Last updated October 2, 2023.
Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC. Written by Deane Alban.
Self-hypnosis induces a state of extreme relaxation and increased suggestibility to treat a host of mental and physical conditions. Learn how it can help you.
The word hypnosis conjures up images of swinging pendulums and audiences clucking like chickens.
But hypnosis is much more than an amusing entertainer’s trick.
It’s a medically recognized technique that uses the mind’s innate powers to promote improvement in all kinds of mental and physical conditions.
A variety of healthcare professionals — doctors, nurses, psychotherapists, dentists, and chiropractors — are trained in hypnotherapy.
But with self-hypnosis, you don’t have to rely on someone else to guide you into this powerful mental state.
Let’s examine how hypnosis and self-hypnosis work, how you can use them to improve your mind and mental health, and how you can induce a therapeutic hypnotic state of consciousness at will.
How Does Hypnosis Work?
Hypnosis is a trance-like state that’s characterized by extreme relaxation, increased suggestibility, and heightened imagination.
It is not completely understood how hypnosis works, but here are a few prevailing theories.
Hypnosis may work by changing electrical patterns of brain function known as brain waves.
Using electroencephalographs (EEGs), researchers have detected measurable changes in brainwave patterns.
During hypnosis, the brain is in the theta brainwave state — the same state experienced during daydreaming, deep meditation, and light sleep.
Another theory is that during hypnosis the conscious mind takes a backseat to the subconscious mind, allowing you or your therapist to work directly with the subconscious.
And lastly, it’s been noted that, under hypnosis, activity in the left side of the brain decreases while activity in the right side increases.
So, although the left-brain, right-brain dominance theory has been debunked, hypnosis may alter the way the two hemispheres of the brain communicate with each other.
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What Is Self-Hypnosis?
Hypnosis was originally called mesmerism, as in the word mesmerize.
If you’ve ever found yourself mesmerized or entranced by a crackling fire, ocean waves, or ripples in a pond, you’ve experienced self-hypnosis.
You would have felt profoundly relaxed, lost in your thoughts, and temporarily unaware of the rest of the world.
Self-hypnosis occurs when you intentionally put yourself into this state without the help of a hypnotherapist.
All Hypnosis Is Self-Hypnosis
In a way, the term self-hypnosis is redundant since, in fact, all hypnosis is self-induced.
Psychiatrist Milton Erickson, widely regarded as “the father of hypnosis,” considered all hypnosis self-hypnosis.
It’s a myth that a hypnotist can hypnotize a subject against their will; hypnosis doesn’t work like that.
In reality, no one can hypnotize you unless you are willing.
A hypnotist or hypnotherapist merely facilitates the process.
But you are fully capable of achieving the same state on your own.
Most people inadvertently hypnotize themselves several times a day.
Most of us have driven a car while in a hypnotic state!
Highway hypnosis occurs when you suddenly find yourself further down the road with no recollection of those intervening miles.
That’s not as frightening as it sounds since you were essentially driving on autopilot and your subconscious is a pretty good driver.
Don’t Worry, You’re In Control
Another persistent myth about hypnosis is that you lose control of yourself — that you can be made to do things you don’t want to do — or that you can get stuck in trance, unable to get out of it.
A good analogy to being hypnotized is being thoroughly absorbed in a good book or movie.
You become so focused that you’re barely aware of your surroundings, but in no way have you lost control of yourself.
And you can easily come back to reality at any time.
The Many Proven Benefits of Hypnosis
Hypnosis has been acknowledged as a valid medical therapy by the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the British Medical Associations since the 1950s.
A surprisingly wide variety of healthcare professionals may integrate hypnotherapy into their practice: psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, dentists, and chiropractors.
" Hypnosis isn’t a tool to keep in your back pocket and pull out only when you’ve got a problem. You can use it anytime to improve any aspect of your life.
Hypnosis is used to reduce stress, improve emotional well-being, and treat a wide variety of mental and neurological disorders.
Over 15,000 studies on the use of hypnosis have been published in the US National Institutes of Health database.
The benefits of hypnosis have been established for the following conditions:
- addictions
- anxiety disorders
- cancer
- childbirth
- depression
- dermatological disorders
- gastrointestinal disorders
- habit control
- high blood pressure
- insomnia and sleep disorders
- menopause
- migraine headaches
- nausea and vomiting
- pain (acute and chronic)
- phobias
- post-surgery
- smoking cessation
- sports performance
- stress relief
- weight loss
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Hypnosis for Anxiety and Stress Relief
An overview of research confirms the proven benefits of hypnosis for generalized anxiety disorder and other disorders with a stress-related component.
