Hypnosis Definition

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“What is Hypnosis?” Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in Hypnotherapy. Introduction I will begin by defining some important terms. Then I will briefly consider the link between the physical and psychological processes and how they can interact within a person. Following this is a consideration of how hypnosis makes use of the physical/psychological interaction element by bringing the unconscious mind to the fore by means of the relaxation process. I will draw on personal experience of the process as a subject. Finally I will touch briefly on post hypnotic suggestion, a psychological tool of the hypnotherapist. Definitions of Psychological, physical and hypnosis We first…show more content…
For therapy to be effective the subject will need to be made fully aware of the process and have complete trust in the therapist. The subject will need to feel at ease in order for the psychological and physical changes to occur. These changes are necessary to facilitate deep relaxation and allow the therapist to reach the subjects unconscious mind. The brain; physical processes leading to stress reactions In order to understand how hypnotherapy works, we first need to know what happens to the body when it is subjected to stressful situations, the kind of stresses that can lead to illness, depression or mental turmoil. Our brains are split into two hemispheres, right and left. The right hemisphere takes responsibility for responses to physical threat (and pressures reaching insurmountable levels) in a response sometimes referred to as ‘fight or flight’. When aroused the right hemisphere stimulates the sympathetic system and triggers the Stress…show more content…
Relaxation techniques have been recorded being used since 2000 B.C. Aristotle is known to have identified the process of eye movement in REM sleep whilst studying resting and sleeping processes. Other combined physical/psychological therapies use similar methods including meditation, Yoga and massage. Relaxation is the most important technique for the process of hypnosis, “Wolpe wrote ‘Patients who cannot relax will not make progress by this method’” when he described hypnotic trance “’Those who cannot or will not be hypnotised but who can relax will make progress although apparently more slowly then when hypnosis is used’” (Heap & Dryden, 1991). Only when a person is fully relaxed can they be induced into a hypnotic state, and it is this hypnotic state we need to reach the unconscious mind, although the benefit of relaxation alone can bring relief to sufferers of stress conditions. The role of stress in ‘modern’
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