Arpana Greenwood

Have you ever made eye contact with someone you know well, but just couldn't recall his or her name? Did you ever need to get somewhere you haven't been for a long time, realize you don't remember the way, and then surprise yourself by driving to this destination anyway?

Everything you have ever experienced in life is inside of you. While you may not be able to tell me the exact time you were born or the name of your second grade teacher, nevertheless, these memories exist. You were present when all of these things happened! So, where has all this information gone?

The Mystery of the Basement

By analogy, we might say that we keep the storage of all the things we are presently not using in the basement of our house. The basement of the mind -- the place where everything that seems to have been forgotten is stored -- is known as the unconscious mind. Most hypnotherapy research reveals that only 10 percent of our mind is conscious, while the remaining 90 percent is unconscious.

Think of it: if 90 percent of our potential and skills are hidden, there are many more ways for us to heal our sorrows and solve our difficulties than we have imagined! In fact, everything we need to lead a life exactly the way we wish is already inside of us. Wouldn't it be amazing to use this 90 percent in such a way that we can create whatever we want that our conscious mind may not have allowed?

Consciously trying to change something we haven't been successful with yet is like the Zen parable of the woman who loses a needle in her own house -- she looks for it outside under the street lamp because she can't see well enough inside!

The Power of Altered States

One of the first and most thrilling experiences I had with hypnotherapy occurred when I participated in a hypnosis for healing group. I attended the group because of the severe 36-hour migraines I had experienced for years. When I went into the deep altered states that had been outlined to us at the beginning of the group, I did not consciously remember what happened.

After one of the sessions, however, I found myself in the canteen pouring a cup of herbal tea. This experience was shocking to me for I was addicted to coffee and hated the taste of herb tea. Slowly, I began to love all kinds of herbal teas. I drank them more frequently until one day I realized I had transformed my coffee habit.

I am sure this could not have happened through my conscious mind. Moreover, I would never have connected the coffee drinking to my migraines, nor would I have been willing to change. I could not heal my headaches yet because this coffee habit was so strongly engraved in my neuropathways and was located beyond the capabilities of my conscious will. For the change to be successful, it had to happen in an altered state. This one session was a major aspect in the healing of my migraines, which I no longer have.

Talking to the Unconscious

Is it possible to change disorders, compulsions, addictions, or any unwanted behavior? If you use the 90 percent of your unconscious mind, the answer is yes. Wouldn't it be amazing to access information from the unconscious just as easily as one goes into the basement and finds a missing item? Here is a simple and much loved hypnotherapeutic tool that can aid in precisely this way -- a pendulum.

You can buy a pendulum or make one by using the pendant on a necklace. Holding the chain loosely in your hand, prop your elbow on the table in front of you. Close your eyes and ask your unconscious whether it is willing to establish this new type of communication. If you receive a "no," explain to your Unconscious why you are doing this so that it can relax. When you receive an intuitive "yes," begin to establish signals for the pendulum to answer your questions with a yes or no movement.

For example, the pendulum might make a horizontal movement when you ask for a yes and a vertical movement for no. There are also diagonal moves and circles and any combination of the above. After receiving your personal signals for yes and no, ask your unconscious to confirm these established signals. Once confirmed, you can now ask any question that has to do with yourself and can be answered with a yes or no response.

I suggest starting with simple questions, such as: "Is this vitamin good for me?" With a bit of experience, you can then begin asking deeper questions. It is best to stay with questions about yourself, rather than about others. You might ask about your work place, whether it is best to pursue a new career, which courses to take, which travel plan to follow. No matter what your question, though, it is important to always act and speak respectfully and sensitively.

This simple experience can be incredibly deep. Remember that 90 percent of your unconscious mind is talking to you! You can manifest a connection and receive information that you may have not received in any other way.

Nature made you healthy and joyful and full of inner wealth. The answers and comfort you seek are already inside you. Allow yourself to touch that place where you are closest to yourself, and use the power of your unconscious to reach your own inner treasures.