by: Steven Heller, Ph.D. & Terry Steele

New Falcon Publications, Tempe, AZ, 1987

There's No Such Thing as Hypnosis? This may appear to be a strange title for a book written by a man who has been in the field of clinical hypnosis for many years. So begins this delightful little book on hypnotherapy. Heller's point is both that there is no such THING as hypnosis - it is not a thing you can hold - and that in our everyday communications we are constantly hypnotizing and being hypnotized. Throughout the book he gives examples of clients whose problems are characterized as trances into which their family and friends have inadvertently put them. In a meeting with Erickson Heller asked, "Would you say that you perceive all presenting symptoms and complaints as being metaphors that contain a story about the "real" problem, and that your basic approach is to build metaphors that contain a story about the possible solution?" "Exactly!" replied Erickson. You might overlook this slim volume because of its small size, only 188 pages, and because of its seemingly flippant title, but you would be making a mistake.

The first four chapters talk about everyday experience seen as learning/hypnosis, and how often unpleasant memories are hidden from our conscious minds. Chapters five and six deal with beliefs and representational systems, including a discussion of eye accessing cues.

Heller has a light touch and shows frequent flashes of humor. For example, when he explains his view that lead and preferred systems are dependent on the circumstances he writes, "I am now going to go out on a limb. I hope that you will refrain from sawing it off while I am perched upon it." He is of course on solid ground, as he offers numerous case histories illustrating each subject and teaching his insightful and compassionate approach to change work. Subsequent chapters address other Ericksonian topics of conscious/ unconscious division, anchors and anchoring, and utilization.

Highly recommended.

Book review by: Avner Eisenberg

Self-Published: 2007 - Dr. Warren's email: MPW0801@AOL.COM
Reviewed by Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.

"For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, and some debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness IS the way, so treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one."
-----With Your Eyes Wide Open, page 35

Can creative visualization and hypnosis fulfill your hopes and dreams and lead you toward the accomplishment of your goals? Author, hypnotherapist, and psychotherapist, Muriel Prince Warren says "yes." In With Your Eyes Wide Open, she tells her readers that with creative visualization we can relax the amygdala; the part of the brain that secretes stress hormones. Relax the amygdala and you can reduce the body's stress response. Instead of focusing on worries and fears, Warren encourages us to focus on our hopes, dreams, and goals and to reshape our "neural coding" for the better. Thus, we can improve the "deep unconscious wisdom system" of our minds.

Warren invites her readers to take time out from the rough-and-tumble of daily life to relax, release worries and cares, and contemplate internal and external images of peace and beauty. She encourages people to consider what is possible and to open their minds to those possibilities. It's a message that can benefit anyone and one that we can all use from time to time.

Muriel Prince Warren is a Certified Traumatologist, a board member for the National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists, and a diplomate of the International Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy living in Orangeburg, New York. She founded the Warren Institute, a not-for-profit organization which holds wellness seminars. To purchase her book and to learn more about her work, visit her web site at www.drmurielprincewarren.com.

Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Executive Director with the National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists. She is an NLP Master Practitioner/Trainer and hypnotherapist with a solo practice in Springfield, Virginia. She has recently published The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual. Her web site is www.engagethepower.com.

Ron Klein

The Washington Post

By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 6, 2007; Page A06

Susan Wagner Cook, a third grader, stands at the front of her classroom, with an unfinished equation printed neatly on the whiteboard.

4 + 3 + 6 = ____ + 6

"I want to make one side," she says, as her left hand sweeps under the left side of the equation, "equal to the other side," she continues, now sweeping her right hand under the right side of the equation.

Equations are something the call is just ready to learn: The total value on one side of an equation should equal that on the other.

Some of the kids learn it quickly. Others taklonger. But what none of them know is that they are subjects in an experiment that is helping scientists understand one of the most familiar and yet mysterious components of human behavior: the hand gestures and how they may impact on learning. To read the rest of the article,

CLICK HERE.

By: Milton H. Erickson, edited by Ernest L. Rossi, Irvington Publishers, Inc., 1980

Reviewed by: Avner Eisenberg

When a used set of the Collected Papers of Milton H. Erickson became available, I bought them thinking they’d be full of dense scholarly medical papers. Perhaps not easily readable, I reasoned they’d be useful for research some day. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I read volume I straight through and can’t wait to start volume II.

