What is hypnosis and what causes a person to become hypnotized?

Hypnosis typically involves relaxation of the body, but that is not actually required. When a person is in hypnosis they are able to connect with a deeper part of themselves, the subconscious mind. Once in that state it is possible to alter patterns and beliefs by making changes to the existing patterns and beliefs, though only if the person is open to these changes.

Some people think all you can do is make someone bark like a dog or quack like a duck, but nothing could be further from the truth. When a person is in hypnosis you cannot MAKE them do anything they would not do when they are not in hypnosis.

Commonly known ways of using hypnosis to help people make changes include becoming a non-smoker and reducing your weight. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Hypnosis can help reduce or eliminate stress and anxiety, fears and phobias and even help people deal with insomnia, relationship issues or manage pain.

Hypnosis is effective when it comes to tapping into memories that are deep in the subconscious mind. It is possible to take someone back to their childhood, even as far back as before they could walk or talk in some cases.

Hypnosis has been used for healing for thousands of years.

All hypnosis is self hypnosis, so when someone goes into the state of hypnosis, they are causing themselves to enter into that state. Typically focus on one thing, or a series of things one at a time, will allow the hypnotist to help a person enter into the hypnotic state. A good method is to have the person focus on different things using different senses.

I might have someone imagine a house or a tree, then have them imagine a flower, then imagine the smell of the flower. If you were to touch the pedals and rub them between your fingers, what would that feel like.

Most people are more responsive to one sense over the others, so by going through different senses and having the person imagine this or hear that or smell this or feel that tends to help most anyone enter into a state of hypnosis.

Then there are the instant and rapid inductions, but this is already getting to be a long post.