Embarking on a journey of awakening, transpersonal psychology, and altered states, Jamie Goh of Beyond Levels Hypnosis delves into the fascinating realm of hypnosis. From chance encounters with impactful books to formal education, Jamie’s path is a testament to the profound changes that hypnosis can bring to one’s life. In the latest edition of MysticMag interviews, Jamie shares insights into the transformative power of hypnosis and its potential for behavioral change and dispels common misconceptions surrounding this powerful tool for unlocking the human mind.
How did you get into hypnosis and what sparked your interest in the field?
Ever since my first memory, I’ve been on a journey of awakening, transpersonal psychology, and altered states, so I went to school for Psychology.
During this time, I worked as a host for Max’s Opera Cafe in San Francisco and I found a book on the ground called “The Power of your Subconscious Mind” by Joseph Murphy – a little blue book with giant yellow block letters. I was learning about synchronicities at the time, so of course I took the book. I kept it with me everywhere I went and that book ended up being way more useful than everything I was learning in school when it came to the immediate application of behavior modification. I could apply it to improve moods, romance, martial arts training, fitness training, goal attainment, and anything I wanted.
Years later, hypnosis being the doorway to the subconscious mind and the subconscious mind having all the power, it rang a bell when I saw a sign on the freeway for a school called Hypnosis Motivation Institute. So from 2019 -2020, I spent every day there learning, hypnotizing, and training to become a Professional Hypnotist and I’ve been doing it ever since.
How can hypnosis help with behavioral changes in a person and can it help with all kinds of behavior?
Behavior is the most accurate predictor of your future which is LEARNED and 88% of it is predetermined by habits and tendencies, so if you have a goal or desire that is in opposition to your current behavior (habits and tendencies) you’re attempting to use 12% of your energy in the form of willpower which is dependent on recent food and sleep quality to oppose the majority 88% of your mind and body that wants something else. If you lack sleep or skip eating, you have even less willpower to overcome your nature.
Changing behavior is to change your very nature – a tall order, but hypnosis can do that through a process of peaking out one’s suggestibility to new thought forms and ideas that match the person’s goals in a way their unconscious mind understands. Once those ideas and thought forms have germinated within the imagination, the behavior (habits and tendencies) will now match the person’s conscious goals or desires, their total mind/body is on board, and everything naturally wants to move in the same direction without resistance. They have changed their nature. Hypnosis can legally help with behavior changes within the scope of vocational or avocational life enhancement (issues that don’t have a physical etiology such as altering height or for treating severe mental disorders).
This can include anything from Sports Performance to quitting bad habits, gaining new habits, to Relationship matters, and beyond. I work with a lot of clients who are seeking Relationship and Sports Performance Enhancement, but I’ve worked with countless issues from allergies, to healing from serious trauma, to getting over divorces, to past-life regressions, and a lot of clients don’t even know what their issue is. Many of them have a bunch of issues and just want to discover the power of their unconscious mind and what it’s like to step into their full power as a human.
Can you explain the process of inducing a hypnotic state and what clients might experience during a hypnotherapy session?
It’s often perceived that hypnosis is a dreamy, sleepy state, but therapeutic hypnosis is actually a “waking up” sensation. When a client walks in, they’re currently in a sleepwalking, dream state, unaware, with behaviors they can’t control. Post-hypnosis, they should be more “awake”, more aware, and have more agency over their behavior. Sessions are an hour long which includes talk therapy, education, and hypnosis. There are many different inductions that I use and there are people who are more suggestible than others. If they are more suggestible, I can be bolder and use an arm-raising induction. But, my preferred method is through speech induction where I peak them out several times before the main journey. They should already be hypnotized at this point. Then, I have them go even deeper by having them visually focus on something while audibly focusing on my voice. The depth to be taken depends on the issue. For anxiety or stress, I take them deeper with progressive relaxation and imagery journeys. But, if it’s Performance Enhancement or confidence-related issues, I work more on conjuring a meaningful storm in their imagination – digging in anchors and hooks that force their vital reserves to rise to the surface.
What are some common misconceptions about hypnosis you encountered, and how do you address them with clients to build trust and understanding?
The most common misunderstanding about hypnosis is that it is brainwashing or hogwash. However, I’ve never had a client that was worried about brainwashing. In fact, that’s what many of them want. But, hypnosis is really just a learning state where if you imagine your mind as a fence, the links in the fence get wider allowing more to get through when the brainwaves relax into the alpha, theta levels which naturally occur throughout the day such as when performing a familiar task like driving home from work or watching a movie where you’re suddenly fully absorbed into that fantasy world whilst suspending disbelief. It’s a great state to form new pathways and connections because the circuits are open.
I always remind the clients I can’t brainwash you because under hypnosis you’ll not be less aware of what’s being said, you’ll be more aware and anything that goes against what you know to be true or don’t like will just wake you up.
To learn more about Jamie and his work, you can visit Beyondlevelshypnosis.com
