Seeing things in a different light

Have you ever experienced something which caused you to see a situation in a totally different light? As we go through life, we experience the world and our interactions with others based on previous experiences and conditioning... in other words we build up our own "map of the world" which we use to guide ourselves around. However these maps are not reality and other people will have their own "maps" which they use to guide them; and sometimes these can differ drastically to our own.

To illustrate this, I'd like to quote a short story which was originally told by Frank Kock in Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute:

Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvrers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow."
"Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out.
Lookout replied "Steady captain," which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with it.
The captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees."
Back came a signal, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees."
The captain said, "Send, I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees."
"I'm a seaman second class," came the reply. "You had better change course 20 degrees."
By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send, I'm a battleship, Change course 20 degrees."
Back came the flashing light, "I'm a lighthouse."
We changed course.

The shift in understanding (known as a "paradigm shift") experience by this captain - and by us as we read this account - puts the situation in a totally different light. We can see in this story how the captains reality is superceded by his limited perception - with potentially disasterous consequences! Have you ever had an experience where you knew your reality to be true and then something happened which showed you the actual (objective) reality of that situation? This objective reality of the lighthouse is as critical for us to understand in our daily lives as it was for the captain in the fog.

This is by no means a quick and easy task for anyone. There are no rights and wrongs. The most important thing is to understand what paradigms make up the lens through which YOU see the world and to gain more of an understanding about how your own experiences throughout your life can dramatically shape your world. And remember there are many lighthouses out there!

If you would like to gain a better understanding of your own thoughts, emotions and behaviour patterns, hypnotherapy might be just what you are looking for. Please call Christy for a telephone consultation on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

Hypnotherapy in the news - Stars use hypnotherapy to overcome stage fright

According to website nme.com, celebrities have recently been turning to hypnotherapy in a bid to help them cure stage fright. Some of the biggest names in music have discovered that hypnotherapy can help them beat their demons and perform at their best.

  

One such celeb is award-winning singer Adele who is rumoured to have seen a hypnotherapist in Los Angeles to help her prepare for big events. She sang the James Bond theme 'Skyfall' at this year's Oscars in what could be classed as one of the biggest performances of her career. The star was said to have been suffering from sleepless nights and panic attacks due to her nerves over performing at the Academy Awards. She has spoken out about her stage fright in the past, claiming to have been sick before big performances.

41-year-old Dido is another singer who has admitted using hypnotherapy before to combat her fears. She said: "I went to hypnotherapy for stage fright years ago and it completely worked. I always get nervous, but it was getting to the point where it would mess with my singing."

She went on to say that there was a difference between getting nervous and having a meltdown. The hypnotherapy appears to have allowed her to distinguish between the two and ensures she can give the best performance possible.

Performing on stage in front of millions might seems worlds away from the daily challenges experienced by the likes of us mere mortals, however in reality, giving a presentation in front of our work colleagues or standing up to give a wedding speech can be just as daunting. If you would like to find out how hynotherapy could help YOU achieve your full potential, please email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call Christy on 01252 334377 for a free telephone consultation.