The morning had been tough. Emails kept coming in, a police helicopter was irritatingly buzzing around outside, and a gardener had decided to cut the hedge next door with a very loud hedge trimmer. I wasn’t getting any work done, it was making me angry, and I had to leave in a few hours for an event. Hypnotherapy app HelloMind was installed on my smartphone, ready to test out, with sessions on motivation, stress, and plenty more. It seemed like a perfect time to give it a go. Would it make any difference, or would it be 30 minutes wasted?
Hypnotherapist Jacob Strachotta, with 20 years experience in the business, is responsible for the app, which employs his Result Driven Hypnosis technique. By releasing an app, Strachotta is giving everyone the chance to feel the benefits from hypnosis, anywhere and at any time. There’s no need to find your own therapist either, or go through a lengthy diagnosis session. In HelloMind, you choose the session that best fits the mindset you want to achieve, or problem you’d like to lessen.
The app is beautifully designed and very easy to use.
There’s a wide range of treatments inside the app, including those on stress, anxiety, weight, sleep, motivation, and self esteem. When you pick one, there are further options to help drill down to the source of the issue. For example, under motivation you can select a track that helps learn a new language, or increase your patience. Most treatments last 30 minutes and all include ten individual guided hypnosis sessions. There are 250 different treatments in all, so there should be something for everyone.
Rather unsurprisingly, given the way my morning was progressing, I chose the Stress category, and then the “I’m angry” option. I had an hour before I needed to leave the house to ensure I caught the train to my meeting. Was Jacob up to the challenge? Could he turn around my mood for the rest of the day? The narrator has a slight American accent, but not one that’s too strong, and he speaks clearly and steadily. There’s no alternative narration track for those who may want a female voice, language, or accent. I sat, and on the advice of the app, made sure my neck was comfortable, then closed my eyes and started the session.
I hadn’t really known what to expect. I certainly hoped it wasn’t going to be a stage hypnotist telling me to “sleep” and snapping his fingers, or that I’d go to my meeting believing I was a chicken. Thankfully, it’s not that at all. The narration is very free-form, with lots of repeated phrases and abstract description. What could be annoying though, is rather pleasant, and listening for 30 minutes wasn’t a problem. During that time, I’d say I paid attention to 75 percent of what was said — the rest of the time my mind wandered. It’s not what’s being said, but the way it’s being said that’s effective, according to the HelloMind website.
Ten sessions to really feel the benefit
When the session ended, I changed, left the house, and walked to the station. My anger had definitely lessened. but whether this was the result of Jacob’s guidance, or just the fact I closed my eyes for 30 minutes, I can’t really say. It doesn’t really matter either, because I felt a whole lot better than before. Besides, it’s recommended you listen to all ten sessions to get the heart of the problem, and receive the most benefit. This first session certainly spurred me on to continue. Later, I tried out a motivational session designed to help me learn a new language. The opening was identical to the earlier session, during which time your mind is relaxed, before the narration switches to something more specific.
The app is beautifully designed and very easy to use. Before getting started there’s a short sign-up form to complete, but otherwise there are very few barriers between you and Jacob’s steady voice. It’s not something for the impatient though. Thirty minutes (at least) is required for each session, and they can’t be paused. If you stop, you have to restart, so make sure you’re not going to be disturbed.
My own anecdotal experience suggests HelloMind is beneficial, but if you want to try it out for yourself, then it’ll require a considerable investment. Each session costs $9, or you can pay a monthly or yearly subscription fee to gain access to them all. To start with, we’d pick a session that addresses a recurring problem to test the app out, just to see if it’s for you. We have a feeling people will react very differently.
HelloMind is available for iOS only at the moment, and can be downloaded for free here. An Android version will be along in the future.
