Hypnosis as a Therapeutic Tool

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesUses and Potential BenefitsImpactTipsPotential PitfallsHistory

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

Uses and Potential Benefits

Impact

Tips

Potential Pitfalls

History

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Hypnosis is a trance-like mental state in which people experience increased attention, concentration, and suggestibility. While hypnosis is often described as a sleep-like state, it is more accurate to say it’s a state of focusedattention, heightened suggestibility, and vivid fantasies.

People in a hypnotic state often seem sleepy and zoned out, but in reality, they are in a state of hyper-awareness.

While there are many myths and misconceptions around hypnosis, it is a very real process that can be used as a therapeutic tool. Hypnosis has been shown to have medical and therapeutic benefits, most notably in the reduction of pain and anxiety. It has even been suggested that hypnosis can reduce the symptoms of dementia.

Read on to learn more about hypnosis, its uses in health care, and its potential benefits and pitfalls.

Types of Hypnosis

There are a few different ways that hypnosis can be delivered:

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The following are just a few of the applications for hypnosis that have been demonstrated through research:

Hypnosis has also been used to help people with behavior changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight, or preventing bed-wetting.

Impact of Hypnosis

What impact does hypnosis have? The experience of hypnosis can vary dramatically from one person to another.

Some hypnotized individuals report feeling a sense of detachment or extreme relaxation during the hypnotic state, while others even feel that their actions seem to occur outside of their conscious volition. Other individuals may remain fully aware and able to carry out conversations while under hypnosis.

Hypnosis as a Therapeutic Tool

Tips for Hypnosis

While many people think that they cannot be hypnotized, research has shown that a large number of people are more hypnotizable than they believe. Research suggests that:

If you are interested in being hypnotized, it is important to remember to approach the experience with an open mind. People who view hypnosis in a positive light tend to respond better.

If you are interested in trying hypnotherapy, it is important to look for a professional who has credentials and experience in the use of hypnosis as a therapeutic tool.

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Misunderstandings about the subject of hypnosis are common; however, there are some potential negative effects. So what’s true and what’s not?

History of Hypnosis

The use of hypnotic-like trance states dates back thousands of years, but hypnosis began to grow during the late 18th-century from the work of a physician named Franz Mesmer. The practice got off to a poor start thanks to Mesmer’s mystical views, but interest eventually shifted to a more scientific approach.

More recently, there have been a number of different theories to explain exactly how hypnosis works. One of the best-known theories is Hilgard’s neo-dissociation theory of hypnosis.

According to Hilgard, people in a hypnotic state experience a split consciousness in which there are two different streams of mental activity. While one stream of consciousness responds to the hypnotist’s suggestions, another dissociated stream processes information outside of the hypnotized individual’sconscious awareness.

Hypnosis Apps to Try

10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Michael H.Hypnotherapy: A Handbook.McGraw-Hill Education (UK); 2012.Williamson A.What is hypnosis and how might it work?.Palliat Care. 2019;12:1178224219826581. Published 2019 Jan 31. doi:10.1177/1178224219826581Jensen MP, Jamieson GA, Lutz A, et al.New directions in hypnosis research: Strategies for advancing the cognitive and clinical neuroscience of hypnosis.Neurosci Conscious. 2017;3(1):nix004. doi:10.1093/nc/nix004Landolt AS, Milling LS.The efficacy of hypnosis as an intervention for labor and delivery pain: A comprehensive methodological review.Clin Psychol Rev. 2011;31(6):1022‐1031. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.06.002Jensen MP, Patterson DR.Hypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: clinical implications of recent research findings.Am Psychol. 2014;69(2):167-77. doi:10.1037/a0035644Lush P, Moga G, McLatchie N, Dienes Z.The Sussex-Waterloo Scale of Hypnotizability (SWASH): Measuring capacity for altering conscious experience.Neurosci Conscious. 2018;2018(1):niy006. doi:10.1093/nc/niy006Smith BL.Hypnosis today.Monitor of Psychology. 2011;42(1):50.Dasse MN, Elkins GR, Weaver CA 3rd.Hypnotizability, not suggestion, influences false memory development.Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015;63(1):110‐128. doi:10.1080/00207144.2014.961880Terhune DB, Hedman LRA.Metacognition of agency is reduced in high hypnotic suggestibility.Cognition. 2017;168:176‐181. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2017.06.026Raz CR, Lifshitz M. Hypnosis and Meditation, Towards an Integrative Science of Conscious Planes, “Chapter 12.” Oxford University Press; 2016.

