What is self-hypnosis?
Self-hypnosis is a technique in which you guide yourself into a state of deep relaxation and focused imagination, either with a recording or with a learned routine like the one on the worksheet below. The worksheet describes the aim as leading the conscious mind into a relaxed, unfocused awareness in which positive suggestions, or affirmations, can be offered.
The worksheet lists possible uses such as relaxation, stress relief, pain, digestive discomfort, and support with weight or addiction goals. Evidence differs by use, so a clinician can help you decide what is realistic for you. Self-hypnosis complements professional care and is not a substitute for it. If you live with a physical or mental health condition, or have a history of trauma, it is wise to check with your doctor or therapist before trying trance-style practices.
How a self-hypnosis session goes
- Finding a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for at least half an hour, and sitting or lying comfortably with the arms and legs loose and uncrossed.
- Closing the eyes and breathing deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Relaxing the body from the toes upward by picturing tension flowing out of the muscles.
- Letting fear, stress, and anxiety flow out in the same way. If they arise, observing them and letting them pass rather than forcing them out. Picturing a bright white light coming in with each inhale.
- Imagining standing at the top of ten stairs and descending slowly, counting down from ten to one, to a doorway that opens onto a calm, beautiful place.
- Walking through that place to a body of water, seeing your reflection, and silently repeating one to three affirmations two or three times each.
- Returning to the doorway, climbing the stairs while counting up from one to ten, taking three easy breaths, and resting with the eyes closed a little longer before opening them.
The worksheet says the trance deepens with repeated practice. As with any relaxation practice, it is better not to do it while driving.
History of self-hypnosis
The worksheet traces hypnosis through the 18th-century physician Franz Mesmer, the Abbé Faria, the Scottish physician James Braid, who in 1841 developed both guided hypnosis and self-hypnosis, and later psychologists such as Émile Coué, who refined autosuggestion. It says some people use self-hypnosis alongside sessions guided by a therapist.
