Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness (ASC), mind, or awareness. It is used by qualified professionals (such as doctors, dentists, psychologists, or trained-professionals) to treat psychological, emotional, or physical problems.
When a person is under hypnosis—the Trance state as it is sometimes called, he or she is in a state of deep inner absorption, concentration and focused attention. Analogous to the use of a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun, make them more powerful. When our minds are concentrated and focused, we are able to use our minds more powerfully.
In the trance state, the body experiences a state of deep physical relaxation while the mind remains clear, alert and focused. The Subconscious* mind becomes open and highly suggestible.
It may be interesting to note that we enter this altered state of mind naturally many times throughout the course of a day. It is just that most of us are unaware of it happening. For instance, when driving, we may get so engrossed in our thoughts that we drove to our destination without knowing how we got there. This is commonly known as “Highway hypnosis”.
Another instance is when we go to the movies and get so caught up in the drama of the story we forget that we are only watching a movie. All of these are examples of a natural state of hypnosis.
*Note: The terms ‘Subconscious’ and ‘Unconscious’ are used interchangeably on this website.