How Does Hypnosis Work

The popular explanation is that hypnosis works by being able to delve into the subconscious mind. We normally act on the conscious mind, the part of us that we use to think about and solve problems. We use this part of our mind to choose what words to say and to remember where we put our cell phone. In reality our subconscious mind and our conscious mind work hand in hand. When solving complex problems your subconscious mind often reaches deep inside the pool of recessed information and recalls tidbits of memory that contains information relevant to the problem and pulls it up into our conscious part of our mind so we can utilize it. Not only does your subconscious mind help in problem solving it can also do all the automatic actions that we partake in at work or home like breathing, driving a route that we have taken over a long period of time. The subconscious part of your mind is also responsible for processing all the physical information signals that your body receives. It also does most of your thinking for you.

When you are hypnotized, the person conducting the session in essence opens a "control panel" in your mind and taps directly into your subconscious. Under hypnosis your conscious mind takes a vacation, allowing the subconscious mind to take over. On vacation but still active, the conscious mind is aware of what is happening during the session, keeping you from harm. The conscious mind controls your inhibitions and being on vacation, this allows the subject/client to act in uninhibited abandon. Your subconscious mind does regulate your bodily sensations such as what you taste, feel, and see, your emotions and you can express these things based solely on suggestion without actually physically experiencing them. An example would be if the hypnotist says that you are drinking a cola, you would actually experience the bubbles tickling your nose and the cold refreshment sliding down your throat even though in reality you are not really drinking a cola at all; your senses only think that you are, so strong are the powers of suggestion.

Your memories are also stored in your subconscious, which is why hypnotists can access childhood trauma stored there no matter how long ago the memory went into storage. Psychiatrists will resort to digging up memories as a way to treat a personal problem. This ability to dig up memories can have its disadvantages because false memories can be suggested. This is why psychiatrist must be very careful when exploring a subject/client's past using hypnosis.

Psychiatrists have found hypnosis to be a useful tool in those who have suffered trauma. Understanding the root of the trauma can help people to better cope with and solve emotional problems. The human mind is a unique and very complicated organ, delicate but yet highly complex and durable in its ability to overcome adversity by protecting itself. One protection device is for the subconscious mind to bury painful memories. Hypnosis can uncover these painful memories in such a way as to expose them without causing further harm to the client.

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