Hypnosis

Hypnosis has a long history dating, most knowingly, back to the 1700s. The first recognizable practitioner of hypnosis was Franz Anton Mesmer, an Austrian physician of the 18th-century who used the power of suggestion to cure illnesses. He was eventually discredited but his followers continued to "mesmerize" people with his techniques. The term hypnosis came from a Scottish physician, James Braid, who used the Greek word for sleep to create the term. Braid thought hypnosis could be used as a surgical anesthetic, and he was right as it is still used today by many physicians, dentists, and psychologists. Since its existence, hypnosis and its practitioners have been subject to much research, criticism, curiosity, and myths.

Through data collected by Electroencephalography (EEGs), four major brain-wave patterns—frequency of electrical impulses firing from the brain—have been identified. The Beta state (alert/working) is defined as 14–32 cycles per second (CPS), the Alpha state (relaxed/reflecting) as the 7–14 CPS, the Theta state (drowsy) as 4–7 CPS, and the Delta state (sleeping/dreaming/deep sleep) as approximately 3–5 CPS.

One physiological definition of hypnosis states that the brainwave level necessary to work on issues such as stopping smoking, weight management, reduction of phobias, sports improvement, etc., is the alpha state. The alpha state is commonly associated with closing one's eyes, relaxation, and daydreaming.

Another physiological definition states that the theta state is required for therapeutic change. The theta state is associated with hypnosis for surgery, hypnoanesthesia (the use of hypnosis to numb sensation of pain), and hypnoanalgesia (the use of hypnosis to decrease sensitivity to pain), which occur more readily in the theta and delta states. Anesthetics, sedatives and hypnotics disrupt neuronal synchrony, thought to underlie theta waves, in both humans and animals, as well as in simple neuronal circuits.

Hypnosis has been shown to be an effective tool for pain relief, and when combined adjunctively with other therapeutic techniques it has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool (it is effective for weight loss, IBS, anxiety conditions and many more).