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Self-Hypnosis Is Essentially A Deep Meditation: Here's How It's Done

Author:

Sarah Regan

February 21, 2021

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

February 21, 2021

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Hypnosis isn't nearly as crazy as those embarrassing stage performances would like us to believe. In fact, every time we get absorbed in a movie or scroll on our phones for hours, we're actually activating a mild state of hypnosis. We asked a hypnotist all our burning questions about this misunderstood practice, and it turns out that self-hypnosis isn't as difficult—or as scary—as you might think. Here's the scoop.

What is self-hypnosis—and is it really possible?

According to Shauna Cummins, professional hypnotist and the author of WishCraft, everyone has the ability to hypnotize themselves. In a way, she adds, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, because the subject's own mind is always doing the work.

"It's a real practice just like meditation," she says. "You can learn it and practice; you can read a book; you can try on your own or work with audio-hypnosis tracks." When you're first getting started, though, she adds that it never hurts to have a session with a professional hypnotist first.

Stages of hypnosis.

The stages of hypnosis aren't rigid. They're ultimately brain-wave states, "so you go in and out like a wave," Cummins says (and research confirms 1), but you'll typically experience three stages:

Beta stage: This is the initial stage, which Cummins also calls the conversational stage, in which you're just starting to settle down but you're still very much aware. Your brain is producing waking beta waves, and you're beginning to take in what your hypnosis session is about.
Alpha stage: This stage, Cummins says, is when the mind and body start to calm down as you enter a very relaxed, more meditative state.
Theta stage: Finally, you'll enter the third stage in which your brain produces theta waves associated with deep meditation. It's almost dreamlike, and this is where the mind becomes suggestible to whatever intention you're working with.

Benefits of the practice.

Hypnosis works by putting us into a suggestible state in which what we imagine feels real to the unconscious mind. Here, the idea is that we're able to break negative patterns and behaviors by allowing our unconscious to let them go, which can be difficult to do in our normal waking state. "Everybody's more suggestible in that state," Cummins notes, "so, it's an ideal time to plant your own suggestions for yourself."

You can apply the principles of self-hypnosis to a number of goals, including but not limited to:

Breaking an addiction.

Breaking an addiction of any kind is no easy feat. Hypnosis is often associated with quitting smoking 2, with one small study suggesting it might help people with more serious drug addictions 3, too. Peer-reviewed research showing that hypnosis can be an alternative treatment for addiction is very limited. However, with any goal, it's important for the subject to believe it's possible, and hypnosis seems to help people do that.

Being more confident.

If someone wanted to be more confident, their hypnosis session would revolve largely around imagining what that confidence would be like. Consider the rules of manifestation here: When we get clear on what we're actually trying to achieve and what it feels like, we can better embody it.

Living a healthier lifestyle.

On that note, Cummins notes she often sees hypnosis used to help people achieve goals like losing weight, eating better, or just being healthier overall. The idea is that when we're able to really imagine what it would look and feel like to be healthy, we can more confidently move toward that goal.

Being less anxious or stressed.

For people struggling with stress and anxiousness, hypnosis can be used as a tool for stepping back and noticing these feelings from a distance. From that objective place, you could imagine how it would look if you didn't feel like that. Cummins adds she's also seen people who have anxious habits, like nail-biting, find success with hypnosis.

Getting unstuck in general.

And lastly, if you're feeling stuck in any area of your life, hypnosis might be just the thing to help you get out of that head space.

"When you really have that strong desire but you're getting stuck in your behaviors," Cummins says, "hypnosis is a great way to come into alignment and to really sink into an internal source of motivation to make the change you want to make."

How to hypnotize yourself.

