What Is Hypnosis Used For?
CAN IT HELP ME?
There are many self-improvement books, courses, and websites available today. They give advice on how we can increase our confidence, improve our motivation and remedy a range of fears, limitations, and flaws. I am a big fan of personal development. I have bought many valuable books, tools, and programs for my own personal growth. One of the most valuable resources I have added to my toolkit has been learning about hypnosis. But what is hypnosis used for, you may be asking? Everything! I know this well because I'm a hypnosis junkie.
Hypnosis has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including stress, anxiety, phobias, depression, childbirth, pain, skin conditions, nausea and vomiting relief, and many others.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF HYPNOSIS AND HYPNOTHERAPY
Hypnosis is practiced all over the world and dates back thousands of years. It was used as a therapeutic tool by doctors, spiritual healers, and tribal leaders to heal people with all sorts of physical and mental problems. Almost all ancient cultures used hypnosis in some form, including the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese and Indians.
In the late 18th century, a German physician by the name of Franz Mesmer used ‘mesmerism’ to treat his patients. It sparked debate and widespread scientific interest. A period of intensive investigation was to follow. Scottish surgeon and influential pioneer Dr. James Braid introduced the terms hypnotism, hypnosis, and hypnotherapy. He became known as the Father Of Hypnosis.
WHAT IS HYPNOSIS USED FOR IN MODERN TIMES?
Hypnosis has been used for entertainment purposes, such as stage show performances. But it continues to be a powerful and gentle method that helps people to overcome a wide range of conditions and issues, which you can view in the hypnosis library. But first, let's delve more deeply into what hypnosis is and how it works before we look at what is hypnosis for.
In modern times, hypnosis has been used for entertainment such as stage performances.
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPNOSIS AND HYPNOTHERAPY?
Hypnosis is the process of deeply relaxing the unconscious mind so that it is receptive to suggestion. Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy that uses hypnosis as its primary tool. This treatment may include suggestions, direction or other interventions. You can also learn to do self-hypnosis or purchase pre-recorded audio downloads.
HOW DOES HYPNOSIS WORK?
The Conscious and Unconscious Minds
Firstly, hypnosis deals with the unconscious mind, so let’s clarify the difference between conscious and unconscious minds first.
The conscious mind is the part of our brain that we use for all our usual day to day thinking. It is responsible for making decisions, reminding ourselves to do things, making judgments, reading, planning, learning, etc. The conscious mind is the logical and reasoning part of the brain. It consists of all the thinking that we are fully aware of.
In contrast, we are not fully aware of what is going on in our unconscious mind. We do know that the unconscious mind is a larger part of the brain. We also know it's where our beliefs, behaviors, memories, attitudes, habits, interests and motivations are stored. But we don’t know how our emotions, feelings, and experiences have influenced them and what effects this has had to our current beliefs and behaviors.
Sigmund Freud likened the mind to that of an iceberg. He suggested that there is a small amount we can see above the surface of the water (the conscious mind). There is also a much larger part that is deep down below the surface that we are not aware of (the unconscious mind).
THE POWER OF THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND
Hypnosis works on the part of the brain that we do not have full awareness of or easy influence over. As we are not fully aware of what is going on in our unconscious mind, we are guided by the thoughts, behaviors, and outcomes that we do see.
When you consciously want to achieve something, for example, lose weight, you may work really hard at it. But you may fail to reach your goal, time and time again. And the more you try, the more failure you experience. You don’t know why this is happening. You’ve done everything right. So what’s stopping your success?
YOUR UNCONSCIOUS MIND MAY BE WORKING AGAINST YOU
The unfortunate answer is, your unconscious mind is probably to blame for sabotaging your own success. If you have tried losing weight before, and it wasn’t successful, your unconscious mind may have stored all the negative feelings of failure and disappointment. It has likely created deep-seated limiting beliefs such as:
“I’ll never lose weight”.
“I’ve tried many times before and diets just don’t work for me”.
“Why should I bother? It’s a waste of time”.
Therefore, no matter how much you consciously want to lose weight, unless you address the beliefs deep in your unconscious mind, you will continue to be unsuccessful. Your unconscious mind is a lot more powerful than your conscious mind.
WHAT IS HYPNOSIS USED FOR? CAN IT HELP ME?
By using hypnosis, the old, negative messages stored in your unconscious mind can be replaced with new, positive and empowering statements. Through repetition, these statements will become firmly embedded in your unconscious mind and become your new beliefs.
There are many problems that hypnosis can help you to overcome. There are problems such as anxiety, stress, self-esteem, self-confidence, communication, motivation, fears, phobias, addictions, relationships … The list goes on. See the hypnosis library to see how extensive the list is. A check out the video at the end of this post.
It feels really exciting and empowering when you realize you can take control of your thoughts and beliefs and ensure that they are working for you, not against you. You don't have to put up with negative feelings anymore. There's help out there, and it's easily accessible. I have used many hypnosis audios to empower me with positive beliefs and goals. You can too.
Many people want to make changes in their lives, but they have so many obstacles in their way and don't know where to start. Some people want to pursue a new career or a new relationship, but they may have a lack of confidence or low self-esteem. Is that how you feel?
HOW CAN I GET HYPNOTHERAPY?
With the help of hypnosis you can quickly overcome these barriers, give themselves a psychological boost and go after their dreams. You can soothe and heal your mind by freeing yourself of lifelong emotional issues or bad habits. And the other great news is, you don’t even have to leave home.
Learn self-hypnosis and enjoy this therapeutic therapy in the comfort of your own home.
There is a lot of information available about hypnosis and hypnotherapy in books and online. Here are a few different options that you can try:
- Visit a local hypnotherapist by looking online or in your local phone book.
- Take a free self-hypnosis course.
You might also be interested to check out my review of HypnosisDownloads.com.
In some serious cases where experiences have been very traumatic, it may be preferable to visit a hypnotherapist who also offers other supporting services such as counseling or psychotherapy.
*This post may contain affiliate links which means we may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links.
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The information on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The purpose of this website is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.