Does Hypnosis Really Work? Human Life and Hypnotherapy
The human mind works by storing memories, which we typically call experience. These memories get locked inside the subconscious mind. Whenever individuals face the same scenario again in life, they react according to the closed behavioral pattern. That lock becomes stronger, e.g., smokers find smoking as relief or escape. Whenever they find stress, they smoke. That’s how they built a locked or permanent habit of tobacco.
The human brain has two states, first is a conscious state in which we know what we are doing, the awakened state and the second state is the subconscious mind which stores all the learning patterns and holds them. Any terrible experience or traumatic situation can keep its memories and effects in your subconscious mind and alter cognitive behaviors under specific circumstances.
What is Hypnosis, and How does Hypnotherapy Work?
Hypnosis is a trance-like state in which one can directly access one’s subconscious mind. With the help of hypnosis, one can shift mental functioning. Hypnosis is not an unconscious state. A person, when hypnotized, is conscious but:
- All the skills (hearing, touch and smell) remain highly functional.
- Concentration will be focused on the main point.
- All the voluntary muscles will be relaxed.
Hypnotherapy is a part of psychotic therapy in which a person digs deep into their subconscious mind and tries to change or shift the perspective of mental awareness. No physical stimuli are involved. In Hypnotherapy, the hypnotherapist concentrates all the patient’s focus to one point, and he guides the patient to feel relaxed and try to think about past incidents in positive ways.
It is the asleep or trans-like state in which the patient entirely becomes absorbed in their mind, never becomes unconscious or out of his control. While remaining absorbed, patients can hear all the instructions of hypnotherapists and decide to accept or reject the suggestion. Hypnotherapy is not itself psychotherapy, but it can be used as a tool for different psychotic treatments. Only a trained individual who is certified for hypnosis under controlled clinical conditions can do hypnotherapy and from patient to patient length and frequency of hypnotherapy varies.
Uses of Hypnotherapy
There are many benefits of Hypnotherapy related to mental health. The primary uses of hypnotherapy are psychological treatment towards anxiety disorder, fears and drug abuse. Other benefits of hypnotherapy are:
1. Hypnotherapy for Smoking Cessation
In hypnotherapy for smoking cessation, hypnotherapists urge smokers to think negatively related to smoking. They adopt Spiegel’s method; this technique gives an idea to the smokers that
- Filling their body with poison
- They should let their body live
- They should treat their body respectably
2. Hypnotherapy for Weight Loss
Weight loss is an old traditional technique, which requires lots of suffering and self-control. Despite all the controlled eating, people find minimum weight loss. According to the study done in 2016, it was shown that people who follow hypnotherapy for weight loss show more weight loss and build healthy eating habits than those who follow the ritual diet.
The clinical hypnotherapist works by shifting the human mind’s perspective towards a healthy diet and away from an unhealthy diet. Hypnotherapy for weight loss involves 30-45 minutes of the session and the psychologist asks patients to relax, close their eyes and think about healthy food.
3. Hypnotherapy for Depression
Hypnotherapy for depression involves many steps. In the first step, the hypnotherapist builds a relationship with the patient and asks about the problem related to depression. In the second step, the hypnotherapist makes the patient feel relaxed, and then the patient is asked to go up to a certain hypnotic level under complete silence. Techniques like counting and visual imagery are used to release anxiety disorder and strengthen patient calmness; this hypnotherapist also suggests a positive side to the patient’s anxieties.
The last step is termination, in which the hypnotherapist asks the patient to come back from a trans-like state to complete the conscious form by counting technique.
Pros of Hypnotherapy
According to an expert, hypnotherapy is best complementing cognitive behavioral therapy. It suits almost all people; patients will overcome their mental problems with fewer medications. In fear and anxiety conditions, self-hypnotherapy (through recorded sessions of the therapist) can cause much relaxation without sober mind messing medicines.
Cons of Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy can cause some issues to patients like false memories, which we call “Confabulations”. Some patients may feel headaches, anxiety and nausea, but all these subside after hypnosis ends.
Conclusion
Hypnotherapy is widely improving the quality of life of people. It helps people to overcome their phobias much more quickly. You need to go to a professional therapist who knows hypnotherapy and is well skilled in it. Decide your continuity upon your need or according to the suggestion of the therapist. Hypnosis gives you self-empowerment. Hypnotherapy allows an individual to manage problems constructively and live life in a better way.