General considerations about self-hypnosis

Self-hypnosis puts to the test many questions about hypnotherapy and its level of effectiveness, generating doubts among people and researchers about how it really works and whether it should not be considered only as a form of meditation.

There are those who believe in self-hypnosis as a form of magic or illusionism, which makes them skeptical about its treatment, being reduced to meditative practices only with a more charming name. This perception generates in most people a certain distrust and fear towards this method.

However, in reality the simplicity of self-hypnosis makes it accessible to all who wish to try this type of hypnotherapy on themselves, moreover its method has already been scientifically proven! Understand how it works and learn how to prepare to perform self-hypnosis in the text below.

Self-hypnosis, how it works and preparation

Hypnotherapy has been increasingly perceived as a form of treatment by scientific society. Becoming recommended in many cases, especially for those who can not be used medications. Learn more about the practice of self-hypnosis and how it works in the sequence!

Self-hypnosis to combat stress

Stress is a basic reaction of the organism to external and internal factors capable of generating stimuli that are directly associated to survival, mainly the gesture of escape or facing danger.

This is a natural and important reaction of the body that keeps us in a state of wakefulness and alertness. One of the triggers that awaken this state is work, hence the problem is born, because we are constantly stressed with our daily routine.

As a consequence, several types of physical and mental symptoms are generated, such as heart arrhythmia, muscle tension, fatigue, irritation and even migraines. In more serious cases, stress can lead to acute anxiety or depression.

Self-hypnosis emerges in this context as an alternative to relieve stress and prevent the development of these symptoms in your body. Being able to access your mind and rescue the sense of well-being essential for your rest and relaxation.

The purpose of hypnosis

Hypnosis arises with the aim of empowering and training the unconscious mind, so that you can offer the necessary suggestions, pushing away negative thoughts and managing your emotions and feelings more effectively.

Hypnosis will act on your unconscious in order to make your consciousness more suggestible, which will enable an interaction with your state of consciousness in order to allow a mental reprogramming, thus facilitating the treatment of stress or other disorders.

Science's view of hypnosis

From the point of view of science and the history of hypnosis, the first studies related to this technique are described by the Arab philosopher and physician Avicena in 1037 AD, citing in one of his books the differences between sleep and hypnotic trance. His studies are responsible for popularizing the hypnosis technique.

In 1840, another fact happened, the Scottish doctor James Esdaile used the techniques of hypnosis to perform surgical procedures on his patients. He did not use any form of anesthetic available at the time.

And in the last decades, new studies are being done, as for example in 1998, in which the psychiatrist Henry Szechtman stimulates the sense of hearing of a patient in trance, thus causing an auditory hallucination in him.

Another research was conducted by neurologist Pierre Ranville, he asked his volunteers in hypnotic trance to put their hands in boiling water. There are not only these researches, there are a number of other researches that relate hypnotherapy to the treatment of disorders, for example.

What is self-hypnosis

There are some differences between hypnosis and self-hypnosis that need to be clarified. The former should be associated with heterohypnosis as it is performed through a third party, while the process of self-inducing hypnosis should be known as self-hypnosis.

Hypnosis is described as a form of enticement of a person's imagination and beliefs, in this process of suggestibility they are induced to experience a subjective reality befitting their consciousness.

Self-hypnosis would then be induced from the artifice of language as a way to change the subjective reality of those who practice it. Self-hypnosis appears then as a tool that acts on their perception of reality.

This way, you will be able to reprogram your mind and deal with your traumas, phobias, anxiety and stress in a positive way.

How self-hypnosis works

Hypnotherapy uses the technique of hypnosis as a means to alter the brain patterns and experiences of the individual. Being widely used by NLP, Neurolinguistic Programming, becoming able to act on the thoughts, perceptions, feelings and even on their behavior.

Your consciousness must be induced to a state of hypnotic trance which will be capable of creating a subjective experience, thus increasing the level of suggestibility and stimulating your brain in relation to the changes you wish to operate. In other words, a pathway is created in your consciousness which guides you straight towards the solutions to your problems.

