Hypnosis. Introduction
Greek “hypnos,” meaning sleep, is the origin of the word “hypnosis.” Though it might seem that the hypnotised person is asleep, the reverse is true. Under hypnosis, sometimes known as trance, focus and activation of the so-called alpha rhythms in the brain rise. While the left hemisphere, in charge of logical-analytical thinking, stays quite dormant, the right hemisphere of the brain, in charge of imaginative, creative thinking, gets triggered.
Pioneers in the conception of the unconscious and its dynamics were Sigmund Freud, C.G. Jung, and Jacques Lacan. Using dream interpretation, free association, and hypnosis, they developed an understanding of patients’ unconscious. The unconscious is relevant since it shapes our feelings, ideas, impressions, and behaviour. It is the wellspring of automatic ideas, memory, emotional memory, insight, knowledge, inner conflicts, fears, and wants.
Scientifically approved and extensively proven psychotherapy techniques are hypnosis and hypnotherapy. For the treatment of children and adults, general doctors, dentists, and psychologists have all effectively used them in several spheres of psychotherapy.
Many times, individuals show considerable interest when I tell them I am a qualified clinical hypnotherapist. Usually, they are curious about hypnosis and hypnotherapy, their mechanisms, and their safety.
We will address those questions and more in this post.
Hypnotic Trance
An altered state of consciousness called the hypnotic trance is one that the hypnotherapist guides during hypnosis. Given specific skills to concentrate, activate vivid imagination, and build a trusting relationship with the hypnotherapist, most people have been shown to be able to achieve a trance state under hypnosis. One of the traditional techniques used by therapists to induce trance is ocular fixation.
Trance affects physiologic responses, including blood pressure control and muscular tension. Patients feel, mentally, great peace, balance, strength, and security. While imaginative processing engages and stimulates images across all senses, critical rational thinking retreats. Focus turns to inner experiences as view of the outside world disappears. Visual associations are easier to learn in a state of trance. For patients, this has specific consequences since it helps them to obtain more distance from stressful events and gives them positive content.
What Happens in Hypnosis?
Psychotherapists frequently use hypnotherapy after having prior experience with another therapeutic modality, such as psychology or behavior therapy. Based on and in addition to their therapeutic method, a therapist will use hypnosis to create conditions for the client to participate in creative problem-solving.
The therapist activates the right hemisphere of the brain to induce search processes in trance, therefore guiding rather than dictating solutions. Projecting into the future and anticipating addressing a challenging upcoming circumstance or seeing it already addressed could help.
The Ericksonian hypnotherapist also uses techniques of application outside of trance. This could be assigning chores meant to challenge habitual thinking, perception, or behaviour patterns (such as grabbing for a beer bottle or smoking).
When to Use Hypnosis?
Clinical experience and scientific investigations show that hypnosis and its psychotherapy application can help treat mental health problems rather well. These cover anxiety, sadness, PTSD, addictive behaviours, psychosomatic problems, persistent pain, and more.
In general medicine, hypnosis is effectively used for gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disorders, skin conditions, and in cancer treatment to lower pain, anxiety, or chemotherapy side effects. Other medical uses cover emergency treatment and obstetrics.
Effectiveness of Hypnosis
Empirical research and several approaches to tracking brain activity—including EEG (electroencephalography), a technology gauging the electrical activity of the brain—showcase the efficacy of hypnosis.
Used in anaesthesia to track its depth, the small handheld EEG monitor known as the Cerebral State Monitor displays comparable values in hypnotic anaesthesia as in pharmacologically generated anaesthesia. These findings establish how well hypnosis manages pain. Imaging methods such as PET allow one to see changes in the brain during hypnosis as well; these alterations show different reactions in deep relaxation compared to non-relaxed states.
Treatment with Hypnosis
Hypnosis has the power to affect almost all naturally occurring bodily functions, such as digestion, hormone gland activity, or immune system operation. Dependency therapy—that is, alcohol, smoking cessation—as well as pain management find other uses.
It mostly relies on the objectives of the therapist and, most importantly, on their experience, expertise, and ability to apply this instrument in a particular situation. Therapeutic hypnosis can help to elucidate the roots of especially mysterious anxiety and panic attacks, therefore enabling the second step—that of fear resolution.
Treatment of Chronic Pain
Medical hypnosis is especially helpful in treating chronic pain augmenting standard treatment with drugs. The long-term objective of hypnosis is to equip people with information and direction for self-hypnosis so that they may independently carry out hypnosis activities.
Treatment of Sleep Disorders
For treating sleep problems with psychological or emotional roots, hypnosis is rather successful. Hypnosis might also be interesting as a supplemental treatment if physical diseases cause sleep problems.
Many times, sleep problems result from people trying to break free from the loop of ideas or stop meaningless pre-bedtime. By means of positive interior images, hypnosis for sleep disorders aims to clear the mind, enabling a mild transition into a peaceful and comfortable sleep, hence ending the ruminating.
Treatment of Dependencies
Generally speaking, we separate between behavioural addictions and addictions to substances. The first group comprises alcohol, drug, and tobacco addictions. Since alcohol and cigarettes are easily accessible and generally not seen as drugs, they are by far the most common occurring addiction. Disorders including gambling, internet dependence, or compulsive buying constitute the second set of addictions. Reaching freedom from dependence is rather difficult.
Since they originate in the unconscious, hypnosis is a good therapeutic tool for dependencies. Treatment of behavioural and drug-related addictions can benefit from hypnosis. Hypnosis helps one to eliminate compulsions and cut off behaviours that encourage reliance. Rather, during hypnosis sessions, good behaviour patterns can be anchored in the unconscious.
