Understanding The Science Of Hypnotherapy And Its Effects On Mental Health

The idea of going to a hypnotist to treat a health condition might sound more like a premise for a fantasy story than sound medical advice. However, more than a century of experimentation has produced evidence that hypnosis can be a viable therapeutic technique for some people. Observed annually on July 25, Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day is primarily focused on raising awareness of this practice and its potential wellness benefits.

The term “hypnosis” can refer to a relaxed, suggestible state of mind, or to the techniques that hypnotists use to lead people into this state. Once a person has been hypnotized, they may be able to achieve lasting changes to their mental habits, often through the use of guided imagery delivered by a therapist. Trained practitioners may be able to use hypnosis to provide relief for conditions like sleep disorders, problematic substance use, or chronic pain. In many cases, combining hypnotherapy with talk therapy can enhance its effects.

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What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is generally understood as a mental state in which a person’s awareness is strongly focused on imagined images and sensations. An individual who has been successfully hypnotized usually has little awareness of their physical surroundings, though they tend to be highly receptive to verbal description and suggestion.

Some people may also use “hypnosis” to mean the process of inducing a hypnotic state, though others refer to this as hypnotic induction. This is usually accomplished with a series of verbal suggestions, sometimes accompanied by asking the individual to focus on a particular image, object, or sensation.

Although hypnosis was once considered a psychological state resembling sleep, current evidence suggests that it’s a waking state characterized by strong attentional focus. It may have more similarities to deep meditative states than to sleep.

The effects of hypnotic and post-hypnotic suggestions

A hypnotized person’s normal thoughts, behaviors, and even physical sensations can be substantially altered based on the imagined scenario in which they’re participating. For example, a person might be able to tolerate having their hand plunged into a bucket of ice water that they’ve been told is filled with warm sand. They might show no signs of distress or cold, such as shivering or reflexive muscle tension. 

In some cases, hypnotic suggestions may produce physiological changes as well as mental ones. Researchers have found evidence that hypnotized individuals can measurably alter their skin temperature in response to suggestions of warmth or cold, for instance. 

The effects of hypnosis do not necessarily end once a person leaves the hypnotic state. Hypnotists can offer post-hypnotic suggestions that can continue to alter a person’s mental and emotional reactions for weeks after the session and possibly even longer. Some professionals may suggest weekly sessions of hypnosis while some do not, depending on the condition.

Hypnotizability

Hypnosis may not work equally well for everyone. Repeated studies have found that hypnotizability, or the ability to enter and participate in a hypnotic state, seems to be distributed along a bell curve within the general population.

This research suggests that some people are highly hypnotizable, easily entering hypnosis and demonstrating dramatic behavioral changes in response to hypnotic suggestions. Others may be strongly resistant to hypnosis, and most people appear to fall somewhere in between.

The history of hypnosis and hypnotherapy

While some researchers believe that hypnotic techniques may have played a part in the healing practices of various ancient cultures, the systematic study of the phenomenon is generally believed to have begun with the work of Franz Anton Mesmer, a physician in 18th-century France. Mesmer used a variety of techniques to induce trance-like states in patients, often producing remarkable apparent cures as a result. 

However, Mesmer also made some outlandish claims that could not be substantiated by other researchers. He believed his method worked by the direction of an invisible, intangible energy that he called “animal magnetism.” These theories were ultimately discredited as the scientific community concluded that his techniques produced their effects through the power of suggestion and imagination.

Origins of psychological hypnosis

During the 1800s, a Scottish physician named James Braid reported that techniques adapted from some of Mesmer’s practices could treat a variety of mental disorders and chronic pain conditions. Regarding the resulting mental state as similar to sleep, he popularized the terms “hypnosis” and “hypnotism,” which are named for Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, to describe it. 

Braid’s work gained attention among some of his fellow medical practitioners, who gathered in Paris in 1889 for the First International Congress for Experimental and Therapeutic Hypnotism. One of the attendees was Sigmund Freud, the creator of modern psychotherapy, who would develop his theories about the subconscious mind in part due to his experiments with hypnosis. 

While Freud ultimately abandoned the technique, many other medical and mental health professionals have successfully employed it to treat individuals who were unresponsive to other methods. In 1955, the British Medical Association officially endorsed the clinical use of hypnosis, helping to cement its legitimacy. Today, the use of hypnosis for medical purposes (rather than for entertainment purposes) is often referred to as hypnotherapy.

Potential benefits of clinical hypnosis in physical or mental health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome

Under the right circumstances, hypnosis may be able to produce a wide variety of beneficial effects.

