A Brief Overview Of Hypnosis
Hypnosis to help you quit smoking, lose weight and get leaner, or improve your memory? Astonishingly, the answer is "yes". Hypnosis is defined as a mental state that is characterized by reduced capability for attention and concentration while drifting into an altered state of consciousness. The "sensory deprivation" aspect of hypnosis often leads people to feel relaxed, sleepy, less anxious or even more like themselves. It's not always clear what's going on in the brain during hypnosis but there have been several studies which suggest that it activates regions involved in focused attention and short-term memory.
There are three main types of hypnosis. The first type is called "somnambulism," which is a state of deep relaxation. Most people who practice hypnosis use this state to help patients fall asleep and/or to alleviate pain. Deep relaxation is usually accompanied by reduced blood pressure, and some practitioners claim that it can even slow down the body's metabolic rate.
The second type is called "imagery" and involves taking the subject into an internal fantasy world through mental imagery in order to change brain patterns, create positive experiences and emotions, or remove negative experiences in the past.
The third type of hypnosis is known as "regression.
In this state, the subject will envision their younger self and revisit past experiences, traumas, or feelings.
There are a number of misconceptions about hypnosis. One is that it's always done with the help of a hypnotist. In fact, there are many scientific studies that have been done in which the patient was hypnotized but didn't realize it until after the study was completed because it was so subtle.
One example is as follows: a group of people were given two "imagined" tasks to perform. The first asked them to "imagine yourself walking on a beach; feel the sand between your toes and smell the salty air." The second was a distraction task (i.e. mentally calculate 4x7).
A few minutes later, they were given the same tasks while in an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) machine which measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.
A control group was also tested with no intervention but another group had their hands placed in a warm water bath that produced "mild" hypnosis so there would be no external signs of hypnosis or relaxation.
The fMRI showed that the second group and not the control group had significantly increased activity in their sensory cortices while they were imagining the beach.
This isn't really surprising because the participants could have been in a milder state of hypnosis, but they actually performed better at some tasks and worse at others.
The results show that hypnosis actually slows down brain activity related to focused attention and short-term memory but makes other areas more active.
The use of hypnosis for weight loss is most controversial. Most researchers believe one reason for this is that people who are overweight generally have a lot on their minds; overeating is simply an unhealthy coping mechanism to deal with problems such as stress, anxiety, or depression. By taking stress out of the equation, they should be able to find other coping mechanisms.
Moreover, hypnosis can actually create good feelings about food and eating, and therefore help people to enjoy their meals more. So it's really a win-win.
Hypnosis is typically used by licensed professionals who possess specific training in clinical hypnosis. However, studies have shown that with proper training and appropriate supervision, anyone can learn how to use hypnosis.
Training in this field usually takes around a year, depending on where you decide to study it because not all schools are equal. Once you get your licenses, you should be able to work as a hypnotherapist in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Europe and the UK.
Some well-known people who are hypnosis practitioners include:
• Milton Erickson – he was a psychiatrist and professor of psychology at UCLA. He's been studied extensively by researchers and is known to have used "conditional response therapy" by teaching simple body language cues which prompted patients to change their behavior without offering them any suggestion or guidance.
• Ian Stevenson – a Scottish psychiatrist who spent years studying several children who were thought to have been reincarnated, also known as "reincarnation". He chose his subjects based on their results from a "metacognitive test" where they were shown drawings of two people and were asked to describe how they were related to each other.
• Milton Erickson with Elizabeth Loftus – I'm going to give you the link to a video that will tell you more about hypnosis. It's a great one; you'll want all the information!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwoR7jZe5dM
• Wagner College – Dr. Otto Rank was an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who treated many famous people during his lifetime, the majority of them women, including leading actresses and authors, socialites, and even royalty.
• Elmer Green – he was a psychologist who worked with the US Government on stress and was also a prolific teacher of numerous classes on psychology, but especially hypnosis.
• Milton Erickson with Elizabeth Loftus – I'm going to give you the link to a video that will tell you more about hypnosis. It's a great one; you'll want all the information! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwoR7jZe5dM
• Joseph Durlak – he is an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who developed one of the first hypnosis techniques called "welcoming hypnotic regression".
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.
Conclusion:
I hope now you know a little something about hypnosis and how it works. Perhaps you'll never use it, but maybe you will. Whatever your choice, I'd love to hear from you when you make it!
--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwoR7jZe5dM
And the link:
http://www.hypnotism-pilates.com/hypnotherapy/nlp/page2.html#stressrelaxation
A study called "The effect of relaxation training on susceptibility to stress" was conducted by researcher Drs. Ceri Vallicorda and Jenine Lutfi Alhabsi (2012).