To reach for a comparison, if the literature on NLP is a finely carved ice swan, then The Collected Papers is the well from which the water was drawn to make the ice. One is reminded over and over that NLP is largely based on Erickson’s ideas and practices, and many of the presuppositions and concepts of NLP are hidden in Erickson’s clear and friendly prose.

For example, in an interview with the editor, Erickson lays the ground-work for matching predicates.

"…I’m a visual type, so I use visual memories. [Erickson goes on to explain how he first explores a patient’s early memories to determine whether they are predominantly visual or auditory. He then utilizes these predispositions in later trance work. One patient, for example, was able to distract himself from pain by focusing on the memories of the sound of crickets, which he enjoyed in his childhood." (p. 124)

In another passage he explains the use of sub-modalities in hypnotic anesthesia. “You can also experiment with altering your sensations and perceptions: warmth, cold, color, sounds, etc.” (p.126)

Elsewhere Erickson explains the use of minimal sensory cues, pantomime techniques, respiratory rhythms, and ”my-friend-John” stories.

Volume I, begins with a lengthy discussion of Erickson’s early experiments investigating the nature of hypnosis and establishing the difference between hypnotic and non-hypnotic realities. Though this section is a little long, it gives a clear view of the thoroughness with which Erickson approached the study of hypnosis. There are telling passages that record Erickson’s problems with the methodology and conclusions of Clark Hull, who first introduced Erickson to hypnosis. We see how Erickson carved out his own territory in hypnosis from the beginning o his career.

His thoroughness is illustrated again as Erickson describes his process for developing suggestions.

“In working out various hypnotic approaches, I’ve written them down in detail so that I could understand the actual meaning of the statement that I made. You can rearrange the wording to see the advantage of placing one phrase or one clause first and the other one, second. Years ago I’d write out about 40 pages of suggestions that I would condense down to 20 pages and then down to 10. Then I’d carefully reformulate and make good use of every word and phrase so I’d finally condense it down to about five pages. Everyone who is serious about learning suggestion needs to go through that process to become truly aware of just what they are really saying.” (p. 489)

The following chapters develop Erickson’s groundbreaking work in naturalistic, utilization, and confusion techniques. Also included is an illustrative transcript of Erickson conducting and induction with comments by Erickson, Jay Haley, and John Weakland.

A chapter is devoted to a hypnotic technique for resistant patients complete with discussion of the rationale, case histories, and another annotated transcript of the technique in action. There is also a thorough discussion of arm levitation and other hypnotic phenomena such as amnesia and catalepsy, and their importance in effective trance work.

This seminal volume ends with several papers on the possible dangers of hypnosis. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in practicing Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP. We see clearly the roots of NLP in Erickson’s own words.

To purchase the delux edition of the Collected papers of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. click the following link:

http://www.erickson-foundation.org/collectedworks/

 Establishing and sustaining rapport both consciously and unconsciously
 Clarifying the interconnectedness of Ericksonian hypnosis, brief therapy, & neuro-linguistic programming
 Effectively utilizing patterns of hypnotic induction, anchoring & suggestion
 Discerning client language and thought patterns to enhance change operations
 Managing resistance in a manner that facilitates change processes
 Facilitating self-hypnosis for resource reinforcement & ongoing growth
 Utilizing hypnosis in solution-focused strategies for efficient treatment of symptoms including anxiety and compulsive behavior

To read and print the brochure for this seminar CLICK HERE

A recent study from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor has associated smoking with fine wrinkles all over the body — including the face.

“We examined non-facial skin that was protected from the sun, and found that the total number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day and the total years a person has smoked were linked with the amount of skin
damage and wrinkles a person experienced,” said Yolanda R. Helfrich, MD, lead author and assistant professor of dermatology at the U-M Medical School. The Study appears in the March issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology.

If skin that is protected from the sun by clothing experiences significant harm leading to wrinkles, just think what the skin on your face must be suffering as a result of continuing to smoke. And if that isn’t enough to get you concerned about your appearance, smoking also turns your teeth yellow and can cause damage to your gums.

Recent studies have shown that tobacco use may be one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease. How does smoking increase your risk for periodontal disease? As a smoker, you are more likely than nonsmokers to have the following problems: Calculus – plaque that hardens on your teeth and can create deep pockets between your teeth and gums, leading to loss of the bone and loss of your teeth.

