Distinguishing between Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy
Welcome to The New You’s Blog.
This is where you can learn more about hypnosis and hypnotherapy through informative articles about the latest research in hypnosis and the occasional case study.
Hypnosis is becoming a popular choice for helping people with challenges in their life. Most people associate hypnosis with stop smoking and losing weight; however, the scope of different issues that respond positively to hypnosis is rather broad. Outside of a mental illness, almost any normal life problem can be ameliorated with hypnosis. Even certain mental illnesses (e.g., phobias, depression, anxiety disorders) have responded to well to hypnotherapy.
Almost all people are fascinated by the mind and its powers. We have discovered many fascinating things about the mind and the brain through research, particularly in neuroscience. Here are a few interesting things about the brain/mind.
–the brain is plastic and can compensate for lost functions by developing function in other areas
–your brain is busier when it’s doing nothing (called the default mode) than when you are engaging in a task. The evidence comes from “noise” signals in neuroimaging.
–hypnosis has been shown to be activated in certain areas of the brain, including the emotional (limbic) system, as well as pain-reducing centers.
Despite the advances in technology, there are still many things to be discovered such as how hypnosis works in the mind. Hypnosis is a physiological state in which a person enters, either naturally via the body’s biorhythms or by hypnotic induction. What does hypnosis feel like? Being in hypnosis resembles daydreaming. A person may appear to be relaxed or asleep; however, they are, in fact awake, but usually in a dreamy state, where they can focus their attention on the hypnotist’s voice. The hypnotic state is not a ‘special’ state; everyone enters hypnosis naturally.
The difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy is the difference between state and process. Hypnosis is a temporary state that one enters while hypnotherapy is the art of giving beneficial suggestions to a person in hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is more of an art than a science. The hypnotist or practitioner utilizes many skills to deliver effective suggestions. Creativity, understanding the psychology of a client’s problem, direct suggestion, indirect suggestion, age regression, non-verbal suggestions and many more tools are employed by the effective hypnotherapist.
The field of hypnotherapy has grown since it was introduced over 200 years ago by a physician, Anton Mesmer (next blog topic). Today, particularly in the U.S., there are tens of thousands hypnotherapists practicing hypnosis. Canada has been slow in embracing the therapeutic power of hypnotherapy; however, people are catching on. In the last few years, inquiries and bookings has grown exponentially, providing evidence that people are beginning to be receptive to hypnosis and hypnotherapy.
This is an exciting time for the field of hypnosis and hypnotherapy.