Hypnosis is used by world-class athletes to give them 'the edge'. Therapists commonly use hypnosis to break addictions, cure depression and deal with trauma. All hypnosis is in fact self-hypnosis so regular people can learn to use hypnosis to relax and to enhance themselves.

Six years ago, I learned hypnosis – for all the reasons given above. It is the key to unlocking your creativity, focusing your energy, and understanding yourself. Hypnosis has a long history of helping people become the very best they can be. It can be used to control anything governed by the unconscious mind: addictions, fear, pain, mood, confidence levels, blood pressure, sex drive... and so on.

To clear up a common misconception hypnosis is not a form of entertainment for an audience. That is known as "stage hypnosis" and is often ‘performed’ by mentalists practicing their art. The truth is that people won’t cluck like chickens or remove their clothes on the stage by hypnotic suggestion unless they are the sort of person who would do those things anyway! 

Hypnosis often uses a similar approach the goal of meditation which is to relax the body so that the mind can follow. This relaxation is gained mainly via breathing, visualisations and ‘deepeners’ to achieve the trance state which is a very relaxing experience by itself. As such, meditations and hypnosis can be seen as quite similar as the body and the mind are deeply relaxed. Hypnosis takes this one step further. Via hypnosis you can communicate with your unconscious mind. 

What is trance? The secrets and benefits of hypnosis lie in the trance state which is a normal and natural state that you experience daily. Trance is like that feeling you get when you're so engrossed by what you’re doing that time seems to fly by. Your mind goes somewhere else… and you ‘zone out’. It is not unusual or strange and it will feel vaguely familiar. It commonly happens when you drive to your destination and cannot remember the journey to get there! It happens without any intention on your part to go to that part of your brain. It can happen when you read a book or watch a movie and even happens in conversation. When people speak of hypnotic trance, they are referring to a level of awareness that is different from your ordinary state of consciousness. It is a human condition involving reduced peripheral awareness, focused attention, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion via communication with the unconscious mind. 

Healing the body. The unconscious mind manages sensations and bodily functions and can communicate with every cell in the body. You don’t consciously think about making your heartbeat or breathing or filtering your blood through your kidneys or how much glucose to convert to energy to get through your busy day! Your unconscious takes care of all this for you. 

Perhaps the greatest value that Hypnosis offers is that it can be used to assist healing in the body via by the activity of your unconscious mind which affects the conductivity of the neurotransmitters that surround all cells. Therapists use hypnosis to lift trauma, cure depression and break addictions. You can learn self-hypnosis to transform, enhance and heal yourself. 

Staying calm in uncomfortable or high-pressure situations. There are many occasions in life where you need to stay calm. For instance: tackling a fear, asking for a pay rise, being assertive with that 'friend' who always seems to get their own way, dealing with the workplace bully, standing your ground with your mother-in-law. When you learn how to use self-hypnosis, you can emotionally prepare so that there is less emotional toll coming from potentially stressful situations. When you feel equipped to face anything that happens, life will feel so much easier. 

Controlling your emotions – in all circumstances. When you learn Hypnosis, you'll learn how to get in touch with your inner self. People in touch with their unconscious minds find it easier to understand their emotional core and avoid upsets.

Improve your communication with others. Be able to communicate more effectively with other people, ie. your boss, work colleagues, authorities, or your neighbours, and your family. Do you ever feel guilty that your partner (and your kids) don't always get the best from you? You’re not alone. Everyone snaps at those they love the most when they feel tired, cross, or stressed sometimes. 

Those who know how to use hypnosis can perceive a whole new layer in human relationships that occurs within all kinds of social, professional, and emotional frameworks. Think of the effects of hypnosis like the glue of relationships, the active ingredient in communication, the hidden machinery within our mind.

Tap into your creative juices. You can learn how to tap into that amazing feeling of being engrossed in something creative. Time can seem like it’s standing still, and you feel energised when bursts of creativity enhance your life. So, what do you want to do? Write a book or a play? Play a musical instrument and/or compose lyrics to a song? Paint with splashes of colour on a canvas? Sketch with charcoal or pencils in shades of grey? Renovating and styling a home? Brain-storming a new business idea and working on the details? Being in a creative state (or trance) is a deeply pleasurable experience.

Become highly productive without the stress. You can manage your stress with self-hypnosis and become deeply calm by putting yourself into a meditative relaxed state. If you do this regularly, you'll gain clarity of thought and be able to organise yourself effectively without experiencing the haze of the stress trap. You can break the cycle of feeding on your stress with only 10 minutes of deep trance. Afterwards you'll feel supercharged and ready to conquer your “to do” list. 

Develop high levels of focus, concentration and learning ability. When you gain experience with hypnosis, you will quickly be able to slide into a trance state. There's a reason why many top athletes use hypnosis for sporting success. Just think of what you could achieve if you spent time each day completely 'in the zone'!

Who can you trust to teach you hypnosis? Don’t let sensational and ridiculous claims that you’ll find all over the internet put you off exploring the use of hypnosis. Be certain that the practitioner you choose is trained with a recognised school of hypnotherapy.