Some experts say one shot can be effective. “Seek help from licensed psychologists, licensed psychiatrists and licensed clinical social workers who are trained in hypnosis as well as a range of other psychotherapeutic techniques.” (A benefit of seeing a licensed clinician, as opposed to someone who only practices hypnosis, is that the treatment is more likely to be covered by insurance.)įinally, don’t expect hypnosis to work after a single session. “To be an effective carpenter, it takes more than knowing how to use a saw,” he says. He compares practitioners who are trained only in hypnosis to carpenters who only know how to use one tool. He also says it’s important to view hypnosis as a supplement to other forms of therapy-something to be tried only in conjunction with CBT, psychotherapy or other types of treatment. “Children tend to be more hypnotizable,” Spiegel says.īut even people who score low on measures of hypnotic suggestibility can still benefit from it, Kirsch adds. The remaining 50% to 60% of people land somewhere in between. Milling says that about 20% of people show a “large” response to it, while the same percentage of people don’t respond much at all. Not everyone benefits equally from hypnosis. While talk about “altered states of consciousness” sounds a little spooky, there’s no loss of consciousness or amnesia. While some attribute the power of hypnosis to the placebo effect, another theory is that “hypnosis causes people to enter an altered state of consciousness, which makes them very responsive to hypnotic suggestions,” he says. “Originally, Freud theorized that hypnosis weakens the barrier between the conscious and subconscious,” he says, adding that this theory has largely been abandoned. However, there’s a lot of controversy over how hypnosis works, Milling says. Hypnosis has also been found to quiet parts of the brain involved in sensory processing and emotional response. How does hypnosis do this? Spiegel’s research has shown it can act on multiple brain regions, including some linked to pain perception and regulation. ![]() Instead of allowing pain, anxiety or other unhelpful states to run the show, hypnosis helps people to exert more control over their thoughts and perceptions. “While most people fear losing control in hypnosis, it is in fact a means of enhancing mind-body control,” Spiegel says. Research has also referred to hypnosis as the temporary “obliteration” of the ego. Both Milling and Spiegel compare hypnosis to losing oneself in a book or movie-those times when the outside world fades away and a person’s mind is completely absorbed in what she’s reading or watching. In some ways, hypnosis can be compared to guided meditation or mindfulness the idea is to set aside normal judgments and sensory reactions, and to enter a deeper state of concentration and receptiveness. The type of suggestions used depend on the patient and his or her unique challenges. Patients are invited to experience imaginary events as if they were real, Milling says. The “suggestion” phase involves talking the hypnotized person through hypothetical events and scenarios intended to help him or her address or counteract unhelpful behaviors and emotions. This stage could last anywhere from a few seconds to 10 minutes or longer, and the goal of induction is to quiet the mind and focus its attention on the therapist or counselor’s voice and guidance. “During the induction, the subject is typically told to relax, focus his or her attention, and that he or she is going into hypnosis,” Milling says. ![]() “If you asked 10 hypnosis experts how hypnosis works, you would probably get 10 different explanations,” Milling says.Īlmost everyone in the field agrees that the practice of hypnosis involves two stages, which are usually referred to as “induction” and “suggestion.” Research has found hypnosis can even alter a person’s immune function in ways that offset stress and reduce susceptibility to viral infections.īut what exactly does hypnosis entail, and how does it provide these benefits? That’s where things get a little murky. Hypnosis can also be “very helpful” in treating stress, anxiety and PTSD, Spiegel says.
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