The Three Main Stages of Hypnosis
Hypnosis has been used to treat various problems. In fact, there are three stages of hypnosis and the hypnotist will try one or another to help you.
The first stage of hypnosis is known as a light or lethargic hypnotic sleep. The hypnotist will tell you to relax and make you visualize events that could either be in the past or the future. A good example of this is when athletes are told to imagine winning in an upcoming competition.
The second stage is called medium or hallucinatory state where just like the first, the hypnotist will tell the patient to remember past events and then forget about it. This can also be used to help someone give up an addition like alcohol or drugs.
The third stage is when a person falls into a deep or somnambulistic state. This means that the person has fallen into a deep spell and he or she will do anything that is instructed by the hypnotist. There are three levels here and the first two will make the patient do things that they won’t even remember when they wake up. The third level is only used when the person has to undergo surgery without the use of anesthesia.
Unlike the first 2 stages of hypnosis, the third is rarely used as treatment. This is used for entertainment and a classic example is making a person act like a chicken.
You might be wondering how the hypnotist will know what to use to help the patient. The truth is, they don’t until they are able to meet the patient for the first and establish a rapport with them. You have to remember that hypnosis does not work with everyone which is why it is important to assess the person’s receptiveness to this type of treatment.
One way to determine that is to ask the patient some simple questions such as;
Why do you want to try hypnotherapy?
What do you hope to achieve?
Have you consulted other health professionals regarding your problem?
What was the outcome?
From there, the hypnotist will now begin the process of introducing the patient to hypnosis by beginning the induction. This is done in a quiet room and different words or cues are used to get the patient into the mood. Sometimes, music is also played in the background.
You have to remember that this does not yet mean that the client will become receptive to hypnosis. Most of the time, first timers are not comfortable with it yet which is why during the session, the patient may yawn, frown or make movements using either the hand or the feet.
This does not mean that hypnosis may not help the patient because there are other techniques that the hypnotist can use to maximize this form of treatment.
Will hypnosis work on everyone? The answer is no. Studies have shown that people with an IQ level below 70, those who have difficult concentrating and are skeptic about this form of treatment will not be able to experience the same effect as those who are far more intelligent and open minded.
So, if you are one of those that are not that smart and don’t believe that this can work, you better find some other form of treatment for your problem because knowing what the three stages of hypnosis will not make any difference.
