Founder and Director of the American Institute of Hypnotherapy in Santa Ana, California, A. M. Krasner, Ph.D., says that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. The hypnotherapist is a facilitator. The fact is that there can be no hypnosis unless the client is willing to take part in the process. The client always enters hypnosis in a natural way, of his own accord, simply by following the suggestions of the hypnotherapist.

  Hypnosis is an artificially induced state characterized by a heightened receptivity to suggestion. Such state is reached by first relaxing the body, then shifting attention away from the external environment toward a narrow range of objects or ideas as suggested by the hypnotherapist or by oneself (self-hypnosis).

  In the superficial hypnotic state, the patient accepts suggestions but does not necessarily carry them out. Patients who reach the deep, or somnambulistic, state benefit most from hypnotherapy. It is in this state that posthypnotic suggestions (suggestions that take effect after the patient awakens from the trance) to relieve pain are most successful. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 90 percent of the general population can be hypnotized, with 20 to 30 percent having a high enough sensitivity to enter the somnambulistic state, making them highly receptive to treatment.

  Research has shown that a person's body chemistry actually changes during a hypnotic trance. In one experiment, a young girl was unable to hold her hand in a bucket of ice water for more than thirty seconds. Testing showed that the blood levels of cortisol in her body were high, indicating she was undergoing severe stress. Under hypnosis, she was able to keep the same hand in ice water for thirty minutes while there was no rise in blood cortisol levels.

  There are many ways of inducing hypnosis. Regardless of what procedure is used, the main concern during hypnosis is to quiet the patient's conscious mind and to make the unconscious mind more accessible. Because the unconscious mind is basically noncritical, suggestions have a better chance of being effective than they would if given during a normal waking state.

  Three conditions are essential to successful hypnotherapy: 

1.  rapport between hypnotist and subject; 

2.  a comfortable environment, free of distraction; 

3.  a willingness and desire by the subject to be hypnotized. 

  People who benefit most from hypnotherapy are those who understand that hypnosis is not a surrender of control; it is only an advanced form of relaxation.

  Dr. Tinterow says, the client must be led to accept his physician-hypnotist's words as valid descriptions of reality. The physician-hypnotist must manipulate his words and the situations in such a way as to lead the subject to believe that the suggestions are literally true statements. These suggestions should be accepted without criticism or analysis.

  Dr. Tinterow had performed on the fifteen-year-old girl open heart surgery concentrate on her favorite sport-water skiing. He recalls that it was just a matter of having her take deep breaths, close her eyes, and feel herself relaxing from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. 

  Eventually Dr. Tinterow diverted the girl from the surgical procedure by shifting her attention to what she liked to do best. He told her to picture herself going to the lake and getting on the skis and waterskiing. She was listening to music with her headset on, and they just kept talking. Dr. Tinterow even had the girl perform simple arithmetic problems during the surgery to make sure her mind was functioning properly. Dr. Tinterow adds that after the operation the girl didn't even take an aspirin.

 

  During a first visit to a hypnotherapist it's common for the therapist to address any concerns that you may have and then perhaps illustrate how suggestion works in everyday life, as well as point out what you can expect while in a trance state. According to Dr. Krasner, possible effects include physical relaxation, distraction of the conscious mind, a narrowed focus of attention, increased sensory awareness, reduced awareness of physical surroundings, and increased awareness of internal sensations. Following this, you might then be tested for suggestibility based on a variety of methods at the hypnotherapist's disposal.

  The therapist can also ask you about your specific condition. According to Anne H. Spencer, Ph.D., C.Ht., founder of the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association, the value of this, is that it provides the hypnotherapist with insights into any pattern associated with the condition, as well as an idea of what the client's goals are in terms of wellness. In this discussion, Dr. Spencer looks for the clues to how her client deals with life, as well as indications of any beliefs which may be contributing to his or her condition. These clues very often can then provide therapist with the most effective approach to use in the actual hypnotherapy session.

  A hypnotherapy session will usually last from one hour to ninety minutes. The number of sessions required to produce results varies according to each individual. According to Dr. Spencer, six to twelve sessions, once a week, is about the average.