Spirituality and Hypnotherapy

Bachelor of Science in Clinical Hypnotherapy Program

BCH 350

Breyer State University

Professor: John McGrail, Ph.D.

Syllabus

COURSE OVERVIEW: Welcome to BCH 350, Spirituality and Hypnotherapy. In this course you will have an opportunity to explore and expand your knowledge of spirit and spirituality, and the relationship between spirituality and the practice of hypnotherapy. Spirituality is of course a vast subject, both simple and extremely complicated, a topic made even more so when intertwined with other vast concepts like religion and cultural philosophy.

The word spirit comes from the Latin, spirare, “to breathe.”  In ancient cultures and civilizations, the notion of spirituality, living with respect and deference to, and in balance with the invisible power and energy of spirit— essence of all creation and the source of life itself— was an accepted part of the natural order of things. And then Western science came along, and under the aegis of thinkers like Renes Descartes, embarked on a tenacious campaign. Over the course of the last 400 years or so, Western science has doggedly attempted to separate and discard the invisible, abstract, and somewhat arcane notion of a spiritually-based world for the relative comfort of the provable, the empirical; a factually-based world.

Ironically, today, in laboratories around the globe, scientists like neurophysiologist Karl Pribram, formerly dyed-in-the-wool of Western empiricism, are discovering and ostensibly proving that underneath all the brick and mortar of scientific formula and fact lies an infinite fabric of invisible and seemingly intelligent energy (spirit?) upon which the universe itself seems to be based. In other words, Western science is in the process of proving itself wrong. Spirit seems to exist, indeed. And without it, apparently nothing else could!

The result of this trend, among other things, is a complete reworking of the models of contemporary healthcare. We are now seeing new models emerging, or better re-emerging. For instance the idea of the human species being comprised of an inseparable mind-body— the mind-body connection— is rapidly taking hold in contemporary medicine. But in light of leading edge scientific discoveries even this model seems to be a little limited, for what is mind? It is, apparently multi-layered; and one of those layers appears to be this energy we call spirit. Thus the human organism might better be described as comprising three components or energy streams: mind, body, and spirit.  

Like the concept of spirituality, hypnosis and hypnotherapy are ancient modalities, in use as healing tools for over 7000 years. Hypnotherapy is also easily characterized as being of two worlds— it is both an art and a science dedicated to helping people improve the quality of their lives. It can be arguably stated that in order to change the quality of one’s life, one’s spirit must be involved in the process. This suggests that an investigation into the relationship or intersection(s) between hypnosis— the tool, hypnotherapy— the process, and spirituality— the essence, is not only warranted, but perhaps also mandatory. This course will provide an opportunity to conduct that exploration and connection.

TIME FRAME: This is a four semester-hour course.  This course is allotted 15 weeks of time. You must complete all of the requirements for the course successfully by the end of the 15-week period.  The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the course, or the day on which you notify me that your textbooks have arrived and you are ready to begin your studies. Please be cognizant of the time frame. It is rare that extensions of time are permitted, unless you have good justification.  Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded four semester hours of credit.

TEXTBOOKS:There are five (5) required textbooks for this course.

Book 1: The Camino: Journey of the Spirit, Shirley MacLaine, New York, Pocket Books, 2000, ISBN# 0-7434-0073-9.
                                                                                                            
Book 2: Journey to Center, Thomas Crum, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1997, ISBN# 0-684-83922-9.
                                                   
Book 3: The Seven Spiritual laws of Success, Depak Chopra, San Rafael, Amber Allen Publishing, 1994, ISBN# 1-878424-11-4.

Book 4: Awakening Spirits, Tom Brown Jr., New York, Berkley Books, 1994 ISBN #0-425-14140-3.

Book 5: The Divine Matrix, Gregg Braden, Carlsbad, Hay House, 2007, ISBN# 978-1-4019-0573-6.

