conversational hypnosis such as the type being imparted through the Underground Hypnosis movement can be quickly expressed as placing your subject in trance. How deeply the person enters the trance, however, will be affected by factors such as their hypnotist’s ability, emotional status, and personality.

As you first induce trance, the subject’s minor muscle systems will slacken following an unconscious decision. As their eyelids begin to weigh on the subject, they’ll experience lethargy, wanting to sleep. As the hypnotist takes the subject deeper, this lack of tension gradually spreads to larger muscles. This often takes no longer than a few moments.

Imagine only having the ability to perceive one person. A seasoned hypnotist will let you experience this with a sufficiently deep trance state. And as they’re led to this state, the power of suggestion comes in, creating a pathway to the unconscious mind. Should you lead your subject further into trance state, you’ll find a point beyond which they are able to ignore pain, and discard bodily sensation.

Beyond that you enter the realm of hallucination and similar altered perceptions, and should you press on, you’ll eventually bring yourself to a state akin to that seen when undergoing general anesthetic. People could undergo certain medical procedures at this point without no need for anesthesia. You won’t find out how to achieve that state via Underground Hypnosis, but keep in mind you’d seldom need to. In the majority of cases, the lower levels are more than enough.

So look into the Underground Hypnosis teachers – all are welcome. How much time would this take, you wonder? Not long – some quick studying, a day or two to test the techniques you’ve just learned, and in no time at all you’ll have an amazing party piece. That’s all you have to do – no reason to be concerned.

If you ever want to make your mind smarter and fill it with all kinds of good information then go and visit your local library. Yes, it can be much easier to sit at the computer and search the information, but it might not be the best way. It is just too easy to get your attention distracted online, too many other things to do then just sit there and learn. At the library you can ask the librarian for the type of book that you want and then go and find it. If you wanted to learn about back pain and what it does to the spinal discs and the brain then you could just go and get the book and sit and read. It is so quiet in there that you can focus full on and not have an ounce of distraction going on. You will be a full-fledged expert in that area once you sit there and figure it out. There are so many benefits of this that there are too many to mention. You can be an expert in just about anything if you really focused in on it and gave it your all. There are also people there that can help you, which is always a nice thing, you can never get enough help in these times.

Author of “Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience” and a number of related books, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced me-high chick-sent-me-high) says we can facilitate the conditions for this experience, and that it may be found in a wide range of careers and activities.

For his doctoral thesis on “how visual artists create art” he studied photos taken every three minutes as artists created a painting. He said in a newspaper interview that he was “struck by how deeply they were involved in work, forgetting everything else.”

He went on to study chess players, rock climbers, dancers, musicians and others. “I expected to find substantial differences in all their activities,” he notes, “but people reported very similar accounts of how they felt. Then, I started looking at professions like surgery and found the same elements there – a challenge which provides clear, high goals and immediate feedback. They forget themselves, the time, their problems.”

He cautions that many people misunderstand flow as a kind of passive “spacing out” and seek it in ordinary leisure activities. “Most people look so much forward to being home, relaxing. Then they get home and don’t know what to do. They aren’t challenged, so they sit in front of the TV, depressed.”

Instead of “spacing out,” flow is rather the experience resulting from a person’s body or mind being “stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

Athletes refer to being in the “zone” – an optimal psychological and physiological climate for peak performance.

The legendary Ted Williams has said that sometimes he could see the seams on a pitched baseball. Gymnast Carol Johnson found that on some days she experienced the balance beam as wider, so “any worry of falling off disappeared.”

Sports psychologists and trainers use a range of techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, concentration exercises and meditation to help people access this “zone.” One of the consistent themes of these approaches is the need to “get around” the conscious mind.

But Csikszentmihalyi has warned “You can’t make flow happen. All you can do is learn to remove obstacles in its way.” He says the effort to recapture the high of a perfect run down a ski slope, for example, will rarely succeed because “you’re splitting your attention from what’s happening now.”

