What is Hypnosis?
When was hypnosis discovered?
What is hypnosis?
Why is hypnosis useful in therapy?
What is self-hypnosis?
What does hypnosis feel like?
Is hypnosis safe?
Can everybody experience hypnosis?
You may have heard or read about hypnosis before in the media or you may even have witnessed a stage-hypnosis show. However, reports in the media and the use of hypnosis for stage shows do not give an accurate picture of what hypnosis is and how it can be beneficial in therapy. This leaflet aims at providing information about hypnosis and its use as a therapeutic tool that is based on scientific understanding and research.
Hypnosis, hypnotherapy and clinical hypnosis: what is the difference?
Hypnosis itself is not therapy. It is a naturally occurring experience people can have either guided by a hypnotist or in self-hypnosis. Clinical Hypnosis uses hypnosis to deliver therapeutic suggestions and apply therapeutic techniques to facilitate overcoming a psychological or physical problem. The use of hypnosis is considered an important but not the only part of the overall treatment strategy. Some people use the term ‘hypnotherapy’ as a synonym to ‘clinical hypnosis’. Some people argue, however, that the term ‘hypnotherapy’ had better be avoided as it may indicate that hypnosis is the sole therapeutic agent. Personally I use both ‘clinical hypnosis’ and ‘hypnotherapy’ with the same meaning, i.e. a treatment that uses hypnosis as part of an overall treatment approach which also integrates other techniques e.g. from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
For thousands of years people have used treatment approaches that contain elements of hypnosis, e.g. in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. The start of modern hypnosis is often seen in the work of German-born physician Franz Mesmer (still preserved in the word ‘to mesmerise’) in the 18
th
century. In the 19
th
century James Braid, who was a surgeon in Manchester, coined the term ‘hypnosis’ from the Greek word ‘hypnos’ meaning sleep. However, as you will see hypnosis is not sleep even though to an observer a person in hypnosis may appear asleep. Over the past decades, with advances in research techniques such as neuroimaging, a better understanding of what hypnosis actually is has been reached. It has also been integrated in treatments such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic treatments.
It may be helpful to first look at every-day experiences that people have where they become so focused on an activity, thought or image, so that other things around them become less important. You yourself may remember times, where you became so absorbed in e.g. reading a good book, or watching a film or sporting event, that time seemed to fly by, and distractions such as noises around you just faded into the background. Some people have similar experiences e.g. when they take part in endurance sports such as long-distance running or even just going for long walks or when they allow themselves to day-dream. There are many other every-day examples of focusing one’s attention and becoming absorbed in something, and some people have called this "every-day trances". The same processes of becoming focused on and absorbed in one thing while putting others in the background is what happens in ‘trance’ that hypnosis facilitates to achieve therapeutic goals. Hypnosis is not magic or anything unnatural or supernatural but makes use of natural mental processes.
In hypnosis you will be asked to focus on certain suggestions and images that may be beneficial for you. Of course, if you wanted to you could decide not to focus your attention on any suggestions or images the therapist presents to you, which means that you would not experience hypnosis. You have to actively cooperate and concentrate in order to allow yourself to go into hypnosis, i.e. you cannot be hypnotised against your will.
Some people fear that they will get ‘stuck’ in hypnosis, but just as you don’t get ‘stuck’ in reading an interesting book or watching a good movie, you will be always able to go out of hypnosis whenever you choose to.
Not all aspects of how hypnosis works have been completely understood. However, it has been suggested that in hypnosis new beneficial ideas and behaviours can be integrated more easily. It has also been suggested that imagery is experienced more intensely and more clearly, which can be used therapeutically. Neuroimaging techniques (e.g. brain scans) have confirmed that changes in perceptions such as pain can occur in hypnosis and are accompanied by changes in brain functions. These changes in perceptions and behaviours can even be experienced as effortless.
Research has also indicated that hypnotic techniques can influence the human immune system in a beneficial way. An analysis of available studies (a so-called meta-analysis) has also shown that hypnosis integrated into Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is beneficial for the majority of clients
.
Your therapist can teach you how to do self-hypnosis. This means you can learn how to use hypnosis for yourself e.g. on a daily basis to reinforce any therapeutic suggestions or to just relax. The aim of using self-hypnosis as with other self-help tasks you are asked to do in therapy is for you to make quicker and greater progress in achieving your therapeutic goal.
Usually suggestions of relaxation are part of hypnosis, although suggestions of feeling alert can also be integrated. Many people describe hypnosis as feeling similar to a pleasant day-dream or to lying in bed, when you have just woken up and feel just too comfortable to move or to get up although you are already awake. Of course, it is perfectly possible to move in hypnosis and e.g. adjust one’s position in order to become more comfortable. It is also possible to speak in hypnosis, which is especially helpful when using therapeutic imagery. For people experiencing hypnosis time usually seems to fly by more quickly. When suggested for therapeutic purposes many people can also experience changes in their perceptions e.g. arm heaviness or lightness or analgesia (pain reduction). Most people in hypnosis also find that their imagination works better.
It has been shown that hypnosis has no more unwanted effects than relaxation exercises or attending a lecture. However, like any therapeutic technique, it should only be used by a trained therapist as part of a well-structured treatment. Although stage-hypnosis shows want to make you believe otherwise, you are always in control in hypnosis. Likewise you cannot be made to do anything that you do not agree with or that is uncomfortable to you.
Although people differ in how easily they can respond to certain suggestions most people can experience at least some aspects of hypnosis. Moreover, for most problems it is not necessary to go into a ‘deep’ hypnosis in order to benefit from it. For very young children or people with brain injuries or certain brain disorders or for people with certain psychiatric disorders hypnosis is usually not advisable.
Allowing yourself to concentrate on and going along with the suggestions your therapists presents to you will help you to experience hypnosis and benefit from it. Knowing that you will stay in full control throughout the hypnotic experience and that hypnosis is a safe procedure will also help you to fully enjoy the experience.
Conclusion
Hypnosis is a powerful therapeutic tool that can help you to achieve your goal and overcome the problems you have been facing. Please feel welcome to ask any questions about hypnosis you may still have after reading this text, because it is important that you can feel completely confident and comfortable about using hypnosis to achieve your personal goals.
ã
Dr Axel Wuerz 2006