Aspects Of Hypnotherapy
“What Is Hypnosis?” Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in Hypnotherapy.
Contents
Introduction
In order to answer the question “what is hypnosis?” I start by looking at the history of hypnosis and have selected some key figures in the story of hypnosis and given a brief overview of their beliefs and development. I have also sourced some quotations and definitions.
I have also explored the physical and psychological aspects of hypnosis, firstly by looking at the four different brainwaves Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta and how the emphasis alters between the conscious and subconscious mind. For the physical aspects I will …show more content…
discuss the work of Edmund Jacobson and the progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technique.
Leading into the role of relaxation; I will first discuss the difference between relaxation and hypnotic state and briefly describe how PMR works to obtain a hypnotic state.
What is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis and it concept may have been developing for centuries in ancient civilizations however for the modern concept of hypnosis I have looked at some influential figures through the history of hypnosis below. (Waterfield, 2004)
Franz Anton Mesmer 1734-1815
Known as “the Grandfather of Hypnosis and gave us with the word “Mesmerism”
Believed a cosmic fluid flowed through the body and used magnets to heal the body.
Gained credibility till 1785.
Marquis De Puysegur
Rejected Mesmer’s theories on magnetic fluid and realised he was able to communicate with people in hypnosis asking questions and getting replies from his patients.
James Braid 1795 – 1860
Defined the word hypnosis from the Greek “Hupnos” sleep + osis
Conducted scientific studies and rejected “Magnetism” and concluded results were attributable to a physiological state of the brain and suggestibility.
His research concluded that hypnosis was not a sleep state and tried to use the term “monoideism” meaning a fixation of attention perhaps a more fitting name however “hypnosis had already entered the language.
Dr James Esdaile and Dr John Elliotson
Pioneered hypnosis to medicine and surgery, performing operations using only hypnotic anaesthesia, they were not well received and mainstream medicine favoured the use of nitrous oxide.
Liebeault and Bernheim
Founded the Nancy School in Paris.
Believed that hypnosis was due to the physiological property in the brain of suggestibility and was a natural state.
Sigmund Freud studied at the Nancy School and used this in his early career.
Pierre Janet 1859 – 1947
Discovered the benefits of relaxation on the hypnosis process which brought about the application of relaxation to hypnotherapy.
Proposed that during hypnosis a disassociation or splitting of the conscious from the subconscious parts of the mind occurred.
Milton Erickson 1901 – 1980
Considered to be the Father of modern hypnosis, and through his own personal experiences his interest was in the therapeutic value of hypnosis.
Noted for his approach to the unconscious mind as creative and solution generating and he worked very flexibly, adapting his methods to each individual client.
Paul Mckenna 1963-
English hypnotist, television personality and author of self-help books. Uses hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming in his approach.
One of the best known hypnotists in the world and has worked with various celebrities and has written many best-selling books to help people lose weight, stop smoking and have happier lives.
There are many more key figures but we can see how hypnosis has developed through time and through looking at the story of hypnosis it can be seen that the “hypnotist” worked with individuals in an altered state of consciousness and suggestibility. As more and more scientific research continues into the workings of the human brain and our understanding of it becomes clearer we will be able to clearly define hypnosis and unlock more of its …show more content…
potential.
In today’s society many people will be influenced by the portrayal of hypnosis in the media or by seeing stage show hypnotists and throughout the years there have been many skeptics and myths surrounding it, for example some people believing only certain types of people, highly suggestible or mentally weak, can be hypnotised.
Whilst looking for some short definitions I came across the following:
The American Psychological Association describes hypnosis as a cooperative interaction in which the participant responds to the suggestions of the hypnotist.
The Oxford English Dictionary definition states “Hypnosis is the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person apparently loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction. Its use in therapy, typically to recover suppressed memories or to allow modification of behaviour.”
“Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, while one is in hypnosis or trance, the conscious mind becomes quiet, allowing access to the highly suggestible subconscious mind” Marilyn Gordon
“Hypnosis is thought to work by altering our state of consciousness in such a way that the analytical left-hand side of the brain is turned off, while the non-analytical right-hand side is made more alert. The conscious control of the mind is inhibited, and the subconscious mind awoken. Since the subconscious mind is a deeper-seated, more instinctive force than the conscious mind, this is the part which has to change for the patient 's behaviour and physical state to alter” http://www.hypnosis.me.uk/pages/whatis.html
I personally see hypnosis as guided way of accessing your subconscious by narrowing your attention and achieving a different kind of awareness in a trance state, when in this state the suggestions made can impact positively on behaviours in the conscious state, such as overcoming phobias, stopping smoking or losing weight or dealing with anxiety.
The Physical and Psychological Aspects of Hypnosis
Hypnosis can be a natural everyday state, for example when we enter auto-pilot whilst driving or day dreaming on a long walk, our subconscious takes over whilst we remain fully conscious should we need to take action.
Creating the right setting for a client before guiding them into hypnosis is essential, they need to be comfortable and feel safe in order to allow the physical and psychological changes required enter the hypnotic state. It is important to consider how an individual may feel before entering into hypnotherapy, they may feel anxious or nervous, unsure if it will work for them or be wondering how they will enter hypnosis. There may also be some concern about how much control the therapist will have over them, again is it vital to assure the client that a hypnotist cannot make you perform actions that are against your values or morals.
Building a trusting relationship is important as a therapist and being able to explain what happens during hypnosis can help to reassure a client. The client must be motivated to make a change and the hypnotherapist must fully understand what that change is. The hypnotherapist needs to establish rapport with the client and through reading about the work of Milton Erickson have a flexible approach to suit the needs of individual clients.
When guiding a client into hypnosis it is important to understand the brain wave activity that we all go through on a daily basis.
Beta 15-40 cycles per second
The fastest wave when engaged in an activity, busy or concentrating.
Alpha 9-14 cycles per second
Being in a relaxed or rested state, can represent creativity.
These would be present during a light hypnosis.
Theta 4-8 cycles per second
Being in calm, meditative state, associated with subconscious, dreaming and medium to deep hypnosis.
Delta 1-4 cycles per second
The slowest wave present in sleep and deep hypnosis, produced in the subconscious.
When a client is in a hypnotic state, dependent on how deep the hypnosis is brain wave activity may fluctuate from Alpha to Theta, allowing selective attention and access to the subconscious to allow for suggestion to take place. It is important to be able to fully relax the body to allow the mind to enter a hypnotic state.
“An anxious mind cannot exist in a relaxed body” Edmund Jacobson
Our bodies have 400 voluntary skeletal muscles that are either contracting or relaxed, when contracted there is tension. It was Edmond Jacobson in 1929 who observed the effects of muscle contraction among his patients and discovered when his patients were fully relaxed and their muscle were not contracting this improved their physical, mental and emotional state. This led to the Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique (PMR).
Edmund Jacobson’s premise was “mental calmness is a natural result of physical relaxation”
The Role of Relaxation in Hypnotherapy
In order for hypnotherapy to be successful it is essential that relaxation bring about the following
Relaxation of body and mind
Narrowed focus of attention
Reduced awareness of external environment
Greater internal awareness of sensations
A trance state (Hadley 1996))
As a result of modern life many of find ourselves rushed and often feeling stressed we can allow tension to build up in our bodies so relaxation is not only essential for hypnosis to occur but also useful to our everyday mental state.
Relaxation is used in the hypnotic induction to attain a state of selective attention and in order to be able to make beneficial suggestions to the subconscious such a changing habits. It is important to distinguish the difference between relaxation and the hypnotic state I liked this differentiation by Candi Raudebaugh, found on her website http://www.innerhealthstudio.com.
