Hello everyone! I’m really hopeful hypnosis can help me with seasickness! I bought a sailboat with my boyfriend about 4 years ago and to my dismay I get seasick nearly every time we go offshore. I love the ocean and the boating lifestyle, but rarely can I fully enjoy the experience because I’m barely keeping it together to manage the seasickness and not throw up 
what exercises do you believe would be most
Helpful and I’m curious if anyone has any thoughts on core Beliefs or conditioning (and I believe anxiety as well) that exacerbates the experience. I know I have gotten seasick so many times that now I just believe and assume that when we go offshore sailing that I’m going to get sick. How do I alter this thought and how does hypnosis work with this? Thanks for any insight!
Hi Kimber,
Well, this is a challenging one. You’ve had a sailboat for 4 years and get seasick nearly every time. Well, first of all I admire your persistence; that says a lot about your strength of character.
I think it depends on whether the seasickness is psychological, physical or both. You mentioned anxiety; you could try the session on anxiety. There is a part on coping with uncertainty in which there is an analogy with surfing. This isn’t too dissimilar to being on a boat at sea with the motion. It can be quite scary, unlike a gentle river. I’d go for that one and keep practicing.
It could be physical. I’ll try not to be too technical. Inside our ears there is something called the vestibular apparatus. It has 3 chambers that inform us where we are in 3 dimensions – are we upright, leaning to the side, forwards, backwards, etc. Our visual system has a bit more oomph than our auditory system, and so overrides these signals. Let say you’re in a cabin and the sea is choppy. Your ears will tell you you’re leaning to the side, but inside a cabin, your eyes will tell you a different story. These opposing signals can make us feel dizzy and nauseas. You can prevent these differing signals by making sure you’re in a position to see the horizon. I hope that makes sense.
Good with the hypnosis sessions. It would be a shame not to enjoy the ocean on your boat. Perhaps someone else can recommend other sessions. I use very few, though quite regularly. Keep us posted.
Thank you for your reply. Yes, it’s quite an ask, I realize! But, I have done extensive research trying to find solutions and came across a few people who had cured their motion sickness through hypnosis, so I am hopeful. I do believe it is a combination of psych and physical factors, as a child I got car sick quite frequently. I understand the physical aspect of our eyes and ears receiving conflicting signals, and it does certainly help to be on deck where I can see the horizon. But sailing at night, which we have to do quite often here (French Polynesia) in order to time the tidal currents correctly, there is no horizon and I find myself to be quite a bit more disoriented. At any rate, thanks for the suggestions, I have done those exercises a couple of times and will start to do them more regularly. I’m not totally certain I’m in a hypnotized state while doing the exercises but am
Assuming with more practice that will become more apparent and improve as well. I’m new to hypnosis but am familiar with different meditative states, such as yoga nidra for example, where I feel like I go much deeper into a relaxed state… I’ll keep you apprised! Thanks!
Hi kimber, i agree, you must be very tenacious to still sail despite the sea sickness!
Ive used control any habit for many different things and maybe it could help you. For example I used control any habit to overcome the fear that I used to feel when I stood on the beach about to go out into big waves. Goodluck, I hope you have success
Love your tenacity Kimber.
I hadn’t thought about night sailing. I think getting to know the exercises you’ll find what works best for you. And the first few times we go into self-hypnosis is often different experience to what we expect, well, for me it was. Keep going, you’ll get there.
Yes, please update. I’d like to know how you’re getting on. With views like you have in French Polynesia you’d want to make the most of them. Stunning scenery.
Thank you for this response, for some reason I am just now seeing it! I’ll try that one, too!
Hi!! Yes it is gorgeous here, at least I can always keep reminding myself how lucky I am to get to explore these remote places that are mostly accessible only by boat! But also, guess what?! Though I have to take into consideration that recent conditions at sea have been quite calm, the last 3 times I’ve been offshore have been remarkably better! I’ve been understanding more about the auditory/visual physical responses of the body, and even reminding myself when I start to feel the dizziness come on that it’s just my ears overriding my vision and that everything is fine, has helped. I’m thrilled I’m making progress.
Only one problem… when I’m offshore it’d be nice to be able to do the exercises if/when I begin feeling seasick, but I don’t have phone service bc I’m offgrid so I can’t do the exercises. Is there a way to save them so I can listen offline?
This is fantastic news – I’m thrilled for you! I find when we understand how something works we can begin to master it. Well done, this is inspirational. Many would have given up. Seasickness is unpleasant, but you have stuck with it to continue what you love doing.
The only way I can think of getting round the off grid problem is to record the sessions that work for you and listen to them while you’re sailing. You won’t have the interactive part, but the listening option still works. I know because my phone won’t let me do the interactive sessions. It will, but it skips forward so I can’t answer. It’s a problem at the Google end. Ah well, I tend to listen first thing in the morning while having red and near infrared treatment. Acts as a good timer too.
Let us know how you get on. I say us, I’m sure I’m not the only one interested – we have Wendy on the thread too. Happy new year and happy sailing in 2024.