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

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

Page 2

Contents
Contents..............................................................................................................................2 Introduction....................................................................................................................3 What is Hypnosis............................................................................................................4 2.1 Psychological Aspects..........................................................................................6 Physical Aspects.........................................................................................................7 Relaxation and Its Role in Hypnotherapy......................................................................8 Conclusion......................................................................................................................9 Footnotes......................................................................................................................10

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

Page 3

Introduction
Many people dont know what hypnosis really is. They have maybe seen the Magician David Copperfield performing on Television his supernatural activities. This is called stage hypnosis and is a form of entertainment and has nothing to do with hypnosis in therapy. I myself have never been hypnotised, therefore I was quite suspicious in the beginning of the study of hypnosis. But I do sometimes drift off whilst thinking about a loved one, or while reading a book, and I love daydreaming. So what is hypnosis exactly? As soon as I have read the first book about hypnosis1 I knew I was not alone with this suspicion but also could relax and see there is no magic at all in hypnosis. Hypnosis is a natural state of awareness, a natural trance state or daydreaming. There is nothing to be afraid of. You are either asleep or awake and in-between are different levels of awareness which I will describe later. In the present essay I will firstly define hypnosis and where the construct comes from. Then I will describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy. I conclude with an outlook of hypnosis today and what great things you can do with hypnosis either in self-hypnosis or as a reputable practitioner.

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

Page 4

What is Hypnosis
There are many definitions of hypnosis to be found in the literature. One of which is the following: Hypnosis is a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination.2 This definition includes all the relevant information of hypnosis in hypnotherapy. We will only emphasise on the relaxation part in this essay. But where does hypnosis derive from? One of the earliest definitions of hypnosis was given by James Braid who in 1840 coined the term hypnosis from the Greek God of Sleep. 3 As this gave the wrong impression of being asleep while hypnotised, he also defined the term hypnotism as an abbreviation for neuro-hypnotism, or nervous sleep, which is opposed to normal sleep and defined as: a peculiar condition of the nervous system, induced by a fixed and abstracted attention of the mental and visual eye, on one object, not of an exciting nature (Braid, 1943) 4. Braid was producing genuine physiological responses in his clients, but these were not due to any supernatural or magnetic force as claimed, but the result of ordinary psychological and physiological processes such as relaxation, focused attention, and suggestion. Sigmund Freud spent a year in Paris learning hypnosis from another psychiatrist. He pioneered the use of hypnosis as a vehicle for regression, a defense mechanism where one reverts to an earlier stage of development5 rather than handling unacceptable impulses in a more adult way. The defense mechanism of regression, in psychoanalytic theory, occurs when thoughts are pushed back out of our consciousness and into our unconscious mind.

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

Page 5

Although he was first impressed, Freud later abandoned it in order to develop his own technique of psychoanalysis. Nevertheless in an article published late in his career, Freud returned to the subject of hypnotherapy once again, suggesting that it might be necessary to somehow combine the findings of psychoanalysis with the methods of hypnotherapy in order to produce a shorter and more powerful form of treatment. This notion was subsequently developed by other psychotherapists and led to the school of hypnosis which we now call "hypnoanalysis." Freud's comments here are more in the manner of a brief description, rather than a definition per se, nevertheless they reveal something of his views on the nature of hypnosis. It has long been known, though it has only been established beyond all doubt during the last few decades, that it is possible, by certain gentle means, to put people into a quite peculiar mental state very similar to sleep and on that account described as 'hypnosis.' [...] The hypnotic state exhibits a great variety of gradations. In its lightest degree the hypnotic subject is aware only of something like a slight insensibility, while the most extreme degree, which is marked by special peculiarities, is known as 'somnambulism', on account of its resemblance to the natural phenomena of sleep-walking. But hypnosis is in no sense a sleep like our nocturnal sleep or like the sleep produced by drugs. Changes occur in it and mental functions are retained during it which are absent in normal sleep. (Freud, 1905)6. Milton Erickson is probably the most influential hypnotherapist of the 20th century and the originator of a novel and distinctive style of hypnotism, referred to as Ericksonian. The hypnotic trance may be defined, for

