What is hypnosis?

It is illegal to show the process of hypnosis on television and nothing you have seen on TV (with a very few exceptions) is likely to have had anything much to do with hypnotherapy.

The various trance states of hypnotherapy have more in common with the focused meditative states found in some religions or the "zone" of top sports people than "stage hypnotism" which is much more about people being given permission to be the centre of attention in public. It has no therapeutic applications!

Real hypnosis has clinical applications in terms of pain control in surgery, demonstrating its measurable power. Those who are interested can see a video of a colleague of mine using hypnosis to allow someone to have surgery without an anaesthetic.

In other cases hypnosis can reduce anaesthetic use and hospital time thus reducing recovery time in dentistry, child birth and even eye-surgery.

Despite its power hypnosis cannot be used to manipulate you into doing things that are against your wishes, you will not be asleep, unaware or otherwise "out of it" during hypnosis. Some people report a somewhat daydream like quality, many report feeling very alert and focussed yet relaxed with the normal insistent external voices and demands of life silenced for a change so the person can focus on themselves.

It is about helping you achieve the kind of directed state that allows you to achieve your goals.

Can Anyone be Hypnotised?

Trance states are entered naturally by everyone every day.

If you have ever found the time has just flown by when enjoying something, lost in the moment, then you have been in a light trance.

If you have ever got home and just suddenly realised that you are desperate to use the loo and therefore must have been suppressing this pain for some time then you have used a light trance to block pain.