Hypnotists use many different methods and techniques to successfully hypnotize their subjects. Below we look at a few basic hypnotism techniques.

1) Intense Focus

You will be familiar with this one. The hypnotist holds an object which he tells his subject to gaze deeply into. For sure you have seen the pocket watch on a chain, or a pendulum, which the hypnotist swings slowly in front of the subject. Another popular object for this is a spinning disk with a spiral pattern on it. This can cause the subject to feel dizzy, disoriented, and drawn into the disk. Still other hypnotists will use a candle, telling their subject to look deeply into the flame. With any of these tools the idea is to have the subject so focused on the object that they will eventually tune out everything around them. Once they are in this state the hypnotist will begin to speak to their subject in a soft, relaxed, soothing monotone voice setting the mood for relaxation and preparing the subject for suggestions.

2) Sir Yes Sir

This technique is often employed by stage hypnotists. It is popular because of its high success rate and dramatic effect. With this method the hypnotist comes at the subject sudden and forceful commands. To be effective the commands must be forceful enough to totally convince the subject he is one hundred percent under the control of the hypnotist. This will allow him to readily introduce the desired suggestions.

3) Take It Easy

The goal here is to relax the subject totally. She will feel so comfortable and relaxed that her natural defences will be lowered. This will make her very receptive to suggestions from the hypnotist. Psychiatrists will often employ this method especially with patients in a state of extreme stress, or anxiety. When used as part of a hypnotherapeutic program, this technique will give the subject a feeling of well being which is always beneficial to the patient. Another name for this technique is "progressive relaxation and imagery". This method can be used in meditation and self-hypnosis as well. Soft lighting or candles, relaxing music can also be utilized to further promote a relaxed feeling.

These are just a few of the many techniques used in hypnosis, we will study this further as we go.

Want to lose weight or quit smoking? Hypnosis is an effective tool that you may want to put to use, although it isn’t for everybody. Through the development of Stanfard Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales, which measure the ease with which you could be hypnotized on a scale from 0 (not at all susceptible) to 12 (responds to all suggestions), scientists have found that five percent of the population cannot be hypnotized. Still, that leaves 95 percent of the population open to hypnosis and most of us fall somewhere between five and seven on the scale. If you are interested in giving this technique a try, this article will teach you step-by-step how to do self hypnosis.

Relax

The key to successfully inducing hypnosis—a state of hyper-attention and hyper-awareness—is to be mentally relaxed and absolutely absorbed in the task at end. It should feel as if it would take little or no effort to make a decision or perform any action, like lifting your hand or throwing your cigarettes in the garbage. For many of us, learning to relax is the most difficult part of learning how to do self hypnosis. At the beginning, it could take you half-an-hour or longer to fully relax. With practice, it may take just a few seconds.

When learning how to do self hypnosis, you may find it easier to follow the Jacobsen Progressive Relaxation procedure. To do this, sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Find an environment with few distractions. Slowly, tense each major muscle group. Hold it for a few seconds. Then, relax. Begin with your feet and progress all the way to the top of your head.

Enter into a deeper state

The next stage in learning how to do self hypnosis is learning how to relax more deeply, which will bring about a hypnotic state. Too often, we try to watch for that magic moment when we are hypnotized. “Aha,” we say, proud that we could pinpoint the moment when we achieved this sought-after state. Unfortunately, we cannot enter into hypnosis unless we are completely relaxed, which requires us to let our guard down and just engage with the practice. This, admittedly, makes it hard to say for certain whether or not we’ve actually been hypnotized. Continue practicing, however, and soon you will begin to recognize what it feels when you have entered a hypnotic state.

Hollywood likes to show hypnotists counting down. In truth, this is an effective way to deepen your relaxation. Begin counting down from 100. With each number, feel yourself falling more deeply into a trance. As distracting thoughts arise, brush them aside. (This will be familiar to anyone who has ever tried meditation.) As you practice more frequently, you can try counting for a lower number like 20 to see what works best for you. When learning how to do self hypnosis you may also wish to explore other techniques for deepening your relaxation, including the use of a swinging metronome.

Auto Suggestion

At this point in learning how to do self hypnosis, your conscious mind should be in a hyper-responsive state, with your subconscious mind more open to suggestion than usual. Prior to beginning the session, you should develop a short, powerful statement that reflects what you wish to achieve. For example,  “I no longer desire or enjoy cigarettes”. You may also rely on an image, instead of a statement. For example, picture yourself in peak physical fitness, climbing a mountain or lounging on the beach in a bikini. The key to making this work is practicing regularly. You cannot expect immediate results.

Ending the session

Although it may be tempting to do so, don’t fall asleep or leap right up from your session. Set a clear boundary between hypnosis and the next activity, especially when you are first learning how to do self hypnosis. This can be easily achieved by telling yourself that you will be fully alert and awake on the count of three: one-two-three!