Other Indications for Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy
- Phobias (debilitating, irrational fears, such as needle phobias, elevator phobias, and flying phobias)
- Anxiety (general anxiety, panic attacks)
- Depression
- Low Self-Esteem
- Fear of public speaking
- Motivation (in any aspect of life)
Hypnosis. The Procedure
Including hypnosis and hypnotherapy into a therapeutic plan calls for set procedures.
1. Initial Talks
The patient, first and foremost, needs to feel valued and understood. Usually, the first step to establishing confidence is a deep discussion between the hypnotherapist and the client. The real hypnosis starts when the relationship between patient and therapist is sufficiently at ease. This happens in a room radiating peace and tranquillity.
Originally, the conversation concentrated on explaining the issue, today, it’s about using the senses and subtly changing the way the problem is experienced. The patient settles up on the cosy hypnosis chair. They could close their eyes or wrap blankets over themselves. What counts is that the patient feels comfortable.
2. Relaxation Phase
Relaxation starts with breathing technique, which gradually deepens. Usually, the deepening of the breathing is counted. The patient might picture, for example, methodically walking down a stairway. The speed and intensity differ individually. The techniques and images in the induction might change depending on the client’s situation.
3. Trance State
The patients are directed and supported throughout trance to tackle the underlying causes of their difficulties at their own speed. Different approaches, ranging from regressive to progressive, abound here as well. As a very personal process, hypnosis should always be handled as such. The patients keep space between their experiences and the imagined scenario. The patients see their difficulties as though through a pane of glass. They are not overwhelmed by their feelings once more; they can sense the reactions from that moment perfectly. The patient is then urged to add fresh material to the scenario. For a phobia of flying, for instance, the emphasis moves to other parts of flight that are not frightening.
4. Waking Phase
During a hypnosis session, the waking phase is the shortest. The hypnotherapist encourages ever increasing alertness, resulting in the client opening his or her eyes and gradually counting from 1 to
Hypnosis in Questions and Answers
Among the therapeutic approaches used in psychology, hypnosis is the most misunderstood. We want to debunk such myths by responding to the most frequently asked questions in the following text. Our more advanced article about hypnosis will provide the reader with additional knowledge.
Is Hypnosis Safe?
Under professional direction, hypnosis is a safe therapy method. To prevent creating false memories, the patient needs a seasoned hypnotherapist who can safely work with everything that surfaces during a session.
Does Hypnosis Respect Person’s Autonomy?
Conscious control is mostly preserved under hypnosis. Modern hypnosis is communicative cooperation between a therapist and a client in a trance. It is important to treat patients with great respect for their autonomy. One’s psychology cannot be forced against their choice.
Only the Weak-Minded Can Be Hypnotized?
Anybody can be hypnotised since hypnosis depends on cooperation regardless of mental capacity. One who rejects hypnosis can’t be hypnotized.
Does Hypnotist Possess Special Powers?
Hypnotherapists are trained professionals using learnt procedures. Actually, hypnosis is only a means of guiding the mind to absorb ideas for transformation, therefore negating sensationalised ideas.
Can I Get Stuck in Hypnosis?
Under hypnosis, people keep control; if they so want, they can stop the process.
Doeas Peaple Remember what Happened during the Session?
Usually, people can remember their experiences during hypnosis or trance.
Do Peaple Reveal Secrets in Hypnosis?
Since the mind is completely aware, it is difficult to reveal secrets; people can decide not to discuss particular subjects.
How Many Hypnosis Sessions Are Needed?
Client-cantered clinical hypnotherapists change the session’s count to fit the client’s demands. On average, people require three sessions to cure phobias or stop smoking. Clients should see progress following the first hypnosis.
Who Should Not Be Hypnotized?
Many people get afraid under hypnosis. This is why one should be well-informed about this approach in order to grasp its possibilities and limitations. A skilled therapist will tell you about this and will not hypnotise you without first having long conversations with you. Furthermore, a detailed medical history is required because some contraindications exist. Hypnosis should not be used on those with psychotic diseases, intellectual disabilities, severe depression, epilepsy, personality disorders, or major heart ailments.
How to Find Qualified Hypnotist?
Searching for hypnosis or hypnotherapy in Dubai will provide many practitioners available online. Reviewing the provider’s profile and seeing whether they are certified via a professional hypnotherapy board comes first. After this, choose a practitioner in one of the mental healthcare fields, such as a psychologist or counsellor, who also possesses a license. This guarantees their required knowledge and experience to evaluate a client’s mental health and determine which treatments would be most helpful for them.
Hypnosis. Summary
Successful psychotherapy techniques are hypnosis and hypnotherapy. A hypnotic trance is the altered state of consciousness directed into during hypnosis. The great majority of people have been shown to reach a trance state under hypnosis. People in trance keep control and, should they so desire, can stop the hypnotic process at any moment.
By using these phenomena, the hypnotherapists can reach significant personal resources such as abilities, strengths, inner wisdom, and unconscious knowledge. This helps people to activate self-regulation skills, change their pain experience, mood, and well-being, develop coping mechanisms, and psychologically be ready for demanding events. For therapeutic investigation, trance also helps one access prior events and activates unconscious processes for future development and creative problem-solving.
One of the best therapy approaches is hypnosis; however, only qualified and competent therapists should administer it! A reliable therapist should have a certificate from a respectable hypnosis society, therefore guaranteeing they have had thorough hypnosis training from a licensed institute.