The process of relaxation has an end goal of relaxation and calm
The process of hypnosis has an end goal of making changes via suggestions
Using the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique is one way to help the client relax their muscles, feel pleasant and calm, imagine a peaceful place and feel safe and
comfortable.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation can be delivered using a screed or a script the therapist uses to guide the individual into the hypnotic state by systematically relaxing every muscle in the body. This would normally begin with the client getting into a comfortable position, closing their eyes and slowing their breathing, then talking through the relaxation through their body. The therapist may encourage them to block put everyday noises and concentrate on their voice, a deepener may be used, for example a special place to guide them to the hypnotic trance and begin therapeutic suggestions.
It is also important to consider the reorientation process, bringing the client back to full consciousness, giving the client time to come out of the hypnotic state to full awareness, some therapists will count down from 5, gently guiding the client to become aware of their surroundings, bringing back the feeling in their arms and legs, allowing the everyday sounds to come back to their consciousness and ending with them opening their eyes.
Conclusions
Looking at the history of Hypnosis it is clear that the concept has been on a journey since the 18th Century with key figures developing understanding and techniques, I do believe journey does not end here with so much ongoing scientific research and breakthroughs our understanding of the human brain is continually expanding.
To answer the question “What is hypnosis” it is commonly agreed it consists of entering an altered state of consciousness that allows positive suggestions to be made and impact on the conscious brain.
For hypnosis to occur it is essential for the body to be fully relaxed to allow for the mind to be calm and brain wave activity is either theta or delta. The individual needs to be comfortable and feel safe and for a successful change in behavior a desire to make an improvement in their lives.
Bibliography and References
Books
Gordon, Marilyn - Secrets for Brilliant, Hypnosis (2012)
Hadley, Josie and Staudacher, Carol - Hypnosis for Change (1996)
Havers, Ronald A - The Wisdom of Milton H Erickson: Complete Volume (2005)
Karle, Helmut WA and Boy, Jennifer H - Hypnosis a Practical Handbook (2010)
Waterfield, Robin – Hidden Depths: A Story of Hypnosis (2004)
Online References
http://www.historyofhypnosis.org/ http://www.hypnosis.me.uk/index.html http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/
Contents
Introduction
In order to answer the question “what is hypnosis?” I start by looking at the history of hypnosis and have selected some key figures in the story of hypnosis and given a brief overview of their beliefs and development. I have also sourced some quotations and definitions.
I have also explored the physical and psychological aspects of hypnosis, firstly by looking at the four different brainwaves Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta and how the emphasis alters between the conscious and subconscious mind. For the physical aspects I will …show more content…
discuss the work of Edmund Jacobson and the progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technique.
Leading into the role of relaxation; I will first discuss the difference between relaxation and hypnotic state and briefly describe how PMR works to obtain a hypnotic state.
What is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis and it concept may have been developing for centuries in ancient civilizations however for the modern concept of hypnosis I have looked at some influential figures through the history of hypnosis below. (Waterfield, 2004)
Franz Anton Mesmer 1734-1815
Known as “the Grandfather of Hypnosis and gave us with the word “Mesmerism”
Believed a cosmic fluid flowed through the body and used magnets to heal the body.
Gained credibility till 1785.
Marquis De Puysegur
Rejected Mesmer’s theories on magnetic fluid and realised he was able to communicate with people in hypnosis asking questions and getting replies from his patients.
James Braid 1795 – 1860
Defined the word hypnosis from the Greek “Hupnos” sleep + osis
Conducted scientific studies and rejected “Magnetism” and concluded results were attributable to a physiological state of the brain and suggestibility.
His research concluded that hypnosis was not a sleep state and tried to use the term “monoideism” meaning a fixation of attention perhaps a more fitting name however “hypnosis had already entered the language.
Dr James Esdaile and Dr John Elliotson
Pioneered hypnosis to medicine and surgery, performing operations using only hypnotic anaesthesia, they were not well received and mainstream medicine favoured the use of nitrous oxide.
Liebeault and Bernheim
Founded the Nancy School in Paris.
Believed that hypnosis was due to the physiological property in the brain of suggestibility and was a natural state.
