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Articles
Demystifying Hypnosis
Sometimes you may feel that paying attention to your
health is a real scramble. There are so many choices
when it comes to taking care of your body and soul,
you may not know which way to turn. Do you opt for
conventional medical treatment or do you choose an
alternative? How do you know if therapy x is better
than therapy y? You may find it hard to know which
path to take in order to be at your best both
physically and emotionally.
In the midst of all of these choices, hypnotherapy
stands out as a very important tool in the health
and wellness toolbox.
Hypnotherapy who?
You, like most people, may not know a lot about
hypnosis. You may have seen it presented as a source
of entertainment or as a shady practice that people
with dicey ethics engage in. As a result, you may
perceive it as sinister or simply silly.
What you may not realize is that hypnosis provides
an effective and painless way to relieve various
physical and mental conditions, from the ordinary to
the extraordinary. It’s also great for improving
overall health. Whether you’re facing physical or
emotional challenges—or both, hypnotherapy is a
great tool to help you live your best life.
The roots of hypnotherapy
Researchers began to practice—and examine—the
technique that came to be known as hypnosis in the
mid-1800s. This means that hypnotism has been under
scientific scrutiny for more than two hundred years.
Though evidence has pointed towards the positive
health benefits of hypnotherapy, it wasn’t until the
mid-1950s that the medical profession started
endorsing hypnosis as an acceptable medical
practice. In 1955, the British Medical Association
approved the medical use of hypnosis followed by the
American and the Canadian Medical Associations in
1958. Psychiatric and psychological associations
came on board in the years that followed. Even with
the endorsements, however, hypnosis did not become
widely used.
Current medical research
In the last decade, many studies have shown that
hypnosis has a positive impact on the treatment of a
number of medical conditions. For instance,
researchers have been very interested in the effect
that hypnosis has on the experience of pain. They
have shown that when a person is hypnotized before a
painful procedure, the brain’s pain processing
center works differently and pain is reduced.
Studies have proven that hypnosis reduces pain for
people who are cancer patients, receiving treatment
for burns, donating bone marrow, or giving birth.
Hypnosis can be used as a form of anesthetic. It is
useful in the treatment of other conditions
including irritable bowel syndrome, skin disease,
and obesity among others. These findings are paving
the way for the wider use of hypnosis inside and
outside conventional medical practice.
Hypnosis at home
While it is gaining an important role in the
treatment of medical conditions, hypnotherapy is
beneficial even if you don’t have serious medical
issues. Hypnosis can help you deal with and change
any realm of your life that is troubling you or
wearing you down. With the aid of hypnotherapy, you
can conquer patterns you may feel trapped by such as
smoking or overeating. Hypnosis can help eliminate
bad habits, troublesome behaviours, and negative
thought patterns. Studies have shown that hypnosis
is useful for tackling debilitating phobias. With
hypnosis, you can boost self-esteem and improve your
performance, focus and ground yourself. Hypnosis can
easily be part of your life in the same way that
relaxation, meditation, exercise, or prayer can.
Hypnosis provides useful techniques for simply
getting through the day-to-day stresses of your
life, whether they are little or big.
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is actually not that complicated. It has
been described as “a wakeful state of focused
attention.” Hypnosis relies extensively on the
imagination—it harnesses the power of the mind to
bring about change. Hypnotherapists often employ
relaxation techniques as well as guided
visualization. You’re not asleep during hypnosis;
you remain aware and in control. Once a
hypnotherapist helps you achieve a hypnotic state,
your subconscious is more “available” to receive
positive suggestions. Some claim that hypnosis
merely produces a placebo effect, but evidence
suggests that hypnosis is a real process that
happens on a neurological level. Studies show that
in the hypnotic state, some parts of the brain
actually change their activation patterns. As a
result barriers to change are removed, positive
suggestions can be made, and their effects are
amplified. Most people describe the process as
empowering and rejuvenating. Some people employ
hypnotherapeutic techniques on a daily basis.
Why hypnosis is a great healing tool
There are so many reasons that hypnotherapy is such
a fantastic tool. Here are a few important ones:
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Research shows that it is effective—both
physically and emotionally.
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It has no side effects.
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It is a holistic healing technique—dealing with
the mind and the body.
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It’s non-invasive—that is, it doesn’t require
surgery or medication.
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It works in combination with other conventional
or alternative treatments.
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It is versatile—it can be used for childbirth or
for improving a golf game.
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It’s easy to learn and can be used alone and at
home.
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Its effects are long-term.
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Relative to the high price of prescription
medications, it is not costly.
Making decisions about caring for yourself may
stress you out. But perhaps knowing that
hypnotherapy is an option—and that there are
hundreds of certified hypnotherapists practicing
across Canada—will ease your mind a little. Whatever
level of intensity you’re experiencing—whether
you’re facing a life-threatening illness or you just
feel a little off-course in your life, hypnotherapy
will help you.
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