Self-hypnosis, brainwave entrainment but opposite results

[metaphy6]

Hi all,

I've been using a self-hypnosis audio to make myself appear more calm, relaxed, and mental peace for about a week. At the same time I also use a alpha brainwave entrainment CD for the same purpose. I use the self-hypnosis each night and the brainwave entrainment usually in the morning or afternoon. Basically my goal is to be more relaxed, calm and composed in any situation where anxiety kicks in. I was never a hot tempered person.

After one week of using it, I found myself in a heated argument with my friend. At that moment I became easily agitated hot tempered by small things and raise my voice at my friend. Luckily we didn't get into a fight and we're cool about it after some time. Five days later, I got into another heated argument with another friend in another place. This time is worse than before and it looks like we're going into a fight, but thankfully that didn't happen. I couldn't keep my composure and raised my voice at him and it turned into an ugly argument. It was my fault for taking things too seriously and I was actually the one who started the argument.

When I go home and think about those two occassions, I think to myself that all the self-hypnosis and brainwave entrainment are suppose to make me calm and composed but what happened is the other way round. Is this normal? Or is there something wrong somewhere?

All your opinions and comments will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Ilya]

Well. It doesn't work like this.
I'll start with the brain waves. They are putting you into a certain state. Alpha waves are supposed to put you in a common trance state, you may experience while reading a book or during a long and boring commute.

Self-hypnosis audio is an oxymoron. If it is audio that helps you to enter the hypnosis state, it is not really "self", is it?
In case of audio it should put you in the same state as the alpha brainwaves or similar. Now the purpose of hypnosis is to give instructions to the subconsious. What are the instructions on the audio? Do they have anything to do with being calm? Even if they are or if you would truly hypnotize yourself, it would take time for the instructions to become part of your personality. Subconscious has a very peculiar relations with time.
Even when it works, it's not gonna be miracle and change your personality overnight. You'll probably just notice, that, you would be more calm in a situation when previously you would blow up.
Or it would be easier for you to control yourself, but you still would be able to have a heated argument if you want it.

[Budhabee]

Hi Metaphy6,
How do you feel. I did something similar on a forum the other day. It was a forum on a "specific" culture and I came home from a little vacation to find a post that was nothing but hateful and mean spirited. I said what I thought and because Im not of that culture everybody jumped on me. In the end I felt really bad. Still do really. How do you feel? Im not so down as sad. I know I will never go on that forum again. It has always made me feel bad even from the beginning. Ah Well. Do you remember what your fights were about or does it not matter anymore?
Blessings
Budhabee

[nightdiamond]

Hi Budhabee, Ilya is right, the alpha brainwave cd will place you in a calm state as long as you are listening to it. Once you stop and you are back out in the world you are dealing with your thoughts, your habits and the world again.

If the hypnosis cd has only a very vague instruction about being calm it may not be enough help for you when you are a similar situation again.

I think one common misconception is that brainwave entrainment products will automatcially solve complex problems just by listening to the sounds themselves.

The key to success with them is what you do with your mind WHILE listening to brainwave cds. Instead of just listening to the sounds and waiting to fall into trance, it is the best time to use alpha state to "program" yourself for the way you want to behave.

That means you have to take CONTROL of your progress and thinking by setting your goal and programming yourself to get to that goal. It may involve writing a journal to stay in touch with your thoughts and progress.
For example while in alpha, you actually feel the anger from the arguement, then imagine yourself saying "STOP" to yourself and walking away or terminating the arguement. And you spend fair amount of time picturing this and do it again and again-practice- until you see results show up.

Don't worry Budhabee, there are many ways to accomplish this, from creating a trigger to remind yourself to "stop" and walk away (like snapping your fingers) to a technique where tapping certain places on your body which is said to relieve even the toughest emotional problems-some people swear by this technique.

But for now the idea would be to use the alpha state to program the behavior you want.

Good luck all right?

[Budhabee]

Thankyou NightDiamond,
I thought about it deeply and in the end I know they are right. (the forum) So I felt I owed them an apology. So I apologized and I don't feel AS bad about it anymore but I do still feel kind of bad. Ah well. We all make mistakes and I am doing my best to correct this one. Thanks for the info, I will try that and see if it lifts my heavy heart.
Blessings
Budhabee