Sigmund Freud studied at the Nancy School and used this in his early career.
Pierre Janet 1859 – 1947
Discovered the benefits of relaxation on the hypnosis process which brought about the application of relaxation to hypnotherapy.
Proposed that during hypnosis a disassociation or splitting of the conscious from the subconscious parts of the mind occurred.
Milton Erickson 1901 – 1980
Considered to be the Father of modern hypnosis, and through his own personal experiences his interest was in the therapeutic value of hypnosis.
Noted for his approach to the unconscious mind as creative and solution generating and he worked very flexibly, adapting his methods to each individual client.
Paul Mckenna 1963-
English hypnotist, television personality and author of self-help books. Uses hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming in his approach.
One of the best known hypnotists in the world and has worked with various celebrities and has written many best-selling books to help people lose weight, stop smoking and have happier lives.
There are many more key figures but we can see how hypnosis has developed through time and through looking at the story of hypnosis it can be seen that the “hypnotist” worked with individuals in an altered state of consciousness and suggestibility. As more and more scientific research continues into the workings of the human brain and our understanding of it becomes clearer we will be able to clearly define hypnosis and unlock more of its …show more content…
potential.
In today’s society many people will be influenced by the portrayal of hypnosis in the media or by seeing stage show hypnotists and throughout the years there have been many skeptics and myths surrounding it, for example some people believing only certain types of people, highly suggestible or mentally weak, can be hypnotised.
Whilst looking for some short definitions I came across the following:
The American Psychological Association describes hypnosis as a cooperative interaction in which the participant responds to the suggestions of the hypnotist.
The Oxford English Dictionary definition states “Hypnosis is the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person apparently loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction. Its use in therapy, typically to recover suppressed memories or to allow modification of behaviour.”
“Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, while one is in hypnosis or trance, the conscious mind becomes quiet, allowing access to the highly suggestible subconscious mind” Marilyn Gordon
“Hypnosis is thought to work by altering our state of consciousness in such a way that the analytical left-hand side of the brain is turned off, while the non-analytical right-hand side is made more alert. The conscious control of the mind is inhibited, and the subconscious mind awoken. Since the subconscious mind is a deeper-seated, more instinctive force than the conscious mind, this is the part which has to change for the patient 's behaviour and physical state to alter” http://www.hypnosis.me.uk/pages/whatis.html
I personally see hypnosis as guided way of accessing your subconscious by narrowing your attention and achieving a different kind of awareness in a trance state, when in this state the suggestions made can impact positively on behaviours in the conscious state, such as overcoming phobias, stopping smoking or losing weight or dealing with anxiety.
The Physical and Psychological Aspects of Hypnosis
Hypnosis can be a natural everyday state, for example when we enter auto-pilot whilst driving or day dreaming on a long walk, our subconscious takes over whilst we remain fully conscious should we need to take action.
Creating the right setting for a client before guiding them into hypnosis is essential, they need to be comfortable and feel safe in order to allow the physical and psychological changes required enter the hypnotic state. It is important to consider how an individual may feel before entering into hypnotherapy, they may feel anxious or nervous, unsure if it will work for them or be wondering how they will enter hypnosis. There may also be some concern about how much control the therapist will have over them, again is it vital to assure the client that a hypnotist cannot make you perform actions that are against your values or morals.
Building a trusting relationship is important as a therapist and being able to explain what happens during hypnosis can help to reassure a client. The client must be motivated to make a change and the hypnotherapist must fully understand what that change is. The hypnotherapist needs to establish rapport with the client and through reading about the work of Milton Erickson have a flexible approach to suit the needs of individual clients.
When guiding a client into hypnosis it is important to understand the brain wave activity that we all go through on a daily basis.
Beta 15-40 cycles per second
The fastest wave when engaged in an activity, busy or concentrating.
Alpha 9-14 cycles per second
Being in a relaxed or rested state, can represent creativity.
These would be present during a light hypnosis.
