Hypnosis: What Is ‘It’?

What is hypnosis? Hypnosis is a natural state of mind you probably have experienced before without even realizing it. Even if you have never been hypnotized by someone, you have experienced this state of mind many times in your life. Think of a time when you were driving your car and pulled into your driveway. You may think, “What have I been doing for the last few blocks? I don’t remember getting off the freeway.” During the period you were “daydreaming” your attention was focused so much that you get the impression of lost time. This experience is very similar to hypnosis. You arrived home safely because your subconscious mind was paying attention and keeping you safe. When you go to the movies and cry during the sad parts or get so into the plot that you are on the edge of your seat, you are emotionally hyper-suggestible at that time.

Another example of suggestion in every day life is the reaction called mob mentality. You will notice that people respond differently when chasing the approval of a group than they would by themselves on their own . This, of course, occurs because of the bypassing of critical thinking in the individual as he or she responds to the people in the environment.

All of these examples are times when you are unconsciously or consciously more responsive to suggestion than usual.

Hypnosis is the use of relaxation, repetition and sensory images to create the acceptance of suggestion. Although, James Braid, the man who came up with the term hypnosis or hypnotism, used the root Hypnos (the Greek God of Sleep) to describe this state of mind, he later wanted to call it Monoideism. The fact is that hypnosis is not sleep. It is the use of relaxation, concentration and focus.

Hypnosis can be used for help in learning new behavior. It has been most frequently used to help people quit smoking, lose weight, relieve pain, easing childbirth, reducing stress, enhancing sports and academic performance.

Modern hypnotists can use a wide range of techniques to enhance suggestion acceptance in their clients. The use of specifically targeted music can be very helpful. Most professional hypnotists now use strategies from hypnotherapy and Neuro-linguistic Programming when working with their clients.

Although some hypnosis applications like quitting smoking or stress reduction can be accepted directly by a hypnotist, others should be referred by your physician. Pain management clients should always be diagnosed by their medical doctor and then referred to the hypnotist if hypnotic pain management is indicated. This allows your doctor to make sure that you will not mask symptoms. We have special training in pain management and surgery preparation techniques and often work closely with clients’ physicians.

If you have questions about hypnosis as a method or if you would like information on private sessions for custom hypnosis programs in our office or training courses in the use of hypnosis, please call 608-288-9800 to schedule your free hypnosis screening.