What Is Hypnosis? Describe the Psychological and Physical Aspects of Hypnosis and Discuss the Role of Relaxation in Hypnotherapy.

The content of this essay will explore how hypnosis has been defined in both the past and the present. I will explain my understanding of hypnosis as well as exploring the history of hypnosis, its origins and how it was first practiced. I shall also detail some of the techniques used and the psychological and physical changes which occur during hypnosis. Finally I will discuss the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy and look at some of the reasons that individuals wish to undergo hypnosis and the benefits they may experience. My understanding of hypnosis is that it is a natural state and that all humans regularly enter a light trancelike state which they describe as “daydreaming”. It is not gaining control of a person so they act out of character and do outrageous things. This however is a common opinion of what hypnosis is. Hypnosis enables the individual to change their level of consciousness where they move into a moderate or deep trance and subsequently open up the subconscious mind. In these states the individual can selectively focus on one thing without distraction thus facilitating susceptibility to hypnotic suggestion.
Everything a person has learned or experienced is stored in the subconscious mind. This is the part of the brain responsible for everything we do automatically (Hadley & Staudacher 1996). The ability of the subconscious mind is demonstrated when we complete familiar tasks without consciously thinking about them. For example, driving is a learnt skill that is stored in the subconscious mind. When making a familiar and regular car journey, it is not uncommon to arrive at your destination without remembering anything about the drive. This is because the subconscious mind is taking care of the familiar while your conscious mind can think about other things without distraction. This indicates that the mind has the ability to operate at different levels of consciousness without recourse to formal hypnosis.
In practice, hypnosis is an

References: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotherapy accessed on 11/06/2012 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_H._Erickson accessed on 11/06/2012 Chrysalis Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling. Year One – Hypnotherapy and Counselling skills – Module One. From Past to Present An introduction to Basic Techniques