Julie Docherty

Word Count: 2142 What is Hypnosis Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in Hypnotherapy Introduction My essay will firstly attempt to look at the history of hypnosis and then look at what hypnosis is and also what hypnosis is not. My essay will then try to describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and finally I will discuss the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy and whether relaxation is necessary for hypnotherapy to take place. History of hypnosis Hypnosis dates back hundreds of years and maybe portrayed as far back as the Old Testament. There is also evidence of hypnosis in Ancient Egypt over 3,000 years ago. There are two main leading men in the study of hypnosis, Franz Anton Mesmer (1734 1815) and Milton Erickson (1901 1980). Franz Anton Mesmer was considered to be the father of hypnosis. He is remembered for the term mesmerism, but this name didnt stick and it was later changed to hypnosis. Milton Erickson is known as the father of modern hypnosis and is thought to have pioneered the art of suggestions in hypnosis. Milton Erickson developed many tips and techniques in hypnosis that were very different from what was commonly practiced. Milton Erickson maintained that a trance like state was very common, it is quite normal to become so immersed in an everyday activity that people go into a trance like state, and this is so common that most people do not recognise this as a hypnotic state. The true pioneer of hypnosis was the Austrian doctor Franz Anton Mesmer. For a long time hypnosis was known as mesmerism, and this is still used sometimes today. Franz Anton Mesmer found he could cure people of different diseases without medicine or surgery and he believed he had a magnetic force which could regulate the flow of magnetic fluids in people to produce a cure. Franz Anton Mesmers theories were developed throughout the 19th century by people like John Elliotson (1791 1868) and James Esdaille (1808 1859). John Elliotson and James Esdaille were both British surgeons who used mesmerising techniques to perform operations. It is reported that in 1840 John Elliotson performed 1,834 surgical procedures using hypnosis. (Hypnosis through the Years 2005) and in 1853 it is reported that James Esdaile performed 2,000 operations, of which 300, were major operations using hypnosis. James Braid (1795 1860) is also another important person, he was a Scottish surgeon and in 1843 changed the phrase mesmerism to hypnosis, the term hypnosis derives from the Greek god of sleep, Hypno, as hypno means to sleep because most forms of mesmerism at that time was thought to involve the patient being in a sleep like condition. This is a very brief history of hypnosis. Today hypnosis is thought to be highly effective, and is used nowadays for habit controls like quitting smoking, weight control and is useful to help reduce stress and other health related problems.

Julie Docherty

What is Hypnosis It is probably much easier to say what hypnosis is not, rather than what hypnosis is. It is very important to know that hypnosis is not about a person controlling the mind of another person; the client is not unconscious at any time and does not lose control at any time either. When a person is hypnotised they would not do anything that they would not normally do, the client remains in control at all times and can decide how deep the trance will be and what suggestions they will accept and when they will wake up. Hypnosis is a conscious experience and the client is in control at all times, and at no time would the client become unconscious. The client is aware enough to be able to hear the hypnotherapists voice and is able to talk and to make decisions but is unaware of all other outside distractions and noises as they are in a total state of relaxation. Hypnosis is a state of relaxation where the conscious mind rests to allow the subconscious mind to open. The conscious mind is the left hand side of the brain which has to be switched off to allow the subconscious mind on the right hand side of the brain to be allowed to work. The subconscious mind is like a big memory store and this is where all our memories, instructions and fears and phobias are stored. The information that is stored in our subconscious mind always affects our behaviour and actions. The subconscious mind can only accept a new idea if it does not already have an existing belief, so the subconscious mind has to be changed to allow the new idea to take place, which can be achieved when a person is hypnotised. The aim of hypnotherapy is to reprogramme the subconscious mind to be able to overcome fears, phobias, negative thoughts and emotions. The subconscious mind has to be altered for the clients behaviours or physical state to change. Hypnosis uses the power of suggestions to make positive changes happen and because the client is deeply relaxed the suggestions that are given can be acted on easily by the subconscious mind to allow the changes to happen to give a positive result. A suggestion is a communication by the hypnotist to the subject and, as with any communication; it is intended to alter the recipients feelings, thoughts and behaviour in a specified way. (Heap et al, 1991, 3) Everything you have learned is stored in your subconscious. Because you have already learned to drive, your driving skill is stored in your subconscious. (Hadley et al, 1996, 11). Hypnosis is a common everyday experience and can be brought on in many different ways. It can be achieved by relaxation, confusion, shock, repetitive exercises and through visual or auditory stimuli. When we as hypnotherapists achieve hypnosis it will always be through relaxation. Common everyday experiences of a trance can happen when we are driving for a while, and when you have reached your destination you suddenly realise that you do not actually remember driving down a particular part of the road or going round the roundabout, during the bits you do not remember you were in hypnosis and the subconscious part of your mind took over conscious part as the subconscious mind remembers the way you should go.

