Why Hypnosis is So Effective

Although hypnosis is not yet fully understood by neuroscience, hypnotherapy remains remarkably effective. On its own or in combination with other techniques, hypnosis is a powerful tool for transformative change. What makes it so effective?

The State Itself

Hypnosis involves a very heightened focus and attention. Secondary problems or distractions are completely ignored. The mind is more open to its own experiences and those aspects of the mind that tend to be critical or negative are silent.

Although it is a different state of mind, hypnosis resembles the “flow” state experienced by athletes, artists, programmers, and others engaged in “deep work”.

That explains a great deal of its effectiveness, but that’s not the only factor.

These Go To Eleven

Everything that can be done using hypnosis can also be done outside of hypnosis. One of the key differences, though, is that under hypnosis those things happen faster and more powerfully.

Some of that can be attributed to the state itself. But nearly everything that your brain does becomes more powerful under hypnosis. Hypnosis can amplify your emotional states, your thought patterns, your imagination, your learning, and more.

These processes become heightened. More active and more responsive.

Neural Restructuring

If you are a client or have read my other content you have probably “heard me say” that the mind is an association making machine. There are a couple of sayings that hypnotists like to use along the same lines:

• “Where attention goes energy flows.”
• “Neurons that fire together wire together.”

All of these principles are related to the way your brain restructures itself. Every time your mind learns, consciously or unconsciously, new connections and arrangements are made within your brain. This is an ongoing process of conditioning that occurs inside your mind whether you are awake or asleep.

Hypnotists use these same principles within hypnotherapy. Old connections are broken and new connections are formed. Your brain effectively rewires itself as a result.

Putting It All Together

Hypnotherapy is so powerful because all of these aspects work together.

Your hypnotist induces a state similar to a “flow” state. Your imagination, emotions, and thought processes are amplified. They have more “energy”. Suggestions and inner experiences then trigger parts of your mind to work together to weaken and remove old connections, and form newer and stronger connections. The amplification effect makes all that restructuring happen much faster and easier than normal.

There are other factors, as well. If you have a positive attitude toward hypnotherapy, and are strongly motivated to change, it all works even better. If you and your hypnotist have a great working relationship and simply get along well, it all works even better. And, as I’ve written elsewhere, hypnosis is a skill. The more you do it the better you are and the easier changes become.

Thanks for reading!