What Is Hypnosis?

How Hypnosis Works

Hypnosis draws a patient into a relaxed state where their concentration and suggestibility are both heightened. There are dozens of studies showing hypnosis does have a positive effect on both physical and mental health conditions. However, researchers have yet to pinpoint an exact reason as to why. There are a number of theories, ranging from placebo effect to changes in brain activity. Regardless of the mechanics, most theories seem to agree hypnosis has an influence over an individual's unconscious mind. The conscious mind is where conscious thought processes, emotions, and senses of self exist. But the unconscious mind comprises everything else, including autonomic bodily processes, memories, accumulated experiences, habits, and instinctive reactions to the world. Normal therapeutic techniques only connect to the conscious mind, but hypnosis may affect the unconscious mind and cause fundamental shifts in functioning.