What Is Hypnosis?” Describe the Psychological and Physical Aspects of Hypnosis and Discuss the Role of Relaxation in Hypnotherapy

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Kim Hillman | “What is Hypnosis?” Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in Hypnotherapy | Course code: MANCH1A 11 | Tutor: Julian Gill | Words 2051 (excluding cover page and Bibliography) | 11/9/2011 | | Kim Hillman “What is Hypnosis?” Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in Hypnotherapy In this essay I will attempt to answer the question “What is Hypnosis” and then examine the many different psychological and physical aspects of a hypnotic state and will finally discuss the role of relaxation. Hypnosis is a complex, yet natural phenomena, in which a number of factors come together to produce a relaxed, suggestible state. Many of us will experience a similar state when we are acting on auto pilot, that is we have become so used to the task we are performing that our conscious mind, switches off and we become unconsciously competent a common example of this would be when you are driving and do not remember the journey as your mind has not been paying full attention to the act of driving and your thoughts drift onto other things. To fully answer the question “What is hypnosis” it is vital to understand the origins of hypnosis and how we have come to the generally accepted varying meanings in the modern age. The introduction of trance like states to heal has been around for thousands of years but the origin of what we would call hypnosis began with Franz Anton Mesmer who believed in a theory that a “cosmic fluid” was stored in inanimate objects such as magnets and as such would apply them to points on his patients and this “cosmic fluid” then transferred to the patient and healed their illness. He later went on to theorise that he himself was the conduit of this healing and so was coined the phrase animal magnetism. There is no
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