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

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“What is Hypnosis?” Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in Hypnotherapy. This assignment will provide an explanation of what hypnosis is. I will begin this by looking at the brief history of hypnosis and define what hypnosis is. I will then detail the different brain level frequencies, relating them to hypnosis. I will also be describing the Psychological phenomenon associated with hypnosis and looking at the physical aspects as well. I will conclude the assignment by discussing the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy. The word hypnosis is derived from "Hypnos", who was the Greek god of sleep. Dr James Braid (1795-1860) used this term in 1840 as he believed “mesmerism” was in fact a nervous sleep. The word “mesmerism” stems back to the work of australian, Dr Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815). Who developed ideas from the healing work of the Shamans, also known as healers or medicine men. Mesmer worked with a theory called "Animal Magnetism". He used objects such as magnets in which he believed “cosmic fluid” inside them would be stimulated by the magnets, restoring the energy flow in his patients, curing their illnesses. Mesmer had a high success rate among patients who reported feeling “mesmerised". Braid scientifically concluded that the success rate from Animal Magnetism was actually due to suggestion. Braid realised that a better name for hypnosis would be Monoideism, meaning ‘the influence of a single idea'. This is because the word hypnosis suggests a client would be asleep during the process which is not the case, however it was too late to be changed. Braid developed the Eye Fixation Technique and successfully used this to perform minor surgeries. Several more individuals went on to develop their theories on hypnosis, including Sigmund Fraud and Milton Erickson,
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