What Is Hypnosis?

By Author: Milos Pesic
Total Articles: 28
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We've all seen the movies where Dracula manages to hypnotize a damsel in distress. Helpless to fend him off, the woman under his thrall easily does his bidding. But, what is hypnosis exactly and how does it work?

Hypnosis is really nothing more than an altered state of mind. Rather than require drugs or alcohol, this condition is brought on by a process that focuses the mind on a narrow subject or moment in time. By employing their craft, hypnotherapists say they put clients into a deep state of relaxation. While they don't necessarily have Dracula's penchant for instantly putting people into a state of relaxation, hypnosis experts can elicit amazing results in some cases.

When a person is under hypnosis it is believed their attentions are more sharply focused, they become much more responsive to suggestions and ideas and they tend to be more open to ideas, as well. This makes hypnosis perfect for helping a person who is open to this form of therapy deal with everything from nicotine addiction to overeating. There are many studies that support the use of hypnosis in treating addictions to such things as cigarettes, ...
... alcohol, food and even illegal drugs. While it might not always work, it is considered by many to be a powerful tool to use in the process.

Some of the other uses for hypnosis have had documented successes. They include:

·Phobias. Hypnosis has proven useful in helping people battle phobias and even can assist in fear and anxiety reduction. When a person is hypnotized, the suggestion left behind is typically one that helps reassure them when a phobia situation arises or fear or panic strike.

·Childbirth. The use of hypnosis for reducing the pain of childbirth is noted, but it's not necessarily something all women are open to attempting. This pain control property has been extended to other areas, as well. These include dental work, minor surgery and more. Oftentimes, hypnosis is used alone or in combination with other therapies to control pain associated with procedures. When hypnosis is used alone, it is often done in a manner that helps a person put mind over matter.

·Chemotherapy. Some patients have reported that hypnosis helps them combat the nausea often associated with chemotherapy. Here and again, this tends to be a mind over matter situation, which can have mixed results.

·Blood pressure. Hypnosis has also proven useful in helping some people lower their blood pressure levels.

Hypnosis tends to give people an extra push of will power to combat all sorts of addictions, fears and difficulties. When it is coupled with a personal desire to overcome, the combination can be very powerful. It is often recommended that hypnosis only be performed by trained professionals to safeguard against any potential complications.