Although this statement may get a laugh and be closer to how many see the similarities between the two mind therapies, it's closer to pop culture gossip than it is to the truth. Very tongue in cheek.
There's actually a bigger difference between the two than most people might want to take the time to understand, so I'll try and keep this simple. The following statements are much closer to the truth in my opinion and fairly rounded understanding.
- Meditation uses conscious thought as it's medium, while hypnosis works directly with subconscious thought.
- Meditation is non-striving, while hypnosis strives to obtain a specific result.
- True meditation is an unbiased observation of mind, while hypnosis is a controlled reprogramming of mind.
Panning For Gold
Consider the difference between conscious thought and subconscious thought through the lens of panning for gold. We can only consciously hold on to information for about 90 minutes - usually less. At that point, our pan is full of sediments and overflows, being unable to retain any more information. If we find something meaningful to us, it slips into a sort of reserve, (pouch) to be reevaluated and either be kept or discarded at the end of the day into our subconscious (Vault) when we sleep. From pan to pouch to vault.
A problem arises however, when subconscious, automatic processes do not match our desired values. To our mind, there is no such thing as a bad habit. Every habit serves to protect and benefit us. But if something in our conscious mind or logical mind says that a behavior is bad and should ideally be changed, then the two minds are in conflict. So, change it, right? Well, that spot in the vault is already filled with an automatic process and cannot be easily changed.
Hypnosis is kind of like a trick which in theory bypasses the pan to change one's association with a specific pattern of belief or behavior and sneaks it into one's pouch. There's still a chance that in sleep it will still be discarded, but with persistence and skill one's mind will say, hey that's better than what I have in the vault, lets toss the old association and replace it with this new one.
Meditation is more like observing the sediments in the pan swirl, and see more clearly what is of value before it automatically gets slipped into your pouch. A way of life - of seeing more things at face value and less risk of vaulting less desirable automatic programs.
Guided Meditation vs Hypnosis
This is where the line blurs. Often, in meditation, it can be difficult to stay intent on observation only. One often experiences attachment to a passing thought, image, sound, feeling, or emotion. Chase a distraction. Get lost in thought. This is a deeply programmed and embedded habit of our minds. And so, often we find it easier to stay on track if we have some kind of guide. Guides can be very helpful in reminding us to focus on the breath, use visualization as our anchor, or whatever technique is being implemented to our formal meditation session. Hypnotherapists or hypnotists, largely find it less obtrusive if they call their hypnosis "guided meditation". Consider a progressive relaxation - in induction technique used by hypnotherapist to relax the mind and skip the pouch process. The nugget is not being evaluated, it's already decided upon, so why not skip the pouch and vault it.
Which is better?
At this point I'm sure you can already identify this as a terrible question. They're two completely different animals. Different processes. Different purposes. If you want to expedite a habit change, consider short cutting with hypnosis. If you'd like to naturally improve the quality of your life in general, enrich your mental processes with meditation. Want to establish a habit of meditating, consider hypnositating!
If you're interested in learning more about hypnotherapy, visit https://hypnosis.edu/distance/ for a free foundations course.
If you're interested in learning more about meditation, visit https://palousemindfulness.com/ for a free self paced course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction - a clinical based form of meditation.
I've engaged extensively in both and believe them to be some of the highest quality free content and training on either topic.
BONUS:
Quick Meditation Experience: Resting Awareness
Take a few deep breaths, 5 minutes and imagine you're standing inside your mind observing traffic. See if you can identify the following vehicles as they pass. Internal and external counterparts of sight, sound and touch.
Technique: Noting
- See (What do you visually see?) Label it "seeing" as it occurs to you.
- Hear (What do you audibly hear?) etc.
- Feel (What do you physically feel?)
- Visualize (Are images passing through your minds eye?)
- Think (Are you experiencing a thought?)
- Emote (Are you experiencing a feeling?)
No need to get specific - just limit your labels to what you are experiencing in these 6 terms. Sleepy is a subnote of Emote, while seeing a persons face and labeling them "Joe" is a subnote of Visualize. Or in other words, you're attaching them to an association, and the purpose is non-attachment.
