Stop Smoking Hypnosis

As Quit for Health is an integration of some of the latest psychological techniques, hypnosis is only used to complement the already successful techniques used. As Quit for Health is tailored to the individual it is also ideal for people who are not suitable for, or would rather not include a hypnosis style treatment to quit smoking.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a completely natural state of mind, and without being aware of it we are in some degree of hypnosis many times throughout the day. When we become absorbed in a book, a good film, a hobby or on a car journey, we are experiencing varied degrees of hypnosis.
You can become so absorbed in a book or a really good film that you become unaware of someone talking to you and the things around you, or you could be on a car journey and reach your destination and not recall certain parts of that journey.
Hypnosis is a state of focused attention, and the only difference between one of the above states of mind and hypnosis is that hypnosis is deliberately induced for a specific purpose. Hypnosis is a state of complete physical relaxation and people who have experienced it describe their experiences in many different ways.
Most people described the nice relaxed lethargic feeling and some report a feeling of the heaviness whilst others reported a feeling of lightness or warmth. During hypnosis you are aware of everything that is going on around you, in fact you are more aware in hypnosis than you are in a so-called waking state, as all of your senses are heightened.

Am I out of control during hypnosis?

Many people worry that they would lose control whilst in hypnosis because they have seen examples of stage hypnotism. During hypnosis you are in full control, and cannot be made to do anything against your will. If anything is suggested that you do not agree with, you could just open your eyes.
Your faithful servant, your unconscious mind, is always looking out for your best interests and would not allow anything to happen to you that you did not want to happen.
The reasons why people who take part in stage hypnosis shows carry out what the hypnotist asks is because they volunteered to take part, and therefore wanted to be part of it. They are one of a group of maybe ten people chosen from a group of up to 100 who have undergone several suggestion tests to find the best hypnotic respondents.

How can hypnosis be beneficial?

As well as being successful if combined with certain therapeutic methods , you can benefit from hypnosis when used on its own as a relaxation aid.It has been found that our body experiences certain rhythms that happen around every hour and a half for about 20 minutes at a time.

It had already been found that these rhythms occurred during sleep, this was known as REM sleep, but it was later discovered that these rhythms occur throughout the day.
During this 20 minutes cycle around every hour and a half, a sort of relaxed lethargic feeling occurs, it is said that this is when the mind goes to work and processes all the new conscious information that has been taken in.

At the same time the mind also works alongside the body, the body possesses a large number of genes and the mind has communication with a certain number of these genes, which can be thought of as house keeping genes.
During this communication an inner healing or maintenance takes place, when we override this natural rhythm through modern living, over work or lack of rest, the body releases stress hormones that enable us to continue to perform at our best.

If we continue to override these natural rhythms a build up or overload of the stress hormones can occur which can lead to an unhealthy build up of stress and stress related problems.
Using hypnosis as a tool for deep relaxation can allow this natural mind/body healing to take place, relieving you of stress and leaving you in a more resourceful state of mind and body.

How do people enter hypnosis?

As well as experiencing certain degrees of hypnosis at different times throughout the day, without being aware of it, people can be guided into hypnosis in a variety of ways. The form of hypnosis that we use is known as indirect hypnosis or Ericksonian hypnosis.
When assisting someone into hypnosis the practitioner will usually talk to the subject with a softer voice than normal, using certain language patterns and directing the subject's attention from external to internal awareness which then leads them towards relaxation.
This can consist of progressive relaxation (relaxing each muscle in the body), or guided imagery, which could be an imagined walk on a relaxing beach.
With Ericksonian hypnosis there is not set hypnotic induction, the practitioner can incorporate whatever is appropriate for the individual and circumstances at the time.

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