Through this process you will be able to reconfigure your thoughts, beliefs and even resignify your memories. Self-hypnosis enables all this to happen individually and under your command.

Preparation for self-hypnosis

The first step is to understand that self-hypnosis depends directly on your will. For, in order for you to enter into hypnotic trance it will be essential to prepare the environment and your mind so that you can relax, maintain focus and not be afraid.

The second step, is to have clear in your mind the goals you want to achieve with self-hypnosis. Defining them will help you work on hypnotic suggestions, thus creating cues for your mind when you immerse yourself in a hypnotic trance. At this point, regarding your goals you need to be specific and realistic in order to succeed.

Here are some other tips that will assist you in this process of self-hypnosis:

- Choose a place that is quiet and peaceful;

- Set a specific time for practice;

- Avoid any kind of external interruptions;

- Avoid practicing when you are tired;

- Wear comfortable clothes;

- Do not have a heavy meal before practice.

Technique, preparation, relaxation and finishing

Self-hypnosis will require some prerequisites from you for its realization, to achieve this state you will need to respect your limits and practice. Learn a little more about the technique of self-hypnosis and the preparation needed below!

The technique of self-hypnosis

In order to achieve a hypnotic experience you will first need to exercise your focus, have discipline, dedication and most importantly keep your mind open. In addition, you need to look for a place that is comfortable and quiet to perform self-hypnosis so that any kind of interruption is avoided.

The hypnosis technique requires a series of preparations and also uses other techniques in its favor as relaxation and breathing techniques common to the practice of meditation. They allow you to connect with your mind and body, fundamental procedure to suggest your consciousness and reprogram your mind.

The preparation

First, you will need to prepare the environment where the self-hypnosis will be performed. Find a place that is quiet, preferably peaceful and silent, and that you can be alone. Finding a comfortable position is also important, however, avoid lying down so that you do not run the risk of falling asleep.

Then just focus on your breathing, keeping your posture straight and fix your gaze on some point or object in the place. This will help you to prevent your mind from wandering around the environment. Count your breath and then repeat it back to your mind:

"I'm teary eyed and heavy minded, I'm going into hypnosis right now."

It is very likely that you will not enter a trance state the first time, so keep your posture and repeat this thought to your mind in a way. Your attention, dedication and steadiness will eventually convince your mind to enter the hypnotic state.

Relaxation

By performing the preparation you will allow your body to achieve relaxation, but in order to maintain this state you will need to perform the breathing exercises. Counting in the act of inhaling and exhaling will help you to relax your mind and will impose a decelerated rhythm to your body and totally relax you.

When you are in this state you make your mind more suggestible, thus allowing you to send commands to your consciousness. Seek in this phase to communicate to your consciousness using optimistic phrases with the goal of changing the behaviors you desire.

The finalization

At the end of your self-hypnosis session, you can come out of this trance state by ordering your consciousness through a countdown. Calmly, take a deep breath and start counting from 10 to 1, at the end of the countdown tell yourself that you are regaining your consciousness of self and the world.

Open your eyes slowly, stretch your arms and legs, observe your surroundings. You will notice your reasoning slowly returning, because the trance has led you into a state of stupor. But don't worry, you will soon return to your normal state.

The hypnotized person and hypnotic susceptibility

Hypnosis puts us in a state of consciousness that is only possible by our consent. By accepting to put us in this trance position we are able through suggestions to control our consciousness and alter our behavior patterns.

Hypnotherapy then emerges as a means to treat disorders and trauma. Want to know if you can be hypnotized and how hypnotherapy treatment works? Read on to find out!

Can everyone be hypnotized?

In order to be able to reach a state of hypnotic trance, it will be necessary to have consent. Because, only from the moment that you accept to enter this state, you will be able to suspend your mental barriers in order to become more suggestible.