Relieving pain and distress

One common application of hypnosis can be for the treatment of pain. Some estimates suggest that hypnotic suggestions can decrease the perception of pain by an average of 42% in highly hypnotizable patients and 29% in moderately hypnotizable people. 

Because these effects can persist over the long term, hypnotherapy can be useful in managing chronic pain. Many patients receive significant relief, though the strongest effects may require eight sessions or more.

Providing medication-free anesthesia for reducing pain

Some people can also benefit from the pain-reducing effects of hypnosis as an alternative to the potentially dangerous medications used to sedate patients during surgery. Repeated experiments have found that hypnotherapy can entirely replace chemical anesthesia for highly hypnotizable individuals. The study mentioned the use of hypnosis for patients with chemical sensitivity or general anesthesia contraindications. It also added that the use of hypnosis combined with general anesthesia can increase its benefits, without side effects. However, further research is recommended about the use of hypnosis as general anesthesia.

Overcoming bad habits

This approach may be even more effective when hypnosis is combined with other psychological methods, like cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques.

Reducing stress and anxiety and improving mental health

The feeling of calm relaxation that often accompanies a hypnotic state can often be extended into an individual’s daily life. Post-hypnotic suggestions of safety, confidence, and comfort may produce substantial reductions in anxiety. Much like the use of hypnosis to break bad habits, this is often more effective when combined with other forms of psychotherapy.

In addition to relieving momentary anxiety, hypnotic techniques may be able to induce long-lasting reductions in emotional responses to stress.

Improving sleep

A 2018 review in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine concluded that hypnotherapy to relieve sleep disorders “is a promising treatment that merits further investigation.” While there’s not yet enough evidence to definitively conclude that it’s effective, various studies have found that hypnosis can help people fall asleep faster, increase the proportion of restorative slow-wave sleep, and decrease the number of nighttime waking events.

Treating gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome

Although the exact mechanisms behind irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are not yet fully understood, there seems to be a clear link with psychological stress. This may be why hypnotherapy has repeatedly been shown to help relieve this distressing condition. 

The evidence tends to be more limited for other gut-related conditions, but some studies have indicated that hypnosis may help with concerns like ulcerative colitis and functional dyspepsia. 

Relieving mental illness

Hypnotherapy also seems to be effective in reducing the symptoms of several common mental health disorders, including the following:

• Major depressive disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Science of hypnotherapy: FAQs

Is hypnosis a real thing?

While pop culture and stage entertainers may have exaggerated the potential effects of hypnosis, there’s strong scientific evidence that it’s a real phenomenon. Researchers have discovered consistent changes in brain activity corresponding to the hypnotic state. Hypnosis can increase functional activity in the brain regions, particularly the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and insula, while reducing connectivity between the DLPFC and default mode network. Studies also suggest that hypnosis can help calm brain regions which are responsible for autonomic functions such as blood flow, heart rate, and breathing. In addition, scientific studies have found that hypnotic techniques can sometimes produce substantial modifications in thought, emotion, sensation, and behavior.

Is it true that a person loses control completely during clinical hypnosis?

No, hypnosis generally does not cause a person to come under total control of the hypnotist. Researchers are increasingly finding that there’s little difference between self-hypnosis and being hypnotized by someone else. Hypnotherapy may be better understood as something that a person does for themselves with a therapist’s guidance.

Why did Freud give up hypnosis and the science of hypnotherapy?

Many reasons have been suggested for Sigmund Freud’s rejection of hypnosis as a psychotherapeutic technique in favor of free association. Some argue that it was mainly due to his own limited skills as a hypnotist. Freud himself claimed that hypnosis was too unreliable and often led to the therapist controlling the patient rather than uncovering the true cause of their illness.

What is the purpose of Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day?

This annual observance is largely intended to raise awareness of the potential of hypnotherapy for improving wellness and enabling positive behavior change. Sharing information about the science of hypnosis may encourage people to look into this treatment, which can often be an effective and low-risk way to experience greater well-being.

Enhance the effects of hypnosis with therapy

While hypnotherapy may effectively treat some conditions, research suggests that its effects can be amplified when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy, which can be administered by a licensed therapist.

Consider online therapy to ease the emotional or mental pain you are experiencing

Those interested in seeking convenient and accessible mental healthcare may benefit from online therapy, which generally allows individuals to connect with professionals from the location of their choice at a time that fits their schedule.

Effectiveness of online therapy

Studies report that online therapy usually produces the same client outcomes as in-office therapy. Both options can be used as effective forms of treatment for various mental health disorders and challenges.