Theta 4-8 cycles per second
Being in calm, meditative state, associated with subconscious, dreaming and medium to deep hypnosis.
Delta 1-4 cycles per second
The slowest wave present in sleep and deep hypnosis, produced in the subconscious.
When a client is in a hypnotic state, dependent on how deep the hypnosis is brain wave activity may fluctuate from Alpha to Theta, allowing selective attention and access to the subconscious to allow for suggestion to take place. It is important to be able to fully relax the body to allow the mind to enter a hypnotic state.
“An anxious mind cannot exist in a relaxed body” Edmund Jacobson
Our bodies have 400 voluntary skeletal muscles that are either contracting or relaxed, when contracted there is tension. It was Edmond Jacobson in 1929 who observed the effects of muscle contraction among his patients and discovered when his patients were fully relaxed and their muscle were not contracting this improved their physical, mental and emotional state. This led to the Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique (PMR).
Edmund Jacobson’s premise was “mental calmness is a natural result of physical relaxation”
The Role of Relaxation in Hypnotherapy
In order for hypnotherapy to be successful it is essential that relaxation bring about the following
Relaxation of body and mind
Narrowed focus of attention
Reduced awareness of external environment
Greater internal awareness of sensations
A trance state (Hadley 1996))
As a result of modern life many of find ourselves rushed and often feeling stressed we can allow tension to build up in our bodies so relaxation is not only essential for hypnosis to occur but also useful to our everyday mental state.
Relaxation is used in the hypnotic induction to attain a state of selective attention and in order to be able to make beneficial suggestions to the subconscious such a changing habits. It is important to distinguish the difference between relaxation and the hypnotic state I liked this differentiation by Candi Raudebaugh, found on her website http://www.innerhealthstudio.com.
The process of relaxation has an end goal of relaxation and calm
The process of hypnosis has an end goal of making changes via suggestions
Using the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique is one way to help the client relax their muscles, feel pleasant and calm, imagine a peaceful place and feel safe and
comfortable.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation can be delivered using a screed or a script the therapist uses to guide the individual into the hypnotic state by systematically relaxing every muscle in the body. This would normally begin with the client getting into a comfortable position, closing their eyes and slowing their breathing, then talking through the relaxation through their body. The therapist may encourage them to block put everyday noises and concentrate on their voice, a deepener may be used, for example a special place to guide them to the hypnotic trance and begin therapeutic suggestions.
It is also important to consider the reorientation process, bringing the client back to full consciousness, giving the client time to come out of the hypnotic state to full awareness, some therapists will count down from 5, gently guiding the client to become aware of their surroundings, bringing back the feeling in their arms and legs, allowing the everyday sounds to come back to their consciousness and ending with them opening their eyes.
Conclusions
Looking at the history of Hypnosis it is clear that the concept has been on a journey since the 18th Century with key figures developing understanding and techniques, I do believe journey does not end here with so much ongoing scientific research and breakthroughs our understanding of the human brain is continually expanding.
To answer the question “What is hypnosis” it is commonly agreed it consists of entering an altered state of consciousness that allows positive suggestions to be made and impact on the conscious brain.
For hypnosis to occur it is essential for the body to be fully relaxed to allow for the mind to be calm and brain wave activity is either theta or delta. The individual needs to be comfortable and feel safe and for a successful change in behavior a desire to make an improvement in their lives.
Bibliography and References
Books
Gordon, Marilyn - Secrets for Brilliant, Hypnosis (2012)
Hadley, Josie and Staudacher, Carol - Hypnosis for Change (1996)
Havers, Ronald A - The Wisdom of Milton H Erickson: Complete Volume (2005)
Karle, Helmut WA and Boy, Jennifer H - Hypnosis a Practical Handbook (2010)
Waterfield, Robin – Hidden Depths: A Story of Hypnosis (2004)
Online References
http://www.historyofhypnosis.org/ http://www.hypnosis.me.uk/index.html http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/