Does Regression Therapy involve hypnosis?
It can, but not necessarily. Whatever technique we might use to help a client get in touch with pertinent material, the client does achieve an altered state of consciousness, a sort of mild trance state (an alpha state) in which his attention is focused deeply inward in conjunction with a heightened awareness of both inner and outer goings-on. He can hear my voice and the building noises, and feel the temperature of the air in the room, while at the same time be deeply involved in visualizing and feeling the events of a past experience. It is similar to the kind of state achieved when studying intensely for an exam or when watching an engrossing movie. There is always a part of the person that knows what is happening in the here and now reality, so he is always in control of himself and his therapy. As a therapist I wouldn’t want it any other way.
