What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a technique during which a clinician makes suggestions to individuals who are undergoing a procedure designed to relax them and focus their minds. Self-hypnosis is when individuals enter this focused state themselves. All hypnosis is in fact self-hypnosis, as it is the individual who allows their mind to enter this state and interact with the hypnotherapist.
Hypnosis by itself does not actually do anything. It may make you feel relaxed. However to achieve an outcome, it requires some intervention on the part of the hypnotherapist. A person who could benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) alone, may in benefit even more with hypnosis added. This is why it is important to go to a professional so that their skills as a professional (counsellor or psychologist) can be used rather than a non-professional who has learned hypnosis but not the skills to help you through the issues you may have.
History of hypnosis
Brief overview
About the year 1771, a Viennese Jesuit named Maximilian Hell was using magnets to heal by using steel plates on people’s bodies. One of the unfortunately named Father Hell’s students was Franz Anton Mesmer who started investigating what he called “animal magnetism” or what became known as “mesmerism”. In the early 18th century Abbe Farrer (from India) thought that hypnosis was generated by the power and expectancy of the patient (Wikipedia). James Esdaile (1805-1859) reported on 345 major operations performed in India using “mesmeric sleep” as the sole anaesthesia. The introduction of anaesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1846 signaled the end of hypnosis as a major element of pain control in surgery, although there are accounts of its use in the American Civil War.
The Scottish surgeon James Braid coined the term “hypnotism” in 1842 although he first called it neuro-hypnosis. This shortened to hypnotism, later to hypnosis. He wrote the first book on hypnosis “Neurypnology in 1843.
Sigmund Freud used some elements of hypnosis in his development of psychoanalysis. Freud was a student of Charcot, the father of neurology, who used hypnosis in the management of hysteria.
The 20th century saw many giants of the field of hypnosis research. They developed training programs and professional societies. Examples are Milton Erickson and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. At least one of the giants of modern hypnosis, Peter Sheehan, was an Australian. ASH (The Australian Society of Hypnosis) has for many years trained psychologists, dentists and medical practitioners.
More recently, ASH has allowed health professionals with appropriate qualifications to train and undergo examination to get their Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis.
Is stage hypnosis real?
For many people their only introduction to hypnosis is thorough seeing stage hypnosis either live or on television. This is unfortunate as it gives a false indication 
of what hypnosis is and what it does and can be used for. Stage hypnosis is real, however it is extremely biased. The stage hypnotist will often pre-screen people who have volunteered to be on stage or select them out at the beginning with simple screening tools. These tools will select a subgroup called hypnosis virtuosos. These are people who are at the extreme end of the “normal curve” of hypnotisability. The willing volunteers understand what is expected on stage and it is not surprising that they might quack like a duck or bark like a dog. They know it is expected as part of the act. This is real hypnosis but it is for entertainment only and not for any real benefit.
Can anyone be hypnotised?
We can all daydream and go off in to a trance like state, where minutes appear like seconds or we are driving home and we don’t remember the drive home. It is as though someone else was in control of the car, when in fact it was you. Despite this there are degrees of hypnotisability that are measured using a many scales. The lower your score, the less likely you are to be able to reach a deep “trance like” state. These scales are more likely used in academic institutions where they 
were developed using university students. They may not be as applicable to the average non college student who wants hypnosis to “help them” with an issue. This is different to having a hypnotic session as part of your first year course where you have “volunteered”.
Of course, if you have reasons not to want hypnosis because of some concern, or you are a person who says “You can’t hypnotise me!” then of course you won’t allow yourself to be directed in any way. Surprisingly, you can’t be hypnotised. It is the subject who allows hypnosis to happen to them. It is not the hypnotist who controls them in to the hypnotic state.
Can you be made to do anything against your will under hypnosis?
As a general rule, you cannot be compelled to do anything against your will when in the hypnotic state. As the hypnotist is not in control of you, they cannot make you do anything you don’t want to. You are however in a more suggestible state than normal and you have agreed to be hypnotised and so you are more likely to 
follow the advice of the hypnotist. This is not being forced against your will. When not under hypnosis you can respond to the use of the word “please” to sometimes be moved in a certain direction that you might have not thought of doing. The classic experiments of Milgram and Zimbardo show that people can do many things that appear different to what they would normally do. These were not people who were hypnotised.
It is quite common for people to be given a post hypnotic suggestion (PHS) as an aide to help them with some issue they have sought help on. An example might be for a smoker who wishes to quit, to be given a PHS that when they see a glass of beer (which might be a signal to them to light up a cigarette) they will instantly feel unwell and not wish to proceed. This is acceptable and relies upon your clients trust in you. This is why you should choose a professional hypnotherapist.
Who is qualified to use hypnosis?
Hypnosis is not treatment. As mentioned before, it is a tool to assist in the management of issues that trouble someone. Hypnotising someone for half an hour and/or making them quack like a duck does nothing for them. It requires skills to assist a person AND the hypnosis is to assist and speed up the process of repair of the issue.
The casual amateur
It is possible to learn hypnosis in a very short period of time, and practice on your friends, classmates etc. This is not a very good idea as the person would not normally have the skills to utilize the hypnotic situation. They would not have training in the unlikely event that something unplanned happens.
The more serious amateur (non-health professional)
This person is a non-health professional who will have done a comprehensive training course and undergone supervision and passed certain tests. They would be proficient in hypnosis but not in any underlying psychological issues that people might have. They should have no problems with dealing with an issue like smoking, unless the person has an addictive personality where the cessation of smoking is replaced with another condition.
Health Professional.
This is a person with training in the health professions who has undergone a rigorous training program which may or may not have an examination at the end.
Most professionals will only practice within the area of their expertise.
- A dentist trained in hypnosis would normally only use it in their dental practice.
- I would be inclined to restrict its use to medical not psychologic problems.
- A psychologist might use hypnosis along with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to assist in managing the patient in the expectation that hypnosis plus CBT would be more beneficial than CBT alone.
- A counselor would have skills in their area that might be helped by the use of hypnosis.
Hypnosis would not expect to do anything by itself except for some relaxation, which in itself is beneficial.
Uses of hypnosis
Smoking & weight loss & motivation etc.
These are not areas that I will cover, but many seek help for.
Psychological Problems
In this area almost any issue that psychologists have training in, might benefit from the addition of hypnosis. Many people have thought in the past that issues like major depression would not benefit by the addition of hypnosis. Dr Michael Yapko has published on the use of hypnosis in this area with good results
Medical/Dental
- Management of anxiety and pain associated with dentistry
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) may benefit from hypnosis.
- Hypnosis has been used in pain management.
- Palliative care is a possible area of benefit.
- In the area of cancer management there is evidence for its use in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. (Radiology & Bone marrows in children)
I aim to provide hypnosis in the area of symptoms of cancer and/or its treatment. This will extend to the interventions that many cancer patients have performed. I will offer help to those with non-cancer related pain or radiologic interventions.