The hypnotized person will never cease to control their mental faculties. What occurs in this state is an elevation in the concentration and imagination of their consciousness capable of stimulating them to re-signify their thoughts and memories, or reprogram their behaviors.

Is there brain training for hypnosis?

In order to reach the state of hypnotic susceptibility, in the past a series of exercises were performed and reproduced throughout the treatments. However, it is clear that the effectiveness of this treatment was reduced because it varies from person to person and there is no safe source of research.

Today it is proven by Nicholas Spanos and Donald Gorassini that self-hypnosis will only be truly effective when patients actively participate in its process. Regardless of the exercises, they must seek the paths in their consciousness that work best for them.

How a person looks when hypnotized

Reactions can be diverse in hypnotherapy, as each person experiences the experience in their own way. However, there is a variation among these reactions ranging from a state of full attention, to the state of extreme relaxation and all cases are described as pleasant.

During the trance state people indicate they are able to perceive their surroundings but feel they are in a state of stupor. Although they are suspended in their consciousness, they are aware and in control of their actions and believe they are capable of exiting this consented state of hypnotic trance.

Hypnotic susceptibility

There are reports from some scientists who believe that hypnotic susceptibility is a reflection of the individual's personality that cannot be modified. Which means that only some people possessed this ability to enter a state of hypnotic trance.

However, research conducted in 1987 by Campbell Perry indicated that all people are capable of enhancing this ability of hypnotic susceptibility. It is now considered a trait pertinent to everyone.

Hypnotic suggestion

Hypnotic suggestions are phrases that will be said during the hypnotic trance process. These phases should be objective and simple, thus becoming able to suggest your mind to achieve the goals set by the individual. Through them it is possible to achieve the desired results in hypnotherapy.

They are used with the intention of redirecting your focus during treatment, being able to guide your thoughts in search of solving problems. Soon, these phrases will act with the intention of reprogramming, or re-signifying, your emotions, thoughts and memories.

Advantages of self-hypnosis

Self-hypnosis will guarantee a series of advantages for those who learn this technique, the main one being the ability to face the traumas, sufferings and difficulties that arise in your life. Being a very useful tool for your day to day life. Know all the advantages of self-hypnosis in the sequence below.

Improvements in concentration

You can improve your concentration, from a series of suggestions you will become a more attentive and focused person. Whether for studies, for everyday tasks or for work, you can exercise your mind in trance to achieve excellence in this skill.

To achieve this goal is very simple, you can use some of the phrases below to use when in the hypnotic trance:

"I will learn the most from my studies."

"I'll get great results at work."

"I'll be able to finish my presentation."

If you repeat them several times during the trance state, these suggestions will be absorbed by your mind and soon you will feel the results.

Memory enhancements

If you have difficulty memorizing important facts or information for your life, know that this difficulty may be associated with emotional problems or limiting beliefs created in your consciousness.

Hypnotherapy will be able to act on your problem by offering solutions to them from hypnotic susceptibility. You will be able to use assertive phrases when you are in trance, so look for phrases that will enhance this ability such as:

"I won't forget class."

"I will memorize the book I am reading."

These are some examples, it is important that you actively participate in the formulation of the sentences so that you can act on the source of your problem.

Aid in the treatment of pain

Hypnosis is a powerful tool not only for psychic treatments, but also to help in the treatment of physical pain. Being used as an alternative to anesthetic drugs, especially in cases where it is impossible to apply anesthesia on the patient.

This technique is able to stimulate the body to produce hormones that fight stress, eliminating pain and neutralizing the action of cortisol in the body. Being applied in surgeries and even in the treatment of sequelae.

Other advantages of self-hypnosis

Self-hypnosis is used in many other treatments because of its effectiveness in reprogramming behaviors and assisting in meeting goals. This can be a great tool that offers several advantages such as:

- Assist in combating shyness;

- It facilitates the learning process;

- It can act in the control of diabetes;

- It is able to improve the performance of athletes;

- Fights phobias;

- Facilitates the learning of new languages;

- Improves resilience.