In addition to the obvious benefits to your appearance, quitting smoking reduces your risk for many other serious medical problems such as lung disease, cancer, heart disease and low-birth-weight infants. Another health problem associated with tobacco is emphysema, which, when combined with chronic bronchitis, produces chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking also increases the risk of oral, uterine, liver, kidney, bladder, stomach, and cervical cancers.

Dr. Andrew Weil author of “Natural Health, Natural Medicine” as well as dozens of other books on wellness, has recommended hypnotherapy to stop smoking, alleviate pain, lessen the side effects of chemotherapy, alleviate symptoms of autoimmune disease, counteract fears and sleep problems, and even to get rid of warts. Dr. Weil says, "In general, I believe that no condition is out of bounds for trying hypnotherapy on." Finally, CNN NEWS REPORTS: “New study reports over 200 effective uses for hypnosis.

You are free to copy this article to use in your practice marketing, client newsletter or in any way you choose.

One day a client, Bill, came to see me. His problem was this: He was working on his doctorate degree. He had taken all the coursework, and passed the exams. Now it was time to begin the research to write his dissertation. Somehow, he said, he just couldn't do it. He kept saying "I don't know why I get in my own way. I just hold myself back from doing what I want to do."

Now having the time really wasn't the problem, because he was on sabbatical leave from his job. Additionally, he had income from rental property, so money wasn't a problem either. Here was Bill's strategy for not working on his dissertation. He got up every morning and reminded himself that later on in the day, say in the afternoon sometime, he would set down at the computer and begin the work. Then he got busy on other chores, and in the afternoon, he would watch TV or take a nap, or take a walk, and by evening, realize he had forgotten completely about working on his dissertation. He told himself that he had wasted most of the day, and evening was really too late to make any headway, so he would do it tomorrow. But every day he produced the same result.

By the time he came to see me, he was getting very frustrated and angry with himself. "What do you want as your outcome?" I asked.

"Well," he replied, "I need to understand why I am doing this. I've got to get to the bottom of it and figure it out."

"And what will that do for you?"

"Well, then I will understand myself, and then I will know what's really wrong with me."

"And how will knowing what's really wrong with you help you get to work on your dissertation?"

"I don't know."

"Then, how can I help you?"

"Help me understand what is holding me back."

So I told Bill to relax, close his eyes, and contact the part of himself that kept him from working on his dissertation. He said, "It looks like a big rock."

Then I said, "What is the positive intention of this part?"

"It's there to protect me from rejection." Then Bill went on to describe the time when he proposed a new business approach to his employer. He had spent weeks working on his idea, labored many hours on the proposal, and was sure the management would be excited over his new idea. Instead, his ideas were instantly rejected and he was crestfallen.

"I guess I worry that my dissertation will be rejected too-that all my hard work will be for nothing. So why try?"

"This part wants to protect you from failure, and yet, ironically, the real failure is not doing it at all. The only way to know whether you'll succeed is to go ahead and do it. If this part wants to protect you from failure, then it certainly wants you to succeed. Maybe this part can help you find a better strategy for success, since the one you have been using hasn't worked very well."

"I know, but I guess I carry that rejection with me. I just want to uncover the reason for all this. What happened to me in the past that I am so afraid? I've just got to dig down until I find it."

So I told Bill to close his eyes and breathe deeply and relax and think back to his earliest memory of rejection and frustration. Within minutes he opened his eyes and told me about it.

He said he was in the fifth grade, and it was the day book reports were due. Each student was supposed to stand up and read his or her book report to the class. However, Bill had forgotten to do his book report. When the teacher called on him, he stammered that he did not have the report. The teacher called him to the front of the class and said "Here is a lazy boy. He will get an F today." He had to stay inside during recess and write 100 times: "I remember to do my homework every day. I remember to do my homework every day. I remember to do my homework every day."

Bill said it was one of the more humiliating experiences of his life.

"Do you think this is the root cause of your difficulty?" I asked.

"I don't know." he said. "It was so long ago, it seems strange that it could still affect me so much."

"Well," I said, "What if that is the cause? Let's suppose it is. Now that you know about it, and it was a long time ago, and you are older and wiser now, how does it change your commitment to working on your dissertation?"

"I don't know."

"Bill," I said, "Visualize the part of yourself that wants you to complete your dissertation. What do you see?"

He sat silently for a long time. Finally he said, "I see nothing."

I said, "Bill, you have a good strategy for not working on your dissertation, and what you need is an even better strategy for working on your dissertation. Let me tell you a story about a man named Brian.

