Will hypnosis permanently remove irrational fears?

My parents had fears throughout my life. They come and go depending on my level of anxiety. Will hypnosis permanently remove irrational fears? They sneak up on me after years of dormancy.

This question was submitted by 'Jackie'

Mark says...

That's interesting. Fears can lie dormant for many years and then return. We need to ask: What's different about the times they come back? Why do they go away? What makes them go away?

A good psychotherapist will ask: What changed when this problematic pattern reappeared? Did something in your life shift? Were there marital problems? Increased responsibilities at work? Did you move house? We look for clues - like a detective. And you can do this too. Ask yourself: What’s different when the fears aren’t there versus when they are? Why are you more anxious sometimes than other times? Can you reduce that?

Now, to actually answer your question: The sessions are designed to have permanent results. That doesn’t mean you might never want to listen again or that fears can’t creep back a little. But once your mind has a new, more energy-efficient way of dealing with something, it tends to stick to it. Why wouldn’t it?

I talk about happy limitations. Many years ago, I had an extreme fear of public speaking. I treated myself self-hypnotically and now, for better or worse, I can't get anxious public speaking. Even if I tried. That anxiety might return if something traumatic occurred - say, a bomb exploded just before I spoke, and that experience became associated with public speaking. But barring that, I can’t get the old fear back. That’s a happy limitation.

So, when we're changing a pattern through hypnosis, we’re aiming for that: a happy limitation. The unconscious mind prefers what is most energy-efficient. Panic attacks, addictions - those steal energy. Your system seeks balance, stability - homeostasis - and when it finds it, it clings to it greedily. That’s why people we've treated 30 years ago may say, “I haven’t wanted to drink since that session,” or, “That fear is just gone.”

Your whole being is looking to develop and progress, and when it gets the opportunity, it will grab it with both hands. So yes, the changes should be permanent - though sometimes it takes a little repetition to get there.