I am amused by the term altered states of consciousness because to be altered you have to ask, “From what was I altered?”

This assumes that there is a normal state of consciousness. The truth is this term is rather misleading as it presumes that there is a normal state of consciousness.

Well, at this point I’m sure that you are aware that brain waves have four major levels: Beta (or full awareness), Alpha (light relaxation), Theta (deep relaxation), and Delta (sleep).

So again, which is normal, and which is altered? I’ve studied under Dr. Dan Amen, a child psychiatrist working in Newport Beach, who has reviewed over 40,000 SPECT scans of the human brain. He points out that if you define normalcy as an electrically balanced brain, less than 1% of our population has a “normal” brain.

In light of this information, let’s move away from the terms altered and normal. However, remember that anyone who has experienced hypnosis knows that something is happening in the subject’s mind. And Elman, who was a very serious student of hypnosis, devised the most elegant definition for this occurrence.

I said that according to Elman only two elements had to exist
to create a state of hypnosis; they were a suspension of the critical faculty and the allowance of selective thinking. This means, according to Elman, that hypnosis is a state where the critical faculty of the mind is bypassed, and selective thinking is allowed.

A trance state, which is often defined as a state of mind other than full Beta-level awareness, is not a requirement of hypnosis. While Elman frequently discussed the advantages of a somnambulistic trance, he also said that many of these can be attained in other-than-trance states including those related to the Beta or Delta brainwave frequencies.

Once again let’s look at the concept of critical faculty. I sometimes call this the commonsense detector. It is the part of the mind that filters sensory or perceptual experience, and then attempts to fit what is perceived into context.

For example, by connecting new input with previous experience, when we see a curb while walking, we know what the curb means and why we may want to be cautious. So, this ability to filter perception through the “reality” of our previously programmed brain maps is a factor in our day-to-day lives and even part of our survival mechanism.

However, as you probably already know, previously programmed “realities” may not be entirely accurate nor currently valuable to our day-to-day functioning.

This is a fancy way of describing phobias and bad habits, including how our minds relate to our bodies. Also, what would happen if we were able to bypass these protective filters, and allow ourselves to access not only the rest of our minds but the rest of our potential as well?

As you know, many of our mind programs no longer serve a purpose. If we can get past these barriers, then we can “selectively” decide which thoughts we want to use.

These selectively chosen thoughts can provide a new reality with which to shape our lives and our bodies. And so, Elman’s definition makes sense.

He said that by removing the critical faculty, we are then ready to choose our potential realities. One idea that I want to share with you comes from my other books on mind/body integration and the hypnotic brain.

Recent research into the savant syndrome, and the use of transcranial magnetics, has revealed that when parts of the brain are inhibited through disabilities, accidents.

Brunson, Dr. Tim. Elman Hypnotherapy: Elman Hypnotherapy: Beyond the Basics

I am a trained hypnotherapist & regressionist devoted to enhancing the well-being of our community through top-notch services. I am dedicated to a mission to craft innovative solutions addressing an array of health issues, spanning from weight management to chronic conditions.