The story begins with Brian out on a river in his canoe. It is a beautiful, relaxing day. The water is tranquil and still, barely moving. All around, everything is peaceful, serene and calm. Brian is paddling his canoe gently through the water. He is alone on the river and he loves the peace and quiet. He is relaxed and alone with his thoughts in the solitude. The water is still, like a mirror, reflecting the view. The sky is a clear blue. The trees are green. It is a perfect day for floating down the river, effortlessly, on the gentle currents.

Now on this day, Brian brought along one of his favorite possessions-a plastic box full of rocks. Now these were not just any rocks. One was feldspar, one was lead, one was quartz and one was agate---lots of different rocks. Each was a different kind. Each held a memory. Brian liked to open that box from time to time and gaze upon his collection and remember where each rock came from. And that was what he was doing that day, in the canoe, on the lake. Just floating along...gazing at his rocks...remembering...

He picked up the feldspar and held it in his hand. It was heavy and solid. This was the very first rock in his collection. He thought back about how the rock came into his possession. It was not a happy memory. In fact, it was one of humiliation.

He was only 10 years old and one day in the classroom, his teacher called upon him to give a presentation. He was not prepared. He didn't understand how to complete the assignment. He stumbled over his words and the other children snickered. He felt terrible. He could tell his teacher disapproved. That day, as he left school, a couple of the school bullies followed him, taunting him, walking behind him. They yelled "You sure are stupid." They said it over and over again. Brian couldn't stand it any longer. He turned on the bullies and said 'You want to fight about it?'

'Sure,' they said. Brian was scared. He was trying to be brave. What he didn't know was one of those boys had a large rock in his hand. As Brian turned around to face the bullies, one of them threw the rock at him. It hit him smack in the forehead-hard! It nearly knocked him out. He was stunned and reeling from the blow. The rock broke the skin and blood began pouring down his face-into his eyes, into his mouth, down his neck onto his shirt. He screamed in terror. He thought he was going to die. He ran home. He could barely see his way. The boys yelled after him. 'Hey, why don't you finish what you started? Are you a coward?' And he could hear their derisive laughter.

When he arrived home, all bloody, his mother was horrified. She rushed him the emergency room, where he received x-rays of his skull and stitches across his forehead. It was painful and he cried. The doctor said there was no fracture, but he should rest in bed a few days, to make sure there was no concussion.

So the next day, while Brian was resting in bed, his neighbor, Mr. Reese came over for a visit. The man stuck his head in the door of Brian's bedroom. 'Mind if I come in? I'd like to help you feel better.'

'Sure Mr. Reese, it's okay. I wish you could help me feel better.'

"Hey! No more Mr. Reese. Call me...Grant...your wish...is my command. I brought a friend to visit you." And Grant reached behind him and brought out his cute little black and white puppy, named Secret. Now everyone knew how Secret got his name. Secret was a present to Grant for his birthday, from his wife. He kept asking her what she would give him for his birthday and she kept saying, "It's a secret." On his birthday, she handed him a large colorful gift bag, and out crawled a puppy. 'Well,' he said, 'The secret is out now!' And so that became the puppy's name.

This puppy had a very strange habit. You see, puppies don't learn by logic. They learn by association. The Reese family had a very small yard and they worried that Secret might wander into the street and be killed by a passing car, but at the same time, they didn't want to keep him on a chain. So they installed an invisible fence around the perimeter of the yard. That's an electrical wire buried around the outside of the yard, and when it is active, it emits a signal. The dog wears a receiver on his collar. When he gets to the close to the edge of the yard, his receiver picks up the signal, and he gets a painful shock.

The first day the fence was installed, Secret was resting in the shade of a tree, and he saw of leaf float to the ground, at the edge of the yard. Guided by his curiosity, he went over to inspect the leaf. Just as he leaned over to sniff the leaf, ZAP! He got a painful shock. He jumped back, surprised and indignant, and angry! He growled and barked at the leaf, as if to say, "Leave me alone, or I will teach you a lesson!" From then on, Secret always barked and growled at leaves, in order to protect himself and his family from those evil creatures.

He also learned to stay within the boundaries of his yard, after he got shocked a few times. The family eventually discovered they could turn off the electricity on the invisible fence, and Secret would still stay in his yard. He had learned to never venture forth, not take chances.

