. But is this idea helpful to others?  How does the average person become more positive and happier in their lives.  Is it possible to change your happiness set point?

I believe it is. Throughout my life I have used self-hypnosis, hypnotherapy and NLP to increase my ability to be positive, resilient and yes, happier.   By using hypnosis to develop better focus and the ability to subconsciously increase my positive self talk I have increased the amount of time spent in the state of happiness.

Filed Under: Hypnosis & Performance, Hypnosis FAQ, Hypnosis Twitter Posts

Improving Sales by Improving Yourself

August 19, 2010 By

Hi, my name is Inga Chamberlain and I am a salesperson.

Ever feel like you’re confessing to a terrible character flaw when you say what it is you do for a living?  Has anyone but me noticed that “sales” has become a dirty word?

I still remember in the 80′s when I worked as an executive recruiter. During sales cold phone calls,  I was routinely hung up on.  Obviously this is demoralizing to someone in sales.  I got really sick of feeling badly  and like I was bothering people by calling them.  I realized my self esteem was part of the problem and I had limiting beliefs about myself and salespeople in general.  This is how I found NLP.  I decided to change myself instead of changing careers and it worked! I not only continued in sales but started my own recruiting firm and for 10 years happily sold my service to a national market.

So how did NLP help me to change? First I worked on developing the self confidence that could stand up to those demoralizing phone calls.  During this time I also worked on increasing  my skill set to have better sales techniques . I used NLP to help me build rapport on the phone and close more effectively.  But the main changes came from changing me.  How I saw myself and my place in the world.  I also used NLP and hypnosis to overcome a strong fear of public speaking so that I could make presentations more effectively.  I then proceeded to change anything else that was holding me back and in the end also got rid of a fear of heights some general Anxiety and some left over trauma from childhood.

When I decided to leave the executive search industry to become a trainer , coach, speaker and hypnotherapist the transition was easy.  I had already done all the ground work necessary to be successful in any field I might choose because I had increased my emotional intelligence or EQ as Daniel Goleman calls it.  I had gotten rid of the things that hold most people back.

In my private practice in Atlanta , Georgia I work with many salespeople who want to improve their sales.  We always start by using NLP and hypnosis to remove negative conditioning, beliefs and behaviors.   Then we boost confidence levels and condition in new positive habits and behaviors.  One of the most common problems with low performing salespeople is that they don’t like being in sales(or their perception of sales).  By changing the way they see their career and themselves a salesperson can dramatically improve productivity and income.   But even more important, they will feel good about themselves and their choice of career.

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Filed Under: Hypnosis & Performance, Hypnosis FAQ, Sales & Hypnosis Tagged With: , , , , ,

Weight Loss, Why not just stop eating?

August 2, 2010 By

One sure way to lose weight, it might seem, is simply to stop eating for a while. Simple as it sounds, that idea is fraught with potential problems.

The basic weight loss equation certainly remains valid in this case: using more calories than are consumed results in weight loss. If you don’t take in calories by eating, it’s fairly easy to satisfy that equation. Your body burns 70 calories per hour even just sitting idle on the couch.

But while you may be idle, your body’s systems are not.

First of all, the body – deprived of food – will slow down the metabolism and burn calories more slowly. weight loss can be sudden at first, but the rate slows very soon thereafter.

At first, it goes after glycogen stored in the liver and converts it to glucose to burn for energy. That energy is used to power all the body’s activities.

When that is used up (to a degree), the body then begins going after the energy stored in the bonds of certain molecules in fat cells. The process is called ketosis and accounts for why your breath sometimes smells like fingernail polish (made with ketones) after hard exercise.

So far, that all sounds good. You burn calories, reduce body fat and lose weight. Exactly what you wanted. But, unfortunately, this isn’t all the body is doing under these circumstances.

Because of the relatively rapid weight loss/calorie burning from this method of ‘dieting’ the body will experience a ‘rebound’ effect. In other words, it will cause you to crave food like crazy. The food you do eat will cause you to put on more pounds than you lost. The body is compensating for a radical deficit.

At the same time, there are serious health risks to simply starving or a long term fast. Going without food for a few hours or even a day isn’t dangerous, though it can be uncomfortable since you’ll get very hungry. But this method causes a number of carefully balanced nutrients to get out of whack.

It upsets the delicate balance of insulin, sugar and a variety of other essential compounds. Apart from regulating energy levels, they influence hormones that regulate the brain and nervous system.

Concentrations of potassium and sodium get out of balance unless you compensate with sports-style drinks, which can be more difficult to adjust in the absence of food. Those minerals are key to regulating the heartbeat, not to mention being found in every cell of the body and the fluid in between where they participate in an enormous variety of vital tasks.

Fatigue, dizziness and difficulty concentrating are only three of the milder symptoms that will result. Dehydration is likely, since much of the fluid we gain is from food, not just liquid. That can easily lead to heat stroke if the weather is at all warm and you are even a little active.

The kidneys will have a more difficult time filtering properly. They clean waste material from the blood, play a role in regulating blood pressure and stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells.

The odds of heart attack are increased, brain function suffers,… the list is endless. Even if the fast is ended long before death (at about 4 weeks), serious physical effects would occur.

