You might think of hypnosis as a state of deep relaxation in which your body and brain slow down. During hypnosis, you might expect to feel almost suspended in time, with not much going on in your brain as you listen to your therapist’s guidance.
But you’d be only half right.
Deep relaxation is a hallmark of hypnosis, but there’s quite a lot going on behind the scenes, particularly in your brain; and these mechanisms — including brain waves and neurotransmitters — are why hypnosis works and how it can help produce meaningful change and lasting healing.
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a natural state of deep relaxation and heightened awareness. This state, which can be reached in a matter of minutes, has been compared to meditation and to “flow state” in terms of the experience of narrowed focus and a shifting sense of the passage of time.
Studies suggest that more than two-thirds of adults are fairly susceptible to hypnosis. Although suggestibility might at first be seen as a liability, it’s actually quite positive. During hypnosis, your attention is so keenly focused that the rest of the world falls away, allowing you and your therapist to concentrate on making positive changes and progress. It is important to note: at no time is the client not in control.
The hypnosis process has two principal stages: induction and suggestion.
To induce a hypnotic state, your therapist will ask you to imagine sensory experiences — like the crisp air of a mountain lake, or a quiet, pine-scented forest — to help you move deeper into a relaxing and pleasant visualization.
Once you’ve reached this calm, hypnotic state, your therapist uses suggestions to guide you away from painful rumination and toward solutions to your problems. This immersed concentration can open the mind to new experiences, suggestibility, and positive transformation.
When you’re more open to suggestion, the success of other treatments can be improved. Hypnosis can be especially beneficial in addressing problems related to stress, trauma, depression, grief, phobias, anxiety, sleep issues, pain management, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), eating disorders, migraines, and unwanted habits.
In hospital settings, studies have found that hypnosis can be used to lessen pre-operative anxiety in patients, reduce the need for pain medication during surgery, and reduce the intensity of pain, fatigue, nausea, and discomfort following surgery as compared to patients who received general anesthesia. Experts believe that hypnosis lowers the body’s “fight or flight” stress response.