Introduction to Self Hypnosis

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If you are trying to stop unwanted habits, control pain, stop headaches, or reduce stress, self hypnosis may be worth looking into. If you hear the word hypnosis you may very well imagine a stage scene where a slick gentlemen says, “You are sleepy . . . very, very sleepy.” This classic type of stage hypnotism is very entertaining; however it’s nothing like self hypnosis which is becoming an increasingly popular method to help alleviate a variety of health concerns. Of course hypnosis can’t substitute for the care and supervision your personal health care practitioner provides for you problems, but it is a wonderful complementary approach to use in conjunction with other methods.

The process of hypnosis involves placing an individual in a trance-like state often described as resembling sleep. Many contend that you are not at all asleep, but very much aware of your surroundings. Hypnosis does, though, place your mind in an altered, relaxed state. While in this state, your attention is much more focused than usual. You’re less critical and more open to suggestions.

And it’s this attribute that makes self hypnosis so effective in treating a variety of health problems. Self hypnosis naturally taps the inherent connection between mind and body.
Science still isn’t sure exactly how or even why hypnosis is so effective at helping some people kick the smoking habit or lose weight. Curiously, not everyone is capable of undergoing hypnosis. Even more curious is that this ability is not dependent on the talent of the hypnotist himself. Whether a person eventually succumbs to the suggested altered state of mind ultimately depends on the person undergoing the process.

Self hypnosis basically is a method that quiets and relaxes your body. It places you in an altered state, not unlike that of which is achieved in meditation. A vital aspect of this technique is mental imagery which helps you to focus inward. The imagery may involve the descending a set of stairs or visualizing a quiet spot that like a deserted beach. Some individuals visualize walking barefoot through a forest with soft moss gently caressing their feet, a relaxing brook bubbling in the background and even the smell of the damp earthiness of the forest floor surrounding them.

This heightened relaxation is called an alpha state, after the type of brain waves produced under these circumstances. Then you begin to recite positive affirmations, like, “I am fit, healthy and exercise daily.” After you’re done, you come out of the alpha state by going up the imagined set of stairs that you descended originally or by slowly walking out of the visualized surroundings.