Julie Docherty

Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis. There are a number of psychological and physical aspects present in hypnosis. The physical aspects of hypnosis, such as changes in vital signs are easy to see, for example the breathing pattern of the client will change and become slower and deeper but this also can be said with being in a more relaxed state rather than being hypnotised, this can also be said about the heart rate which also becomes slower when in a relaxed state. Sometimes rapid eye movements can occur in hypnosis especially if the client is using a lot of visualisation whilst they are trying to achieve relaxation. The main physical change that happens in hypnosis is the electrical activity of the brain. Research shows that the brain produces different brain waves depending on the mental state of the patient. (www.better your health.com). This method is called Electroencephalogram, EEG. The first EEG was recorded in 1929 by Hans Berger and represented the electrical activity of the brain known as brain waves. (Chrysalis Handout) In 1924, Berger succeeded in recording the first human electroencephalogram (EEG) filled with doubt; it took him five years to publish his first paper in 1929 which demonstrated the technique for "recording the electrical activity of the human brain from the surface of the head. (www.wikipedia.org). There are four main types of brain waves, varying in frequency, the fastest of the four being beta waves and the slowest being delta waves. (Chrysalis Handout). The other types of brain waves are called alpha and theta. Hypnosis can occur in two out of the four different waves. Each wave is measured in cycles per second (Hz) and has its own set of characteristics representing a specific level of activity in the brain. The first type of brain wave is known as beta waves with 15 to 40 cycles per second. The beta waves are associated with normal waking consciousness and are important for effective functioning during the day. These are found in abundance in our busy lifes, in times of concentration or stressful periods and anxious times. The second type of brain wave is known as alpha wave with 9 to 14 cycles per second. These waves are present typically after an activity when you are resting, and are like a light trance, these can occur when bored or when there is nothing to stimulate the subconscious mind. It is thought that when in alpha this is the gateway to the subconscious mind. The third type of brain wave is theta wave with 4 to 8 cycles per second. These waves are present when sleep lightly and when we are in deep meditation. This is when we are able to dream and these waves are associated with our subconscious mind. The fourth type of brain wave is known as delta wave with 1 to 4 cycles; these waves are the slowest of the levels and are experienced in deep sleep and when we experience a very deep meditation, during this time we will not dream. You can never reach 0 cycles per second as that is brain dead.

Julie Docherty

The waves will dip and flow and at any one time one will be predominant and the others will just be present as a trace and moving from one to another depending on the state of the person. Hypnosis occurs during alpha and theta waves and these waves are associated with relaxation. Other physical benefits of hypnosis are that it can help with pain relief, it can reduce stress and improve sleep, and a chronic insomniac can reduce or eliminate stress and reprogram his subconscious to improve the quality and duration of his sleep. (Hadley et al, 1996, 17). The role of relaxation in hypnotherapy. Relaxation is a very important part of life, it is critical to health and wellbeing. Most people have a very stressful life and if they do not relax enough and properly then it can have devastating effects on health and the quality of life. When it comes to stress and relaxation we have two responses, the sympathetic nervous response and the parasympathetic nervous response. The sympathetic nervous response is also known as the fight or flight response and the parasympathetic response is also known as the relaxation response. When we come across a dangerous situation the sympathetic nervous systems kicks in by releasing adrenalin into our bloodstream so that we can either fight the danger or run away from the danger. Once the danger has been dealt with the parasympathetic nervous response then kicks in by resetting the body by removing the adrenalin from the blood stream to enable us to be able to relax again. There are many different forms of relaxation but the main goal in each of them is to relax the bodys muscles and focus the mind. For hypnosis to be successful you have to be able to focus on your body and mind and therefore this is where relaxation and hypnotherapy are similar. For hypnosis to take place the client has to feel comfortable and feel safe, and trust the therapist and also the client must have a belief in hypnotherapy. I feel that it is very important for the client to be relaxed for the hypnotherapist to be able to access the subconscious mind. To enable the client to relax we must relax all the muscles in the body and we can do this by using a technique call Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). The PMR is a script which is read by the hypnotherapist in a calm and relaxed style which will help the client to relax, it involves tensing specific muscle groups and then relaxing them to create awareness of tension and relaxation. It is known as progressive because it proceeds through all the major muscle groups, relaxing them one at a time, which then activates the parasympathetic nervous response which allows the muscles to relax which then helps the client to relax which then will enable the hypnotherapist to make suggestions to help establish new patterns of behaviour and good habits and to be able to get rid of old habits and behaviours which were only serving a negative purpose. So in conclusion I feel that relaxation plays a very important role in hypnotherapy to enable the client to get a good result from the sessions and then if the client is able to relax and with the use of hypnotherapy hopefully will lead to improved quality of life and better health.

Julie Docherty

References. Chrysalis Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling. (2010) From Past To Present Year One, Module One, Page 9 [online] Available from http://www.better-yourhealth.com/hypnosis/what_are_the_physical_aspects_of_hypnosis.php. Accessed 3/December/2012 Hadley, J., Staudacher, C., (1996) Hypnosis For Change (Third Edition). Canada. New Harbinger Publications. Heap, M., Dryden, W., (1991) Hypnotherapy A Handbook, Milton Keynes. The Open University. Kenneth. W. Plumb. PhD (2005) Hypnosis Through The Years [online] Available from http://www.brianchanger.com/history.html (Accessed 25/November/2012). Wikipedia. Hans Berger [online] Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Berger Accessed 11/December/2012.