Using PET scan technology (Positron Emission Tomography), researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have found that people learning to master a video game show a reduction in the overall metabolism of the brain – less brain activity along with greater skill. This indicates that increasing ability results in better efficiency, and the brain can “relax into” the task. This may be the physiological result, or perhaps a central cause, of decreasing the “static” of non-flow consciousness.

Csikszentmihalyi points out that “Some flow experiences involve low danger, like reading a good book. But certain people are disposed to respond to risk, and their flow will depend on it more than somebody else’s. Danger is the hook. But their descriptions are not that different from, say, a Thai woman’s description of weaving a rug. The quality of concentration, forgetfulness, involvement, control are similar.”

Csikszentmihalyi’s suggestions for experiencing flow include picking an enjoyable activity that is at or slightly above your skill level; continually raising the level of challenge as performance improves; screening out distraction as much as possible; focusing attention on all the emotional and sensory qualities of the activity, and looking for regular feedback, or concrete goals to monitor progress, even if it is a large or long-term project with delayed outcome.

Writing a short story, or raising a child, can be contexts for flow experience: you can see them as a series of short-term steps or events, each having value in engaging one’s talents.

Other examples of “flow activities” are games, artistic performances and religious rituals, but Csikszentmihalyi notes that “people seem to get more flow from what they do on their jobs than from leisure activities” – perhaps especially those kinds of jobs which demand full attention, like surgery or computer programming.

Writer Susan K. Perry, Ph.D. affirms that flow is not a state of ‘no mind’ or meditativeness as such. “I don’t believe that when you get into a creative place, you’re giving up thinking,” she said in our interview. “You’re super-thinking — better and with more parts of your mind than you do normally.”

But having a ‘busy mind’ can also mean being fragmented, unfocused, distracted. “You want to get to a place which is both loose, relaxed, and focused,” she notes. “What I found in my studies of flow are that two things you need to do to get to this place where time stops and you can be most creative, are to loosen up, and focus in.”

“It’s a paradox, obviously, to be loose and focused at the same time,” she admits. “And they overlap, and one may come before the other.” She also thinks we “choose not to get into flow, which means we aren’t able to access our deepest creativity. We choose not to because, perhaps, it’s more stimulating to be surrounded by overflowing inboxes.”

Achieving flow may present a greater challenge for gifted and talented people, who often experience high levels of excitability and intensity, but it is worth the effort to remove the obstacles in the way of feeling flow. That state of awareness is where we are most creatively alive.

Douglas Eby writes about psychological and social aspects of creative expression and achievement. His site has a wide range of articles, interviews, quotes and other material to inform and inspire: Talent Development Resources
http://talentdevelop.com/

It was the first time in my life I felt that age has eventually caught up. I felt like the best years of my life were behind me. I even stopped seeing women. My love life was non-existent. There was one girl I had been dating casually and even though I liked her, I just stopped returning her calls. I realized that I hadn’t found the woman of my dreams with a full head of hair so there was no way I was going to find somebody with my growing bald spot. I was too discouraged to even try having a loving kinship.

Hair loss transformed me from a self-confident, socialable guy into a depressed loner. I was very determined to address the issue and get the problem fixed. I tried plenty of hair loss treatments that are obtainable over the counter. I have tried every single treatment and solution available from the chemist, nothing worked. After spend lots of money on products, I stopped trying for a while. It was a real low point in my life. I even stopped going out with my friends, I was so depressed.

As Luck Would Have It, one night a good friend of mine took me out for a few beverages. The first thing he found out about me was my mood, he knew that the hair loss has affected how I felt. He told me about the hair loss studio in the city. My friend had gone there for hair loss treatments and had been impressed with the results. I was even more impressed. I wouldn’t have thought that he had endured from hair loss, he had a full head of hair. He made me promise to give them a shot and I agreed.

