Meditation focuses on being still and present in the here and now. Hypnosis is stillness (in total relaxation) but it is not so much ABOUT the stillness and the here and now. Hypnosis can give you the relaxing and centering benefits of meditation, but it is more of an experience, or journey, of the mind, into the mind (or the "world of the mind"). This means your mind doesn't remain still and bored-- it can journey inside to find memories and solve problems, or it can journey outward into the "world of the mind", finding new things, new places, experiences, etc. It is quite like an adventure. With the excercise, what is important is to focus on the journey or experience at hand and let other thoughts that try to distract, just pass away. You aren't trying to have "no thought", I myself find they VERY difficult and gave up on meditation many times when I was told I needed to keep my mind clear. I couldn't do it and got frustrated. No, in hypnosis you just want to focus on the journey that you are taking and make it as vivid as POSSIBLE. Like in the excercise, you would try to feel the sun and wind on your face, the coolness of the water on your legs, the birds chirping to one another in the trees nearby. Then if a thought about the electric bill comes into mind, you just let it pass, and go away. You don't turn your attention to it asking, did I send that check? What was the due date? I'm going to have to look around for a cheaper rate! -- You don't go there. You try your best to remain in the vivid environment you've created.
This becomes very helpful when you are connecting to the source, or your guides, and asking questions.
Oh, and I love the secret. And the Law of Attraction. Other hypnotists might not, but I believe whole heartedly in it. I use it in my life constantly. I use hypnosis sometimes to help me make strong visualizations for the things I want to manifest.
