If you are curious about how hypnosis works, then chances are that you are a little skeptical as well. It is good to be skeptical when first learning about a new subject. It keeps you asking new and important questions to help better understand how it works. Close your eyes and what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of hypnosis? Chances are that half of you thought of the man with a pocket watch hanging from its chain as it sways back and forth in front of someone trying to put them to sleep. The other half of you probably thought of the stage hypnotist who is in front of a big audience making people do silly things that they might not normally do. Before we move on to understanding how hypnosis works it is first important to remove these preconceived notions from your mind and start from a clean slate and open mind.
Merriam-Webster defines hypnosis as: a trance-like state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject. Basically what this means is that hypnosis is a relaxed state of mind between sleep and consciousness, whereby making suggestive phrases to the subconscious can result in altering the mind. All types of hypnosis are considered self-hypnosis. Whether you are doing it by yourself or having a hypnotherapist guide you through it. The reason for this is that regardless of who is guiding the suggestions you are still the one in control of your mind. So you get to decide where the hypnosis session will go, whether you decide consciously or subconsciously.
The brain wave activity of the human mind is divided up into four different levels:
Beta- is the top-level, it is when we are completely awake and conscious.
Delta- is at the bottom level, this is when we are asleep or unconscious.
Alpha and Theta- are the levels right between being asleep and awake. These are the relaxed state of mind that is best and most effective when using self-hypnosis.
We spend a majority of our life in a hypnotic state and do not even realize it. Although we have all been in that trance-like state, not everybody is as susceptible to being put into it as others are.
Once your mind is in a trance your subconscious is in a heightened awareness state. This is when you want to make suggestions to your mind that will help reach your desired goals. The more times and frequency that you repeat the suggestions the more your mind is going to believe what it is hearing is true.
With daily practice and persistence not only will you find it easier to reach a hypnotic state but you will also start to see improvement in your habits and behaviors as you repeatedly make the suggestions to your mind.