Hypnosis was viewed in films and other forms of popular media as a way to manipulate others into doing any deeds. In reality, hypnosis was downplayed and there’s more to it than what pop culture cared to explain. One can look at hypnosis as another form of therapy that can benefit one’s health. The following are the benefits of undergoing hypnosis and what it can do to help you.
- Can Reduce Anxiety
Hypnosis can initiate changes in perceptions, thoughts, behavior, and sensations. When partnered with relaxation techniques, hypnosis can ease anxiety. It seems effective with those who suffer from heart disease as a chronic condition rather than an anxiety disorder.
Hypnosis might be able to help individuals with a phobia, a type of anxiety disorder that makes them highly fearful of anything that is usually not perceived as a threat.
Anxiety is also viewed as a response to stress and hypnosis with relaxing techniques that could help ease the tension you feel.
The way hypnosis works is that it encourages the body to turn on its natural relaxation response. A licensed hypnotherapist can guide you into using non-verbal cues or phrases that may lower blood pressure and instill an overall sense of well-being.
The practice of hypnotherapy originated in the 18th century when a German doctor was searching for an alternative to bloodletting for curing diseases. Learn more about the history of hypnosis timeline at various valid sources online.
- May Improve Deep Sleep
Everybody benefits from a deep sleep, but many factors can hinder it. You can find out how to have a restful sleep, and solutions vary. But hypnotherapy might also be something you might want to try if you’re suffering from poor sleep quality.
In the past, there were studies on how hypnosis can aid the improvement of sleep. Study participants were instructed to report the results back after undergoing hypnosis. During a recent study performed by Swiss researchers, they monitored and analyzed brain activity in a controlled group of young women to measure the impact of hypnosis.
They listened to a tape that played a hypnotic suggestion for the experiment and then took a 90-minute nap. Those most susceptible spent 80% in slow-wave sleep, the deepest and most restorative. It’s the result after listening to spoken text. The study’s lead researcher concluded that the impact is significant because hypnosis can serve as a safe adverse effect-free alternative to drugs.
- May Encourage Weight Loss
Losing weight is daunting to many because of what it takes to get rid of excess pounds. Hypnotherapy is often viewed as a ‘magical’ way to lose weight. In reality, some look at it as a tool to manage one’s weight, along with personal anxiety.
While there isn’t much evidence to back it up, one study stands out wherein 11 obese people who had difficulty in losing weight agreed to undergo hypnosis and dietary changes. They successfully lost weight and kept it off. In another study led by Italian scientists, hypnotherapy was used on 60 overweight women. The results came with success because their body mass index, weight, and eating habits have improved.
The techniques work on different people, which is partly why there are no significant studies on its effect on losing weight. It is also believed that among those reasons is that drug or pharmaceutical companies who often begin these studies don’t see it relevant enough to discover alternative means to weight loss.
- Can Relieve Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are a sudden occurrence of feeling hotness on the skin. The condition may come with excessive sweat, redness at the face and neck, and an increased heart rate. Various triggers or causes of hot flashes include hormone levels, exercise, and allergic reactions, among others. If you’re suffering from hot flashes or someone you know does, you know why it’s essential to control it.
One study concluded that hypnotherapy was used for hot flashes resulting in fewer occurrences with better quality of sleep. A 2013 study reported a staggering improvement in the number of hot flashes going down from 50 per week to 74% less twelve weeks later. It was compared to women who undergo hot flash management with a clinician, and the results came back with only 17% less in hot flashes.
In another study conducted in a Texan university, hypnotherapy cut the occurrences of hot flashes for as much as a half.
In different studies and trials, hypnoses have been found that could aid women to experience lesser effects of hot flashes. Currently, only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a proven treatment for reducing the symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats.
- Can Help People Deal With Their Physical Pain
Hypnosis began as an alternative remedy for pain in the 18th century which is why today its impact on pain management is studied. There’s new research showing that it could minimize the pain from migraines to post-surgery discomfort. A research study also finds that hypnotherapy could influence arthritis and backaches by reducing pain.
A collective of 18 public studies resulted in pain relief in 75% of participants who underwent hypnotherapy techniques. These pain and hypnosis research were published in 2000 and 2009 and were able to show that it is effective in minimizing pain. These diseases include cancer and fibromyalgia. They also noted that there are few psychologists using it for treatment and those who do have few credentials in practicing hypnotherapy.
The study included different types of pain, and the experts implied that hypnotic strategies also resulted in easing chronic pain.
Individuals who aren’t receptive to hypnotherapy interventions can receive benefits. While those who can fully experience hypnosis can enjoy relief longer, those who didn’t were still able to obtain advantages from hypnosis.
Conclusion
According to several studies, hypnosis or hypnotherapy can provide benefits to patients who are experiencing various health problems. As research has concluded, hypnotic suggestions could shift responses to symptoms. But in reality, hypnosis won’t work on everybody because people have different reactions to it. You can choose to seek a hypnotherapist to perform techniques on you to see if it’ll help you with your condition like phobia and others.
