What is hypnosis?
Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815)
Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state that you enter many times a day. You may have entered into a trance-like state while traveling along a familiar route, or while watching television or reading a book. Suddenly you snap back to the present moment and realize you’ve misplaced the last twenty minutes or so. Hypnotherapy uses techniques to rapidly guide you into this focused state of awareness and then to relax you very deeply. It is quite common for clients to remark on how relaxed and comfortable they are within themselves.
Is hypnosis safe?
Hypnosis is completely safe. Because you are always in control you can terminate the session at any time. Hypnosis is not sleep. This is the single biggest misunderstanding. Hypnotic sleep is an expression we use to describe the trance like condition of the mind, because your eyes are closed and you feel relaxed and focused. You may look like you are asleep, however, you are more acutely aware at this time than at any other.
Will I say or do something against my will?
The short answer is no. Because you are in a heightened state of awareness you are aware of everything that is happening to you and around you. Secrets are exactly that, secrets. Your secrets. The other question I am often asked is "will I start to sing like Elvis Presley or Madonna?" again the answer is no. This is a misconception that is promoted by the media and has no place within a clinical environment. The trance state is a soothing, relaxing and enjoyable experience. The American and British Medical Associations have approved the use of hypnosis for more than 40 years
How does hypnotherapy work?
When you enter into the trance state you bypass your conscious mind and go straight to the subconscious. By doing so you can eliminate undesirable behaviour and install more empowering beliefs. So whether you want to stop smoking, eat more healthily, reduce stress or have more confidence, you will find that hypnosis can be a great help. There can often be a link between unwanted behaviour, feelings and deeply rooted issues and in such cases the hypnotic process can rapidly uncover, and help you to transform, the causes of these. This clears the way for you to consistently feel better and more in control of your own life.
How will I know if I am hypnotized?
Many people cannot tell the difference between hypnosis and the waking state. You will certainly feel very relaxed during the process. Afterwards clients are surprised at the positive changes in their daily behaviours and feelings. A good hypnotherapist will observe the physical signs that show you are relaxed, such as your breathing becoming much steadier, your eye movement while you are visualizing images, the response to suggestion such as finger moving or ideomotor response, always checking that you are in a suitable state of relaxation and showing signs of an altered state of mind.
How does this help me to change behaviour like smoking or eating too much?
Smoking and many eating behaviours are habitual and controlled by the unconscious mind. It makes sense to use advanced hypnosis to work directly with the unconscious mind. This helps make healthy habits automatic, so you are soon enjoying the benefits of a healthier more rewarding lifestyle. As your thought patterns change, you find yourself thinking and feeling positive and much more easily able to maintain healthy behaviours.
How many sessions will I need?
This depends very much on the issues you're working on and your individual belief. Smoking, nail-biting and phobias may be fully resolved in one or two sessions. Other problem behaviour (e.g. binge eating) can be symptomatically treated in a couple of sessions, which may provide some relief. However in cases where there is a strong emotional component, treatment may be ongoing over a longer period of time.
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How Hypnosis Finally Got Accepted by Western Science
The Story about how Hypnosis finally got accepted by western science and the world in general.
Even though hypnosis has a deep history, it still took the scientific and unscientific efforts of numerous pioneers for the subject to gain acceptance throughout western science and medicine. All around the globe, scientists and mystics tweaked the understanding and presentation of hypnosis to the public in such a way that it inevitably gained much attention and recognition. Despite many harsh critics and obstacles, the concept of hypnosis slowly began to receive the respect it so appropriately deserved.
Starting our exploration regarding notable advancers of hypnosis, we should take a look at one who gained the first title of "Father of Hypnotism." During 1770, Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer from Austria began taking a look at animal magnetism or "mesmerism" as he liked to put it. He believed there was a magnetic force that both humans and animals possessed. From this, he concluded that a force or power could be tapped into. He was responsible for holding sessions of magnetic cures, which were hypnotizing shows for the public. Sadly, he was run out of Paris after Benjamin Franklin challenged his theories. In later years, many considered Mesmer a failure.
Abbe Jose Castodi de Faria, who believed that a trance could not exist against an individual’s will, conducted the first of what was considered scientific experiments regarding hypnosis. Occurring in Paris during 1815, he is also credited with creating the "fixed-gaze method" of induction, which utilized eye fixation. When 1837 rolled around, it was John Elliotson, who brought England to the forefront in magnetism and hypnosis experimentation. He came to the conclusion that patients were able to deal with the pain associated with surgery through hypnosis. This was a concept that preceded anaesthesia for 50 years.
Following the work of Faria, Emile Coue became the father of "autosuggestion" and felt there was no such thing as suggestion, but only autosuggestion. This way of thinking dealt with the thought that all hypnosis was the product of self-hypnosis. While these are only some of the folks that had a hand in advancing the subject of hypnotism, the work of Dr. James Braid really made strides, as he tweaked a different eye-fixation technique, as well as "connected suggestibility" with trances.
Braid conducted many experiments regarding the influence and enhancement of trance, paying close attention to the way a hypnotist vocalized suggestions. In 1843, Braid became the first person to publish work on hypnotism and five years later, he discovered "waking hypnosis," which was based on suggestions. This approach to hypnosis is still used today. During this time, Braid became another "Father of Hypnotism."
Throughout the 1800s, a wide range of scientists shaped the perception and acceptance of hypnotism. James Esdaile from India studied the use of mesmeric sleep as a non-chemical way to achieve anaesthetics. It was also then that the study of hypnotism saw a shift from surgical interests to mental health professionals as seen in the movement associated with Jean-Martin Charcot, a neurologist.
When it comes to the acceptance regarding hypnosis, one of the first triumphs came through the approval of the British Medical Association (BMA). In 1892, the therapeutic use of hypnosis was acknowledged, while mesmerism was rejected. Sadly, most medical institutions dismissed this action.
Soon, throughout the years, since more and more medical circles started showing interest in hypnotism, it is no wonder that the Hypnotism Act of 1952 was established. In the United Kingdom, the government decided to regulate the use of hypnosis in public arenas for entertainment purposes.
In 1955, the British Medical Association also entered new territory in the realm of hypnosis. They approved its use for pain management pertaining to surgery and childbirth. This type of hypnosis use involved the study of psychoneuroses, as well as hypnoanesthesia. An advisory was also issued during this time. The BMA encouraged basic training in hypnosis for all physicians and medical students who wished to further an interest in the subject.
In 1958, the American Medical Association decided to approve and endorse the use of hypnosis throughout medicine. You can thank the urging of the likes of American researchers, such as Milton Erickson, who developed several influential ideas and techniques regarding hypnosis. Although it was recognized that some forms of hypnosis were controversial, they nonetheless encouraged research.
Two years later, the American Psychological Association gave hypnosis the stamp of approval and identified it as a branch of psychology. Ever since, an assortment of doctors and researchers has contributed towards additional movements regarding hypnosis. Without the strides of pioneers hailing from the United Kingdom, France and the United States, hypnosis would have never become the recognized practice it is today.
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