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EXAMINATIONS: There will be no examinations for this course. Spirituality is not something that easily lends itself easily to objective testing. Much more important is gaining an understanding of the many ways in which spirituality can be expressed and practiced, then developing your own way of incorporating (or not) the concept of spirituality into your hypnotherapy practice.

GRADING: The grading scale for this course is as follows:

90-100 %    =    A
80-89 %     =    B
70-79 %     =    C
Below 70% =    Fail

Your grade will be determined on the basis of two writing assignments: the first, a personal essay expressing your views on the subject of spirituality, your opinions and insights concerning the reading assignments, i.e., the various perspectives with which spirituality can be and is expressed,  and your views on incorporating spirituality in your hypnotherapy practice. This personal essay will comprise 40% of your final grade. The second writing assignment will be a research paper covering any topic of your choice relating to spirituality and hypnotherapy, and will be worth 60% of your grade.

COMMUNICATION: I am available and delighted to support you throughout your studies and I want you to feel free to contact me with questions, concerns, etc. as you feel necessary. I request that primary contact and communication be accomplished via email for ease and consistency, but telephone conversations are absolutely fine. I prefer to pre-schedule phone calls. You can email a request and we’ll find a mutually acceptable time to speak. I want you to enjoy the process of exploring and learning more about this fascinating aspect of hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: There will be a total of two (2) written assignments: the first, a personal essay expressing your personal experience and views— including insights and learning gained from the reading— on the subject of spirituality and hypnotherapy. The second will be an independent research paper covering any topic of your choice relevant to spirituality and hypnotherapy.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Dr. John McGrail is clinical hypnotherapist also certified in NLP, Time Line Therapy, Therapeutic Imagery, EFT, and is the Creator of Quantum Therapy. He integrates these therapeutic modalities with a lifelong study and practice of Eastern and Native philosophies and over 25 years experience as a teacher, coach, and mentor across a variety of industries and disciplines, from military and commercial aviation, to film, television, and corporate communications and training. John thus combines a practical and powerful blend of Western science and shamanic spiritual wisdom to guide his clients in manifesting change, transformation, personal growth, and spiritual empowerment. His Los Angeles-based company, A Better You, Inc. serves individuals of all ages and backgrounds, as well as select corporate clients. Services range from individual sessions, to motivational presentations, training seminars, and workshops. Dr. McGrail earned a B.S from Cornell University and did his early graduate work in Communication Arts at the University of West Florida. He took his original training in clinical hypnotherapy at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in Los Angeles, the nation's first federally accredited college of hypnosis, then went on to earn a PhD in clinical hypnotherapy from Breyer State University. In addition to frequent televisions and radio appearances, John has published numerous articles on hypnosis and human development and is currently at work on two new books “Who’s Driving Your Bus,” and “Synthesis, the Power of Quantum Healing.” Dr. McGrail is an avid boater and blue-water fisherman. He also enjoys golf, wilderness hiking, and camping.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objectives for this course are:

1). Explore and demonstrate an understanding of the concept of spirituality from various perspectives and philosophical viewpoints.
2.) Compare and analyze your spiritual path and experiences to those in the Camino.
3).Understand and apply the concept of “Centering” as a physical, emotional, and spiritual practice.
4.) Understand how Centering might be useful and applied to a hypnotherapeutic protocol.
5.) Explore and understand the spiritual laws of success as they apply to modern hypnotherapy.
6). Explore the relationship between spirituality and hypnotherapy.
7.) Explore and understand the relationship between meditation—the Sacred Silence-- and hypnosis.
8 )Develop and express a personal position on the concept of integrating spirituality into a clinical practice.
9.) Explore the emerging model of quantum reality as it relates to spirituality, conventional Western philosophical tenets, and how it might promote the incorporation of spirituality and hypnotherapy.
10). Develop and demonstrate a deeper understanding of any topic related to spirituality and hypnotherapy, e.g., meditation and hypnosis, through independent research and a written paper.

INFORMATION: If you have any questions regarding this program, you may address them to admassistant@breyerstate.com. An administrative faculty member will respond to all questions.

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