The Truth About Hypnosis

Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis have been around for centuries; perhaps not in the same form as they are known today, but they have been an important and natural state for therapeutic advancement since the late 18th century. Over the years, hypnosis has been used to help people suffering with trauma; recalling forgotten incidents; anaesthesia as well as depression, anxiety, confidence, weight management and phobias, to name just a few.

Despite the documented successful results that Hypnosis has had on countless people, there is still a bit of a stigma surrounding the phenomenon. When asking a room full of people their opinions on Hypnosis, there will inevitably be the few who call it ‘voodoo magic’ and ‘mind control’, or express a fear of being turned into a chicken by the swinging of a pocket watch and a click of some fingers. 

Many stage and television hypnotists give Hypnosis a bad name. The likes of Paul McKenna have graced our screens with apparently unfazed audience members being put under a trance, performing hilarious antics and then finding themselves completely unaware when asked to recall their actions. These shows have convinced some of us that if we were to see a Hypnotherapist to lose weight, we would come out of the session walking on our hands and jumping up to do the Macarena every time we heard the word ‘go’.

That won’t happen. What the stage Hypnotists don’t give away is the fact that only a very small percentage of audience members will be susceptible to this kind of trance. Hypnosis is a natural state to enter into and we can never be made to do or say something without our conscious mind giving it the ‘all clear’. So, when Jake from Accounts was told to walk around like a headless chicken during that work outing to the stage hypnotist show, he was actually quite happy to do it!  

That being said, it has been reported that some stage hypnotists fail to follow an ethical code, unlike any qualified Hypnotherapist, who is bound by the ethical rules set out within the industry. The wellbeing of the participant may not always be of upmost importance in a comedy hypnosis show and there is almost never any aftercare. However, quite to the contrary, as with all therapists, a Hypnotherapist will treat their client with the upmost respect, care and thought, before, during and after therapy takes place. Sessions are always taken at the client’s own comfortable pace and no therapy will commence without their full awareness and consent. I cannot stress enough that Hypnotherapists are NOT the same as stage hypnotists.

So, What is Hypnosis?

We all enter a form of hypnosis every day. Lying in bed at night, half asleep but still aware of noises and things around you: that is hypnosis. Daydreaming is also a state of hypnosis. For those who drive, finding yourself on a motorway, obviously in ‘autopilot’ mode, having driven thirty miles and not realising you had gone so far, is also a form of hypnosis. It is simply an altered, relaxed state of mind.

As mentioned above, anyone being hypnotised is in full control at all times. The conscious mind acts as a barrier, or security guard, to the subconscious, where all our behaviours, emotions and memories are stored. In order for hypnotherapy to work, the client must feel safe enough for the conscious to allow access to the inner mind and, even in the deepest trance state, if it believes there to be a potential threat, it will not permit certain memories or emotions to be found. 

There are three main stages of trance and Hypnotherapists will tend to work in the first two states - Alpha (light hypnosis, for relaxation and some positive suggestive work) and Theta (a deeper state where the subconscious mind comes forward and more in-depth therapy can take place). The third (Delta) is a much deeper state, where usually the mind is so relaxed that, whilst suggestion is taken in, it is very difficult to communicate with the client and so analytical therapy is not normally conducted.

Why Hypnotherapy?

There are many forms of therapy that all have a similar end-game: to make you feel better. Why choose Hypnosis over others, such as Counselling, Psychotherapy and so forth? They are all good in their own way but what sets Hypnosis apart from the rest is its effectiveness in such a short period of time. On average, people will see a Hypnotherapist for between three and six sessions and tend to notice a considerable difference in themselves. Of course, like all therapies, the client has to want to change and in hypnosis, they really are doing all of the work themselves; the therapist is simply a facilitator and guide.

How Does it Work?

Hypnosis works by delving into the subconscious mind, which means dealing directly with the part of the brain that creates and stores ones personality. All trauma, learned behaviour and buried memories are filed within the subconscious and a Hypnotherapist will help the client to access whichever ones they need in order to deal with their problem and then change it directly at the source - what better place to stop and change a problem than where it first started? It is an incredible, natural form of therapy, which is completely safe and all done by the client themselves. So, in actual fact, they change their behaviours, patterns and feelings in a way and at a pace that suits them. That means they will most probably find no reason to revert back to the old, negative patterns in the future, as can sometimes happen with other forms of talk therapy. 

Many therapists use other therapeutic techniques alongside Hypnosis for analysis and to gain trust and rapport with the client, so that they will feel able to open up enough for Hypnotherapy to work fully. There needs to be full trust and feelings of security in order for someone to gain the most from Hypnotic work; as there should be with all forms of therapy. Hypnosis works quickly, effectively and directly with any problem presented by the client and the wonderful thing about Hypnosis is that, because it is a completely natural state and the client is always in control, they can continue to work on themselves outside of the therapy room, meaning that they ‘get better’ all the time and do not need to rely on seeing a therapist once their sessions have ended. It almost inevitably creates autonomy and agency in a client, which are surely important outcomes from therapy.

So, to conclude, there are many forms of therapy out there, and no one style is right for everyone. Despite Hypnosis having a bad press in the past, hopefully more and more people are being educated to see the sincere benefits that Hypnotherapy can provide. Seeing a qualified Hypnotherapist who you feel comfortable with means you are in safe hands. They will guide you, so you can realise your full potential, change negative, destructive patterns and follow the path you desire, quickly and effectively. It is also one of the most relaxing forms of therapy you could enter into. There really is a lot to gain from giving it a go.