After all, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis according to many master hypnotists.

I don’t know if you are as hypno-curious as me, but I like to keep my knowledge sharp and up to date with the latest research on hypnosis and hypnotherapy. When reading research about hypnosis, one thing that stands out is that most of the studies are about self-hypnosis. So, what makes self-hypnosis different than hypnosis, and what are its benefits? 

Self-hypnosis was the way that I actually got into hypnosis and eventually hypnotherapy. Looking back at the process, I can clearly see that self-hypnosis taught me how to control my thoughts and emotions. The best part of self-hypnosis is that it’s a tool that can be used at your pace. Although you may be working towards one goal, eventually it leads to greater results such as helping with detaching from toxic emotions and behaviors. So what is self-hypnosis, really?

What is Self-Hypnosis?

Self-hypnosis is a form of a hypnotic state in which the body is calm and relaxed and the mind is focused on positive images, affirmations, or pre-recorded tapes. Self-hypnosis, also known as auto-hypnosis, can feel distinctly different from hetero-hypnosis.

During self-hypnosis, some part of the conscious mind is always involved to facilitate the deepening process. On the other hand, during hetero-hypnosis, it is advised for the person to leave every thought and physical tension in order to reach a deeper state of hypnosis.

With that being said, self-hypnosis can be just as powerful as hetero-hypnosis, or maybe even more beneficial at times. For example, for people who have difficulty organizing their thoughts, falling asleep, or being focused, self-hypnosis can help tremendously since the person is responsible for leading themselves down to the hypnotic state.

Self-hypnosis is also very similar to meditation since they both focus on calmness and relaxation. Additionally, people report experiencing a light state of hypnosis during both self-hypnosis and meditation.

Benefits of Self-Hypnosis 

I tried self-hypnosis myself, and it helped me to stop biting my nails (You can read more about my self-hypnosis story here.). Later, as I researched more and more, I learned that self-hypnosis can help with almost anything. It can help with simple habit change goals such as drinking more water, exercising regularly, focus, or it can even help with more complex goals such as falling asleep easier, regulating emotions, or quitting addictions. However, at times, it’s hard to see the problem when we are the one who is standing right in the middle of it. In those cases, self-hypnosis may not help you move much further.  

There are a variety of research studies showing the effectiveness of self-hypnosis on various topics. For example, in a review that was published in the European Journal of Cancer Care, self-hypnosis showed positive results when used for managing vomiting and nausea during cancer chemotherapy.

According to another study that was published in the American Psychological Association, patients were randomized into 3 groups; local anesthetic, local anesthetic plus self-hypnosis, and local anesthetic plus attention. Findings showed that the group who received local anesthetic plus self-hypnosis reported less anticipatory anxiety, less pain related to the procedure, and less behavioral distress during the procedure.

According to a study from the American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, self-hypnosis offers relief with childbirth pain.

The research on self-hypnosis goes on and on. Self-hypnosis’ help can be as limitless as you. However, benefits heavily depend on willpower and willingness to change. In other words, be ready to practice daily, challenge yourself, and be persistent!

Limitations of Self-Hypnosis

I was able to stop biting my nails with self-hypnosis because I attended a self-hypnosis class that taught me exactly what to do and I practiced it religiously for almost 3 months – yes, 3 months non-stop! I believed that it was going to work one way or another! -.  

This means a few things; First of all, you’ve got to practice self-hypnosis daily in order for it to work effectively. Self-hypnosis is a way of conditioning your mind and your body to relaxation and calm response so that your affirmations, images, or recordings can enter through the subconscious mind easily. In order for self-hypnosis to work, you need to give yourself some time for this conditioning process to establish.

Second, you should be somewhat trusting the process of self-hypnosis so that your mind is open to the change with this method. For example, if you are someone who thinks hypnosis doesn’t work or won’t work for you, you may be wasting your time with self-hypnosis.

Finally, knowing what you are doing with self-hypnosis is an important component of success. After you lead yourself down to the hypnotic state by following the steps, it’s time to give yourself affirmations, imagine scenes, or listen to your pre-recorded tape. These suggestions must strictly be positive and only positive or else you may be reinforcing negative ideas in your mind. This one sounds pretty obvious but it can be tricky. For example, a statement such as “I don’t want to be anxious” is a negative statement that is disguised as a positive statement.

Moreover, the power of self-hypnosis comes from “acting as if”. “Acting as if” means imagining in your mind as if your goal already happened. For example, imagining how would your life be if your goal was accomplished can give you an idea. A way to get into that successful state can be using the present tense or triggering emotions related to that state.

Who Should Practice Self-Hypnosis? 

Clearly, anyone can practice and benefit from self-hypnosis. If I could do it, you can do it too! As a hypnotherapist I would suggest self-hypnosis especially to people who experience a lot of stress, anxiety, worry in their daily lives, who have hard times managing their eating habits, who want to improve their performance, who want to increase confidence and self-esteem, and/or who want to sleep better or easier.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend self-hypnosis to someone who is dealing with emotional trauma, extreme anxiety, or someone who is in depression. After all, our own negative thinking can get in the way of shifting attention to the positive.