Ways to perform self-hypnosis

There are several methods for you to perform self-hypnosis, they can involve anything from sound stimulation to professional help. Find the method that you feel most comfortable with. Below are some practices that can help you with this practice.

By audios

There are audios disseminated on the internet that are able to help you enter the hypnotic trance. They are constructed in order to encourage the relaxation of mind and body making the conditions conducive to achieving this state.

The advantage of this method is in its accessibility, facilitating the process of inducing self-hypnosis. However, the effects can be weak, especially if you have not followed the preparation of the environment and practiced what is necessary in relation to attention and breathing.

The initial self-hypnosis

This level of self-hypnosis is achieved through the assistance of a hypnosis professional. He will be able to help you understand your mind and will guide your conscious to achieve self-hypnosis through triggers that will help you awaken the hypnotic trance state.

Soon, the hypnotist will teach you how to reach this state from a mental program pre-established by him. This can be a resource for those who are having difficulty reaching this state, however, it is important that you participate actively in the process so that you can achieve your autonomy.

The self-hypnosis developed

The most advanced level of self-hypnosis occurs within a long process of preparation and refinement of relaxation and breathing techniques. Being considered a long-term method, but highly effective for those who persist.

First, it will be necessary to practice meditation techniques with the objective of improving your attention and focus from your breathing. From this you will be able to induce your body into a state of total relaxation, making it possible for your mind to become more suggestible.

In the midst of this process, you should get to know your problems, disorders, or traumas that you wish to deal with and work out the most appropriate suggestions for them. In this way, you will be able to address the root of the problems with those solutions already well established in your consciousness.

At this point, you will need to develop your own mental triggers that awaken, or put to sleep, the trance state. Although complex, this method will give you greater autonomy over your consciousness, thus making self-hypnosis a powerful tool.

Tips for creating suggestions correctly

There would be no point in you reaching the hypnotic trance state if you don't have a clear idea of what needs to be done to guide your consciousness. You need to have in mind the suggestions you will use and knowing how to formulate them is fundamental. Below are some tips to create suggestions correctly!

Be positive

The first point is that you need to be aware of the language and its meaning. And the most important thing in this process is to know how to think positive. When making your suggestions you need to be aware of the problems, but thinking about their solutions.

What usually happens is that we focus too much on our problems and fail to consider what needs to be done to make them stop. When we immerse ourselves in these negative thoughts we start to create more barriers to our problems.

Therefore, it will be necessary to exercise optimism in order to find effective solutions. Only then you will be able to eliminate these barriers and achieve your goals with self-hypnosis.

"Less is more"

Suggestions need to be simple and direct in order for them to be effective for susceptibility in the hypnotic trance. This is because our consciousness is already confused enough by our problems, disorders, or traumas, so avoid complicating it further.

Specificity in this case will facilitate the work of absorbing your consciousness. Thus you will avoid any distractions and confusion in your healing process.

The right time

Anticipation is a key part of the susceptibility process, knowing yourself and understanding the root of your problems is key, especially when done in the preparation stage.

It will enable you to fix in your consciousness the need for change, also facilitating your access to self-hypnosis. Then, you will know in trance which is the right moment to suggest to your mind the solutions you need.

Are there any risks in performing self-hypnosis?

Self-hypnosis makes it possible to access layers of your consciousness that we normally have no contact with while in a waking state, so we can be caught unprepared in these conditions having to deal directly with the source of our traumas or disorders.

In this condition it can affect us negatively, amplifying these traumas momentarily. Despite this, there is no kind of scientific proof that demonstrates any negative side effect in relation to self-hypnosis, what exists is unpreparedness.

Self-hypnosis is considered one of the treatments with the most reduced risks, thus offering a series of advantages. However, it is necessary to be attentive to its practice to avoid surprises in the hypnotic trance and be able to extract the maximum from this experience.