I could not have been happier with the hair loss studio recommended to me. After just a few hair loss treatments, I had a full head of hair again. The results were excellent, they did not just give me my hair back but also my self-confidence.

Other writers are writing to provide value to the reader, whether or not they are selling a related product or service. For those selling a product or service, their sales testify to the value of their writing to others. For those not selling anything, they wonder. Am I wasting my time and that of my readers? What right do I have to waste their time? View counters tell them how many times their article was opened and they know not everyone hooked by a title is interested in the subject. To some extent articles are opened and not read. A gift refused. When giving is unappreciated, it decreases. The giver tires and looks for more rewarding activities with visible results. Karma says the writer will receive their propers sometime down the road for their giving. By that time, they could be writing and sharing much less.

Nobody needs to comment on an article they do not like, however well or poorly written. If we don’t have anything nice or constructive to say, it is better to say nothing. Yet good can come from honest criticism, even if it is not immediate, wanted, or appreciated and the criticism has to be repeated many times to be considered.

If we are regular readers, we will from time to time, come across a writer who speaks our mind better than we do ourselves. Don’t they deserve to be told? We might hire a tutor, a coach, a counselor, a guru, pay them money and believe no further appreciation need be shown but most of us know better.

On the other hand, a writer who is not being paid is treated as though her work is only worth what it costs to consume and the time to consume it is a fair price to pay. Hence, there is no need to comment and spend any more time encouraging the writer to write more for an appreciative reader or two. Everybody loses. When a writer has organized their life in such a way to allow for a little correspondence with a reader and potential friend, and finds there are no readers with anything to say, she could easily become discouraged.

Because many writers know the truth of these words, they have no excuse not to encourage one another. I can tell by my reading that other writers would be my most valuable critics, who if they took a little time to make a suggestion, would improve my work and raise the quality of the places my work is published. Maybe writers are a little more sensitive than others and we are afraid to offend them. On the other hand we might all beneft if we toughen each other up a little.

Think about karma when you read. The writer has offered a gift of undeterminable value. The reader accepts the gift and creates a small karmic debt. It can be paid immediately. It can be paid down the road. Givers require receivers. Receivers require givers and it is not unlike sex or marriage. How well does one give? How well does one receive? Where is the comfortable balance? Let us all be more gracious receivers. Let us create some thoughtful dialog. Let’s spend a little more time on something that matters more than we think.

Ed Howes sought and found, knocked and entered. Now he sees things differently. To see more of what he sees, please visit http://www.justanotherview.com or do an author search here at Ezine Articles.

Little Lady lost her favorite ball. There are few things that bring this 17-month-old more joy than playing with her favorite ball. And, of course, we want our daughter to have all the happiness she can get.

So we headed out to the store to replace the missing ball. Little Lady enjoyed the outing, since there were so many exciting things to pull off shelves. And when we reached the ball aisle, she nearly jumped for joy. (OK, more like raced to the bin and started covering the floor with her joy, one bounce at a time.)

As we left the aisle, Little Lady was happy and smiling. She held her replacement ball in her hands as we walked up to the cash. While waiting to pay, Little Lady caught sight of a red balloon that had obviously been used for some promotion, but was now wandering aimlessly around the floor like a lost puppy.

If you think a ball can bring happiness, wait ’til you see the sparkle in the eye of a toddler who has just found her very own red balloon. Pure joy! Of course, she adopted the balloon immediately and clung to it all the way back to the car. Did she want to hold the ball? No way. She had a balloon!

I couldn’t help but marvel at how she valued the free, fragile balloon more than the sturdy ball I for which had just paid good money. Is there a lesson we can learn for self-actualization? Here are the possible lessons that immediately occurred to me:

1. Why bother having a thick skin, if your daughter prefers thin skins?

2. If you drift aimlessly long enough, you might get adopted.

3. Money can’t buy the most important things in life (happiness, joy, smiles, balloons, etc.)

4. Your child can see value where you cannot, so listen to what she says.

I figure at least two of these are valuable lessons that can add happiness to a person’s life. Little Lady teaches me self-actualization lessons daily now, and I am learning to listen with head and heart.

