Hypnofacts

Book excerpt: This book contains various articles for hypnotherapists covering practical issues such as how to create a CD, ideas to use during a session such as good questions to ask clients and the type of language to use, and more theoretical issues such as the physical effects of stress on the body, how memory works, what happens during sleep, how to help with grief, and how to deal with pain. The articles assume a model of the brain in which core activities (such telling the heart to beat) are handled by the 'reptilian' brain, more protective functions (such as fighting, fleeing, feeding, and reproductive behaviour) are handled by the primitive emotional brain, and higher functions (such as problem solving, maintaining attention, and controlling emotional impulses from the primitive brain) are handled by the human brain. In terms of physical parts of the brain, these three areas more-or-less match up to the brain stem and cerebellum, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex.