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Hypnosis: An altered state of consciousness
By the Mayo Clinic Staff

Have you ever been totally absorbed while reading a book or cooking or watching a movie? Did you zone out to the point where you didn't notice what else was going on around you? If so, you have experienced a type of trance like state or focused attention that's similar to what happens to you during hypnosis.

Although its medical uses aren't entirely understood, hypnosis, when provided by a certified hypnotherapist or other qualified clinician, appears to help with a variety of health conditions. These range from helping to control pain to easing the symptoms of asthma. Before considering hypnosis, learn more about how it works, what conditions it may be helpful for and what to look for in a hypnotherapist.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis, which is sometimes referred to as hypnotherapy or hypnotic suggestion, is an altered state of consciousness. This state of consciousness is generally artificially induced and is different from your everyday awareness. When you're under hypnosis:

   ·   Your attention is more focused.
   ·   You're more responsive to suggestions.
   ·   You're more open and less critical or disbelieving.

The purpose of hypnosis as a therapeutic technique is to help you understand and gain more control over your behavior, emotions or physical well-being.

It's not clear how hypnosis works. However, it appears to affect how your brain communicates with your body through nerve impulses, hormones and body chemicals such as neuropeptides. Hypnotherapists say that hypnosis creates a state of deep relaxation and quiets the mind. When you're hypnotized, you can concentrate intensely on a specific thought, memory, feeling or sensation while blocking out distractions. You're more open than usual to suggestions, and this can be used to improve your health and well-being.

Who is hypnosis for?

Hypnotherapy has the potential to help relieve the symptoms of a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. It can be used independently or along with other treatments. For example, it's one of several relaxation methods for treating chronic pain that has been approved by an independent panel convened by the National institutes of Health.

According to preliminary studies, hypnotherapy can be used to:

   ·   Treat pain during childbirth and reduce labor time   
   ·   Control bleeding and pain during dental and surgical
       procedures
   ·   Relieve cramping and other symptoms associated with
       irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
   ·   Reduce blood pressure and regulate blood flow
   ·   Enhance the body’s immune system and ability to fight
       infections
   ·   Treat and ease the symptoms of asthma
   ·   Hasten the healing of some skin diseases
   ·   Improve psoriasis and atopic dermatitis
   ·   Change negative behaviors, such as smoking, bedwetting
       and overeating
   ·   Reduce fear, stress and anxiety
   ·   Eliminate or decrease the intensity of phobias

Although hypnosis may have the potential to help with a wide variety of conditions, it's not a magic bullet. It's typically used as one part of a broader treatment plan rather than as a stand-alone therapy. Like any other therapy, it can be very helpful to some people and fail with others. It seems to work best when you're highly motivated and your therapist is well trained and understands your particular problem.

Types of Hypnosis

A variety of hypnotic techniques exist. The approach you choose depends on what you want to accomplish, as well as your personal preferences. Your hypnotherapist may make a recommendation regarding the best technique for your particular situation.

For example, in one method, a hypnotherapist leads you into hypnosis by talking in gentle, soothing tones and describing images that create a sense of relaxation, security and well being. While you're under hypnosis, the hypnotherapist suggests ways for you to achieve specific goals — for example, reducing pain or stress or helping to eliminate the cravings associated with smoking cessation.

In another technique, once you're under hypnosis the hypnotherapist helps stimulate your imagination by suggesting specific mental images to see in your mind's eye. This conscious creation of vivid, meaningful pictures in your mind is called mental imagery, and it's a powerful way to help bring about what you want to achieve. For example, Hypnotherapists can help athletes specifically visualize what they want to accomplish before they perform it physically.
Self-hypnosis is a third technique. A certified hypnotherapist needs to teach you how to induce a state of hypnosis in yourself. You then can use this skill to help yourself.
Although Hypnotherapists, like other health care practitioners, each have their own style, expect some common elements:

   ·   A typical session lasts from 30 to 60 minutes.
   ·   The number of sessions can range from one to a series of
       several
   ·   You generally bring yourself out of hypnosis at the end of
       a session
   ·   You can usually resume your daily activities immediately
       after a session.