KIRSTEN RITCHIE, 44, is no stranger to surgery — nearly 20 years ago, doctors removed four tumors from her brain. She remembers the operation and its aftermath as “horrific.”So the news that she needed brain surgery again was hardly welcome. Determined to make her second operation a better — or at least less traumatic — experience, Ms. Ritchie, an insurance marketing representative in Cleveland, turned to an unusual treatment.
Hypnosis, a good remedy for many of life’s difficulties, is now easily available in Brattleboro. But, what is hypnosis anyway? It is a state of deep relaxation where your subconscious mind is open to positive suggestion. The hypnotic state is a natural state – one that we are all familiar with. It’s the state between being awake and sleeping, feels a lot like dreaming, and is a state of deep relaxation. It’s like the cozy, peaceful feeling you have just before falling asleep. Actually, it’s a very heightened state, in spite of the fact that you feel relaxed. You are much more aware of your surroundings and any noises or distractions, but you will be blissfully unconcerned because you are so relaxed.
