Self-hypnosis is the learnable skill of guiding yourself into a natural state of focused attention, known as a hypnotic trance, to communicate directly with your own subconscious mind. It is a practical tool for self-directed change, allowing you to reprogram limiting beliefs, change unwanted habits, and enhance your mental and emotional well-being.
Becoming Your Own Hypnotist
Self-hypnosis, or autohypnosis, is the practice of inducing a hypnotic state in yourself, without the guidance of another person. In this process, you take on the dual role of both the hypnotist and the subject. You learn to relax your conscious, critical mind and become highly receptive to your own self-administered suggestions. It is a structured technique for personal empowerment that uses the same principles as guided hypnosis but places you in complete control of the entire process.
The Stages of a Self-Hypnosis Session
A successful self-hypnosis typically follows a structure, like the one described below.
Stage 1: The Induction
The induction is the process of entering the hypnotic state. This is typically achieved through relaxation and focused attention. A common method is progressive muscle relaxation, where you systematically tense and then release the muscles of your body from your feet to your head. Another simple induction is eye fixation, where you gaze at a single spot until your eyelids feel heavy and naturally close.
Stage 2: The Deepening
Once you’ve entered a light trance, the next step is to deepen the state. This involves using your imagination to intensify your relaxation and focus. A classic deepening technique is to visualize yourself slowly walking down a staircase of ten steps, feeling yourself becoming more deeply relaxed with each step you descend.
Stage 3: The Suggestion Work
This is the “working” phase of the session, where you give your subconscious mind its new instructions. These are the carefully crafted suggestions aimed at your specific goal. For example, if your goal is to build confidence, you would repeat positive, present-tense statements like, “I am calm and confident in social situations.” It is also in this stage that you can set a post-hypnotic suggestion—a trigger for an automatic response in your normal waking state (e.g., “Whenever I take a deep breath before a meeting, I will feel a wave of calm focus”).
Stage 4: The Emergence
The emergence is the process of returning to your full, waking state of alertness. This is often done by counting up from one to five or ten, suggesting to yourself that with each number, you are becoming more awake, alert, and refreshed, feeling fully awake and clear-headed at the count of five.
Creating Effective Suggestions
The quality of your suggestions determines the effectiveness of your practice. To be effective, a suggestion should be:
- Positive: Frame it in terms of what you want, not what you don’t want (e.g., “I live a healthy life” instead of “I will stop smoking”).
- Present Tense: State it as if it is already true (“I am confident” instead of “I will be confident”).
- Simple and Specific: Use clear, unambiguous language.
- Emotional: Attach a positive feeling to the suggestion. Imagine how good it feels to have already achieved your goal.
Common Applications of Self-Hypnosis
Self-hypnosis can be applied to a wide range of personal development goals. Some of its most common and effective applications include:
- Stress and anxiety reduction;
- Breaking bad habits (e.g., nail-biting, smoking, excess drinking);
- Improving sleep and overcoming insomnia;
- Enhancing confidence and self-esteem;
- Managing chronic pain and muscle tension;
- Improving focus and concentration for work or study.
Self-Hypnosis vs. Working with a Hypnotherapist
While self-hypnosis is an effective tool for self-improvement, it is important to understand its relationship to working with a professional. Self-hypnosis is excellent for personal goal setting, reinforcement, and managing everyday stress. A certified hypnotherapist, however, brings an objective, expert perspective to the process of hypnotherapy. They are trained to help you identify the root cause of complex issues, navigate deep-seated trauma safely, and create precise suggestions that you might not be able to formulate on your own. As a hypnotherapist and coach who teaches self-hypnosis (among other methods such as my Psychosomatic Training method), I find it is most effective when my clients first work with me to overcome major mental barriers and learn the techniques properly, then use self-hypnosis as a daily practice to maintain and build upon that progress.
