There are hypnotists and hypnotherapists in private practice who are not psychologists or medical doctors. They offer services to deal with the kinds of problems we discuss here for self-hypnosis as well as some that we might refer to psychologists.

Some psychologists don’t like these hypnotherapists much. They feel they don’t have the proper training to solve these problems or to handle someone who might freak out during the session. I have not heard of anyone freaking out, but people may get emotional during hypnotherapy.

The hypnotherapists often think the psychologists just do hypnosis as a sideline and don’t do it as well as someone whose entire practice is hypnotherapy.

Some of these non-medical hypnotherapists are pretty good. Some are very good with smoking cessastion, for instance, and you might want to try seeing one, though you should try do-it-yourself first.

Although there is no licensing requirement for hypnotherapists, there are schools, professional organizations, and certifications. Where did he get his training and how long did he study? Check out the school. Is it hands-on or correspondence? How long has the individual or his company been in practice? How long have they been in your city? Can you call some of their customers to see how they liked the treatment? How long will it take to solve your problem? It shouldn’t be a matter of years. Can you have a few sessions and then continue on your own with self-hypnosis? If not, why not? Be satisfied with the answers and have confidence in the practitioner before you give them your money.

I don’t want to be too harsh. Some of these practitioners are very good and will really help you. Maybe you should ask the same questions of the psychologist.

Beware of someone with a PhD in hypnotherapy. These often require a few months and some money. In other words, you buy the degree. People with conventional PhDs get very annoyed with this.

There are hypnotists who offer large group sessions, usually for smoking cessation or weight loss. You may want to try one of these if it’s not too expensive. It will cost you much more to see a psychologist or have a one-to-one session with a hypnotherapist. Be skeptical about anybody who oversells. I would be skeptical of anybody who claims 100% success rate for anything, for instance. Still, you may be curious to see one of these people in action. After reading this book, you know enough about hypnosis that you can evaluate whether somebody who calls him or herself a hypnotist or hypnotherapist knows what they are doing.

If they guarantee satisfaction and you’e not satisfied, ask for your money back right away. If you get some good ideas for your own self-hypnosis, the workshop may be worthwhile for you, even if it doesn’t live up to its advertising.

The word hypnotist implies just that someone can hypnotize other people, even just for fun. Hypnotherapist implies this is someone who can cure you of some condition or solve your problem. These labels don’t really mean anything. Always check out credentials before going to a hypnotherapist, either in a group setting or privately. If you can’t find a good one, you can always do it yourself.

Sometimes you may have psychological problems that interfere with your life. If you like the hypnosis approach and philosophy, but can’t get results that are as good as you want with self-hypnosis, or feel you need outside help with that problem, look for a psychologist who is also a hypnotist.

Ask the psychologist about his credentials and training as a hypnotist. A weekend course doesn’t make someone a great hypnotist, just because they have a degree in psychology.

Certain psychological conditions require medical care. Psychoses needs to be controlled with medication and therapy. The rather common bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depression) requires medication and hypnosis is certainly not a substitute for medical treatment.

Depression is part of life. We are all depressed now and then. You can usually use self-hypnosis to cheer yourself up by concentrating on the positive aspects of your life or dealing with the cause of the depression. If depression drags on, if you don’t know its cause, or if it keeps you from your ordinary activities, it’s time to see a doctor. Serious depression can be treated with drugs and cognitive behavior therapy. Aerobic exercise also helps alleviate depression, so get out and walk if you’re feeling down.

Self-hypnosis works well for breaking bad habits, getting over many phobias, and reducing stress and anxiety. You don’t need to go into therapy for every little personality quirk. In fact, you might want to keep some of them.

Most of the things you will use self-hypnosis for are not strictly medical consdtions, though some may indirectly affect your health. Stress is the most notable of these.

For pain or other medical conditions, it is important that you see a medical professional who can give you an accurate diagnosis. For most acute conditions, medical intervention will be all you need. For some chronic conditions, you may choose to use self-hypnosis instead of drugs or other treatment, or if the drugs don’t work for you.

For instance, arthritis causes chronic pain which is often treated with drugs. Pain relief is one of the major uses for hypnosis, going back many years. So someone with arthritis could use self-hypnosis, either with or without drugs, to relieve the pain. The important thing is to see the doctor first to get a diagnosis so you know the real cause of the pain and if it requires intervention other than hypnosis.

