Can one hypnosis session really kick the world's worst habit? Well it's worked for me.

I’ve been a nicotine addict since 1991 when I was 16 and thought it was cool to hang around bars smoking Marlboro reds. Now, 17 years later, I have finally won my battle against cigarettes after a one-hour hypnosis session.

 Since 1991 the pressures to give up have been building steadily. The price of cigarettes has gone from pricey to more extortionate. A number of my parent’s friends have contracted and died from cancer. Many of my friends have now given up because of the health risks or they’re having babies, and now it is my turn to do the same thing, cleaning my body out in order to aid the reproductive process.
So, a number of good reasons there. But such is the strength of the addiction that I still felt I needed something to give me the final push. And this is what hypnosis is – it wakes you up and makes you smell the coffee.

The session was not what I expected and afterwards, when I was signing the big cheque, I felt a bit hard done by. I thought that, having seen lots of hypnotism done on TV, I was going to go into a deep sleep and that the hypnotist would enter my brain subliminally. However, I was awake through the whole thing.

The process
Yes I had to relax and close my eyes, and yes there was the calming, mystical music. But instead of mystical words from the hypnotist there was practical common-sense advice about the evils of smoking repeated over and over.
I learnt from the session that hypnotism should not be shrouded in mystery as it’s about training the mind to challenge the rut that it’s got stuck in and to think from a different viewpoint. Now I don’t feel hard done by at all.

Conclusion
It did work because I haven't bought a packet since. I do have faith in alternative practices now and actually think that there are lots of habits that people can get into that hypnotism could probably help.

It's been a busy time for all of us at Prediction the last few weeks, getting the New Year special issue ready before we can put our feet up and rest over the Christmas holidays!

There is nothing I like more than watching all the Christmas films and dramatic scenes in the soaps! One of Predictions' sister websites, whatsontv.co.uk has launched a Christmas microsite making your Christmas TV lisitings just one click away. So make sure you check it out!

The microsite includes TV listings, fun Christmas e-cards, and behind-the-scenes Christmas photo galleries of your favourite shows.

You can also find Christmas-themed games and have the chance to win prizes daily in the the digital advent calendar.

For more information visit the whatsontv.co.uk Christmas microsite.

No trip to Egypt would be complete without visiting the pyramids. I was staying about six hours away (a slight logistical mishap), but that wasn’t going to stop me. Luckily my boyfriend and I discovered we could fly there and, about two hours later, we were in Cairo.

Unsolved mysteries
The city has majestic feel to it as you’re walking round and there was a kind of magical electricity in the air. The pyramids are the only surviving ancient wonder of the world and I couldn’t believe I was actually going to see them. Working for Prediction, there has been much debate in the office about the pyramids - how did they get there, were they built in alignment with the stars or perhaps aliens played a hand in their construction?

A surreal experience
There are all kinds of theories related to the pyramids, some of them bizarre, others quite plausible and some bordering ridiculous but we still don’t know how they were made and possibly never will. One thing that’s for sure is that driving through the streets of Cairo and suddenly glimpsing the pyramids is a surreal experience. But standing in front of them is a life-changing one.

Powerful forces
It’s thought that great pyramid was built approx 2500BC and stood a glorious 145m tall. It would have had a gold top and white limestone covering. It is difficult to imagine the pyramids even more breathtaking than they are today, but anything’s possible. It is truly humbling to stand before them, gazing up to their crumbling peaks. A single stone on the bottom layer was almost as tall as me. As I stood there marvelling the ancient Egyptian’s incredible feat, I really put my life in perspective. The pyramids are a great reminder that there are powerful forces in the world much greater, wiser and mysterious than any of us.

For many of us, being harassed by children asking us for sweets when we are trying to watch Corrie brings out the Victor Meldrew in us. But we should think twice because being involved in these celebrations will connect us to an ancient tradition that is worth celebrating.

Mystic background

As the commercial cogs of modern-day Halloween start turning in the shops it’s easy to forget that, like Christmas, the celebrations on the evening of October 31st have their origins many centuries ago.

Ward off evil
In Pagan times it began as a rural ritual to ward off the evil spirits that roamed around in the darkness of autumn and winter, and threatened to kill livestock. In order to do this the farmers would dress up in scary costumes, make jack ‘o lanterns and light bonfires. It all sounds very similar to how we are still celebrating the festival today. Halloween is also a very powerful time, when magical energies are very potent.

So stop being so bah-humbug and get into the swing of things. Who knows you might even scare off a few nasty spirits of your own!

