Hypnotherapy is a type of psychological therapy that uses hypnosis to help treat certain mental and physical health conditions. It can also be used to change habits. Some therapists also use hypnosis to increase the effectiveness of other psychological treatments or pain management. It is a deep state of relaxation focus and increased suggestibility. Research has confirmed its value in treating multiple conditions such as stress, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic pain. In recent years hypnotherapy is credited with success in treating problems caused by opioid addiction.
Hypnosis is a Changed State of Awareness and Increased Relaxation
Hypnosis allows for improved focus and concentration. It also is called hypnotherapy. Hypnosis usually is done with the guidance of a healthcare provider using verbal repetition and mental images. During hypnosis, most people feel calm and relaxed. hypnosis is not a means for taking over someone else’s mind and turning people into something they are not.
What is the Relationship Between Stage Hypnosis and Modern Hypnotherapy?
The stage hypnosis suggestions are designed to elicit a more physical/external response from the hypnotized volunteers (for people to watch), while the hypnotherapy suggestions are intended to create a more psychological/internal response within the client (to create changes in them).
Hypnosis has a surprisingly robust scientific framework. Clinical research has shown that Hypnotherapy can help relieve pain and anxiety and aid smoking cessation, weight loss, and sleep. It can help children and adolescents better regulate their feelings and behaviors. Because of research and improved training and certification, hypnosis is no longer considered a fringe treatment. It is now promoted by the American Psychological Association (2020) as a therapy beneficial for, pain, anxiety, and mood disorders while helping people change negative habits.
Is Hypnosis Really an Altered State of Consciousness?
Do you remember getting lost in thought? The most common example is when you are in a car, bus, or train, thinking about something until you get surprised, catching yourself reaching your stop or exit and you return to the normal alert state of awareness. That is a typical example of a trance, or your mind being in two places at the same time. We all experience going in and out of a trance nearly every day of our lives. There are many reasons that we get entranced, some are common others can be extreme situations. The key is, what is the real benefit of entering a trance? Hypnosis is a trance-like state in which a person experiences heightened suggestibility. When a person is in this altered state of perception, it is thought that he or she can be guided to experience a reduction in pain, alter ineffective cognitions or beliefs, or remember forgotten memories, among other things.
The three main components of hypnosis are absorption, suggestibility, and dissociation…
- Absorption is the amount of investment a person has in the hypnotic state or hypnosis session. Generally speaking, the more suggestible a person is, the more he or she can dissociate and become absorbed in the task at hand. This is known as mental concentration.
- Dissociation is when a person’s behavioral control is separated from his or her awareness. The individual in a dissociated state is likely to respond with autonomic, reflexive behaviors.
- Suggestion is the act of focusing the conscious mind on a single idea. A point person (usually the psychologist/hypnotist) guides the hypnotized person’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviors, helping the person change ideas of their choice. It is important to note that suggestion is not the same thing as trance. A trance is when an induced mental state facilitates the acceptance of instructions or ideas.
The initial relaxation element of hypnotherapy starts by dampening down the activity of the frontal cortex. Limiting the effectiveness of this area of the brain, central to attention, planning, and making decisions, increases activity in other areas engaged in filtering information. We become more open to information, more suggestible, and capable of creating more intense sensations in our minds.
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About Happy Healthy HypnosisCaroline can help you lose weight, sleep better, relax, perform at your peak, and much more! Hypnosis is a powerful natural, safe, effective and proven method to relieve long-standing problematic habits that keep you suffering. Caroline has been helping people since 2005. She loves watching people transform and get their lives back on track.
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