What it is
Hypnosis is an artificially induced sleep-like condition in which an individual is in a high state of concentration. Someone in this condition is extremely responsive to suggestions and can perform tasks efficiently, obey instructions, avoid hazards and speak lucidly when asked by a hypnotist. Therapists use it to bring about physical or mental changes in the patient. These changes include healing of physical illness, reducing pain, inducing relaxation and gaining insight into present difficulties and past events that may have a bearing on them.

There are a wide variety of techniques that can induce a hypnotic state, ranging from simple verbal suggestion to an eye fascination method, perhaps induced by a moving object.

Who can benefit?
Hypnotherapy is used to treat a number of conditions, including depression, multiple personalities, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, problems in concentration, impotence, anorexia, insomnia, panic, phobias, stress and neurosis. Doctors often use hypnotherapy to treat a number of ailments, including allergies, arthritic pain, heart disease, hypertension, nervous tension, headaches, colitis and asthma and some oncologists have even used it as an experimental technique in the treatment of cancer. Dentists often use it as an adjunct to traditional anesthetic and also to help control bleeding and salivation as well as to help relax their patients. Hypnotherapy has also been used as a behavior modification tool to help people to stop smoking or to lose weight and it is an extremely successful treatment.

Research By Body and Mind