We link primary sources - including studies, scientific references, and statistics - within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. When they feel ready, they can slowly open their eyes. They may also use a countdown from 5 or 10 to help them exit the hypnotic state. A hypnotized individual will do this by breathing deeply while imagining more energy entering the body with each breath. Ending the hypnotic stateĪfter about 5 minutes of imagining the goal-directed imagery, it is time to exit the hypnotic state. It may also be helpful to affirm their goal while attending to these images. Revisiting the goalĪfter this point, the individual will recall their goal and begin to visualize a scene that exemplifies it.įor instance, if the goal is to achieve good sleep, they could imagine themselves peacefully getting to sleep.Īlternatively, if the goal is to reduce stress, they could imagine themselves calmly dealing with the situation that triggers their stress.

It is important to remain in this scene for some time, attending to its different aspects.Īs this goes on, the person should begin to imagine a sensation of heaviness spreading over their entire body. The next step is to visualize a happy, peaceful scene. The individual can then slowly close their eyes, feeling them get heavier and heavier until it becomes almost impossible to keep them open. They can then try to relax by breathing slowly and deeply, concentrating on inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. They can softly but consistently focus on a single point, which will ideally be at eye level. Next, a person must find a state that involves focus and relaxation. By having this goal in mind, an individual can get the most out of hypnosis. The goal could be to reduce stress, achieve a better sleep quality, or break a habit. It is important to approach a therapeutic hypnosis session with a specific goal. A person may also wish to wear comfortable clothing. The first step is to create the right environment for self-hypnosis, which typically means finding a quiet, secluded spot and removing technological distractions, such as mobile phones. In general, the process involves the following steps: 1. However, it is possible to find some information about self-hypnosis online. There is no universally accepted and medically approved procedure for self-hypnosis. For instance, the authors of a 2018 review note a positive effect of hypnosis on sleep, although they also call for more research on this topic.Ī 2016 review suggests that hypnosis may also be useful for the emotional stress that people can experience during medical interventions. It found that those who used self-hypnosis enjoyed a better quality of sleep than those who did not.Īlongside these individual studies, a few meta-analyses have concluded that hypnotic practices have some medical benefits. A 2020 study also looked at the effectiveness of self-hypnosis for sleep in people going through menopause. This same group of people also benefited from improved sleep due to self-hypnosis. Likewise, a 2021 study found similar pain-relieving effects from self-hypnosis among people with sickle cell disease. The study authors report that people who received hypnotic treatments experienced less pain and anxiety than those who did not.

There is some scientific evidence that self-hypnosis can play a therapeutic role.įor example, a 2018 study investigated the use of self-hypnosis within palliative care.

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