Many people don't realize it, but one of the most interesting things about hypnosis
is the fact that you can learn to hypnotize yourself! In fact, self-hypnosis is one of
the most important tools I teach my clients. You can use it for almost everything - anxiety,
depression, pain management, assertiveness, stage fright, sports performance, smoking
cessation, etc. I myself do it almost daily ever since I learned hypnosis fifteen years ago.
It is true that when someone else is the hypnotist you tend to experience a deeper sense of
trance. However, you can still create for yourself a very deep sense of relaxation and a
powerful impetus for change through your own efforts.
There are several ways to do self-hypnosis. One is to listen to a tape that your
hypnotist has made for you. (You can also buy a tape in a store. However, I usually find
that a tape made for you in person by someone you trust is more powerful. If for some
reason you cannot get to a hypnotist, by all means buy a tape.)
The other way is to have a couple of sessions with a hypnotist. He/she will first help
you enter a trance state and give you a series of suggestions, either verbally or with the
help of visual images. Then your hypnotherapist will teach you to enter the trance state
on your own and give yourself your own suggestions. It may sound mysterious, but in truth
it is easy to do! That is because the trance state is actually a very common state of
consciousness, like a daydream or absorption in a book or movie that many people enter very
frequently. Often people come into my office without realizing they are already doing
self-hypnosis and then my job is to encourage them to continue and to teach them a few
more techniques.
Self-hypnosis is very different from taking a pill. You must be willing to set aside
the time to do the work, sometimes on a daily basis, and that involves a certain amount of
faith and discipline. Therefore, at first the beginner may need the guidance of a
hypnotherapist and then can take off on his/her own. Though self-hypnosis is usually
highly effective, the person may sometimes experience blocks. If, for example, you are very
tense or anxious and the problem is very strong you may also need the help of therapy and
medication along with the practice of self-hypnosis. Overall, however, self-hypnosis is a
very wonderful tool to use either by itself or along with a therapy session. You are
taking the power to change into your own hands and enhancing your life in a wonderful and
freeing way.
This
article first appeared in a 1987 issue of The Shopper.