In my personal experience, hypnosis isn't much different than meditation. Did you know that Tibetan monks can mediate and lower their body temperature to the point where modern medicine does not know how they do it, or how they aren't suffering problems from it? It's something that would take a lifetime to master, but I believe learning meditation or self-hypnosis would be a good way to reduce stress and promote overall well being. No one can say for sure if it makes you grow, but I have heard some pretty impressive stories about meditation. The key is detatchment from worry and care and being focused on positive energy. A lot of it sounds like mysticism, I can't explain why it makes me feel better and I still think 'chi' and flow can sound a bit goofy being explained in text, but I also feel it's helped me in my life and it's certainly not a harmful way to spend your time.
