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Has anyone tried Hypnosis for sleeping, anxiety, smoking etc... does it work or just b.s? I'm thinking about trying it. Honest answers only please.

Never tried it but I have heard from people that it works. I never believed in it until I saw this drug called Devils Breath. Look it up... it makes people do whatever they are told so I believe that it can work. You'll never know unless you try.

I'm a hypnotist. It works. Success rate for the tougher stuff, like smoking cessation is about 80%. I no longer practice because doing hypnosis where I live isn't economically viable. The state defined anything really useful to people, like giving up drugs or cigarettes, as medical, so you have to be a doctor to do it.

Honestly, I always thought it was bull**** and then my mom tried it. She'd been an avid smoker for -years- (started at 17--she was 47 when she underwent hypnosis) and it worked. I'm not kidding. Over the years, she'd tried patches (got rashes), the gum (couldn't stand it), the cold turkey method and any other number of things.

She quit just like that and hasn't picked one up since that day.
The thing is, you have to go into it trusting it will work.

I practice it from time to time.  It's worked for thousands of years.  Previously to the 20th century is was just shamans who went into a trance state and saw visions and stuff.   During modern times it has been studied quite a bit and is now used for a whole host of things.  From pain management to weight loss to stopping smoking to stage hypnosis.  It's a way of harnessing the power of the subconscious mind for healing purposes.

But old school shamans still use it to see visions and stuff.

I guess it depends on what you mean by working, if you mean will it override your free will and cause you to quit smoking even if you don't want to, then no, it won't. But you'll be sure to remember a quit smoking hypnosis session the next time the thought of lighting up occurs, what you do after that is your choice.

Hypnosis can also produce something like a dream state to help you experience something that isn't real, but that thing won't magically be real when you "wake up".

Hypnosis is fake. I've been in hypnosis groups before. It does absolutely nothing. You just sit there wide awake, while the "hypnotist" tries to screw with your mind. Don't waste your time or money. All you will get out of it is a smaller bank account.

I did as a last resort when I was at my most vulnerable. Did absolutely nothing for me except make a dent in my savings.
That doesn't mean to say it doesn't work for everyone, just not on me and I have a very creative brain.
There are no short cuts to things like quitting smoking I'm afraid, If hypnotism worked everyone would be doing it, the results are anecdotal at best. People believe what they want to believe, I see hypnotism as more of a placebo, it's the individual that makes the changes.

Peace and love and all that good stuff,

Sadie

My wife is a certified hypnotherapist.  She says the populace is divided into 3 segments, about equal: 1/3 "susceptible", 1/3 in the middle, and 1/3 not susceptible.  The susceptible ones are the people you see really going under and for whom it works really well.  I'm one of the "bad" 1/3, my mind being too rational and controlled.  She couldn't hypnotize me, but that may also be due to our relationship.  She says that especially for those in the middle, practice can help -- over time it gets easier.  As somebody said above, you need to go into it with a positive frame of mind, that this is going to work for you, and then you'll have a better chance.  But a good therapist will be up front with you about how your personality will factor in, and if you don't feel it the first time, it may be best to find another method.
Randy

I did hypnotherapy for a while and found it helpful, but A) I am apparently one of those people who are extremely susceptible to hypnotism, and B) I was doing it as part of a program to help me cope with childhood abuse, so YMMV.   I think it did help with anxiety somewhat, although the anxiety tended to return as soon as I left the therapist's office.

One thing I did for anxiety that was quite helpful was biofeedback.  I did it with a therapist who showed me how to notice signs that I was getting anxious and to change my thoughts and behaviors so it didn't escalate into full-blown panic attacks. 

Therapists can help you with a "trigger" to cope with anxiety or specific situations.  You learn to do something like place your thumb and forefinger together, or something else distinctive.  Then when you find yourself under stress, you can do that action, and it may help your mind go a bit into the meditative or hypnotic state, not deeply, but enough to help cope.  She teaches some of her meditation students in the jail do this to cope with court appearances.

Hypnosis was actually mentioned recently in my general psychology class! The way they presented is that hypnosis can work, but only if you have a mind that's particularly suggestive in which you can vividly imagine what they describe to you while they hypnotize you and if what the hypnotist is trying to accomplish is something that you would be willing to do otherwise, just hypnotism gives a little extra nudge (if I understand it all correctly). :)

Sorry to get back so late. Thanks for ur opinions Ladies