One of the very few dangers of self-hypnosis would be in self-diagnosing pain or other symptoms, and deciding to use self-hypnosis instead of medical care. This could result in not getting treatment for a treatable disease, and that could be dangerous.

So if you’re feeling poorly, go to the doc. Get the physical therapy, take the antibiotics, or give up your appendix if necessary. But if they can’t fix what’s ailing you, talk to your doctor about you relieving some symptoms with self-hypnosis.

Self-hypnosis is a great technique that you will be able to use successfully for many purposes. Still, there are times when you should consult a professional.

The professionals involved, depending on the problem, would be a medical doctor, a psychologist, or a hypnotist or hypnotherapist who is neither a doctor nor a psychologist.

For some goals you also need to go to a teacher of some sort, such as a golf pro or guitar teacher if your goal has to do with sports or music. There are a number of specialists in sports hypnosis, and a few specializing in working with musicians. In most cases, for this sort of goal you should be seeing a teacher along with doing self-hypnosis or seeing a hypnosis specialist.

Let’s skip over the teachers and look at hypnotists and hypnotherapists.

In most places, you can just call yourself a hypnotherapist. There are no qualifications or licensing required. So you really need to check on a person’s qualifications.

We don’t expect a doctor to be a hypnotist. That’s not why we go to see him. We don’t expect a dentist to be a hypnotist either, but she may be. Hypnotism has been successful in dentistry, but you would have to look for a dentist who uses it. A psychologist may be trained as a hypnotist. Some hypnotists who are not psychologists are well qualified and some aren’t. We discuss that later in this section.

A stage hypnotist may be great at hypnotizing people, but that doesn’t make her a good therapist. The same is true of your brother-in-law who’s a hit at parties with his hypnotism routine.

Do some investigation before choosing a professional hypnotist.

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind. What’s more, you can use it yourself to solve problems and for self-improvement. You may have seen a stage hypnotist in action, but that is entertainment. You may have read stories of hypnotists who gain control over someone else’s mind. That is fiction. You may have heard of medical uses for hypnotism. That is true. (Hypnosis and hypnotism as used here mean the same thing.) Here, we will concentrate on self-hypnosis, that is, how you can hypnotize yourself. Don’t worry. You will be able to do it. In fact: all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.

You are not asleep when you are hypnotized. Your brain waves are different when you are in a state of hypnosis than when you are sleeping. Hypnosis is a state of increased concentration, but it works through the subconscious mind.

You probably go in and out of hypnosis several times a day. Maybe you drive on “automatic pilot” and don’t remember the specifics of how you got to a familiar destination. Or you may be so engrossed in a book or a project you are working on that you don’t notice someone entering the room. When an athlete is “in the zone,” that can be a form of self-hypnosis, as is the runner’s high.

You can learn to use this natural state to improve your life.

There is phenomenon called “highway hypnosis.” On long, straight roads, drivers were found to enter something of a hypnotic state, where the monotony dulled their attention. Road builders started putting curves into roads where the landscape didn’t require it, just to keep the drivers alert.

Although hypnosis is a natural state, there are times you don’t want to be in it. When you learn self-hypnosis, you will be able to enter the hypnotic state deliberately and better control your mind.

You can use self-hypnosis to break harmful habits and form healthy ones. It can help you overcome phobias. Use it to improve sports performance or help you play a musical instrument better.

You can get yourself better organized and become more efficient at work. Improve your self-confidence and excel at activities you have been hesitant to try. Conquer test anxiety. Are you nervous about public speaking? Self-hypnosis can help.

Self-hypnosis can improve your health and well being. We will discuss some of the ways as we go along, and others you will find yourself.

You may be wondering if there’s anything hypnosis cannot do. There is. Don’t try to use it to cure disease. It won’t enable you to control or influence another person without their knowledge. It won’t magically give you knowledge or skills you haven’t studied for.

It is controversial whether hypnotism can be used to recall repressed or forgotten memories. I find this unlikely. As you will see, the brain often cannot distinguish between real and imagined events, so that we can’t be certain that a given “memory” is a real one. Hypnotism is not generally accepted as a way to find the truth in court cases.

So it’s worth trying self-hypnosis when you want to remember where you put your diamond ring. It may help by clearing your mind so you remember, but it probably won’t help re-enact the time when you hid it.