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

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purposes of conceptualisation, as a state of increased awareness and responsiveness to ideas.7 It [hypnosis] is a state of consciousness not unconsciousness or sleep a state of consciousness or awareness in which there is a marked receptiveness to ideas and understandings and an increased willingness to respond either positively or negatively to those ideas. (Erickson, 1989)8 But what is hypnotherapy and how does it differ from hypnosis? Hypnosis is a totally natural state of mind. When under hypnosis you will feel very relaxed, just like that wonderful feeling when you are tired lying in your bed and you are so overwhelmed with comfort that you wish the moment could last forever. Through simple hypnotic, relaxation techniques you can easily attain this state at which time it becomes easy, with the help of a trained hypnotherapist, to visualise yourself becoming healthier, happier, more confident, or a non-smoker. Hypnotherapy is also a two way process between the therapist and the client, a professional partnership. A person cannot be hypnotised unless he or she agrees and co-operates - this cannot be stressed enough. Also whilst hypnotised, nobody can make you do anything which you do not want to do. It must be emphasised here that what hypnotherapists do is, by definition, therapeutic.

2.1

Psychological Aspects
Some hypnotists understand under hypnotic suggestions as being a

form of communication directed to the client's conscious mind, whereas others view suggestion as a means of communicating with the "unconscious" or "subconscious" mind. These concepts were introduced into hypnotism at

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

Page 7

the end of 19th century by Freud. The original Victorian pioneers of hypnotism, including Braid, did not employ these concepts but considered hypnotic suggestions to be addressed to the client's conscious mind. Indeed, Braid actually defines hypnotism as focused (conscious) attention upon a dominant idea (or suggestion). Different views regarding the nature of the mind have led to different conceptions of suggestion. Hypnotists who believed that responses are mediated primarily by an "unconscious mind", like Erickson, made more use of indirect suggestions, such as metaphors or stories, whose intended meaning may be concealed from the client's conscious mind. The concept of subliminal suggestion also depends upon this view of the mind. By contrast, hypnotists who believed that responses to suggestion are primarily mediated by the conscious mind tended to make more use of direct verbal suggestions and instructions.9

Physical Aspects
Under hypnosis you are led, by means of the hypnotherapist's gently guiding voice, into a state where your body and mind are relaxed. Even though you will normally feel very relaxed, you will remain awake enough to be aware. The physical side is also better explained since we can measure the electrical activity of the brain.10 The method is called electroencephalogram (EEG) and was recorded in 1929 by Hans Berger in measuring the brain waves. There are four main types of brain waves, varying in frequency, the fastest being Beta waves, then Alpha waves, Theta waves, and the slowest Delta waves.

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

Page 8

Beta waves have 15 to 40 cycles per second; this is when you have an engaged and focused state of mind. Alpha waves have 9 to 14 cycles per second, which represents a state of creativity and relaxed state of well-being. Theta waves are measuring 4 to 8 cycles per second. Here we are accessing intuition and daydreaming, and Delta waves are 1 to 4 cycles per second where you have a detached awareness or are in a deep sleep. In hypnotherapy the waves that are commonly seen in hypnotised clients are those of Alpha and Theta waves. These enables the practitioner to access the subconscious mind and therefore is the basis of the success of hypnosis.11

Relaxation and Its Role in Hypnotherapy

The relaxation response is defined as your personal ability to make your body release chemicals and brain signals that make your muscles and organs slow down and increases blood flow to the brain. Drugs can do some of this for you, however they often have unwanted side effects. You can get your body to relax just as well without drugs while remaining conscious and aware at the same time. To be physically relaxed and mentally alert is the goal of the relaxation response. There are many techniques of relaxation. Some of these techniques are called Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), Visualisation, Deep Breathing, Meditation, Hypnosis, Yoga, Biofeedback etc.12 Relaxation is also used to bring the conscious mind into a deeper level of awareness where your brain is on the length of Theta waves. Only by imagining relaxing your muscles will relax them without tensing and relaxing them physically. In relaxing your muscles through mental induction your

