Patients undergoing hypnotherapy or stage hypnosis move from their normal waking state to a stage of deep relaxation, where they breathe deeper, their body feels heavier and their mind starts to become more absorbed. Next in the state of trance, the subject will feel deeply engaged in the words or pictures the therapist shows and there is disassociation from critical thoughts. The patient is then open to suggestion and will react and comply with the hypnotherapists suggestions. Following the experience, patients often report feeling euphoric and like they had just had the best night of sleep ever, even though the session only lasted a few minutes.

Both physical and mental maladies can be treated with Hypnosis Hypnotherapy sessions. The mind can play a vital part in pain management, particularly in patients with serious illnesses or those undergoing surgery and studies have shown that hypnosis meditation can reduce a patients medication requirements in addition to shortening recovery time. Negative thoughts can lead to stress, which in turn can have effects on the body. Complaints such as colds, interrupted sleep, stomach ulcers, outbreaks of psoriasis, disrupted menstrual cycles in women, hair loss and cold sores can all result from stress stimulated by negative thinking. Hypnosis sessions are used to address all manner of health related problems including asthma, anxiety, the pain of childbirth, eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, sleep disorders such as bedwetting, sleep walking and insomnia, thumb sucking, nail biting, smoking, inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia, spastic colon, eczema, psoriasis, acne, migraines, stress, tinnitus, cancer pain, indigestion, phobias, depression and obesity.

The trouble with hypnotherapy is that not everybody is receptive to hypnotic suggestion. The subject must be an broad-minded, willing participant who pledges to remain attentive, set aside skepticism and go along with what the therapist is saying. A common misconception is that hypnotists can mesmerize someone, plant suggestions and cause the person to act against their free will. The procedure itself is mysterious, although there must be a certain level of agreeableness before healing can come about.