Some people think that hypnotism can help them to recall their past lives, or the moment of their own birth. I am skeptical about that, but you can make your own decision on that.

Self-hypnosis is an everyday way to handle everyday problems.

The mysterious and exotic stories are interesting, but not of practical help for most of us.

If you’re a little skeptical about hypnosis, you may want to know exactly how it works. Sorry, we don’t know. Money Magazine, in an article on alternative medicine, gives hypnotherapy a good review regarding its effectiveness as a pain killer and anxiety treatment, but admits we don’t know exactly how it works. It’s difficult to prove such things scientifically. Hypnosis certainly doesn’t lend itself to double-blind studies.

Modern science has made great strides in unlocking some mysteries of human physiology, but we can’t say the same for the workings of the mind. Someone once said that if the mind was simple enough to be understood, we would be too stupid to understand it. Enjoy the mystery.

Only recently have scientists begun to understand how aspirin works, but that hasn’t stopped people from getting good results with it for over a hundred years.

You will learn to use your mind to change your mind. The techniques of self-hypnosis are easy to learn. You will not be able to equate it to release of some neurotransmitter or other, and no one has been able to put self-hypnosis in a pill. Just relax. The old way works.

Self-hypnosis and meditation are similar, but not the same. The subjective feeling is similar when you are meditating and when you are in a state of hypnosis, and the brain waves are the same. The main difference is in the intent.

Meditation stills your mind and opens it to the universe. It is not something you should manipulate for a specific outcome. Regular meditation can lead to lower blood pressure and other positive health outcomes, but you generally don’t just meditate on that. Meditation is included in many spiritual traditions but can also be used without a spiritual component, as in the Relaxation Response, described in the book of that name by Herbert Benson.

With self-hypnosis, you have a specific goal you want to support. (There is some crossover when your goal is relaxation.) There is nothing necessarily spiritual about self-hypnosis. It is a practical skill that you can learn easily.

Ideally, you should practice regular meditation for enlightenment as well as its health benefits, and do self-hypnosis for practical results.

“Meditation is not a method of achieving anything at all. It is peace and blessedness in itself.”…Great Master Zhiryi (538-597)

Although the phenomenon of hypnosis goes back to ancient, perhaps prehistoric times, modern hypnosis starts with Franz Anton Mesmer.

Mesmer was born in Germany and studied medicine in Vienna. He began practicing his theories, eventually called Mesmerism, in Vienna but moved on to Paris where his work became fashionable. He used the term “animal magnetism” for a fluid or force within his body that would let him connect with and cure his patients. The king finally sent a commission to investigate Mesmer, and they determined there was no physical force but any results were due to imagination, or placebo, as we would say. The commission members were the great chemist Lavoisier, the astronomer Jean Sylvain Bailly, the physician and inventor M. Guillotine, and the American ambassador Benjamin Franklin.

Mesmer did awaken an interest in the power of the mind, and various people studied his theories. An English physician, James Braid, decided the cures were due not to animal magnetism but to suggestion. He called his relaxation technique “hypnosis.”

Notable among other practitioners was a surgeon, James Esdaille, who performed 2000 operations using only hypnosis as anesthetic–with no pain for the patients.

In the 20th century, the psychologist Milton Erickson used both verbal and nonverbal techniques to bypass the conscious mind. His work with indirect suggestion changed the face of contemporary hypnotism.

The evolution of self-hypnosis is not recorded, but we can assume that some people used it naturally and others saw what was evolving in medicine, and said, “I can do that myself.”

The notion of hypnotizability is based on the theory that not everyone can be hypnotized. Estimates range from as low as 20% of the population to almost everyone. For those of us who deal in self-hypnosis, a natural state, it is clear that anyone with a normal ability to concentrate can be hypnotized if they want to be. Even children can be hypnotized.

You may have seen a stage hypnotist at work and thought you would never do what his subjects were doing. Remember, these are volunteers who want to be hypnotized, and the hypnotist knows how to choose the best potential subjects. Also, the subjects may have been drinking a bit, which lowers inhibitions. This is ok if you want to quack like a duck but not if you want to learn to be less nervous when taking exams. Do self-hypnosis when you’re sober and not too tired.

