Is Hypnosis Therapy Real? Here’s How It Works (2024)

Hypnotherapy, also known as hypnosis therapy or clinical hypnosis, is a real therapy used in psychotherapy with a specially-trained mental health provider.

Psychotherapy helps people with mental health conditions improve their well-being, usually through methods like talk therapy. Hypnosis is another therapy method that can be used. It is a state of trance-like consciousness that makes the mind more open to suggestion.

This article discusses hypnotherapy, its effectiveness, and what to expect if you have a hypnosis therapy session.

What Is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are often used interchangeably, but the meanings are distinct. Hypnosis is a trance-like state in which the mind becomes more open to suggestion, and hypnotherapy is the clinical practice of hypnosis.

Hypnosis is also described as a state of altered consciousness that allows for increased concentration and focus. This can facilitate therapeutic change, helping with behaviors like:

• Alleviating pain
• Alleviating anxiety
• Stopping smoking

Despite how hypnosis has been portrayed in the media, evidence-based scientific research suggests that hypnosis is a real and effective therapeutic tool.

How Hypnosis Works

Trance-like states can occur regularly in daily life. Activities that involve repetitive movements, such as exercising (walking, cycling, jogging), cooking, or long-distance driving can induce a trancelike state.

In a therapeutic setting, however, a trained therapist will guide you into a focused state of concentration. Once in this altered state, they will suggest visualizations related to your goal for therapy. This focused concentration and visualization help in reaching goals by directing the mind and body to experience the end goal.

Once the session is complete, they will guide you back to a normal state of consciousness.

What Happens to the Brain

Research shows hypnosis impacts multiple brain regions, including:

• The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) which is associated withexecutive control, learning, adjustment, economic choice, and self-control
• The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex which is important for executive functions, such asdecision-making, reasoning, working memory, and inhibition
• The insular cortex which is involved in sensing pain

Brain imaging shows if a person is under hypnosis and visualizing an image, areas of the brain are activated as if they were in a wakeful, conscious reality. When a person experiences hypnotically induced or imagined pain during hypnosis, the areas in the brain correlated to pain are activated just as if they're experiencing physical pain.

What Hypnosis Can Help With

Some of the conditions that can be improved or benefit from hypnotherapy include:

• Chronic pain
• Dental pain and dental phobia
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Nausea from chemotherapy
• Needle-related pain and distress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Weight loss/obesity
• Trauma
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Smoking cessation
• Insomnia
• Childbirth
• Palliative or end-of-life hospice care

Cost of Hypnosis

The average cost of hypnotherapy ranges from $75 to $125 or more per session, but several sessions may be required to experience results. Sometimes the cost may be bundled into a broader program, such as with smoking cessation or weight loss.

Insurance will sometimes cover hypnosis when treated by a licensed clinical mental health professional.

Benefits of Hypnosis

In one study, people who combined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with hypnosis reported greater improvement than those who had CBT without hypnosis. In a study on pain, hypnosis produced up to a 42% reduction in pain.

Hypnosis may offer other benefits, such as:

• Reducing anxiety
• Improving chronic pain
• Reducing phobias
• Stopping behaviors such as smoking
• Improving weight loss
• Reducing or eliminating enuresis (bedwetting)
• Reducing performance anxiety (sports, test, sexual, career)
• Improving sleep disorders

Side Effects

When practiced correctly, hypnosis is generally safe. However, hypnosis is not safe if you have a serious mental illness.

Reported side effects from hypnosis can include:

• Anxiety
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness

What to Expect During Hypnosis

Here are some general steps to expect during your hypnosis session:

1. Induction: The therapist will induce a hypnotic state by suggesting relaxation, which can include visualizing something soothing, calming, or pleasant.
2. Suggestions: The therapist will offer suggestions that usually center around your goals, such as losing the desire to smoke or reducing pain.
3. Emerging to the present moment: When the hypnosis process is complete, the healthcare provider will bring you out of the trance-like state and back into the present moment.

Dress comfortably for your appointment, as you may need to recline during the session. Most hypnotherapy sessions last 50 to 60 minutes but can vary in length from 30 minutes to two hours.

Summary

Hypnosis is a trance-like state of consciousness that makes the mind more open to suggestion. It involves inducing a person into an altered state and making suggestions influenced by their goals.

Hypnosis is a legitimate therapy helpful for many issues, including smoking cessation, weight loss, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and more. It has been shown to be an effective addition to traditional psychotherapy.