What is hypnosis and How does hypnotherapy work?
What is hypnosis?
Within science, there is no debate as to whether hypnosis
exists or works. Science simply cannot agree on what it is and how it
works, although as The British Society of Clinical and Experimental
Hypnosis states:
"In therapy, hypnosis usually involves the person experiencing
a sense of deep relaxation with their attention narrowed down, and
focused on appropriate suggestions made by the therapist."
These suggestions help people make positive changes within
themselves. Long gone are the days when hypnosis was seen as
waving watches and controlling people's minds. In a hypnotherapy
session you are always in control and you are not made to do
anything. It is generally accepted that all hypnosis is ultimately
self-hypnosis. A hypnotist merely helps to facilitate your
experience - hypnotherapy is not about being made to do things, in fact
it is the opposite, it is about empowerment. If someone tells you they
can hypnotise you to do something, ask them to hypnotise you to rob a
bank, and when they can't, ask them to stop making ridiculous claims.
The following four extracts from Dr Hilary Jones' book,
"Doctor, What's the Alternative?", provide an accurate and accessible wonderful
description of what hypnotherapy is, how it works and how hypnotherapy
can help you change and grow.
Definition of hypnotherapy
Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not a state of deep
sleep. It does involve the induction of a trance-like condition, but when
in it, the patient is actually in an enhanced state of awareness,
concentrating entirely on the hypnotist's voice. In this
state, the conscious mind is suppressed and the subconscious mind is
revealed.
The therapist is able to suggest ideas, concepts and lifestyle
adaptations to the patient, the seeds of which become firmly
planted.
The practice of promoting healing or positive development in
any way is known as hypnotherapy. As such, hypnotherapy is a
kind of psychotherapy. Hypnotherapy aims to re-programme patterns of
behaviour within the mind, enabling irrational fears, phobias,
negative thoughts and suppressed emotions to be overcome. As the body
is released from conscious control during the relaxed trance-like
state of hypnosis, breathing becomes slower and deeper, the pulse rate
drops and the metabolic rate falls. Similar changes along
nervous pathways and hormonal channels enable the sensation of pain to
become less acute, and the awareness of unpleasant symptoms, such as
nausea or indigestion, to be alleviated.
How does it work?
Hypnosis is thought to work by altering our state of
consciousness in such a way that the analytical left-hand side of the
brain is turned off, while the non-analytical right-hand side is made
more alert. The conscious control of the mind is inhibited, and
the subconscious mind awoken. Since the subconscious mind is a
deeper-seated, more instinctive force than the conscious mind, this is
the part which has to change for the patient's behaviour and physical
state to alter.
For example, a patient who consciously wants to overcome their
fear of spiders may try everything they consciously can to do it, but
will still fail as long as their subconscious mind retains this terror
and prevents the patient from succeeding. Progress can only be
made be reprogramming the subconscious so that deep-seated instincts
and beliefs are abolished or altered.
What form might the treatment take?
Firstly, any misconceptions a potential patient may have about
hypnosis should be dispelled. The technique does not involve the
patient being put into a deep sleep, and the patient cannot be made to
do anything they would not ordinarily do. They remain
fully aware of their surroundings and situation, and are not
vulnerable to every given command of the therapist.
The important thing is that the patient wants to change some behavioural
habit or addiction and is highly motivated to do so. They have
to want the treatment to work and must establish a good clinical
rapport with the therapist in order for it to do so……
The readiness and ability of patients to be hypnotised varies
considerably and hypnotherapy generally requires several sessions in
order to achieve meaningful results. However the patient can
learn the technique of self-hypnosis which can be practiced at home,
to reinforce the usefulness of formal sessions with the
therapist. This can help counter distress and anxiety-related
conditions.
Stop smoking, weight loss, traumas, phobias, nerves, pass driving test.
What is hypnosis?
Within science, there is no debate as to whether hypnosis
exists or works. Science simply cannot agree on what it is and how it
works, although as The British Society of Clinical and Experimental
Hypnosis states:
"In therapy, hypnosis usually involves the person experiencing
a sense of deep relaxation with their attention narrowed down, and
focused on appropriate suggestions made by the therapist."
These suggestions help people make positive changes within
themselves. Long gone are the days when hypnosis was seen as
waving watches and controlling people's minds. In a hypnotherapy
session you are always in control and you are not made to do
anything. It is generally accepted that all hypnosis is ultimately
self-hypnosis. A hypnotist merely helps to facilitate your
experience - hypnotherapy is not about being made to do things, in fact
it is the opposite, it is about empowerment. If someone tells you they
can hypnotise you to do something, ask them to hypnotise you to rob a
bank, and when they can't, ask them to stop making ridiculous claims.
The following four extracts from Dr Hilary Jones' book,
"Doctor, What's the Alternative?", provide an accurate and accessible wonderful
description of what hypnotherapy is, how it works and how hypnotherapy
can help you change and grow.
Definition of hypnotherapy
Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not a state of deep
sleep. It does involve the induction of a trance-like condition, but when
in it, the patient is actually in an enhanced state of awareness,
concentrating entirely on the hypnotist's voice. In this
state, the conscious mind is suppressed and the subconscious mind is
revealed.
The therapist is able to suggest ideas, concepts and lifestyle
adaptations to the patient, the seeds of which become firmly
planted.
The practice of promoting healing or positive development in
any way is known as hypnotherapy. As such, hypnotherapy is a
kind of psychotherapy. Hypnotherapy aims to re-programme patterns of
behaviour within the mind, enabling irrational fears, phobias,
negative thoughts and suppressed emotions to be overcome. As the body
is released from conscious control during the relaxed trance-like
state of hypnosis, breathing becomes slower and deeper, the pulse rate
drops and the metabolic rate falls. Similar changes along
nervous pathways and hormonal channels enable the sensation of pain to
become less acute, and the awareness of unpleasant symptoms, such as
nausea or indigestion, to be alleviated.
How does it work?
Hypnosis is thought to work by altering our state of
consciousness in such a way that the analytical left-hand side of the
brain is turned off, while the non-analytical right-hand side is made
more alert. The conscious control of the mind is inhibited, and
the subconscious mind awoken. Since the subconscious mind is a
deeper-seated, more instinctive force than the conscious mind, this is
the part which has to change for the patient's behaviour and physical
state to alter.
For example, a patient who consciously wants to overcome their
fear of spiders may try everything they consciously can to do it, but
will still fail as long as their subconscious mind retains this terror
and prevents the patient from succeeding. Progress can only be
made be reprogramming the subconscious so that deep-seated instincts
and beliefs are abolished or altered.
What form might the treatment take?
Firstly, any misconceptions a potential patient may have about
hypnosis should be dispelled. The technique does not involve the
patient being put into a deep sleep, and the patient cannot be made to
do anything they would not ordinarily do. They remain
fully aware of their surroundings and situation, and are not
vulnerable to every given command of the therapist.
The important thing is that the patient wants to change some behavioural
habit or addiction and is highly motivated to do so. They have
to want the treatment to work and must establish a good clinical
rapport with the therapist in order for it to do so……
The readiness and ability of patients to be hypnotised varies
considerably and hypnotherapy generally requires several sessions in
order to achieve meaningful results. However the patient can
learn the technique of self-hypnosis which can be practiced at home,
to reinforce the usefulness of formal sessions with the
therapist. This can help counter distress and anxiety-related
conditions.
Stop smoking, weight loss, traumas, phobias, nerves, pass driving test.