Try this. Sitting or standing, extend your arms in front of you, parallel to the floor. Turn your right palm up and your left palm down. Close your eyes and imagine a pail full of sand in your right hand, so the handle is in your palm and the pail hangs down. Look at the pail and imagine its shape and color. Now imagine there is a string attached to your left wrist, and on the other end is a big red helium-filled balloon. Concentrate on the pail as it gets heavier and heavier, and on your left arm being lifted by the bright red balloon. Do not deliberately move your hands.

After a few minutes, open your eyes and see where your hands are. Typically, you will see your right hand has dropped and your left hand lifted. A big gap shows your imagination is working well. If your hands haven’t moved, you are puttting up some resistance and should spend more time with the relaxation exercise you will learn. In either case, you’re hypnotizable.

My hypnosis teacher, Gil Boyne, used to say there were two common reasons people gave for being afraid of hypnosis. They are: “I won’t wake up,” and “I will tell all my secrets.”

Nobody goes so deep into hypnosis that they can’t come back out. Do you know of anyone who disappeared because they didn’t come out of hypnosis? If there were a lot of people like this, wouldn’t somebody notice?

You won’t tell your secrets, because you remain in control. You won’t lose your inhibitions and make a fool of yourself either, if you don’t want to.

A persistent myth is that a hypnotist can gain control over your mind–sort of a Manchurian Candidate effect. This isn’t true. A hypnotist can never make you do anything against your principles. Here’s an example. A stage hypnotist convinces his subject that a glass of water is really wine. But he can’t get her to drink it, because she doesn’t believe in drinking alcohol.

Another myth is that only people who have a weak will or low intellect can be hypnotized. Actually, many hypnotists believe that more intelligent people are the best subjects, because of their ability to focus.

A professional (or amateur) hypnotist helps you get through to your subconscious mind. In a way, he or she is a go-between.

In self-hypnosis, you get through to your own subconscious. In effect, you talk to yourself.

You have the ability to manipulate your mind and change fixed ideas in your subconscious that keep you from reaching your goals.

Self-hypnosis is a procedure that helps you change your mind. Will power doesn’t do it. Trying to use will power can end up reinforcing the attitudes that are standing in your way. When there’s no deep-seated block in the way of trying something new, often you can “just do it” with will power. Even then, relaxing will let you slide through and do it more easily.

Some sort of self-hypnosis, even relaxation, is necessary for you to talk to yourself and make real change.

The idea of the mind as a computer is intriguing. Norbert Wiener is credited with being the first to postulate that the subconscious works like a mechanical computer, though it is much more complex. The psychologist Leslie LeCron questions if this would mean there is no free will.

Maxwell Maltz, in his classic, Psycho-Cybernetics, emphasizes the importance of self-image. Positive thinking only works when it is consistent with one’s self-image. Cybernetics is the science of communication and control theory, especially automatic control systems. Maltz sees the mind as a goal-seeking machine, although he emphasizes that we are not machines, we use machines.

Maltz gives a baseball analogy. The batter hits a fly ball to center field. The center fielder must instantly calculate the ball’s speed, velocity, curvature path, wind direction, and more. He then compares the calculations with stored data and gets to the right place to make the catch, all subconsciously. He doesn’t think about his brain operating like a computer, though it does.

The computer needs an operator. It can do a lot, but it can’t set its own goals. With self-hypnosis you can program your own mind. You can accept the theory of the mind as a computer or not. Self-hypnosis works anyway.

If you need help learning what and how much to eat, look for a registered dietician (RD)or nutritionist with a college degree to complement your weight loss hypnosis. Many people who call themselves nutritionists may be promoting certain supplements or diets that have no scientific basis. Don’t rely on testimonials from people who claim to have lost a lot of weight. Your dietician and your hypnotherapist can work together to give you lasting weight loss success.

Hypnosis works very well in conjunction with reasonable programs such as Weight Watchers. Hypnosis will give you the self confidence to start such a program as well as help you stick with the program if you are already enrolled.

Even when using hypnosis for weight loss, it is best to set reasonable, short-term goals for yourself. You can incorporate a goal of losing, say, 10 percent of your weight, into your hypnosis program, using that in your suggestions and visualizations. Your self esteem will improve as you reach that goal, and you will be ready to set your next one. Setting a large, long-term goal can take so long to reach that it can be discouraging.

