What is Hypnotherapy?

What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnosis is a natural state of awareness, often associated with relaxation, where the client becomes open to suggestion. The imagination can be used to make positive and permanent changes. All hypnotherapy is self-hypnosis and no one can be induced into a hypnotic state against his or her will. You allow yourself to be guided into hypnosis and you remain in control at all times. You always know what is happening and you can come out at any time by opening your eyes.

How does Hypnotherapy work?

Imagine yourself standing on the beach, watching the waves rushing to the shore, and then return back to the ocean. Feel the cool, pleasant breeze, and breath in the intoxicating smell of the ocean's water. Tune in to the feeling of calmness that you experience now. Stay with this image and feeling for a while. It is pleasant, isn't it?

It does not matter that this scene is taking place in your imagination and is not real. You have been successful in invoking feelings associated with being on the beach. You were engaged in some sort of meditation (hypnosis). Was it difficult?

Many erroneously believe that it is only a means to relax the body and mind, when actually it is a lot more than this. Relaxation is very important, but it is only one of the by-products of hypnosis, and not the end aim. 

Under hypnosis all outside distractions are eliminated and your attention is focused on the hypnotherapist's voice. It is this profound concentration that permits suggestions to guide you into your unconscious. The principal reason for its use is that under hypnosis you become aware of your present behavioral patterns, and you are guided and to adopt new, desired and beneficial ones. By using the power of the mind, a hypnotherapist can work with the patient to discover the cause of physical and emotional problems and begin to effect a cure.

Will I lose control without knowing it?

Hypnotherapists do not possess the power to control other people's minds. They guide you into deep relaxation so that you can access your unconscious mind. In this state you are not constrained by the inhibitions which normally prevent you from accessing you inner thoughts and feelings. If you don't want to reveal things that are private, you won't.

Can I be made to do some thing against my will?

NO. Hollywood notwithstanding, any suggestion contrary to your inner convictions will either be ignored by you, or you will come out of the hypnotic state.

Can I be stuck in a hypnotic state?

No, since it is the person being hypnotised who actually induces himself through his own convictions. Just as a person cannot be hypnotised against his own will, he can bring himself out in a split second.

What problems can it help?

It is difficult compiling a list of problems and ailments where Hypnotherapy can help. Why? Because the list is endless...

Stage Hypnosis:

Stage Hypnosis is probably one of the most controversial ways hypnosis is used today. There is a lot of concern over it's use, however, it really works because the practitioner has developed the ability to choose subjects with extrovert personalities who are susceptible to the power of suggestion. Social compliance can be a great motivator and being under hypnosis a good excuse to really express another side of yourself. The stage hypnotist has contributed to the image of hypnosis as a 'trance', 'sleeplike' or 'out-of -this-world'. In fact the opposite is true: under a hypnotic state all your five senses are heightened.

History of Hypnotherapy:

Hypnotherapy is a form of healing that can be traced back thousands of years to cultures where dancing and chanting were used as healing rituals. In ancient Egypt, people visited "sleep temples" where they were seen to enter a "trance-like" state before being cured of common ailments. The Druids, who referred to altered states of consciousness as "magic sleeps" also practised a sophisticated form of hypnotherapy.

By the early 20th century, hypnosis was seen primarily as a form of entertainment. In 1955 the British Medical Association endorsed the practice of "hypnotherapy" and now it is increasingly an accepted part of conventional medicine.

Hypnotherapy is becoming an accepted part of the treatment protocol for a wide range of diseases. It is often used within the hospice environment for the treatment of cancers as it can assist the patient in dealing with the stress of their illness.

Hypnotherapists are increasingly playing a role in general healthcare. It is estimated that more than 75% of modern day illnesses are stress induced. Hypnotherapy has a role to play in reducing stress and making significant changes to our body chemistry.