Here, Cummins shares a short self-hypnosis routine for beginners. Read through the steps here, or follow along with the guided audio below:

Get set up: Find a quiet place where you'll be undisturbed and sit in a comfortable chair with feet flat on the floor. If you want to make it even more relaxing and healing, you can lie down—as long as you won't fall asleep! Feel free to light candles and turn on ambient music without words. Don't forget to silence your phone.
Fix your gaze: Choose a point of focus somewhere in front and above you in your field of vision (a spot on the wall, etc.), and focus on that point. Relax your shoulders. Imagine your peripheral vision beginning to blur, and relax. Extend your awareness to the two corners of the room in front of you while maintaining focus on the point, your peripheral vision blurred and relaxed, your shoulders relaxed. Extend your awareness to the two corners of the room behind you while maintaining focus on the point. This expands your awareness and prompts the relaxation process. Soften your gaze and take in the whole room without moving your eyes.
Set your intention: Write down or state aloud what your intention or wish is for your self-hypnosis journey (i.e., to feel more calm, more focused, more confident, to be financially abundant, healthy, creative, etc.)
Breathe: Take three deep breaths, repeating: Breathe in relaxation; breathe out release. Repeat more than three times, if you wish.
Become the observer: Imagine you can run through the scenario that you wish to shift. Imagine it as it is. So, if you're stressed or procrastinating, imagine you can observe yourself experiencing this like a mind movie, through a compassionate lens as if you were your own best friend. This can be more visual, or more emotional, depending how your mind works.
Feel it in your body: Think of your intention or wish, imagining where the energy of your wish sits in your body. It could be in your heart, your stomach—anywhere that feels right. Breathe in again, thinking of your wish. If your wish was a color, what color would it be? If it was an emotion, what emotion would it be? Place your hand on the part of your body where you have imagined the wish living. Continue breathing and giving life to your wish.
Use your imagination: Next, imagine the situation as you wish it to be.
Move your intention through your body: Focus on the energy of this more positive state moving around your body. This is your wishing mind; it's a sacred well of intentional energy, a reservoir of unlimited resources always available to you.
Engage your senses: Imagine the best possible scenario, in which things go even better than you'd hoped. Try in your mind to experience this with all of your senses—feeling it, seeing it, hearing it. Imagine making it stronger, brighter, and more intense. Anchor this feeling into your body. Bring your hand to where you feel it strongest in your body, and breathe into it.
Close the session: Gently bring yourself out by breathing in relaxation and breathing out release a few more times. Hold your hand to where you feel the positive resources and feelings in your body. Thank yourself for giving yourself this moment of relaxation and intentional journeying into your mind.

4 tips to maximize the effects:

Work with your intention throughout the day.

Your goals don't end when your self-hypnosis session is done! Carry your intention with you through the day, consistently tapping into that mental space where your goal feels real. "Say your intention before you go to bed," Cummins says. "Breathe it into your body, anchor it in. Say it in the morning when you're brushing your teeth or having your coffee, and breathe it into your body, anchoring it in." The more you recall it, the more it will be reinforced.

Give yourself grace.

As with any practice, Cummins says it's important to cultivate a sense of compassion and curiosity with yourself. "It is a practice—and an ability," she notes, "so, not being so hard on yourself, having fun with it, and doing it consistently, so you can really learn how your mind works and how to make it work for you."

Remember that a little goes a long way.

Once you've got the process for self-hypnosis down pat, it really won't take long to drop into a receptive state, Cummins says, adding, "it's amazing how your mind follows your instruction."

Notice your triggers.

And lastly, as you work with your goal, know that negative emotions might come up during the hypnosis. This is totally natural. "When you need more support, if you get trigged or you're feeling resistance," Cummins says, "tune into that and get a sense of what you need to bring compassion to that area: Bring awareness to it, see it outside your body with a sense of mindfulness."

Once you identify those emotions, you can start to work through them using some of the tools outlined in this primer on shadow work.

The bottom line.

When you're looking to achieve goals, release negative patterns, or reinforce positivity, your unconscious mind can be an ally. Practicing the fundamentals of self-hypnosis is one way to get a better understanding of this world that lies within.