It is widely accepted now that many illnesses are psychosomatic, that is the body has been made ill by the workings of the mind. It would seem obvious therefore that in cases where the mind has been instrumental in adversely affecting our health, then we should be using the mind to bring about good health. Hypnotherapy can be described as an effective and speedy technique of psychotherapy.
By using hypnosis to gain access to the patient's sub-conscious mind, Hypnotherapy works as an aid to finding answers that a patient already knew, but didn't know they knew. Patients are then able to consider the information, learn from it, and subsequently be able to change their behaviour accordingly. Once that access has been gained then past experience and conditioning that has resulted in illness can be changed rapidly and permanently. It is generally assumed that use of Hypnotherapy is mainly for such things as smoking cessation and weight reduction. While these are an important part of any therapist's practice, the major part of a modern Hypnotherapy practice is dealing with such problems as:
Irritable bowel syndrome
And other physical conditions
Hypnosis is what makes Hypnotherapy different from other forms of 'mind therapy'. The word itself comes from the Greek word 'hypnos' which means sleep, however hypnosis is not sleep, nor is it being fully awake. Hypnosis induces a feeling of sleep and lethargy in the body, a kind of super relaxed state, yet at the same time, the individual under hypnosis is mentally hyper-aware. In a sense hypnosis and sleep are opposites - in sleep mental attention is diffused - in hypnosis mental attention is focused.
Investigations in the early 1970's in America sought to measure the electrical changes that occur in the brain during hypnosis. Results of these investigations proved that hypnosis did alter the brain wave patterns and also the chemistry of the nervous system. Later research in Russia also confirmed definite changes, both physical and psychological during hypnosis. The use of electronic equipment proved that it was a 'state' which was different to both sleep and being awake. Contrary to myth nobody can be hypnotised against their will. Most hypnotherapists would agree that any hypnosis is self-hypnosis, inasmuch as it has to be a state of co-operation.
By Cherith Powell
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