The Dangers of Hypnosis

As a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist, I like to think that I don't hypnotize - I de-hypnotize. Life has already conditioned most of us into certain ways of behaving or thinking - I simply put you back into 'normal' mode again.

Hypnosis goes deep, to the inner store-house of our beliefs and learned responses, which is why it has found wide acceptance in treating disorders such as over-eating and smoking. By getting where the addiction lays hypnosis can suppress the addiction and replace it with positive behavior.

There are basically two different kinds of hypnosis: directive and non-directive. When most people think of hypnosis, they think of directive hypnosis, also known as "stage hypnosis" or "guided imagery." With this hypnosis technique, the hypnotherapist basically orders you into a trance state. The biggest problem with this type of hypnosis is the fact that the subconscious can become guarded simply because of the unusual language associated with it. The classic line, "You are getting very sleepy" is the cliché associated with this type of hypnosis.

In contrast, non-directive hypnosis is more like talk therapy, except that the therapist tends to be more talkative. While the hypnotherapist talks with the client, the hypnotherapy occurs throughout the conversation. Non-directive hypnosis has a number of advantages over directive hypnosis. Because the unconscious tends to become guarded when it hears statements like "Your eyes are feeling very heavy," directive hypnosis has limited results. Without the hindrance of such cues, the non-directive hypnotherapist is more easily able to converse with the subject's unconscious. Another advantage to non-directive hypnosis is that other therapeutic techniques can be introduced simultaneously because the hypnotherapy is occurring in the form of a therapeutic conversation. In the final analysis, changes that occur through the use of non-directive hypnosis tend to be more permanent because the unconscious has been more profoundly affected.

As great as hypnosis can be, there are hazards. The biggest one comes from people practicing hypnotherapy with a psychology background. There are many health professionals who have received training in hypnosis. I highly recommend that you see someone who has training in psychology - not just hypnosis. That training in psychology should be a Masters degree or a Ph.D., and preferably a Licensed Psychotherapist, Psychologist or Psychiatrist. There is a good reason for this. When you are undergoing hypnosis, past traumas and other disturbing events can be triggered. I strongly recommend that you have someone with extensive training in psychology who is therefore capable of dealing with such a situation. Again, there are many psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrists who have training in hypnosis, so finding someone should be easy.