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Michael H.Hypnotherapy: A Handbook.McGraw-Hill Education (UK); 2012.Williamson A.What is hypnosis and how might it work?.Palliat Care. 2019;12:1178224219826581. Published 2019 Jan 31. doi:10.1177/1178224219826581Jensen MP, Jamieson GA, Lutz A, et al.New directions in hypnosis research: Strategies for advancing the cognitive and clinical neuroscience of hypnosis.Neurosci Conscious. 2017;3(1):nix004. doi:10.1093/nc/nix004Landolt AS, Milling LS.The efficacy of hypnosis as an intervention for labor and delivery pain: A comprehensive methodological review.Clin Psychol Rev. 2011;31(6):1022‐1031. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.06.002Jensen MP, Patterson DR.Hypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: clinical implications of recent research findings.Am Psychol. 2014;69(2):167-77. doi:10.1037/a0035644Lush P, Moga G, McLatchie N, Dienes Z.The Sussex-Waterloo Scale of Hypnotizability (SWASH): Measuring capacity for altering conscious experience.Neurosci Conscious. 2018;2018(1):niy006. doi:10.1093/nc/niy006Smith BL.Hypnosis today.Monitor of Psychology. 2011;42(1):50.Dasse MN, Elkins GR, Weaver CA 3rd.Hypnotizability, not suggestion, influences false memory development.Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015;63(1):110‐128. doi:10.1080/00207144.2014.961880Terhune DB, Hedman LRA.Metacognition of agency is reduced in high hypnotic suggestibility.Cognition. 2017;168:176‐181. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2017.06.026Raz CR, Lifshitz M. Hypnosis and Meditation, Towards an Integrative Science of Conscious Planes, “Chapter 12.” Oxford University Press; 2016.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Michael H.Hypnotherapy: A Handbook.McGraw-Hill Education (UK); 2012.Williamson A.What is hypnosis and how might it work?.Palliat Care. 2019;12:1178224219826581. Published 2019 Jan 31. doi:10.1177/1178224219826581Jensen MP, Jamieson GA, Lutz A, et al.New directions in hypnosis research: Strategies for advancing the cognitive and clinical neuroscience of hypnosis.Neurosci Conscious. 2017;3(1):nix004. doi:10.1093/nc/nix004Landolt AS, Milling LS.The efficacy of hypnosis as an intervention for labor and delivery pain: A comprehensive methodological review.Clin Psychol Rev. 2011;31(6):1022‐1031. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.06.002Jensen MP, Patterson DR.Hypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: clinical implications of recent research findings.Am Psychol. 2014;69(2):167-77. doi:10.1037/a0035644Lush P, Moga G, McLatchie N, Dienes Z.The Sussex-Waterloo Scale of Hypnotizability (SWASH): Measuring capacity for altering conscious experience.Neurosci Conscious. 2018;2018(1):niy006. doi:10.1093/nc/niy006Smith BL.Hypnosis today.Monitor of Psychology. 2011;42(1):50.Dasse MN, Elkins GR, Weaver CA 3rd.Hypnotizability, not suggestion, influences false memory development.Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015;63(1):110‐128. doi:10.1080/00207144.2014.961880Terhune DB, Hedman LRA.Metacognition of agency is reduced in high hypnotic suggestibility.Cognition. 2017;168:176‐181. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2017.06.026Raz CR, Lifshitz M. Hypnosis and Meditation, Towards an Integrative Science of Conscious Planes, “Chapter 12.” Oxford University Press; 2016.

Michael H.Hypnotherapy: A Handbook.McGraw-Hill Education (UK); 2012.

Williamson A.What is hypnosis and how might it work?.Palliat Care. 2019;12:1178224219826581. Published 2019 Jan 31. doi:10.1177/1178224219826581

Jensen MP, Jamieson GA, Lutz A, et al.New directions in hypnosis research: Strategies for advancing the cognitive and clinical neuroscience of hypnosis.Neurosci Conscious. 2017;3(1):nix004. doi:10.1093/nc/nix004

Landolt AS, Milling LS.The efficacy of hypnosis as an intervention for labor and delivery pain: A comprehensive methodological review.Clin Psychol Rev. 2011;31(6):1022‐1031. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.06.002

Jensen MP, Patterson DR.Hypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: clinical implications of recent research findings.Am Psychol. 2014;69(2):167-77. doi:10.1037/a0035644

Lush P, Moga G, McLatchie N, Dienes Z.The Sussex-Waterloo Scale of Hypnotizability (SWASH): Measuring capacity for altering conscious experience.Neurosci Conscious. 2018;2018(1):niy006. doi:10.1093/nc/niy006

Smith BL.Hypnosis today.Monitor of Psychology. 2011;42(1):50.

Dasse MN, Elkins GR, Weaver CA 3rd.Hypnotizability, not suggestion, influences false memory development.Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015;63(1):110‐128. doi:10.1080/00207144.2014.961880

Terhune DB, Hedman LRA.Metacognition of agency is reduced in high hypnotic suggestibility.Cognition. 2017;168:176‐181. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2017.06.026

Raz CR, Lifshitz M. Hypnosis and Meditation, Towards an Integrative Science of Conscious Planes, “Chapter 12.” Oxford University Press; 2016.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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