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Meditation takes many forms and can be an effective tool to deepen spiritual growth and personal growth, an important part of any spiritual direction program within pastoral counseling. Self hypnosis can be used for healing, for controlling stress for blood pressure, pain control, elimination of phobias, memory enhancement and much more. How much better an individuals spiritual direction program can be made with self hypnosis is a matter of how it is applied. Prayer and chanting of holy names go hand in hand. Repeatedly chanted words used as focus to take one into trance are called mantras. However in many Christian denominations the name Jesus is being used as the key focus word. Holy books or scripture can also be used. Using self hypnosis for meditation and spiritual and personal growth can be an effective tool with far reaching possibilities.
First and foremost let us examine an example of how one could use self hypnosis as part of meditation. The following is a case example:
Case Example One: The individual finds a comfortable place such as a chair to sit in and counts backwards from 10 to 1 breathing in and out with each breath feeling more and more relaxed. Then counts backwards from 100 to 1 until they feel relaxed and in trance, a day dreamy state of mind. Then the person visualizes for example, seven stairs going down into their mind, into a special garden in a cave. Within that special garden as they walk up the path they see a man with a brown beard and hair, long hair, in white robes up ahead. Someone they know that seems to emanate love. In this case study it is meeting with Jesus and indeed asking for healing and guidance. However in other possible case studies the figure could be any figure of any religion or source of wisdom. Whatever would be helpful for meditation and spiritual growth. After speaking to the individual, after the feelings of healing and growth in the garden, the person returns up the path and up the seven stairs, and outside in their mind again, then counting up from 1 to 10. Then they breath in and out between each number and bring themselves slowly out of trance feeling refreshed and relaxed.
The above is a simple case example that can be easily adapted to assist each individual on their own spiritual path. Guided meditation can also be done in a group with one person doing the counting and talking from a written script, describing the garden and who will be met. This is a standard practice at some religious retreats. If a person is very sleepy they may simply fall asleep.
Other examples of using self hypnosis as a meditation for psychological healing include using a metaphorical garden, but instead of meeting a person, the person doing the meditation notices that the garden is burned in places, and that there is an area near that center of the garden that is burned. Then they visualize the burned area becoming healed realizing that this is healing other areas of their mind or resolving deep psychological issues. They visualize new flowers and flora and fauna taking up the burned places. Bushes and trees literally bursting with new life and hope and beauty. This healing kind of meditation while seemingly general can be very effective.
In conclusion there are many metaphors that self hypnosis can adapt for spiritual growth and healing. Whether these are adventures to meet the Ghandi of your mind, Divinity, or just for healing in other spiritual ways, it is a powerful, important and effective tool for life.
Mind over matter is encapsulates the thought. Whatever we believe becomes real, and by that belief we shape our reality. So too do we shape our faith, which is something that is made up of our belief systems. Using the power of the mind for healing and for prayer and getting in touch with ourselves is surely a gift each and every one of us should take advantage of. It is a gift we are given to use.
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