(1)  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. 

(2)  Does it work for weight control?

 Yes. Most cases of overweight are the result of over-eating combined with insufficient activity. Both, in normal cases, are under your control, technically speaking. So self hypnosis is perfectly valid and uniquely appropriate for getting your eating under control and for increasing your motivation to get more exercise.

(3)  Is hypnosis a New Age thing?

No, not really. Something does not have to be new to fall under the rubric of "New Age," and it is true that many New Age practitioners advocate the use of self hypnosis. However, the earliest known descriptions of hypnosis date back 6,000 years to rites performed in Egyptian sleep temples. European physicians such as Charcot and Bachofen were using it in the 17th and 18th centuries. Benjamin Franklin, who was the United States ambassador to France at the time, investigated the so-called animal magnetism of Anton Mesmer and substantiated the successes animal magnetism was producing (Franklin attributed it to suggestion). (We still use Mesmer's name today when we say someone was "mesmerized," meaning raptly attentive, or that they were somehow temporarily deprived of their normal conscious qualities.) The term "hypnosis" was coined by one of the most respected scientists of his day, James Braid, in 1843. Today there are many legitimate university-based studies of the various phenomena of hypnosis and it is not uncommon for dentists and physicians to use it in their practices.

(4)  Is it safe?

 It is just as safe as anything else. If you stick to self hypnosis, you have the same protective mechanisms working for you that you have any other time. You will not do anything in self hypnosis that you would not otherwise do. Of course what some people would otherwise do can surprise you. If you have seen a stage hypnotist's show you may have seen people doing things you would not want to do. And you probably would not; the only reason people do strange things in a stage presentation is because of what we call the "demand characteristics" of the situation. That is, being on stage in front of a lot of people exerts a tremendous pressure to do as one is told. It is generally wiser not to volunteer for any stage demonstrations of hypnosis, or to use it in any way just for entertainment.

(5)  Will the regular practice of self hypnosis make me more suggestible?

 Yes, but only in the good sense. That is, with practice, you get better at responding to your own suggestions. This is a Good Thing because it gives you more control over yourself. At the same time, you become more resistant to the manipulative attempts of others. There is an inverse relationship between responsiveness to hetero-suggestion (suggestion applied by others) and autosuggestion (self-applied suggestion). The better you get at autosuggestion, and the more you understand it and how it works, the more you become resistant to manipulative attempts by others. The regular practice of self hypnosis is great for developing discipline in those who find it difficult to "just say no."

    (6)  Do you lose consciousness when you practice self hypnosis?

Only if you fall asleep. However, you might have certain areas of memory lapse later which make it seem like you were unconscious, but you were not. It is a little like the experience we have all had of doing something – like driving a familiar route – only to realize later that we don't remember doing it.

        (7) What if I can't wake up?

 Never happens. Getting out of hypnosis is never a problem. You'll put all of your efforts into getting into a hypnotic state, not getting out of it. The worst that can happen is that you drift off into normal sleep, in which case you will wake up – or oversleep – just as you would any other time.

(8) Can everyone learn use self hypnosis, and how easy is it?

Yes, seemingly everyone can use self hypnosis. At least, everyone with anything approaching normal intelligence and who is conscious at least some of the time. Some people are better or faster at it than others, as is true with any skill. Regardless of where you fall on the skill continuum, you will see progress if you use self hypnosis correctly and regularly.

As to the part about self hypnosis being easy, the answer is both yes and no. It is relatively easy. That's because, as with any skill, it requires know-how and practice to develop. There is no free lunch, and you should be highly suspicious of any claims that something worthwhile is going to be easy and effortless. Self hypnosis does require some effort because it is a skill and the more you put into it the more you get out. But it is still a heck of a lot easier and faster than trying to do anything with willpower.

(9) Are meditation and hypnosis different?

Yes. Meditative states may be similar, but the practice of hypnosis is significantly different in that it is driven by suggestion. With hypnosis there is specific work to be done. In addition, the brain state also seems to be somewhat different between hypnosis and meditation according to measures with EEGs, scans, and other forms of feedback. It is not uncommon for people who do both to keep them separate, so there is obviously a subjective sense that there is a difference.

(10) Do I have to believe in hypnosis for it to work?

Nope. The degree of hypnotisability seems to be completely unrelated to the degree of belief in it. Some amazing results from hypnotic suggestion have been demonstrated by people who adamantly claimed they were not hypnotized and who were convinced that nothing had happened. Willingness, though, is another matter. If you don't want to be hypnotized (and you are aware that that is what is going on), then you won't be.

(11) How long does it take?

The skill part of self hypnosis requires time to develop, and some people take longer than others to get good at it. We don't know why. It is not related to intelligence (within normal bounds) or any other variable that has been reliably and consistently identified. Some people see results immediately, while others may take several days or even weeks to notice a difference. With proper application and daily practice, though, you should begin to see definite results within 21 days at the outside.

The daily practice takes longer at first, then gradually requires less and less time. A half-hour a day is a good starting schedule. Self hypnosis adepts who have been at it for years can do it very quickly if they must, taking only a matter of seconds or, at the most, a couple of minutes.