General Applications of Hypnosis :: Psychology, Hypnosis

Few topics in psychology attract people in the extent that it does hypnosis. The reasons for this interest are multiple. Hypnosis fascinates by his unusual and we do not know if what attracts us is the interest in deciphering the mystery. (D. David after Gheorghidiu, 2000) Anton Mesmer was he who first who induced the state of hypnosis. He used to use a magnet that moves along the patient's body to improve blood circulation. Forgeting his magnet and once at home, Anton Mesmer was forced to resort to another object, a piece of wood, and found that patients responded well. But Mesmer did not realize at the time that the object used was important, but suggestions which induces the patient. (Ovidiu Lungu, 2004) Mielu Zlate (2007) considered hypnosis as an "altered state of consciousness located between wakefulness and sleep, but closer to waking than to sleep." Subject keeps contact with the environment during the hypnotic trance helped by the hypnotist, and cognitive changes occur at the perception, memory, thoughts, feelings, imagination, etc.. This underlines the increased activism of the brain. According to the American Psychological Association, hypnosis is a procedure whereby the subject is suggested imaginative experiences to change his subjective experience, to change his perceptions, sensations, thoughts or behavior, (Peter J. Hawkins after APA, 2009). Hypnotic trance has as main features the reduce of planning function (hypnotized subject loses the initiative and will expect the hypnotist to suggest what to do), attention becomes more selective than usual the subject which is told to obey only the voice of the hypnotist will ignore any another voice in the room) imaginative production is easily evoked (subject may find that the lives distance experiences in time and space), control and increased tolerance for low reality distortion (subject might unconditionally accept hallucinatory experiences), increased suggestibility (subject must accept the suggestions), post-hypnotic amnesia (if the subject gets instructions for this, the deeply impressed subject will forget all or almost all) (Rita L. Atkinson, 2002) Hypnotherapy applications are endless, from the surgical anesthesia which can be used at birth without pain, treatment of specific problems such as anxiety, phobias (elevator, dentist), smoking cessation, sexual dysfunction. However, failures can come from the subject's attitude against hypnotherapy and hypnosis. A negative attitude may hinder treatment. Subjects can not be controlled during their trance unwittingly. (I. Holdevici, 1991) Hypnotherapy for depressive persons contains a model proposed by Yapko in