Aisling Psychology & Counselling Dr. Willa Litvack Registered Psychologist © 2011 AISLING BY: NETMATRIX WHAT IS HYPNOSIS? Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness involving a shift in attention away from the usual sensations and impressions and a simultaneous intensification of attention to a particular idea, image, or perception. Individuals in hypnosis are deeply relaxed and in a state of heightened receptivity. Released from the hold of the conscious mind, they are able to more readily access the subconscious, experience enhanced awareness, and experience thoughts and images as real. In a sense,  all hypnosis is self-hypnosis because. it is impossible to hypnotize an unwilling subject or to induce that person to do something against their will. WHAT CAN HYPNOSIS BE USED FOR? Hypnosis has been used as a tool for emotional, physical, and spiritual healing since ancient times. Modern hypnotherapy, the therapeutic use of hypnosis, was pioneered by  an Austrian physician named France Mesmer. It can be effective for many things, including pain control, the management of sleep difficulties, and the treatment of phobias and other psychological concerns. WHO CAN BE HYPNOTIZED? Though some people are more hypnotizable than others, anybody can be hypnotized. Though you may not  know it , you have been in a hypnotic state many times. The athlete who doesn't notice an injury until the game is over is in a hypnotic state, so focused on the game that the sensation of pain is out of awareness. Have you ever been so engrossed in something that you lost sense of time and tuned out all but the most pressing distractions? That too is a hypnotic state.