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

Page 9

physical activities slow down and you are completely aware but also relaxed and open to the suggestions which are induced by the practitioner. You also can practise this method on your own and become skilled at using these techniques. Relaxation is one of the induction methods applied in hypnotherapy which is most widely used.13 A relaxation induction systematically relaxes every muscle in your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. You can use it to hypnotise others or in doing self-hypnosis. But most importantly the success of the therapy lies on the willingness of the clients to co-operate. Of their beliefs that this works and their motivation to achieve the goal and make changes to bad habits in their life. In this case hypnosis can be successful in doing great things such as treating phobias of all kinds, giving up smoking, weight management or improving self esteem. It is harmless and produces no damaging side effects, whilst providing positive therapeutic benefits.

Conclusion
Short term therapy methods made a great comeback lately. Not many clients want to go to a Psychotherapist as often as to their hairdresser anymore. Gone are the times where it was fashionable in New York to have your own Psychotherapist for years. At the same time more and more people get trained in different relaxation methods and see the positive impact, when practicing regularly, such methods have to their daily lives. Therefore hypnotherapy using such relaxation methods has become more accepted. Also showing physical proof helps to show there is nothing unnatural in being

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

What is Hypnosis?

Page 10

hypnotised and keeping all the control as a client. Hopefully one day we will be able to eliminate the strange and mystical stereotype of the hypnotherapist. The magic is all in the mind of the person receiving hypnotherapy. The hypnotist merely helps you to use that incredible hidden power to achieve things in your life such as stopping smoking, losing weight, cutting down on stress, and gaining in confidence and happiness.

Footnotes

Franziska Mayall

Course Code: MAIDS1A

Tutor: Karen Martin

1 2

HADLEY, J., STAUDACHER, C. (1996) Hypnosis for Change. New Harbinger Publications, USA, p. 11-19. HARRIS, T. (2001) Science vs. Myth. Science.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 2011-11-28. 3 MARTIN, K. (2011) From Past to Present. Course notes of Chrysalis Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Year One, Module One 1-1 07/2010, p. 7. 4 BRAID, J. (1843). Neurypnology or The rationale of nervous sleep considered in relation with animal magnetism. Buffalo, N.Y.: John Churchill. 5 PSYCHOLOGY DICTIONARY (2011) Regression. (R) at All Psych Online. www.allpsych.com. Retrieved 2011-12-01. 6 FREUD, S. (1890) On Psychical (or Mental) Treatment. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume VII (1901-1905), S.E., 7:283-302. 7 ERICKSON, M.H. (1989) Innovative Hypnotherapy (The Collective Papers of Milton Erickson on Hypnosis Volume IV). Irvington Publishers Inc, p. 174. 8 ERICKSON, M.H. (1989) Innovative Hypnotherapy (The Collective Papers of Milton Erickson on Hypnosis Volume IV). Irvington Publishers Inc, p. 224. 9 WIKIPEDIA, Hypnosis, Consciousness versus unconscious mind. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2011-12-01. 10 MARTIN, K. (2011) From Past to Present. Course notes of Chrysalis Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Year One, Module One 1-1 07/2010, p. 7. 11 MARTIN, K. (2011) From Past to Present. Course notes of Chrysalis Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Year One, Module One 1-1 07/2010, p. 9-10. 12 WILLIAMS, Dr. D.A., CAREY, Dr. M. (2003) You Really Need to Relax, Effective Methods, UMHS. 13 HADLEY, J., STAUDACHER, C. (1996) Hypnosis for Change. New Harbinger Publications, USA, p. 24-26.