What is self-hypnosis? This is called self-hypnosis and it takes practice. The best method is to take a hypnosis class to get some training and then you can take off on your own. Hypnosis has long been...
Hypnosis has long been revered as a practice that gets results. Many patients who suffer from problems such as biting their fingernails, smoking or weight loss have had great success by utilizing hypnosis. But even as a certified practices, the way hypnosis works is still a mystery to many.
The father of modern hypnotism is Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician. Mesmer believed that hypnosis was a mystical force. According to Mesmer's earliest beliefs, the force would flow from the hypnotist into the subject. Ironically, hypnosis was originally known as mesmerism. And to this day, we still use its derivative, mesmerize.
While being hypnotized by a hypnotherapist is the most common way to be put in a trance, many experts say that we fall into trances all the time. Some of the everyday forms of hypnosis happen when we are reading, driving and even watching movies. But while these are forms of hypnosis, they are not forms of self-hypnosis.
Wikepedia defines self-hypnosis as a process by which an individual trains the subconscious mind to believe something, or systematically schematizes the person's own mental associations, usually for a given purpose. This is accomplished through self-hypnosis methods or repetitive, constant self-affirmations, and may be seen as a form of self-induced brainwashing.
Larry Volz is a former magician who took up hypnosis 15 years ago. He is the executive director for the American Hypnosis Clinic and has held this position for almost four years now. Volz believes that self-hypnosis is a great way to relieve some of problems, but still believes that visiting a therapist would be the smartest advice for anyone needing deeper help.
"The best method is to take a hypnosis class to get some training and then you can take off on your own," he said. "However, you can't go as deep on your own as you can with a therapist."
"If you have a serious goal such as to quit alcohol or drugs, if you want to quit smoking or lose weight, I always recommend you go to a qualified hypnotherapist," Volz said. "Learning self-hypnosis as a way to relax is a fantastic way to reduce stress. Self-hypnosis is very similar to meditation but you go deeper and relax more fully."
One detail that many don't know about self-hypnosis is that you have to stay awake during the process. Some believe that when they do self-hypnosis, they fall off into a self-induced trance. Also, when doing self-hypnosis, the person must be aware of not waiting for hypnosis to happen. Putting your mind on the thought of waiting for it to happen will definitely hinder the process. Volz believes that with so many obstacles and possible problems involved in self-hypnosis that choosing a qualified hypnotherapist should always be an option.
"It's a little more challenging to do it yourself than when you have a coach," he said. "It's just like learning to play basketball. The best way to learn basketball is to join a team, get a coach, and then follow the coach's instructions until you get an idea of how to dribble, how to shoot, and then you can practice on your own. It's the same thing with self-hypnosis."
