Self-Hypnosis Can Really Work & Here’s How to Give It a Try

In the 18th century, hypnosis was all the rage, but the practice goes back further than many realise.

Temple sleep, practiced widely throughout early Greek and Egypt, involved a meditative ritual said to bring on a deep, healing sleep and dreams of a cure for the sleeper’s physical or mental symptoms.

“The Book of Healing,” published in 1027 by Persian philosopher Ibn Sina (Avicenna), also mentions hypnosis.

Modern practitioners, like Franz Mesmer, eventually brought hypnosis into the public consciousness. It was originally called mesmerism, after Mesmer (though he termed it “animal magnetism”).

Mesmer also successfully hypnotised himself and, quite possibly, taught self-hypnosis to other interested individuals.

In basic terms, self-hypnosis means putting yourself in a highly focused and suggestible state. If you’ve ever tried meditation, you might find that a state of self-hypnosis isn’t terribly dissimilar.

Self-hypnosis doesn’t just help you find a sense of calm, though it can certainly help you relax.

It can also help you address and change unwanted habits and unhelpful thought patterns.

The practice might seem a little implausible, but there’s a decent amount of scientific evidence behind it.

Read on to get tips on trying it yourself.

Get comfortable. Aim to wear clothing that helps you feel relaxed and at ease. Stiff, scratchy, tight, or heavy clothing might not promote relaxation.

Find the right spot. Settle yourself in a quiet room, where you won’t have to worry about anyone disturbing you. Silence your phone and sit anywhere comfortable, in a position that supports your back and won’t leave you feeling cramped.

Set your goal. What do you want to get out of self-hypnosis? Go into the exercise with a clear goal, whether that’s improving self-esteem, getting better sleep, or breaking a habit.

Focus your gaze. Find something simple within your line of sight to focus on or create a point of focus by pushing a coloured thumbtack into the wall or lighting a candle and focusing on the flame.

Begin breathing slowly and deeply. Inhale through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth, letting your eyes rest on your focus point. Continue breathing, imagining that with each exhale, your eyelids are becoming heavier. Keep going until they feel too heavy to keep open.

Continue to relax. With closed eyes, keep breathing slowly, concentrating on your breath to keep your thoughts from wandering. When your awareness drifts off course, return it to your breath. If any part of your body feels particularly tense, imagine each exhale carrying the tension away.

Visualise. Using your senses, create a peaceful mental “happy place.” You might surround yourself with clouds of relaxing colours or imagine yourself walking along the beach, sitting in a field of flowers, or biting into a juicy, delicious slice of melon.

Spend some time in your scene. As your visualization begins to soothe you, imagine your body becoming very heavy, just as it does when you’re about to fall asleep. If it helps, you can even imagine yourself sinking slightly into the chair or sofa.

Affirm your relaxed state. Try repeating a mantra, like “I am calm,” or “I am at peace.”

Move on to your goal. Once you feel completely calm, use visualisation to focus on your goal. Don’t skimp on the detail — make your scene as vivid as possible. Trying to sleep better? Feel yourself tucked into bed with your soft sheets. Hear the hum of the fan as you breathe peacefully in the cool darkness and drift toward sleep.

Affirm your goal. As you imagine yourself achieving your goal, mentally repeat it, such as “I’m speaking confidently, without feeling nervous,” “I’m sleeping peacefully through the night,” or “I don’t want to smoke. I don’t crave a cigarette.” As you repeat these words, direct compassion, and encouragement toward yourself.

Let your body return to normal. After 5 minutes or so, prepare to leave the hypnotic state. Imagine each inhales drawing energy from the world around you, and each exhale sending it flowing through your veins. Each breath leaves your limbs feeling lighter until they return to normal.

Wake yourself. Begin counting down from 10, telling yourself, “When I reach one, I will open my eyes, energised and alert.”

Hypnosis not quite working for you? These tips could make a difference.

Try guided self-hypnosis

The steps above offer one approach to self-hypnosis, but you can reach a relaxed, hypnotic state using several methods.

You’ll find plenty of guided recordings on YouTube if you aren’t sure about trying self-hypnosis completely on your own.

If you find it tough to relax, experimenting with different relaxation strategies could help:

• Try imagining yourself climbing down a flight of stairs slowly, inhaling and exhaling once per step. As you descend, tell yourself you’ll feel completely relaxed at the bottom.
• If you find water images comforting, you could imagine yourself swimming deeper and deeper into an undersea world, leaving your tensions behind on the shore.
• To end the hypnotic state, simply imagine yourself climbing the stairs, or swimming back to shore.

As with any new skill or routine, making time for daily practice can increase your chances of noticing improvement. Even just 10 or 15 minutes per day can help.

You’ll also probably find self-hypnosis more helpful if you believe the practice has some benefits.

This confidence can also make it easier to stick with the habit over time.

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