A host of UFOs filled our skies on 14th October 2008. Or this is the case according to the Galactic Federation of Light. They suggest that these space craft will show themselves on this date, or thereabouts, for a period of three days to prove that there are other life forms out there in the Universe.

We will be keeping our eyes trained to the sky for any strange occurrences for the next few days. If anyone has had any out of the ordinary experiences or seen a possible UFO please leave your comments here or email us at prediction@ipcmedia.com

Absentmindedly flicking through a copy of the Metro on my train journey yesterday, I came across an article on meditation. But it wasn't your good old fashioned, sitting in a tranquil space, chanting and losing yourself in quiet visualisation-type meditation.

Instead you channel the energy in your body, put on some pumping house music and give your body a good old shaking. You literally shake out your physical, emotional and mental energy blocks to release your negativity and heal your body. As your energy levels rise your boy is taken over by involuntary movements ? knee jerks, tingling sensations, head bobbing and more.

Tnis type of bioenergetic meditation was developed by spiritual master Ratu Bagus, who transmits his own energy to ignite your own sacred fire. This energy helps to wake up your natural capacity for healing on all levels. It?s a really exciting idea and some of the testimonials say that shaking has literally changed their lives.

Try it yourself
If you fancy a go at shaking meditation there will be open days in London on 29,30, 31 August. For classes in the rest of Britain see www.ratubagus.com or call: 0208 390 9318.

Read the Metro article at http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/article.html?in_article_id=280264&in_page_id=194

Well today is Lammas, a time for celebrating the beginning of harvest and the prosperity to come. Sadly, I am stuck in the office and not able to join in celebrations. However this is a time to welcome abundance into your life and it has really got me thinking about my own attitude.

We all deserve it
We all deserve abundance in our lives and it is much easier to obtain that many people think. All you have to do is let go of your negative thoughts and start believing that you deserve it. You don't have to earn it or complete certain tasks to get it. The universe is full of abundance and there is plenty for everyone.

What is it you want?
An annoying habit many people fall into is giving way to 'if only' syndrome. I am a pretty bad offender myself; 'if only I was richer, prettier, thinner, and so on, life would be perfect. These negative thoughts really block abundance entering your life.

Count your blessings
Instead of dreaming of what you want, think about the things you actually have. What richness and abundance do you already have in your life? Write down the wonderful things and keep a list of them. They can be anything from people you love to a bird landing on a branch or even a moment of quiet reflection. Climb out of the web of expectations and feel the abundance you already have. When you realise you already have abundance in your life, this new attitude will draw more prosperity your way.

I have done this myself lately and have noticed a big difference. Instead of dwelling on what I want, I am thinking about things that make me happy in life, which is usually something simple like watching my boyfriend wrestle a spider out of our flat or smiling at a stranger in the street. I have felt much happier, confident and positive within myself and I'm sure the abundance will follow shortly after.

Ghosts are all around us, all the time, it's just that we choose not to see them.

Ever thought that when you are cleaning the house, sitting on a train or even in the bath, there might be a ghost right there beside you? It's probably happened many times in your life but you just never noticed. There are many things happening in the world around us that we don't notice. Our brains are so used to them so just filters them out.

Eye-opening
I had an interesting conversation recently where a work colleague described an eye exam he'd had. The optician shined a light into his eyes and he could see the intricate network of blood vessels and capillaries all around his eye ball. The optician told him that these are always visible, we can all see them, it's just that our brains choose not to and instead focus on all the other interesting stimuli around us.

Brain training
This reminded me that many psychics suggest that we are all capable of seeing ghosts. We don't have to be natural mediums, we just have to train our brains to focus on them. Spirits are all around us every day - not just at old creepy haunted houses. There are many exercises and techniques you can use to tune into spirits and expand your psychic awareness.

We all have auras surrounding us, living and moving just like our bodies, but can anyone see them or is it just specialist aura readers?

Working at Prediction, a common question we're asked is, "Can you see my aura?" Sadly I always have to say no but our editor, Marion, can see them. I laughed when she first told me she could see auras and it wasn't long before we had half the office examining their limbs and staring each other trying to see their auras.

After a while a couple of the others could see auras as well. They couldn't believe it and I was frustrated that I couldn't see a thing. I was determined and with a lot of practicing I could finally see it myself.

How to see your aura
The best way to see your (or someone else's) aura is to stand in front of a white wall or put your hand on a piece of white paper. The aura is silvery-grey and looks almost like water or steam leaving your body. I found it easier to see by imagining heat evaporating from the body. It takes a lot of practice for some people, but it is worth it when you eventually manage to see it.