Now here's the sad part of the story. A couple of years later, the family moved out to the country to a home on a two acre lot, where Secret could finally have the freedom to run and play and chase rabbits and squirrels and have the time of his doggy life. However, by that time, Secret had learned to stay within a few feet of the front door. He never knew about the freedom and joy that was waiting for him, just beyond his imaginary barrier. Instead, he continued to stay in his comfort zone, defending himself and his family against those hateful leaves.

Now when Brian was well again, he dreaded going back to school, because he was afraid of the bullies. Fortunately for Brian, they were expelled from school and reprimanded severely. Since they were forbidden to pick on Brian, they eventually found other victims.

One day, walking to school, Brian saw a rock beside the sidewalk. He picked it up. It was the same rock that had hit him in the head! He looked at it carefully, and he saw little sparkles on the surface. He'd never seen a rock like that before. He put it into his backpack.

For years, Brian carried that rock around in his backpack. It reminded him to be a survivor. One day, in high school, he showed it to his science teacher, who said, "Brian, that rock is feldspar---very rare around here." Brian was fascinated that the rock actually had a name.

Brian began collecting rocks and he became a geologist. At one point he had so many rocks in the house that his wife complained. The rocks were taking up too much room! So he donated many of his rocks to a museum. But he still held on to a few of his favorites.

That day, on the lake, he stopped paddling and gazed at his collection. As he looked at each rock, he remembered. He found the lead while hiking up a mountainside. He found the granite while digging around in a quarry. He dug up the agate in a farmer's field. Each rock was a memory in itself.

The day grew warmer, and the gentle motion of the boat caused Brian to drift into a drowsy reverie. He was almost sleeping. He didn't notice his oar slipping away, floating out of reach. He didn't realize his canoe was drifting aimlessly down the river toward white water. He didn't wake up until it was too late. There he was in white, churning water, without a paddle. His canoe was tossed this way and that. He held on and tried to steer the canoe with his body weight. He hoped he could beach the canoe and walk to safety. Instead, his canoe overturned, and just as Brian was about to capsize, he grabbed the box of rocks, secured the lid, and held it to his chest. He told himself he'd be okay, because he could swim, and he was sure he could find a firm foothold soon.

However, the water was deeper than he thought. He could not find a foothold. He was floundering and gasping for air. He clutched his rocks tightly and tried to tread water. He kept going under and swallowing water. The rocks were weighting him down. He couldn't keep his head above water. He was in trouble. He would push to the surface and gasp for air, and sink again. He realized he was facing life or death. Only one thing was holding him down-all those rocks. He didn't want to let go. He clutched his box of rocks. Hold on or let go! Sink or swim! Now or never! The situation was more desperate every moment. Hold on or let go! Sink or swim! Now or never!"

At this point I looked at Bill who had been very quiet during the telling of this story. "Well, Bill," I said, "do you still want to get to the bottom of the problem, or do you want to go home and get to work on your dissertation?"

You are probably wondering how this story ended and whether Bill finished his dissertation. I'm deliberately not telling you because this story is not really about Bill or Brian or Secret, but about the dilemma we all face when we hold on to the hurts of the past and keep wondering why we are stuck, instead of taking action to move forward. If you are stuck on some project, read the story again, and decide how you want your own story to end.

While you are contemplating all the meanings in this story, you might want to also look up something called the Zeigarnik Effect - and I'm not going to tell what that is either. 2

____________________

Judith E. Pearson Ph.D. maintains a private counseling practice in Springfield, Virginia, specializing in hypnotherapy and NLP. She is the Executive Director for Certification for the National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists. She has recently published The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: A Manual for Hypnotherapists and NLP Practitioners (Crown House, Ltd.). Her web site is www.engagethepower.com.

1 No more mysteries.
2 Many thanks to Ron Klein for providing excellent critique to this article and helping me improve the message.

The first hour of a heart attack is known as the "golden hour." If you get help during that first hour, your chances of recovery are greatly improved. Yet many people hesitate to get help when they first experience symptoms. They're afraid of the embarrassment of going to the emergency room and finding that nothing is wrong. So, it is important that you know the symptoms that may indicate that a heart attack is in progress.

Many of the symptoms of heart attack can be brought on by digestive disturbances or other less serious conditions. But only sophisticated medical tests can determine for sure if you're having a heart attack. Heart attacks may vary from person to person, and from heart attack to heart attack. Women, for example, may experience "atypical' symptoms such! as pain between the shoulder blades rather than crushing chest pain. This may result in them delaying seeking treatment. That is a great mistake.

