Your South Hampshire Professional Hypnotherapy Service:- GHR and NRH Registered Hypnotherapist

 Background Information about Clinical Hypnosis

The image above is not an animation...it is actually static!

The induction and use of trance states has been around for thousands of years with mentions being made in the surviving artefacts of ancient civilisations from Africa to Australia and South America. However it was only in 1843 that the term 'Hypnosis' was given to it from the Greek God of sleep 'Hypnos' [below] - by James Braid (who actually named it neuro-hypnotism) following on from the experiments into the trance state that Mesmer and his followers of his theory and practice of magnetism induced; thus modern hypnotism was created.

In the 20th century much scientific research was done by Freud, Weitzenhoffer, Hilgard , Rossi and, of course, Erickson which has led to its current understanding as an altered state of awareness and schools of thought/ practice  in hypnotherapy such as Traditional, Semi-traditional and Ericksonian (Naturalistic) .

Hypnosis is not a state of sleep as in the sleep we have at night but more like the states of going to sleep, awaking from sleep and day-dreaming. An individual in hypnosis is aware at all times of their surroundings, can hear what is going on and being said by the hypnotherapist.

So what is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state that spontaneously occurs many times during our waking day. It is a state in which the nervous system switches from an anxious to more relaxed mode of operation, the unconscious mind is more available to new learning, or suggestions that are made, to help change old, restricting, habits and beliefs to newer, desired ones, without interference from the conscious mind's 'editing' process; however the client has to want to make changes.

All hypnosis is effectively 'Self-Hypnosis' i.e. the individual choosing to go into the state of hypnosis in an agreed partnership with the practitioner; the hypnotherapist is a skilled guide to the process who enables the subject to relax as deeply as possible and just listen as they mentally drift in a safe, comfortable, state of altered awareness where new learning can be easily assimilated and accepted. If the subject doesn't choose to go into hypnosis - or they don't feel safe - a hypnotic state will not be induced.

The most important factor about hypnosis is that the subject using hypnotherapy is ALWAYS in control, he/she can come out of hypnosis at any time they want, the hypnotherapist has no 'power' over them and can only make suggestions. The subject in hypnosis cannot be made to 'do anything/behave' in a way that is in conflict with their moral code; neither can they 'get stuck' in hypnosis they would awaken as you do from sleep.

When the subject is in hypnosis - be it a light, medium, or deep trance-like state everything naturally becomes slower and movements are reduced or even virtually absent as they really are a 'bit too much of an effort'.

It is very different to the perception of hypnosis that is portrayed by 'Stage Hypnotists', fear, role-playing and peer-pressure have more to do with that than the near motionless-ness of clinical, therapeutic, hypnosis.

Is hypnotherapy safe - yes - very safe and really, really, deeply relaxed.

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