What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a method of inducing a trance or a dream-like state of deep relaxation in order to treat disorders of a mainly psychological or emotional origin. It has been practised in various forms for thousands of years by many cultures including Druid, Celtic and Egyptian. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, hypnosis (or mesmerism) was seen more as a sideshow curiosity than a valid medical treatment. Today, hypnosis is recognised by the scientific community as an effective healing tool, although how it works is still something of a mystery. It is not a treatment in its own right, but is used as a part of medical, psychological and dental treatments.
Current thinking in Psychology generally agrees that we all have a concious mind and a unconconscious mind. Making changes in our attitudes, beliefs and values is not easy for most people to do, because they approach the change consciously. But for a change to happen it needs a two-pronged approach to the conscious and the unconscious mind. Hypnosis facilitates this by making the unconsious mind more amenable to suggestion from Hypnosis or even by you. The unconscious mind is the part of you that runs your body. It allows you to breathe while you sleep. It makes your heart beat. It causes your nerves to send information along the neural pathways. The unconscious is the source of the intelligence of your body and hypnosis allows you to tap into the power of the unconscious mind to make positive changes in your life.
Capitilizing on the power of suggestion, hypnosis is also often used to help people relax, to diminish the sensation of pain, or to faclitate some desired behavioural change. Therapists bring about hypnosis (also referred to as hypnotherapy or hypnotic suggestion) with the help of mental imagery and soothing verbal repitition that eases the patient into a trance-like state. Once relaxed, patients' minds are more open to transformative messages.

Disorders helped by hynposis

Hypnosis can help you change attitudes, perceptions and behaviours. It can be effective in treating a range of medical and psychological issues, including: * Anxiety * Asthma * Chronic pain * Fears and phobias * Smoking * Insomnia * Panic Attacks * Stress * Migraine * Weight Loss/gain * Thumb sucking * Stuttering * Sleep problems * Bad habits - nail biting, binge eating, alcohol, excessive spending etc * Fear of flying, thunderstorms, heights, spiders, dogs and much, much more ...................

The Hypnotic State

The brain has different levels of consciousness, or awareness, ranging from fully alert to drowsy to fully asleep, with variations in between. Hypnotic states occur naturally and spontaneously. Everyday examples include: 1. Daydreaming 2. Being absorbed in a pleasant task and losing track of time. 3. Doing a mundane task (such as washing the dishes) while thinking about something else, to the degree that you can't actually remember performing the task. 4. Getting lulled into a dreamy state by boredom, for example, when listening to a dull speech.
Clinical hypnosis deliberately induces this kind of relaxed state of awareness. Once the mind is in a relaxed state, any therapeutic suggestions can have a great effect on attitudes, perceptions and behaviours. The way that this occurs isn't fully understood. Some researches believe that hypnosis promotes particular brain wave activity that allows the mind to take in and adopt new ideas, while others suggest that hypnosis accesses the 'unconscious mind', which is more open to new ideas than the rational 'conscious mind'. Suggestions may be taken to heart, but only if those suggestions are acceptable to the hypnotised person. Contrary to popular belief, you can't be hypnotised into doing things against your will. You can't be forced into a hypnotic state either. Instead, you allow yourself to be hypnotised. It is voluntary altering of your own consciousness, and you are always in control. In other worrds, you are hypnotising yourself.