Angina Pectoris or Angina

Angina pectoris is a precursor to a heart attack. Usually, what happens is this: During physical exertion, during stress or an emotionally charged situation, in cold weather or after a big meal, the heart beats faster. Heart requires more oxygenated blood flow to the heart muscle to maintain the beating. But if the channels by which the blood and oxygen flow to the heart are narrow, not enough nutrients get to the heart muscle tissue. It suffers oxygen deficiency, and the heart tells you about this with a pain called angina pectoris.

The pain is quite distinct. It is described as: "a heavy, strangulating, suffocating experience-far more intense than anything like indigestion, chest wall injuries, pleurisy or spasms of the esophagus that you are familiar with. The pain may seem to start under the breastbone, on the left side of the chest, and sometimes radiates out to other places: throat, neck, jaw, left shoulder and arm and, occasionally, on to the right side.

Angina is an intense, scary episode. But with rest and calm (or by placing nitroglycerin or another kind of nitrate under the tongue), angina attacks usually go away in about 15 minutes or so. If they last longer than that, go to the hospital and have a thorough check up. Long-lasting angina attacks may be the prelude to heart attacks.

The statistics show that half of those! e with angina pectoris suffer sudden deaths, a third have heart attacks, and most victims are older men. And an estimated 350,000 new cases of angina occur each year.

Although you may not appreciate it when you are suffering from pain, angina itself is not bad. In fact it may be a blessing! Some doctors call angina "God's gift to humans" because many heart problems are silent, without symptoms, and go unnoticed until they become the cause of sudden death. Angina is an early warning sign that something is wrong. Its presence may help identify those at risk of heart attack so that you can seek proper medical treatment promptly.

Heart Attack

Dizziness can be an early symptom of heart attack

Cardiac chest pain is often vague, or dull, and may be described as a pressure or band-like sensation, squeezing, heaviness, or other discomfort.

Heart attacks frequently occur from 4:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. due to higher adrenaline amounts released from the adrenal glands during the morning hours. Increased adrenaline in the bloodstream can contribute to the rupture of the plaque that causes the formation of the clot and the eventual heart attack.

Studies have found that, at least in northern regions, heart attacks may occur more often in the winter months.

Heart attacks do not usually happen during exercise, although exercise is commonly associated with exert ional angina.

Approximately one quarter of all heart attacks are silent, without chest pain. In diabetics, the incidence of "silent" heart attacks may be much higher.

Typical Symptoms

The typical symptoms of a heart attack are similar to those of angina, but more severe and longer lasting. The victim feels a pain that is usually squeezing or burning or feels a terrible pressure in the middle of chest. This pain may also travel up to the neck, jaw, or shoulder or down the arm and into the back.

Sweating, dizziness, weakness, and shortness of breath often accompany the pain of a heart attack. If you have chest pain that lasts longer than 15 minutes and is not relieved by rest (or by a dose of nitroglycerin), get immediate medical attention.

Immediately after you call for medical help, chew and swallow an aspirin and drink a glass of water. (Don't take aspirin if you are allergic to aspirin.) Aspirin is known to thin the blood, which helps the heart get more blood if you are, indeed, having a heart attack.
In some cases, a heart attack may cause a sensation that feels like indigestion: you get a sick, aching feeling high in the middle of your abdomen. It can cause a feeling of great weakness, or a sense that you are about to faint. (Many of the people who had heart attacks thought that they had intestinal problem instead of associating it with a heart attack.)

Silent Heart Attack

Heart attacks can occur without any warning symptoms. These are called silent heart attacks. Some heart attacks may be associated with "atypical' symptoms, symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, or sudden light-headedness and sweating. These are more common in women, diabetics, and people older than 65.

"The subconscious brain is more active, independent and purposeful than once thought." That is the conclusion of Benedict Carey who wrote an article, "Who's Minding the Mind?" in the July 31, 2007 issue of The New York Times. Carey cites several recent research studies showing that our decisions and judgments are often influenced by cues in the environment. Everyday sights, smells, and sounds can selectively activate motives that people already have.

For example, participants in a study were asked to help a lab assistant, who was carrying textbooks, a clip board, papers and a cup of coffee. They were asked to hold the cup, which contained either hot coffee or iced coffee. Later, the students who had held the hot cup rated the assistant as a warm person, while the students who held the cold cup rated the assistant as cold.

