Understanding Hypnosis
Despite its long association with villains swaying pocket watches, hypnosis isn't the evil sidekick one might envision. When administered by an experienced practitioner, hypnotherapy can be used to effectively treat a variety of conditions, from chronic pain to addiction. The American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association recognized hypnosis as a valid medical procedure over 30 years ago, but there is still a lack of understanding about the way hypnosis treatment works. Because of this, patients quickly choose over-the-counter and prescription medications, which they see in daily advertisements, over hypnotherapy, which they relate to cartoons or traveling sideshows. But educating oneself about all of the options available is the best way to find a suitable solution to any medical or psychological problem, and hypnotherapy may fit perfectly.
First, erase any visions of caped magicians with handlebar mustaches forcing unwitting audience members to make animal noises against their will. "One of the interesting ironies about hypnosis is that old fantasy that it takes away control," says Dr. David Spiegel, professor and associate chair of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and a leading expert on the practice. "It's actually a way of enhancing people's control, of teaching them how to control aspects of their body's function and sensation that they thought they couldn't." Unlike meditation which relaxes the body and mind, hypnosis tells the body to take a break while the mind goes into overdrive. It is in this state that one’s underlying thought processes can be altered.
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More Hypnosis Resources and Information :
Understanding Hypnosis
A Hypnosis History Lesson
How Hypnosis Works
Hypnosis Myths
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