Does Hypnosis Work?

Hypnosis is claimed to be a state of active consciousness wherein the subjects are said to beware and alert at all times. It is also claimed that contrary to certain harmful misconceptions, the subjects cannot be told to say or act in a way that is beyond their control or personal consent. It is said that hypnosis when used for therapy or regression is not invasive. Instead, its main purpose is to heal the mind and find out the root of the subject's health problem.

Though hypnosis reduces the peripheral awareness while making the subject focus all their attention towards one topic or field of conversation. Which means that the subjects do not control their own minds but are instead made to focus on one particular aspect. Now how can we be sure what exactly that one area of focus is, and what we are being dragged into?

It is also believed that hypnosis is not a state of sleep, instead it's a state of deep trance, wherein the subject can listen to the words being spoken to them as well as respond to questions and participate in conversation. May be true, but our response would be controlled according to what we are being made to think and act. Then how is it that we are free to choose anything in such situations?

Does Hypnosis Work for Losing Weight & Quitting Smoking?
The answer to this question is that, no one can tell for sure! How can we guarantee that the so-called subjects, who claim that they were healed through hypnosis, aren't actually lying. Perhaps they truly believe in what they claim to be true? The fact is that the human mind has a tendency to heal itself merely through the power of belief, and thus we need not go in for alternative ways of therapy such as hypnosis. Especially when we can't prove its advantages, though its disadvantages seem to be quite a many. Let us take a real instance as our basis of argument favoring the actual power of the mind and how we can help ourselves heal.

The Placebo Effect
The Placebo Effect also known as sham or stimulated medical intervention, are a series of experiments that were conducted in 2001. The experiments administered its patients prescribed placebo or inert tablets such as natural sugar pills etc., while making the patients believe that they were being prescribed actual medications. The end results showed that the patients truly believed that they were healing and that they were feeling better. Their medical tests also revealed a drastic reduction in their health problems. The basis of these experiments was to show that it is the belief system that helped them heal and feel better, because they truly felt that they were being treated with medications. Though this field too has come under severe criticism and is believed to be against the Hippocratic Oath. Also the results as per different diseases, displayed variant results. Thus the test cannot be deemed conclusive. Nonetheless it worked on many, as a result of the power of the mind and therefore they experienced positive results.

Therefore, people who have health issue such as obesity, bulimia or addiction problems, they need not go in for hypnosis. Instead they could make themselves believe that they can heal themselves through positive goal oriented actions. For example, people with eating disorders can learn to first appreciate themselves and then realize that what they are doing to their body is bad for their health and their self-esteem. Then progress would begin from making it a point to eat healthy, as well as to exercise regularly. To cut down bad habits that are detrimental for their health. They can instead also opt for therapy groups where they can talk about their fears, their depression as well as the things that make them angry. Similar remedies are available for people who face problems with addiction.

Why not deal with the root of the problem in a realistic manner than escape reality through hypnosis? Hypnosis is a tricky field, therefore why risk the possibility of someone else taking control over your body and mind. Knowing how deceptive this world can be, it would be safer to stay away from such mediums for healing. In case subjects still do wish to give it a try, it would be my suggestion that these people take family members and only adults with them, into the room where the hypnosis is to take place. This will help keep the subject safe from harm.

There is a general suspicion and distrust attached to this field. The fact may be that there is a very genuine reason for majority of people in this world disliking this practice. No wonder science does not really, accept this field to be a part of its own domain. Therefore whether hypnosis work or not, depends completely on how you choose to see it.