Here are some of the more frequently asked questions about hypnosis and self-hypnosis.

"What is self hypnosis used for?"

"How many things can I work on at one time with self hypnosis?"

"How can self hypnosis help me quit smoking?"

"Does it work for weight control?"

"Can I use self hypnosis for things like interpersonal relationships?"

"Speaking in public terrifies me. Will self hypnosis help me get over that?"

"Can I improve sports performance with self hypnosis?"

"How about pain control?"

"Can it help me get along on less sleep?"

"Can I cure my insomnia with self hypnosis?"

"Can I use it to make better grades in school?"

"Is doing it yourself [self hypnosis] as effective as being hypnotized by someone else [hetero-hypnosis]?"

"Is hypnosis a New Age thing?"

"Is it safe?"

"I understand that people learn more about themselves when they begin to practice self hypnosis. What if I discover something I don't want to know?"

"Will the regular practice of self hypnosis make me more suggestible?"

"Do you lose consciousness when you practice self hypnosis?"

"What if I can't wake up?"

"Can everyone learn use self hypnosis, and how easy is it?" "Are meditation and hypnosis different?"

"Do I have to believe in hypnosis for it to work?"

"How long does it take?"

"Should I make an induction tape to listen to?"

Self Hypnosis Applications

"What Is Self-Hypnosis Used For?"

Self hypnosis can be used for just about anything that depends on your own efforts. "Your own efforts," incidentally, is a much broader category than most people think. For instance, it includes many of the autonomically mediated functions — those things your body does without your conscious involvement. So your use of self hypnosis is not limited to just those things you consciously do and control.

A complete list of all of the ways in which self hypnosis has been used would be too long and probably impossible to compile. However, here is a partial list of applications:

Academic Applications

  • Class Participation Fears
  • Communication Apprehension
  • Concentration
  • Focus, Attention Span
  • Learning
  • Memory (see Memory, below)
  • Presentation Skills
  • Sleep Assisted Learning
  • Stage Fright
  • Study Skills
  • Subject Mental Block Removal

Addictions (chemical or substance)

Attitude

  • Career
  • Family
  • Interpersonal
  • School
  • Work

Cancer (definite but limited or sporadic success)

Career Enhancement

  • Behavioral Control
  • Concentration
  • Decision Making
  • Focus
  • Motivation
  • Tenacity

Concentration (see Academic Applications, above)

Fears, Phobias

Fitness

  • Motivation
  • Performance

Habit Control

  • Food and Eating
  • Nail Chewing
  • Procrastination
  • Smoking
  • Substance Abuse

Health

Image Projection (how others perceive you)

Learning (removing blocks, concentration, comprehension) (see Academic Applications, above)

Medical

  • Analgesia
  • Anesthesia
  • Bodily Functions (under autonomic control)
  • Dermatology (warts, rashes, skin conditions, etc.)
  • Healing Facilitation
  • Obstetrics (birth, related procedures)
  • Pain
  • Skin Conditions (Dermatology)
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Treatment Motivation

Memory

  • Academic Studies
  • Buried or Repressed Memories (this particular category has been seriously abused in recent years)
  • Dream Memories
  • Names and Faces

Motivation

  • Academic
  • Career, Job Performance
  • Fitness, Health
  • Personal Achievement, Development
  • Sports

Pain Control (see Medical, above)

Performance (music, sports, business, personal, speaking, academic, etc.)

Personal Relationships

Problem Solving

Reading (blocks, speed, comprehension, motivation)

Sales

  • Attitude
  • Memory for Names, Faces, Facts
  • Motivation
  • People Smarts
  • Personality, Likeability
  • Persuasive Qualities
  • Subliminal Communication
  • Tenacity, Drive

Self Confidence

Sex (dysfunctions, inhibitions and mental blocks, pleasure)

Shyness

Sleep (more, less, better)

Smoking, Quitting (of course!)

Speech, Speaking in Public

  • Audience Rapport
  • Concentration
  • Memory
  • Presence of Mind on Stage
  • Stage Fright, Communication Apprehension

Sports Performance

  • Competitiveness, Sportsmanship
  • Concentration
  • Drive
  • Image Rehearsal
  • Peak Performance
  • Practice Effects

Stress, Tension

  • Anxiety Attacks
  • Hypertension
  • Panic Attacks
  • Relaxation
  • Stress Management

Subliminal Communication

Timing (time awareness, internal clock, etc.)

Weight Loss, Control (dieting, eating disorders, metabolic influence)

"How many things can I work on at one time with with self hypnosis?"

There is no answer to this question that is correct for everyone in every circumstance. It depends upon the "things" involved, how strongly the subconscious mind is attached to them, what is going on in your life at the time, and how you respond to hypnotic suggestion in general. The safest strategy for beginners is to start with just one project — perhaps an easier one — then, with some success and experience under your belt, progress to other, more difficult objectives.

Just what is more or less difficult is of course highly variable across individuals. What proves easy for one person may be very difficult for another. (See the answer to the smoking question below, for example.) And common sense is not much help here. We're talking about subconsciousvalues, and the best way to determine in advance how important something is to your subconscious mind is to use ideomotor questioning (see http://www.bcx.net/hypnosis/autoques.htm).