In the movies, hypnosis is often portrayed as a control tactic — to get people to commit crimes or fall in love, for instance. Hypnotists are often also seen as wacky magicians who put people on stage and get them to neigh when they hear the word “horse.”
The way hypnosis is shown in the media may make it seem like it’s just for fun, but there’s more to hypnosis than its entertainment factor. In fact, hypnosis can benefit your health and well-being.
“In healthcare, hypnosis can be used as a psychological treatment to help you experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, or behaviors. It’s done in a clinical setting and performed by a trained, licensed healthcare professional, like a psychologist or a physician,” says Alison T. Grant, MD.
Hypnosis usually includes suggestions for relaxation, calmness, and overall well-being, which may last just during the session but can sometimes be reactivated later by the patient. Common approaches involve instructions to think about pleasant experiences or verbal cues to draw you into a trance-like state.
Hypnotherapy — which is the form of therapy that uses hypnosis as either a standalone or supplemental treatment — can benefit your health in a variety of ways.
Here are six common health issues hypnosis can help:
1. Trouble Sleeping, Insomnia, and Sleepwalking
2. Anxiety
3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Symptoms
4. Chronic Pain
5. Quitting Smoking
6. Weight Loss
David Badower
