Hypnosis

This is one of ancient therapeutic techniques. We understand hypnosis as state of altered consciousness (known as trance), which is characteristic for changes in perception and behavior. Normal stream of consciousness is narrowed both in terms of the scope and the number of contents, and we experience a state of mind that is similar to awakening, daydreaming, or falling asleep at night. Hypnosis is, as a rule, induced by means of suggestion and adoption of positive suggestions, on which it is essentially based. We differentiate between heterohypnosis (hypnotic state induced by a therapist) and autohypnosis (self-induced hypnosis by a trained individual). For therapeutic use of hypnosis, we choose suggestion that is purposively focused on controlling one’s patterns of behavior that are bothersome to the client or we try to support the client in his search for solutions to his problems. Rather than concentrating on elimination of the cause of problems, this technique concentrates in the symptoms (external). Everybody has a certain degree of suggestibility and hypnoability, and we differ in this respect from one another. The degree of suggestibility determines how the given individual reacts to suggestion.