The Evidence

Hypnosis is a state of altered awareness in which we can become absorbed in more relaxing thoughts, ideas, images and feelings, and more easily distracted from negative or painful ones. Many people who benefit from hypnosis respond well to suggestions about feeling less pain, more comfort, increased energy, better sleep, and having rapid healing outcomes. Only about 10-20% of the general population does not receive good results from hypnosis. It does however also depend on the form of hypnosis used, and the skills of the therapist.

Myths About Hypnosis

Another myth about hypnosis is that people lose consciousness and have amnesia. A small percentage of subjects, who go into very deep levels of trance will fit this stereotype and have spontaneous amnesia. The majority of people remember everything that occurs in hypnosis. This is beneficial, because most of what we want to accomplish in hypnosis may be done in a medium-depth trance, where people tend to remember everything.

When Will Hypnosis Be Beneficial?

It is important to keep in mind that hypnosis is like any other therapeutic modality: It can offer major benefits to some clients with some problems, and it is helpful with many other clients. But it can fail, just like any other clinical method. The key is to choose your practitioner based on skill and qualifications.