Home

Hypnotism Can Cause Permanent Behavioural Changes Like Giving Up Smoking

Most people see hypnosis as a trick magicians use to do get folks to do something funny on stage. Whether they are asked to dance like a chicken or bark like a dog, hypnosis has suffered from these foolish public displays. Even so, the technique is quite popular with smokers who want to quit.

What is hypnotism? Beyond the theatrics and the illusions to magic, the technique is really quite simple. A trained hypnotist will use his voice to help a person relax. Once the subject or patient has entered a state of extreme relaxation, the hypnotist is free to make suggestions. Since the conscious mind is not aware of what is happening in this state, these suggestions may be embraced by the subconscious.

What does this mean? Well, it's a bit like someone whispering something to you in your sleep when your mind cannot judge or edit the material. Rather, the mind will simply accept whatever is said. So, if a hypnotist tells you that you must quit smoking, the mind may follow this advice, even if you are not aware of it.

Does it work? Not surprisingly, the success rate depends almost entirely on whether or not you can be hypnotised. For people that can be hypnotised, the success rate is quite high. According to studies we reviewed, more than two-thirds of all subjects that were hypnotised and instructed not to smoke did just that. Moreover, these subjects report that quitting after hypnosis was remarkably easy for them. This may be because the mind was calling all the shots on a subconscious level. Or it may be because they believed so strongly in hypnosis that they could not imagine it would fail. Whatever the reason, hypnosis is quite effective on subjects that can be put under.

For those that cannot be hypnotised, the chances of success are quite slim. A simple explanation for this is that these subjects do not accept hypnosis because they have never experienced it.