A very misunderstood relaxation and self-help subject is hypnotherapy. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for this misconception is the prevalence of stage hypnosis and the relative obscurity of self-help hypnosis. During all stage sessions, participants are pre-qualified, and only the most suggestible subjects are actually brought onto stage for the performance.

The second most common misconception is that many believe a hypnotist can bend their will to make them do odd things that would be out of character for them. The fact is that a hypnotist can’t make you do anything that you don’t want to do, or are incapable of doing. The subjects on stage performing outrageous acts are uninhibited and outgoing by nature, which is why they’re on stage in the first place.

Hypnosis is only a form of guided relaxation. That’s it. Even without the magic, hypnotherapy can work wonders for retraining your brain (e.g. to quit smoking or change a destructive habit). When your brain is open to suggestion, you are more likely to absorb positive affirmations, and the goal of hypnosis is to help you open yourself to suggestion.

Another way to look at hypnosis is that it’s positive affirmations or positive self-talk made when the mind is relaxed. So there’s nothing mysterious about hypnosis. If you understand meditation, you understand hypnosis, i.e. leading your body and mind into a relaxed state.

If you happen to be a good subject, you can implant many positive messages into your subconscious, or use hypnosis to relax yourself, or quickly put yourself to sleep. This type of self-hypnosis is becoming more popular, e.g. weight loss hypnotherapy, quit smoking hypnotherapy, anxiety hypnosis, etc.

Smoking in particular is a good candidate for hypnotherapy because much of the addiction is psychological, and that is an area the self-hypnosis can help you address. Considering the expense of cigarettes, and the expense of typical cessation programs like nicotine gum, the patch, shots, and the like, the modest investment in a simple hypnotherapy quit smoking audio that you can listen to in the comfort of your home is attractive.

At the very least, hypnosis will help you balance yourself, relax, and lower stress levels. If you are a smoker, a hypnosis smoking cessation program might be exactly what you need, and you can safely participate in one without worrying about clucking at odd hours of the day!