4 Proven Health Benefits of Hypnosis Proven by Science

To the uninitiated, hypnosis may sound like something that’s taught at Hogwarts. After all, this “witchcraft” can force people to act like animals or fall asleep in front of a live audience.

When it comes to its medical benefits, hypnosis gets a bad rep thanks to its theatrical history. However, as it turns out, hypnosis can supplement a traditional medical treatment to solve a long list of health problems.

With each passing year, hypnosis is gaining more credibility in the medical community. Even organizations as reputed as the American Psychological Association acknowledges the benefits of this hypnotherapy in treating pain, anxiety, depression, and addictions. In fact, the American Medical Association approved hypnosis as a form of medical treatment way back in 1958.

Hypnosis is now much more accessible. There are plenty of audiobooks that teaches the art of self-hypnosis. There are also apps in both iTunes and Google Play that uses hypnosis to help people relax and find their inner calm.

Some apps such as the Attention Shifting Hypnosis app can also help people get over personal tragedies, letting go of plaguing thoughts and focus on life objectives.

Whether hypnotic treatment is the right way to go for you can be best judged by a medical professional. However, these 4 scientifically proven health benefits should help you garner confidence about the effectiveness of hypnotherapy.

Helps Achieving Deep Sleep

Swiss researchers at the University of Zurich studied a group of male and female participants by measuring their brain activity following hypnosis sessions. The study group was asked to listen to a hypnosis tape that encouraged deep sleep.

The people who listened to the tapes experienced deeper sleeping sessions. According to the lead researcher of the team, the hypnosis sessions not only worked in helping patients achieve better sleep but it also lacked the common side effects of drugs that induce sleep.

Reduces the Occurrence of Hot Flashes

A randomized controlled trial led by Dr. Gary R. Elkins tested the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in reducing hot flashes. 187 post-menopausal women were split into two groups. One group underwent clinical hypnosis and the others were subjected to placebo treatment.

The women who received hypnotherapy reported 74.16% reduction in hot flashes compared to the 17.13% reduction of hot flashes reported by the control group. This study conclusively proved the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in treating hot flashes.

Effective in Helping People Cope with PTSD

According to a study conducted at Washington State University, hypnosis is effective in treating patients suffering from PTSD. The study tested 60 patients that met the PTSD criteria.

These patients were split into two groups of 30, one group received hypnotherapy sessions while the others were given placebo treatment. The hypnotherapy group not only displayed significant improvement but the “positive effects” also lasted longer.

Pain Management

There have been a number of studies conducted to research the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in reducing pain. Two separate studies, one in 2000 and the other in 2009, concluded that hypnotherapy is effective in treating pain caused by various diseases including arthritis and cancer.