Hypnosis is not related to sleep but is close to meditation and prayer.
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Hypnosis and sleep have very little in common. In sleep, you are unconscious in that your conscious is out and your subconscious is totally active in cycles and distantly aware of the outside world, ignoring most physical sensation and sounds but able to awaken you at anything that may be dangerous in your environment. In hypnosis, your conscious is very much active but put at a distance while your subconscious, in its lessened state is brought to the forefront so it can be communicated with more directly. So, really, hypnosis is the balance of conscious and subconscious... between sleep and awake.
However, meditation and prayer do have a common thread with hypnosis. When in meditation and deep prayer, the mind focuses on a single goal to the exclusion of all others just like hypnosis. Meditation calms and focuses the mind for purposes of relaxation and spiritual exploration and prayer, of course, is to make contact with a higher power. Hypnosis focuses on a single goal to the exclusion of all others for the purposes of relaxation and attaining set goals.

Will power and hypnosis isn't the same either.
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Most people tend to think that will power will win out in most situations. However, imagination (the vehicle used to reach the subconscious) is the true key to changing your life and making yourself who you want to be. If you believe it, you can achieve it. Reality is what you make it!

Almost everyone can be hypnotized.
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There are several factors for an awesome subject and, luckily, a solid 95 percent of people have it. Moderate intelligence (actually, the more intelligent you are, the easier it is for you to be hypnotized), willingness... because you have to want to be hypnotized to help with an improvement or issue (why else would you spend money, time and energy on this process?) and the ability to follow directions so you can focus on your task.

Hypnosis is absolutely safe.
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Yes. In the hands of a caring professional, hypnosis is completely safe. You are no one's zombie, slave or flunky. You can not get stuck in hypnosis, you can not be made to tell secrets, you will not loose memory (except in deep hypnosis which are not required for habit change) and you will not loose anything that make you you. It's is no more dangerous than a daydream or internal musing.

Revealing secrets, acting foolish or forgetting things say or done
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Firstly, don't forget that you are very much aware of yourself and what you are doing and talking about when you are in session. You are well protected from any intrusions into your privacy. There are six levels of hypnosis (in some schools of thought) and the deeper levels are where memory lapses occur. Levels 1,2 and 3 are all that are needed to reach the abilities for habit changing. In stage hypnosis where people act silly (cluck like a chicken kind of stuff), those people are chosen by a professional stage performer specifically for their natural outgoing nature. Besides, I am not that talented to be able to do that! The hypnosis I use is of a softer nature and used strictly to develop and enhance the personality and habits you deserve.

Hypnotic and Subliminal Recording
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Subliminal recordings are usually made with music with positive suggests placed underneath so the conscious and subconscious can hear them and begin to incorporate them into a reality. You can move around, work and even drive while listening to the recordings. Hypnotic recordings are normal hypnosis sessions and should be treated as such by getting to a relaxed spot and allowing yourself to focus and go under. ALL HYPNOSIS IS SELF-HYPNOSIS! YOU are the one that does the real work.
Generally, things work best when you want them to and rarely, if ever, do all things work for all people. Some people will swear by subliminal tapes and hypnotic recordings and, in fact, I provide hypnotic recordings to clients as well as teaching the self-hypnosis. The hypnotic tapes do work as long as you settle down, listen to the instruction and keep your mind on the words. The jury is still out on the subliminal recordings but I am positive that, when the directions of use are followed, they will work for quite a few people.

Hypnosis and ESP
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The Guild often does nor endorse ESP work because of the sometimes incredulousness of extra sensory perception. However, I am a deep believer in all kinds of ESP and and very happy to help anyone wanting to use hypnosis for that kind of advancement.

Hypnosis Organizations
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National Guild of Hypnotists
COPHO - The Council of Professional Hypnosis Organizations
North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis

100 Percent Guarantee
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There is no 100 percent guarantee on hypnotic work due to the fact that hypnosis is mainly YOUR work that really makes that great change in your life. Some need only one session, others need more and it's that self hypnosis at home that often makes that change a permanent solution. YOU must take that responsibility to change, heal and make yourself the self you want. Also, if you are worried about money and don't really want to pay out the cash and you see that you can get your money back, your subconscious may give you that way out to get your money back by using it as an excuse not to submit to your reason for coming in the first place.