The use of environmental cues to shape behaviors and attitudes is called "priming." Advertisers use it in two ways. One is product placement-placing the product in a movie scene for example, to create brand recognition. The other is through commercials and ads that associate the product with common values such as family togetherness, success, safety, or sexuality.

Carey adds that overtly manipulating people often backfires, and that researchers don't know when unconscious drives become conscious or the circumstances under which people can override hidden urges. It's as though the subconscious mind is "an invisible partner who has strong reactions about the world that don't always agree with our own, but whose instincts...are at least as likely to be helpful, and attentive to others, as they are to be disruptive."

Can we as practitioners profit from this information? Perhaps. First we could articulate the values and motives we most want our clients to hold in therapy and counseling. I, for one, want to impart the message to my clients that I value them, and that they are competent. I want them to feel compellingly motivated toward their outcomes. I want my office to be a soothing, nurturing atmosphere. What do you want for your clients?

Second, who are your clients? Are they mostly parents with children, senior citizens, yuppies, women, men, or business executives? Consider the general characteristics of your clientele, and what values are meaningful to them. Articulate these values as well.

Third, let's take a look at the environments we provide for our clients, from the building exterior, to the waiting room, to the practitioner's office. Consider the colors, the placement of furniture, the accessories, the smells and the sounds. What messages do these things convey? If you aren't objective enough to answer these questions, invite a friend who has never seen your office to visit and give his or her initial impressions. You might even hire a consultant who specializes in environments---someone with expertise in Feng Shui, for instance. With a few changes, your office arrangement might be better "priming" your clients to benefit from your services.

________________

Dr. Judith E. Pearson has a private practice in Springfield, Virginia where she specializes in individual counseling using NLP and Hypnotherapy. She is the Executive Director of the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has recently published The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual. The book can be purchased at her web site at www.engagethepower.com.

"The opposite of bravery is not cowardice, but conformity." --Dr. Robert Anthony

"What you hear repeatedly you will eventually believe." --Mike Murdock

The most disturbing yet apt analogy to the human mind is a blank computer disk. When we are born we have only two choices -- receive the necessary programming for the maintenance of life, or die. But it is the great affliction of the human condition that the mind has little or no ability to keep out the "bad" data in preference of the "good." Just like the Internet surfer who may unwittingly download a virus, the mind has little or no awareness of the false and/or harmful information that penetrates its defenses. And in fact, human consciousness is far more susceptible to corruption than computer files. Because unlike these files, human beings have the innate need both to continuously learn, and to form beliefs.

From the time you roll out of bed in the morning you begin acting on your beliefs. In a matter of moments, you will have made a number of choices that profoundly impact your life in ways you have probably never imagined. And these choices are often based on tacit assumptions that have little or no foundation in reality.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE .

Reviewed by: Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.

Often, when I try to explain the intricacies of NLP to others who are not psychologically-inclined, I get one of two responses. One response is the "eyes glazing over" expression of the person who finds my explanation far too complicated. The other response is the enthusiasm of a novice who sees in NLP a path toward personal growth. Both people need an easy-to-understand approach to NLP that shows them how to use NLP for superb communication, accessing resourceful states, getting results, turning failure into feedback, and having more choice and flexibility in everyday situations. Mindworks by Anne Linden (with Kathrin Perutz) is the answer.

Mindworks is an "owner's manual for the mind" that allows readers to "make maximum use of the strengths and resources you already have." The book is divided into seven sections, each presenting a basic NLP presupposition:

* The meaning of your communication is the response you get. This section covers how to create quality communication in interpersonal relationships: rapport, observation skills, calibration, representational systems and how they are expressed (verbally and non-verbally), uptime and downtime, sameness and differences, and pacing and leading.

* You have all the resources you need. This section tells readers how to access their resources and develop their strengths and talents. The NLP tools are submodalities, anchoring, future conditioning, and body language.

* Success is the ability to achieve intended results. Here, the book delves into goal-setting, values, outcomes, motivation, ecological considerations, and strategies.

* You can turn failure into feedback. This section is a philosophical guide to understanding how to reframe failure-to discover the learnings, the see the new opportunities presented by failure, and to recognize that good that exists, alongside, or in spite of, the bad.

