The first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of hypnosis is usually a magician convincing a person to act like a chicken, however, hypnosis is actually an approach that doctors can use to treat pain, depression, anxiety, phobias, and more. Hypnosis is a state in which a person appears to be under a trance and is extremely concentrated (Brandt). It is not a new concept. In fact, hypnosis has been used by the ancient Egyptians over 2,000 years ago (healing power). In the 1770s, the Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer began to study hypnosis scientifically. More recently, it was used during World War I and World War II to treat soldiers who experienced post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental disorders (World Book).
Hypnosis is a natural state of mind that can be used for many purposes, in different settings. Nowadays research in the field of hypnosis and associated areas has blossomed and there are valuable evidence that hypnosis has real and measurable affects on both body and mind. During this essay I will be describing what is hypnosis including what the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis are, further I will be discussing the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy.
As a person responds to the methods used in hypnosis, the persons state of attention changes. A person can experience different stages of awareness, consciousness, imagination, memory, and reasoning and may become more responsive to suggestions; this is why it is used in abnormal behavior to see where ones state of mind is.
“What is hypnosis?” Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy
When you think of hypnosis you often think back to a magic show where you watched people go up on stage and do an act of commands without even realizing. For many Americans hypnosis may be more of a magic show than a means for therapy or forensic investigation. Recently hypnosis has been relied on to get answers, whether it be for getting over a fear or remembering memories for a court case. In both fields the subject of hypnotherapy is controversial. Hypnotherapy may lead to pseudomemories that are misleading or simply false. Hypnotherapy is a great therapeutic technique because it helps grieving people cope with a loss of a loved one, it rids patients of phobias, and can be used to recover traumatic memories that can be problematic towards
The subject of hypnotherapy may seem confusing for many people who have not undergone the procedure. Hypnotherapy is a therapy method that aims to use hypnosis in order to produce positive changes in the patient's life. In order to answer the question, "What is hypnotherapy", one must understand hypnosis.
What is hypnosis? Hypnosis has amazing benefits and can enhance people lives in many ways. In modern times, it is unfortunate that Hypnosis is seen as a method of entertaining people instead of it being respected for its true aspects. In reality, hypnosis bears little resemblance to these stereotyped images, as it can improve focus and general well-being mentally and physically. It is a cooperative interaction in which the participant responds to the suggestions of the hypnotist. It can also be described as a sleep like trance state or better expressed as a relaxed creative mind, focused by the individual. Despite stories about people being hypnotised out of their consent hypnosis requires voluntary participation on the part of the
The history of hypnosis is a bit like a history of breathing. Like breathing, hypnosis is an inherent and universal trait, shared and experienced by all human beings since the dawn of time. It’s only in the last few decades that we’ve come to realise that hypnosis itself hasn’t changed for millennia, but our understanding of it and our ability to control it has changed quite profoundly. The history of hypnosis, then, is really the history of this change in perception (History of Hypnosis, 2012). Although through the ages many rituals and practises from all over the world resemble modern day hypnosis, hypnosis from a western medical point of view started in 18th Century
Hypnosis, as a term and as a practice, is shrouded in centuries of mystery and surrounded by misconception. Even the word itself, derived from the Greek ‘hypnos’, meaning sleep, is misleading; most people today, even if they hadn’t experienced it themselves, would recognise that being in a hypnotic state is not the same as being asleep. In order to reach a satisfactory definition of hypnosis, it is necessary therefore to explore its origins,
Hypnosis may be associated with luring and deception but more than the negative perceptions movies and other forms of media have molded before us, this process are actually beneficial and is being used for medical purposes. More than being linked to black magic, witches and trickery, the field of medicine has proven its positive effects versus different health conditions and to retain well-being.
Hypnosis is widely used in therapy for a number of reasons. The promotion of hypnosis as a cure for weight loss, smoking, exam nerves and other such
Looking back, it is clear now that hypnosis has been around for many centuries and the use of hypnotic states can be traced back to Shamans or Witch Doctors. In the 1700’s Franz Anton Mesmer produced his theory of “animal magnetism” in which he believed healing forces could be transferred through “cosmic fluid” there is no evidence to support the transfer of the healing energies devised by Mesmer but his success rate was high which lead to his patients being described as “mesmerized” and mesmerism is an early forerunner for modern day hypnosis. Many theories
My understanding of hypnosis is that it is a natural state and that all humans regularly enter a light trancelike state which they describe as “daydreaming”. It is not gaining control of a person so they act out of
Given the innate personal nature of the processes of hypnotherapy it would perhaps seem logical at the outset that the above statement may in fact be true. However, given the complexities of the human organism could it possibly be true that an hypnotic induction tailored to suit a specific individual would always be most effective? In this essay I will look at the methods and techniques employed in hypnotherapy to personalise inductions within the screed, and the reasons why, and consider when and how these techniques may, or may not, be effective.
Hypnotherapy is commonly used in medicine to treat some conditions such as anxiety. According to Steven, (2013), the hypnotist does not have the ability to control one’s mind or free will. However, hypnotherapy can be used to teach people how to help people master their state of an awareness thus affecting the way one’s body function and how psychologically respond. Today hypnotherapy is used by doctors to control anxiety in some patients before some medical procedures such as dental procedures. It can also be used on patients to reduce the pain and the anxiety, especially after surgery. Furthermore, hypnotherapy is used by the dentist to take control of bleeding and gagging (Whorwell, 2005).