Hypnotherapy Notes
Notes on hypnosis, and on the practices beside it
Hypnotherapy, Reiki, biofeedback, meditation and intuition, one question at a time. Every note opens with its short answer and then goes down, step by step.
177 notes 7 practices Go down to the newest notes
The newest notes, going down
-
Mind and body
How Stress and Physical Pain Feed Each Other
Stress and pain can keep each other going by more than one route. Stress produces physical symptoms, including muscle tension and pain. Pain, in turn, can trigger fearful…
-
How hypnosis works
How Guided Imagery and Visualization Work in Hypnosis
In one study described in the Wikipedia article on hypnosis, a suggestion to see a color that was not there, given to people in hypnosis, activated the color-processing…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnosis for Tension Headaches and Migraines
Relaxation-based approaches have a recognized place in headache care: the NHS lists relaxation techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy among the ways to prevent migraine attacks. Hypnosis is one…
-
How hypnosis works
Can a Hypnotist Make You Do Something Against Your Will?
There is no good evidence that a hypnotist can force an unwilling person to act against their will. The realistic danger runs the other way. A session involves…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnotherapy for Emotional and Stress Eating
Emotional eating is eating to manage feelings rather than hunger, and it does not always work: the relief can be brief, and guilt can follow. Hypnotherapy can help…
-
How hypnosis works
Hypnosis vs. Meditation: Which One Do You Actually Need?
If you have one specific thing to change, such as a fear, a habit or a symptom, hypnosis is built for that: it uses focused attention to deliver…
-
Mind and body
How to Get Your Motivation Back When You Feel Stuck
Start by working out what kind of stuck you are. Losing interest in things you used to enjoy can be a sign of depression. Exhaustion and cynicism about…
-
Reiki
How to Choose a Reiki Teacher or Course
Choose on the teacher, not the certificate. Because there is no central authority over Reiki training in the United States, two courses with the same name can differ…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnosis for Letting Go After a Breakup
Letting go after a breakup means more than missing someone less. Research summarized in the Wikipedia article on breakups points to rebuilding your sense of who you are…
-
Mind and body
Handling Cravings and Triggers Without Relapsing
A slip is not the same as a relapse. Relapse prevention, a cognitive behavioral approach used for problems from alcohol and drug use to depression, treats a single…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnotherapy for Emetophobia (Fear of Being Sick)
Emetophobia, an intense fear of vomiting, can quietly reshape a life: what you eat, where you go, whether you are around children or people who seem unwell. Hypnosis…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Can Hypnosis Improve Focus and Concentration?
Hypnosis is defined by focused attention, but that does not make it a concentration trainer. The studies described below measure what happens to attention during hypnosis, mostly in…
-
Biofeedback
Does Biofeedback Actually Work? The Science and the Skepticism
For some conditions, yes, and the evidence is strong; for others, the research cannot say yet. A 2019 evidence map of 16 good-quality systematic reviews found high-confidence evidence…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnosis for Emotional Numbness and Feeling "Flat"
Feeling numb or flat is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and its causes range from depression and trauma to the side effects of common medicines. Some of those…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnotherapy for Exam and Test Anxiety
Exam anxiety is a use of hypnosis with some trial evidence behind it, but the evidence base is small. A 2024 review in Frontiers in Psychology reports a…
-
How hypnosis works
How Many Hypnosis Sessions Does It Take to Break a Habit?
There is no research-backed number of sessions for breaking a habit in general. What the research does offer is narrower and more useful: in the studies described below…
-
Biofeedback
Can Biofeedback Help With Stress and Anxiety?
Possibly, though the evidence concerns mainly one type. A 2017 meta-analysis of 24 studies found that heart rate variability biofeedback was associated with a large reduction in self-reported…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Feeling Lost? How Hypnosis Helps You Find Direction
Feeling lost does not mean you have no direction to find. In identity research, it can mean you are actively exploring options without having committed to one yet…
-
How hypnosis works
How Much Does Hypnotherapy Cost, and What Affects the Price?
The price that matters is the total for a course, not the fee for one session. Fees vary by practitioner and place, so any single figure would mislead…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnotherapy for Chronic Stress and Burnout
Burnout, as the World Health Organization defines it, comes from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, so the job is part of both the problem…
-
Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnosis for Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia, the fear of confined spaces, is described by many experts as built around two fears: running out of air and being unable to move or get out…
-
Reiki
How Often Should You Get Reiki?
There is no established schedule. Research trials have used anything from three or four short sessions around a hospital stay to weekly sessions for two months, and the…
-
How hypnosis works
How to Choose a Qualified Hypnotherapist
Who should you trust to hypnotize you? Start with your reason for going. If you are dealing with a diagnosed condition, a mental health problem or symptoms no…
-
Mind and body
How to Stop Your Mind Racing at Night
You are exhausted, the light goes off, and your mind starts replaying the day and rehearsing tomorrow. Stress and anxiety are among the most common causes of insomnia…
-
How hypnosis works
How Will You Feel After a Hypnosis Session?
The end of a session is planned. A 2025 review of pediatric clinical hypnosis describes the closing "re-alerting" phase of a session with a child as gently and…