How often do we value the wrong things? The things that cost the most? How hard to we work to earn all that extra income to buy things we simply do not need. Anyone reading this probably has more than she will ever need, and yet don’t we all want more anyway?

Suppose we chose to have less of the things money can buy, and instead chose to have more time? More time to spend with our family? More time to spend with ourselves? More time to just be? What if we are giving up the red balloon chasing after the ball?

My wife and I made a big decision a few months ago. We gave up the condo in the city for a big ol’ house in the country. Our red balloon was space to raise a family in a much less noisy and stressed-out environment. The ball we gave up was the “glamour” of city living and a fancy condo.

Assuming we can make a living from my book, my ezine, my web site and whatever other work-from-home projects I take on, we get to keep the red balloon.

I invite you to look carefully at your life. Ask what truly brings you meaning. Then ask yourself if you could have more of that if you spent less time and effort on activities that don’t bring you meaning but just fill your time.

Enjoy your red balloon.

About The Author

David Leonhardt is the Happy Guy, speaker, author, and publisher of “Your Daily Dose of Happiness” at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html. Visit him at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com

amabaie@phastnet.com

The following tips will help you make an informed decision to either hire a life coach or let go of the one you work with currently. Keep in mind that your life coach works for you and if you do not feel you are getting your money’s worth, it may be time to reexamine your coaching relationship.

Hire a Life Coach If You Want to:

Take your personal life to a new level.

Have an unbiased listener to brainstorm ideas and goals with. Sure you have friends and family, but most will give you their opinion or tell you what you should do.

Get help with motivation, courage and empowerment.

Let go of unhealthy and unnecessary habits and thoughts.

Gain more self confidence and self determination.

Get unstuck on issues that overwhelm or create havoc in your life.
Feel good about yourself.

Live a happier life and feel fulfilled.

Nurture your natural gifts, skills and talents.

Set powerful, realistic goals.

Be more efficient and improve your time management skills.

Become more organized, focused and determined.

Improve your overall health and well being.

Be encouraged to continue your personal growth and development.

Get more clarity and direction in life.

Be more balanced.

Rediscover your sense of purpose in life.

Fire Your Coach If:

Your coach starts to quote or copy the assignments from the life coaches on NBC’s Starting Over.

Your coach is never on time for coaching sessions or has frequent last minute cancellations.

Your coach tells you that you should get a divorce, quit your job or make any major decision that you are not ready to make.

Your coach is not interested in what you have to say, but what he or she wants to tell you.

You are depressed or suffering from any other mental health issues (unless your life coach is also a licensed therapist).

You dread your life coaching sessions.

You life coach tells you what to do as oppose to suggesting options.

Your life coach overwhelms you with assignments, but doesn’t follow up on them.

Your life coach has to interrupt your sessions to take another call.

Your life coach says any of the following:

“If I were you…”

“That was a dumb idea.”

“I really don’t care what you think.”

You feel that you have outgrown your life coach.

Your life coach doesn’t seem to be attentive to your needs.

You don’t remember why you hired him or her in the first place.

Your life coach asks you the same questions every time you talk.

Your life coach goes on vacation without letting you know.

Your life coach seems to have no experience with your particular problems.

You wouldn’t recommend your life coach to your worst enemy.

Marie Magdala Roker is a Personal Development Coach an Author of
Successful Thinking for a Successful Life: How to Banish the Unhealthy
Thoughts and Habits That Limit Your Success. Her Successful Thinking
program is an affordable coaching resource that offers support and
encouragement when there are roadblocks to success. You can find out
more about the program at http://www.thinkandbesuccessful.com or sign
up for her free Be Inspired newsletter at
http://www.smartbeecoaching.com