* The map is not the territory. In this exploration of language patterns, Linden teaches the Meta Model-a method of questioning that facilitates specificity and understanding of meaning.

* There is a positive intention behind every behavior. At this point, the text addresses our unconscious behaviors and how to manage them with an understanding of "parts", positive intentions, and reframing.

* There are always more choices. Flexibility is the topic. Linden presents tools for change: perceptual shifts and pattern interrupts.

The Authors
Anné Linden directs the New York Training Institute for NLP and is one of the most highly-respected trainers in NLP. Mindworks is an updated version of her well-received, Mindworks: Unlock the Promise Within (Andrews McMeel, 1997). She has also written The Enneagram and NLP (Metamorphous Press, 1994). I had the delight to interview her in 2004 for Anchor Point magazine and it is a distinct pleasure to review this book. Kathrin Perutz has written both fiction and non-fiction for many years and has published several books and reviews.
Conclusion
Mindworks makes NLP palatable for the non-practitioner---someone who simply wants to know how to use NLP in daily life. Linden weaves the instruction into
an upbeat, conversational delivery, with sample dialog, examples, and metaphors. Mindworks is a first-rate beginner's guide to NLP.

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Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. is a Licensed Professional Counselor, certified hypnotherapist, and certified NLP trainer, with a private practice in Springfield, Virginia. She has recently published The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual. Her web site is www.engagethepower.com.

Crown House Publishing Limited, Copyright 2007

Reviewed by Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.

Dr. Linda Thomson describes her two-CD set, Stress Free Surgery, as a "self relaxation program to help you prepare for and recover from surgery." The first CD is for listening prior to and during surgery. The second CD is for listening post-surgery. Each CD is approximately 40 minutes in length and they come packaged in an attractive, sturdy plastic case.

The post-surgery CD uses guided imagery, analogy, metaphor, and progressive relaxation to promote comfort and to reduce pain during the recovery period. The CD offers suggestions that the listener can:
* Access comfort and healing
* Reduce pain and nausea
* Anticipate improvement in health and physical functioning
* Take fluids and nourishment as appropriate
* Expect that medications are working effectively
* Sleep well
* Apply the skills of pain reduction, self soothing, and self appreciation

Dr. Thomson speaks to the listener in a soft, soothing voice, with a slow pace that is quite nurturing. She invites the listener to access imagination and positive expectations and beliefs to promote optimum results. Research validates her approach, with findings that patients who are psychologically prepared for surgery have improved outcomes, including shorter hospital stays, less post-operative pain, reduced need for pain medications, and less anxiety.

I highly recommend this CD set for people who might be somewhat anxious about the prospect of surgery, or who are apprehensive about hospitals and medical procedures, or who are having post-operative discomfort. The CD set also provides an excellent starting point for practitioners who use hypnotic approaches to help their clients mentally prepare for hospital stays.

For clients who are highly fearful or phobic of hospitals, doctors, and medical procedures, this CD set could be used as an adjunct to in-office methods that address phobias, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety. An example of one such method is the NLP process called Visual Kinesthetic Dissociation. I can speak to the efficacy of pre- and post-surgery hypnosis on the basis of personal experience. I have used NLP and hypnotic relaxation methods with three clients who were highly phobic of hospital procedures, and in all three cases, obtained very good results. While individual case examples do not constitute scientific proof, hypnosis does seem to have a positive effect on surgical outcomes. Thompson's CDs seem to be right on target in every way.

The Author

Linda Thomson is a Nurse Practitioner who has 30 years of experience in family and pediatric practice. She received her training in hypnosis via the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis and the International Society of Hypnosis. She is an Approved Consultant in Clinical Hypnosis and has also published Harry the Hypno-Potamus, a delightful book of metaphorical tales for explaining clinical hypnosis to children. A major focus of her life's work is to change the attitudes of health care professionals regarding clinical hypnosis and promote wider acceptance of hypnotherapy interventions.

To purchase Stress Free Surgery contact:

Crown House Publishing Ltd.
4 Berkeley St. Norwalk, CT 06850 USA
Phone: 203-852-9504
www.CHPUS.com

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Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D., is a Licensed Professional Counselor, free-lance writer, hypnotherapist, and NLP Trainer/Practitioner with a private practice in Springfield, Virginia. She is Executive Director for the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists. Through Crown House Ltd, she has recently published The Weight, Hypnotherapy, and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual.
Her web site is: www.engagethepower.com