I
met Jonathan Chase, whose 30 year career as a hypnotist
(I learnt later) has been extraordianary, one Friday
night in a Devon pub to talk about his self-control
system, Chinosis. I was a little sceptical to say
the least, as from what I had already understood
there seemed very little to it to substantiate its
claims as being an absolute solution to clearing
emotional baggage. But I was not without a certain
curiosity for a system that had its roots in ancient
arts. The word Chinosis is made up from the Chinese,
Chi, meaning life energy and nosis from hypnosis
– appropriate as the system is a fusion of gentle
self-applied acupressure, and hypnotic symbolism.
Outside
was clear and cold, a winter night in January and
in this small Devon village the sky was black and
star filled. Inside the pub was warm and cosy with
a roaring fire and friendly chatter interspersed
with laughter and the clink of glasses, an unlikely
place you might think to receive a life-changing
dose of Chinosis. But then Jonathan Chase is a most
unorthodox people helper – something of a maverick
amongst the traditional ideas of hypnosis and therapy.
He’s a big man with an unusual gait due to his neuro
muscular disability that affects the lower half
of his legs and with his South Staffordshire pragmatism
he puts you at ease as there are no pretensions
to him being anything other than what he is – one
time hypnotist, author, broadcaster and performer
and, as he says, not a therapist, he would never
want to classify himself in this way.
Jon
had talked to me previously about the development
of his new system CHiNOSIS, which he claimed that
in his experience, worked far more effectively and
far more quickly than hypnosis alone, because hypnosis
relied on the therapist to effect changes, saying
with some passion, that CHiNOSIS was not therapy
but a system to clear and control any emotional
blockage that could prevent you from performing
to the best of your ability.
I
never supposed I had problems except for a hyperactive
thyroid, which was being treated with drugs, and
the lack of confidence as a result, which had left
me with nervousness, particularly when meeting new
people – I didn’t feel I was in need of therapy
but when you’re having a drink with someone in a
good atmosphere, you should feel relaxed and comfortable
– safe if you like, especially if you’re a woman,
and because of his knowledge and empathy, you find
yourself telling Jon things.
‘Ok,’
he said, after we’d had a light pub meal and a pint
of Guinness, mine was the pint, Jon drinks very
little.
‘What
do you feel when you meet new people?’
Fear
I replied.
‘Ok,
now what I want you to do is visualise this fear
and give it a symbol.’ I frowned – a symbol! ‘Anything
that comes into your head, think of fear and what
do you see?’
All
I saw was a green blob, like slime.
‘Great,’
he said, ‘now what I want you to do is close your
eyes if it helps and focus on your symbol.’
I
pressed all the points he told me to, twice, whilst
focusing on my green blob, keeping a note of which
points felt different, and working with these until
they felt comfortable. The green blob changed and
became less significant.
‘Now
open your eyes and tell me how you feel.’ I opened
my eyes and felt totally energised and I couldn’t
find the fear. I was baffled and bemused, something
had been there in my subconscious – now it was gone,
not fear, but an inhibiting blob of green slime
that my conscious mind called fear and with the
green blob gone so had my anxiety.
It
was a singular moment in my life and have not needed
my thyroid treating since. The stress I was experiencing
in my life that may have been responsible for my
thyroid to become hyper-active is still with me
but after CHiNOSIS I could see more clearly about
what I should be focusing on in my life and the
direction I should take. I can now easily manage
the stress making me a much more relaxed and confident
person.
It
took less than ten minutes and in a pub, and I can
say it changed my life.
Any
misconceptions I might have harboured were totally
eradicated in those few minutes, because although
I wasn’t placed in hypnotic trance, Jon, as my facilitator,
had allowed me to understand the power of my own
subconscious and indeed the simplicity and speed
with which years of emotional strife can be eradicated.
Jane
Bregazzi - MD Academy of Hypnotic Arts |