Instead of fasting, eat a balanced, healthy diet of limited calories – combined with an age and circumstance-appropriate exercise program and find a way to stay on track.  Motivation is the key to staying with any new kind of life style. Lets not kid ourselves, what permanent weight loss requires is a permanent change in life style.  Hypnotherapy is one of the best ways to create a new habit and get rid of old negative or unhealthy ways of thinking about food.  That is the surest way to lose pounds safely. Your physical health will be in harmony with your mind and your new healthy eating/exercise habits will become part of who you are.

Filed Under: Exercise, Health & Hypnosis, Healthy Eating, Hypnosis & Performance, Hypnosis Twitter Posts, Weight Loss with Hypnosis Tagged With: , , , ,

Stopping Test Anxiety

March 11, 2010 By

Test Anxiety just like any Anxiety is overcome using hypnosis.  Test anxiety causes the student to become highly stressed.  Often times the feeling is more like panic then simple anxiety.  When the body goes into hyper drive so does the mind. This creates the flight or fight response and drives blood flow away from the brain.  This then creates the “self fulfilling prophecy” so common with fear.  The fear does to the brain exactly what the student does not want. It takes away his ability to remember the answers, the ability to think clearly.

I use hypnosis to create a feeling of calm that is linked to the test taking experience on a subconscious level.  So the new feeling of calm now becomes automatic.  I also help the student be better prepared and more confident of their ability to absorb the information during study sessions and increase their recall and focus.

Recently, I worked with a financial planner who was scheduled to take an important exam. She was completely panicked since in the past she did not do well in test situations.  She was so anxious about the test which was 3 weeks away that she was having problems sleeping and studying effectively.  We worked together for 5 sessions and she felt calm and confident during the test and passed the exam with flying colors.

I work with children and adults to enhance their test taking ability and overcome fears. Hypnosis serves as the bridge to the subconscious mind and gives much faster results then other types of interventions.

Filed Under: Academic performance, Hypnosis & Performance Tagged With: , , , ,

Happiness and Hypnosis

January 10, 2010 By

Happiness has been in the new’s recently.  People want to feel happier and why shouldn’t we all feel good? Books like “Stumbling on Happiness” and”The Happiness Project”are very popular now in part due to the negative news and economic downturn.  I am writing a book  titled “The Power of Choice”  and it includes my ideas and experiences in transforming my life and increasing my clients levels of happiness by increasing there ability to chose better.   I have used hypnosis and NLP to develop myself and yesterday I described my first experience with hypnosis.

It is pretty obvious why I wanted to change my state of mind.  I wanted to feel different.  Growing up in a fairly isolated place tends to make one introspective. All of that inward focus in childhood can be unhealthy.  My mother tended to give mixed messages.  On one hand she believed in positive thinking.  She read Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s book “The Power of Positive Thinking” and encouraged us to be positive.  On the other hand she was anxious and put her fears squarely onto the girls in our family with the message that “we could be killed” if we attempted to ride a bike or go sledding on a big hill or take a walk by ourselves.  I believe that I was mildly depressed in childhood and if I had been in elementary school now I would have been diagnosed with ADHD.  Instead I simply spent a large part of 1st grade in the corner with my desk.

When it comes right down to it, what I wanted was to feel happy.  That’s what everyone wants.  Right?? I read books and tried to be happy.  In college I tried some other avenues as many of my age did back in the 70′s but to no avail.  I always came back to me.  At some point it came to me that if I wanted to be happier I didn’t need to change my circumstances so much as I had to change myself.  The way I thought had to change.  What I focused on needed to become what I wanted to have and not all the things that weren’t working.

I explored meditation, and have practiced yoga consistently now for over 30 years.  These two things have helped tremendously.  But being a person with a strong drive to improve they just weren’t fast enough for me.  hypnosis is brief therapy and works relatively quickly.  If you know what you want hynosis can help you get there.

Filed Under: Hypnosis & Performance Tagged With: , ,

High School and Hypnosis

January 8, 2010 By

I grew up in a very rural area of Pennsylvania. It was a very sheltered and conservative upbringing.  However it was the 60′s and by the early 70′s I was in high school.  Because of my sheltered life I read a lot.  I was not allowed to date in high school and so I had plenty of time to explore the school library.  I read everything, especially non-fiction books on psychology and philosophy.   One day I found a book on hypnosis.  I found it engaging and interesting.  In fact I wrote my senior year term paper on hypnosis and Medicine.

As a teenager the stories that engaged me were the terrible diseases that had been in some cases cured using hypnosis.  Things like icthiyosis(fish skin) responded incredibly well to the power of the subconscious mind.  But the thing about hypnosis that attracted me the most was the idea that after having been so controlled in my life experience, I could gain more control over myself, and my thoughts.

As a result of  all the restrictions in my childhood I was never given the chance to learn social skills and grow and develop by making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. I had low self esteem and  low self confidence and when I left home for the first time to go to college I must admit to basically going crazy with my new found freedom. I also was now too busy with studies to continue to focus on my initial interest in hypnosis and instead focused on the other types of psychology and finished my degree in that discipline.

In reality my entire life has been affected by that first experience of hypnosis.  I used hypnosis to change myself in many ways in the following years and in coming post’s I will  share with you some of my personal success stories and stories of others who have also experienced dramatic personal change.

Filed Under: Hypnosis & Performance
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