Letters to the Editor

Write a Letter »  Read Letters »

 Email this page  Print this page

Smoke and Mirrors

An aspiring ex-smoker learns that hypnosis might be the key to a fresh start. No voodoo, silliness, or swinging pendulums involved.

I’m not sure what to expect as I arrive at the Providence Hypnosis Center. Will I be subjected to a swinging pendulum and suddenly recall a past life or alien abduction? You never know, but I’m hoping the technique can help me to quit smoking, so with bated breath, I enter.

I settle into a recliner as Director Patrick Bowe explains how hypnosis can achieve a “creative” state of relaxation. “Meditating is putting the mind in neutral, so to speak, and seeing where it goes,” says Bowe. Hypnosis is similar, but once the mind is quieted, the imagination is directed to achieve a specific mind/body result—such as quitting smoking or ending the impulse to over-eat. Typically, a single session is needed to quit smoking, while making lasting changes to eating habits can take as few as three. (The cost for the first session is $120; subsequent sessions are $100.)

Hypnosis is just one technique Bowe’s team uses to change a client’s negative thought patterns into positive ones. Psychological kinesiology (a process of changing your subconscious beliefs) and the emotional freedom technique (a kind of emotional acupuncture) also offer ways to reprogram the anxiety, fear or trauma at the root of an addiction or even a medical issue, such as anxiety or irritable bowel syndrome. Currently, Bowe is working with Women & Infants’ Hospital, employing a form of hypnotherapy that has helped to stop hot flashes.

\Intrigued, I lean back and close my eyes as Bowe’s soothing voice guides me toward a memory of feeling safe and happy. Slowly, I relax until my entire body tingles—I haven’t felt this good since the Swedish back massage I received years ago. Before our session ends, I create an “anchor,” a word I can use to return to this feeling on my own.

I didn’t experience a full session, but I float through the rest of my day. Little things, like a car cutting me off on the highway, don’t bother me. I’m surprised I don’t pick up a cigarette all night. I just don’t need it. My bliss lasts until the next afternoon, so I practice using my anchor to relax me again. I believe I’ll get there.

By Alexandria D'Angelo
Illustration by Ken Orvidas