While the idea of a quick-fix starvation diet might seem appealing, that will just result in later regaining the lost weight and more. You need a more gradual approach, possibly including an analysis of why you eat so much. If your weight problem is severe, you should consult a qualified hypnotherapist. If you are definitely overweight, but not severely so, you can get results from a hypnosis CD.

It is not hard to lose weight. It is hard to keep it off. Many unhealthy diets lead to quick weight loss, but are not good in the long run. Always regaining weight can be discouraging and damage your self esteem. A hypnotist may work with you, then have you continue to work with tapes or CDs so that you adjust your attitude and dietary practices over time. Don’t expect magic from weight loss hypnosis. Do expect positive results.

Hypnosis is a proven way to achieve lasting weight loss. A task force of the American Psychological Association stated that hypnosis was a valid treatment for obesity, to be used in conjunction with other treatments.

Stay away from fad diets. Hypnosis weight loss won’t help you in the long run if your diet is bad. You need to eat a balanced diet but control your calories. Hypnosis then will help you stay on that diet and succeed with your weight loss goals. Tell your hypnotist if you are changing your diet.

Work on your body image along with weight loss hypnosis. Use visualization to see yourself a little smaller each week, until you see yourself meeting your ultimate weight loss goal. Don’t forget to include the results of your exercising to show muscle tone. Your self confidence will improve as you see yourself draw closer to the body you have visualized.

Junk food is easily available and inexpensive. Dr. Kelly Brownell of Yale calls it the toxic food environment. If you really like junk food, or if you just eat it too often because of convenience, you should deal with it in your weight loss hypnosis. It’s best to be specific. Put yourself in a state of hypnosis (trance) and tell yourself “pizza tastes bad,” or “fried chicken is just grease,” or whatever addresses your problem. Then repeat the phrase whenever you feel tempted to have your problem food, and soon you won’t want it any more. If you are working with a hypnotist, make sure to tell him or her what your problems with junk food are.

The publicity for the new diet books and programs is convincing. Often, the programs are associated with celebrities you respect. Many offer miraculous results. Many people who have been trying to lose weight for a long time say they have “tried everything,” that is, all the diets. With some people, it becomes something of a hobby to try all the new diets, and often there is some fun or interesting aspect to them. Clearly, none of them work or the individuals wouldn’t keep trying the new ones. When you decide to lose weight through weight loss hypnosis, you must be ready to give up trying all the diets. When you find hypnosis works for you, you will have the self confidence you need to stop experimenting with diets.

If you have an eating disorder, or think you may, you need to seek professional help. First, see your doctor for a referral to a professional who specializes in eating disorders, and ask if it would be appropriate for you to also see a hypnotherapist. Anorexia, bulemia, and other eating disorders are serious threats to your health. A hypnotherapist as part of your team will be very helpful in helping to restore your self esteem.

Many hypnotherapists believe that weight problems are a symptom rather than a cause. During weight loss hypnosis, hypnotherapists help you tap into your own subconscious to address possible causes for weight gain. Just a few of these are: emotions toward food, negative body image, improper nutrition, and lack of exercise. When using hypnosis as part of a weight loss program, it’s important to remember that you are performing active problem solving. The hypnotherapist will give you positive stimulation and mental imagery to assist you, but when you engage in weight loss hypnosis, you’re actually effecting the reversal of your own learned behavior patterns!

In the quest to get fit, have you ever considered using hypnosis to lose weight? Hypnosis alone can’t create a perfect body. However, it has been proven to be an effective tool for moderate weight loss. When combined with behavioral weight management programs, hypnosis can help you to lose weight, by gently training you break old patterns that may have caused the weight gain in the first place!

Weight loss requires multiple approaches. There are three aspects to consider if you have a problem with weight control. The first is diet and calorie control. The second is exercise, which is essential to lasting weight loss. The third is the mental aspect, which is important because weight problems often lead to a lack of self esteem, and also because there are so many temptations that can weaken your resolve regarding the first two aspects. Hypnosis can be used to work on the mental aspect, which in turn influences your adherence to diet and exercise.

A specific method of receiving the benefits of weight loss by hypnotherapy is through the use of audio tapes and CDs. Once your hypnotherapist has decided self-hypnosis will work for your weight loss program, these guides give you the freedom to continue your work on your own time! With this method, trained hypnotherapists have pre-recorded guided sessions that you can use on your own for private sessions at home, during travel, or even in your office. Audio hypnotherapy is certainly an empowering way to take control of your own physical health.