Hypnosis for Public Speaking: How Does It Work?
- Robert Barnett C.Ht., CLC, PMP, MBA
If you struggle with public speaking, you’re far from alone. In fact, about 77% of people around the world experience some level of glossophobia.
Overcoming anxiety is critical if you’re scared of or uncomfortable with getting in front of a crowd and making your point. After all, so many professional and academic opportunities hinge around this ability.
But how can you tackle this fear head-on and improve your confidence? Read on to learn about hypnosis for public speaking (and why it works).
Before you can understand the effects of hypnosis, it’s important to first understand the psychology of stage fright. This fear lives in your subconscious, which is the place where you hold memories, beliefs, and values that you aren’t constantly thinking about.
Glossophobia- the fear of public speaking- resides in your subconscious because of previous negative experiences or perceived disastrous future possibilities. It’s a prejudice against the activity. When you need to actually get up and make a speech, this prejudice manifests in the form of anxiety and fear.
This fear response begins in the amygdala, a part of your brain that detects emotional stimulation. The more severely your subconscious fears public speaking, the worse your fear symptoms will rise. Your body will enter fight-or-flight mode and stress hormones will release into the brain
You will likely experience an increased heart rate and shaking. Nausea and a dry mouth are also common symptoms of glossophobia. Your mind will likely race and you will actively avoid situations where you need to speak.
The fear of speaking publicly also can cause a withdrawal from social situations in addition to avoiding speeches in front of crowds. Social anxiety is closely tied to glossophobia.
The goal of hypnotherapy is to alter the autopilot settings of your brain. You want your subconscious to unlearn the current belief that public speaking is a fear trigger. When your subconscious no longer believes this, you no longer will enter fight-or-flight when public speaking or in other social situations.
During a hypnotherapy session, an experienced professional will guide you into a hypnotic state. This may sound scary, but there is nothing to fear- these experts are highly certified, reputable, and understand the way that the human subconscious works.
The hypnotherapist will guide your mind into an extremely relaxed state. Hyperawareness is the outcome of this relaxation and you will find yourself in a trance-like hypnosis. Once in a hypnotic state, your subconscious is unlocked because you can bypass the part of your mind that thinks critically and analyzes the world around you.
This gives experts leave to communicate with your subconscious and work directly with the place that holds your glossophobia.
When you’re in a hypnotic state, your mind becomes more susceptible to suggestions. This makes sense since you won’t be in the appropriate state to critically assess suggestions. Your hypnotherapist can make suggestions about the way that you should view public speaking and guide your subconscious to the conclusion that there is nothing to fear.
Hypnotists can also help you to shut off patterns of negativity and prevent catastrophizing. This can stop you from overthinking public speaking activities or possible issues at social gatherings. You will instead be able to think more positively and stop dwelling on negative possibilities.
Additionally, hypnotists can suggest helpful public speaking tips (with consent, of course). This can get you on the right track so that you can go above and beyond speaking without fear. You will be able to speak to inspire.
Some behavioral therapists may posit alternatives to hypnosis for public speaking. They may claim that your glossophobia may vanish if you engage in public speaking more often.
This exposure therapy may sound like a good idea, but unfortunately phobias are self-perpetuating. This means that inevitable fumbling and messing up while practicing will simply re-enforce your phobia.
They may also say that breathing and mindfulness exercises can help. Unfortunately, while this may decrease some fear responses in the moment, it isn’t a sustainable solution. The phobia is still in your subconscious; the fight-or-flight response can still be triggered.
Hypnotherapy addresses the root of the problem by eradicating the source of the fight-or-flight response. Even if you make mistakes while practicing speeches or need to speak in front of a large crowd, you will learn to manage or eliminate symptoms of social anxiety.
While many people are prejudiced to believe hypnosis to be ineffective, studies show that this is not true. In fact, 77% of those with anxiety and phobias note better results when they undergo hypnotherapy. The human mind has many layers, so using a multifaceted approach that includes hypnosis yields better results.
Additionally, you can overcome your glossophobia more quickly when you use our hypnotherapy techniques. Almost every client that our experienced experts work with have noticeable improvement even after a single session. This means that you can start overcoming anxiety quickly and effectively with no hassle.
Our experts are committed to providing high-performance hypnotherapy to clients. We pride ourselves on helping you identify things that stand in the way of your success and use expert methods to break down these roadblocks. Contact us to schedule a free consultation to discuss your specific needs.
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Seminar on managing anxiety blending hypnosis, NLP, CBT etc... |
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How to identify clear opportunities and establish goals. |
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Techniques to properly build a structure to your success. |
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