The word hypnosis is derived from the Greek hypnos meaning ’sleep’. Actually, you are not asleep when hypnotized but rather are in a trancelike state of restful alertness. This is accompanied by an extreme openness and receptivity to suggestion. Hypnotherapy is the use of hypnosis for self-improvement and/or healing. All hypnotherapy employs hypnosis but not all hypnosis is hypnotherapy.
History
The origins of hypnosis date back to the ancient Indian tantrik and Buddhists and Egyptians, who used it in religious rituals and as a medical treatment. The first modern day medical uses of the therapy were not recorded until the late 18th century. It was done when the Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer, who was working in France, introduced what he called Mesmerism, the origin of the modern word ‘mesmerize’.
Mesmer believed the body contained ‘animal magnetism’ and that imbalances in magnetic fluids through the body could cause a variety of diseases. He claimed he had the ability to cure certain ailments by manipulating these subtle energies using iron filings and magnets as well as soothing words and gestures. Mesmerism was rapidly discredited by a panel of physicians and academics.
As Mesmer was a showman, his theory was relegated to the realm of parlor tricks and stage shows. Even though, physicians in both France and England did not totally dismiss his work. To avoid any negative associations with Mesmerism, they introduced the terms hypnosis and hypnotherapy. In late eighteenth century, the British Medical Association approved hypnotherapy as an appropriate additional therapy for several conditions. Research papers documenting the benefits of hypnotherapy and even a clinical textbook appeared in the 1930’s but it took until the 1950’s before both the American and British Medical Associations actually recommended hypnotherapy for a variety of both physical and emotional conditions.
Line of Action
How hypnosis actually works is debated but as per commonly accepted theory, the mind has two parts, the conscious and the subconscious. During hypnosis, hypnotherapists help subjects to reach their subconscious mind by entering into a trancelike state.
The hypnotic state is not nearly as mysterious as it sounds. People go into trancelike states all the time. For example, musicians and artists can become so engrossed in their work that they lose track of time. Readers often become totally immersed in the pages of a good book. Drivers pass their exits on the freeway while daydreaming. These day to day experiences are considered similar to the hypnotic state.
Psychologists and hypnotherapists separate the trancelike state into three distinct stages. The first stage is a superficial trance. Although your eyes may be closed, you are very much aware of your surroundings and unless instructed to the contrary, you will remember the entire event. During this superficial stage, you can accept suggestions, such as giving up cigarettes or eating less. But because the trance is so light, you may not act on the suggestions.
The second stage known as the alpha state is significantly deeper. Your heart rate, blood pressure and respiration slow and the therapist can control your response to pain or allergies or even alter your immune system. In the alpha stage, instructions to stop smoking can really be effective.
The third stage used mainly by psychiatrists, is deeper still. In this stage, you can be mentally directed back in time, remembering events from your past with extreme clarity. This technique, termed ‘age regression’, can be helpful for revealing painful memories that may be responsible for emotional or physical problems. Numerous studies document how the emotional pain of physical or sexual abuse during childhood can be suppressed by the mind yet manifest itself in a variety of chronic medical conditions.
As hypnosis deals with the subconscious, a frequently raised concern is that the therapist can somehow take control. In fact, the hypnotist is really just a facilitator; there can be no hypnosis unless the subject is fully willing to participate. In fact, the goal of hypnosis is for the subject to gain control over behavior, emotions or physiological processes. In order for hypnotherapy to be truly successful, the subject must learn to master self hypnosis in order to employ the technique whenever needed.
After a few training sessions with a hypnotherapist you will learn to place yourself in a hypnotic state, implant positive suggestions, and then leave the hypnotic state. Although some people seem to have a greater ability to focus their attention using self-hypnosis than others, most people can markedly increase this ability with practice. Audio and video tapes can also enhance the process.
Procedure
People who have been hypnotized usually say it is a much more subtle process than they expected. A hypnotist cannot make you quack like a duck or do anything else you do not want to do. Far from putting you under a ’spell’, a good hypnotherapist will enable you to harness your own mental energy. When hypnotized, you will probably actually feel more alert than you ordinarily do. At the same time, you will be in a state of profound relaxation. Most people find the experience quite pleasurable.
Three conditions need to be met for hypnosis to be successful: a comfortable environment without distractions, a good rapport between you and the hypnotist, and a willingness on your part to be hypnotized. Your therapist will most likely begin the first session by asking you about your expectations and the problems for which you are seeking help.
A hypnotic trance can be induced in a number of ways. Probably, the therapist will ask you to sit in a comfortable reclining chair and will use a soothing tone of voice to induce relaxation. Once your body is thoroughly relaxed and your mind is diverted from the external environment, the therapist will make suggestions to your unconscious mind that will support your goals. As hypnosis works best when the patient also learns a self-hypnosis technique and faithfully practices it, the therapist will teach you techniques for going into a trance on your own.
Benefits
Clinically, the hypnotic trance is mainly used to change unwanted behaviors, such as smoking, overeating or overreacting to stress. Studies are controversial, however, as to its ultimate benefits for smoking and weight loss. Psychiatrists may also recommend hypnotherapy for controlling phobias or panic attacks.
Deep hypnosis can be beneficial in relieving chronic pain from such ailments as arthritis, fibromyalgia and even cancer. Teaching self-hypnosis technique to people suffering from chronic back pain, these patients were able to reduce their pain sensation by 80%. They also said they felt significantly less depressed and were able to sleep better at night.
Research published in medical journals also offers fascinating evidence of the effectiveness of hypnosis in acute illness and crisis situations. Emergency room doctors use the spontaneous trance induced by severe injury to help accident victims relax. Intensive care nurses use hypnosis to stabilize heart rates and respiration of the patients. Burns may heal more quickly with less infection and scar tissue, when hypnosis is part of the recuperative therapy.
Other medical conditions shown to respond to hypnotherapy include allergies, asthma, skin rashes, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome and high blood pressure. Dentists use hypnosis to calm the nerves of their patients, decrease pain and reduce bleeding during oral surgery. Obstetricians and midwives may induce a trance to control the pain of childbirth.
Cautions
* Hypnosis doesn’t work for about 10% of the population, so there is a small chance it won’t work.
* Although hypnosis is a safe practice for most people, the World Health Organization cautions against using by anyone suffering from psychosis, a psychiatric condition, or an antisocial personality disorder.
* Hypnosis is an adjunct to therapy and should not consider as a therapy in itself. If you are in pain or suffering from an undiagnosed illness, it is important that you seek medical attention at the earliest.
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