Hypnosis can help with situational anxiety, such as fear of public speaking or of taking exams.
It is useful for people with medical anxiety, such as that experienced during or before dental procedures, surgery, chemotherapy, or other medical tests and treatments.
Hypnosis has been successfully used for a long list of chronic disorders that can be aggravated by stress, such as asthma, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, tension headaches, migraines, chronic pain, eating disorders, bruxism, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Hypnosis for Health, Productivity, and Happiness
Hypnosis isn’t a tool to be used only when you’ve got a problem.
You can use it anytime to improve any aspect of your life.
Hypnosis is most commonly used to lose weight, quit smoking, sleep better, or for general stress relief.
But it’s equally useful to increase productivity and concentration, improve confidence and self-esteem, and enhance relationships.
Some of the most successful and creative people of all time reportedly used hypnosis to help them attain their place in history, including Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Winston Churchill.
Today, most professional sports teams have a sports psychologist to help give athletes a mental edge.
One of the tools in their arsenal is hypnosis.
A review of studies on sports performance confirms that using hypnosis can enhance athletic performance.
You can use hypnosis to help you be whatever you want to be — happier, healthier, and more successful.
Self-Hypnosis: How to Hypnotize Yourself
Self-hypnosis is often compared to meditation since both induce a similar mental state whereby thinking and mental processing decrease, while relaxation and focus increase.
Research shows that hypnosis promotes similar effects in the sympathetic nervous system.
But hypnosis goes one step further by using this highly suggestible state to actually reprogram the mind.
There are many self-hypnosis formats to choose from.
There are self-hypnosis scripts that you can perform from memory or those that you can record in your own voice, and then follow along.
There are pre-recorded self-hypnosis sessions that you can listen to in the form of audio files or self-hypnosis apps.
But whatever format you use, your success depends on your motivation, and your ability to relax and concentrate on a specific goal.
Get Started With This Simple Self-Hypnosis Script
Sit comfortably with your feet on the floor and your hands on your lap.
Take 3 deep breaths, in through your nose, out through your mouth.
On the third breath, close your eyes and continue to breathe, deeply focusing on your breath.
Now, slowly count down from 10 to 1 with each breath.
After each number, think the word “deeper” to nudge yourself into a state of deeper relaxation.
After you reach 1, repeat a positive, affirming statement to yourself that you’ve decided on beforehand.
Repeat that statement to yourself for as long as you wish, usually for a few minutes.
When you are done, sit quietly for a moment, then slowly count from 1 to 5, visualizing energy returning to your body.
Open your eyes. You’re done.
Self-Hypnosis Tips
If you are unsure about what to use as your mantra during a session, you can’t go wrong with this famous all-encompassing autosuggestion by French psychologist Emile Coue:
“Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.”
Whatever you decide your mantra to be, don’t just say it by rote.
Muster up intention and emotion.
Visualize the results in your mind’s eye.
Imagine what achieving that result will feel like.
And always make it a positive statement.
For example, if you’re using self-hypnosis for anxiety, you should repeat “I am calm and relaxed,” not “I’m no longer stressed and anxious.”
Choosing Self-Hypnosis Audio Files and Apps
It’s not always easy to master self-hypnosis.
Sometimes the stress of trying to remember what to do next can interfere with your ability to completely let go.
That’s why I recommend using a pre-recorded hypnosis session.
You can find both free and paid self-hypnosis audio files and apps.
A scientific review of hypnosis apps concluded that you can expect to get what you pay for.
Researchers found that, of the over 1,400 apps they reviewed, none had been tested for effectiveness and few were created by someone trained or certified in hypnosis or hypnotherapy.
While they probably won’t do you any harm, the consensus is that they probably won’t do you much good either.
For true hypnosis benefits, stick to audio files developed by professionals with hypnosis training and accreditation.
One of the few companies that does this is Hypnosis Downloads.
They offer over 1,200 self-hypnosis audio downloads created by practicing hypnotherapists.
When to Seek Out a Hypnosis Professional
If you have a serious physical or mental health disorder, it’s recommended that you seek the help of a trained professional to get results.
If you live in the US, you can find a hypnotherapist in your area using Psychology Today’s referral service.
If you live in the UK, you can locate one using this Hypnotherapy Directory.
Much of the rest of the world can search for a hypnotherapist at Hypnotic World.
An additional benefit of working with a licensed healthcare professional is that your hypnotherapy sessions may be covered by your health insurance.
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