Can faith and hypnosis coexist?

Before Christ, I suffered from depression. I wanted to take my life. I was only 20 years old. After a failed suicide attempt and a stint in the psychiatric ward, I found a new sense of purpose in my little sister. She called me on the phone while I was still in the hospital. There was something different in her voice. She sounded more confident. More poised. Changed.

She had just graduated from Army basic and AIT. Whatever she had, I knew I had to have it.

I met with a recruiter. He said the Army wouldn’t take me if I was on meds. So I went off Paxil, cold turkey. Started working out. Took the ASVAB. Went to MEPS. Chose my job. And before I knew it, I was a soldier in the U.S. Army.

It was during basic training, when I went to a church service and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior for the first time in my life.

My life as a fledgling Christian wasn’t perfect. I drank. I gambled. I skipped church. I dated a married woman. But God didn’t give up on me.

After Korea, I found myself in Kentucky at Fort Knox. This is where I found my home church. And it was there, I was filled with the Holy Spirit.

I was on fire for God. Serving, showing up, volunteering my time and talents, and giving of my income. Then one day, I started studying hypnosis.

And the thing about hypnosis that most surprised me is the psychology behind it. People often wonder why they “can’t” be hypnotized, or they wear it like a badge. They cannot be hypnotized because they choose not to be. That doesn’t mean they cannot or that they never have been, because trances happen all around us every day. Their unconscious (or subconscious) mind is protecting them from what they deem dangerous.

That is the role of the unconscious. It knows all, it keeps record of every experience you’ve ever had, and it wants to keep you safe.

When I heard this definition, it made me think of someone. God. He knows all, sees all, is in all, and through all. He places a hedge of protection around us to keep us safe. As Holy Spirit, He teaches us all things, and reminds us of the sayings of Jesus.

And it is at this intersection, where I believe hypnosis is a spiritual experience. God designed our brains and gave us an imagination. Why not use it?

Some people call that being your own god. Others call it manifestation or witchcraft. But I see it as deeply spiritual. If the unconscious mind runs all the programs to keep us alive and keeps track of all our experiences building up a repertoire of skills and resources to propel us forward and keep us growing, that sounds like God. He equips us with every resource we need to do the work He created us to do.

Sometimes that work looks like a doctor administering medicine. Or a teacher educating her students. A preacher delivering a sermon. And yes, even a hypnotist helping people to master their minds.

Whether or not you adopt my model that the unconscious mind is the Mind of God is entirely up to you. As my teacher often says, “The test of any model is its usefulness.” In my experience as a hypnotist, I find the unconscious as God is a powerful model. It’s useful when working with people of faith…any faith. Is it a perfect model? Of course not. But it is one I return to time and again because it comforts me to know, He’s always looking out for me.