With the increasing number of people trying to quit smoking these days, more and more options on how to quit smoking are emerging. Although nicotine patches and gums remain the most common stop smoking aids, stop smoking hypnosis is slowly starting to gain popularity. But does hypnosis really work in helping a smoker quit?
The theory behind stop smoking hypnosis is that it helps to detach the idea of smoking from the mind. This means that hypnosis can actually reduce or stop your craving to smoke. Another theory is that hypnosis helps you kick the habit by helping you make an unconscious decision to quit.
Hypnosis does not work the same for everyone. For hypnosis to work, a certain part of your brain needs to be active and sensitive to it. This was discovered when scientists observed brain activity in people who have been hypnotized. A certain part of the brain showed more activity in people who were sensitive to hypnosis, and minimal activity in people who were not sensitive. Sensitivity levels may vary among different people.
In a hypnosis session, hypnotists attempt to first put the subject into a hypnotic state by relaxing the subject. Once in a trance, the hypnotist will attempt to make suggestions to the subject. This is done very easily because when in a trance, the brain accepts everything and will follow without questioning.
Once a suggestion is made to the subject, and they come out of the trance, that suggestion is stored in the brain like an internal voice. They will not only want to quit smoking, they will not crave cigarettes anymore at all. Cravings may return sometimes, but the decision not to smoke will be so powerful that the person will not be tempted to smoke.
Many people know that you tend to gain a bit of weight when you quit smoking. While under hypnosis, weight gain can also be controlled. The power of the mind is such that the body will follow these directions, and the subject will unconsciously avoid certain fattening foods and maybe even feel the urge to do workouts in order to avoid gaining weight.
Although scientific research has not come up with any concrete evidence as of yet that stop smoking hypnosis can help you quit, people who have used hypnosis for this purpose swear to its effectiveness. The reason that it may not work for some people is that they probably have low sensitivity to hypnosis, a weak desire to quit, or poor technique on the part of the hypnotist.
There is no way to know if you are sensitive or not to hypnotism without trying it, but there are many things you can do to improve your motivation. One thing you can do to ensure that you have a successful stop smoking hypnotism session is to schedule your appointment during a time when you know you will be relaxed and feeling positive.
Make sure that you attend your follow up hypnosis sessions. Sometimes you may be feeling good and think that you don't need to go for a follow up anymore, but it is advisable to still go. Alternatively you can try self-hypnosis, - there are several recorded downloads available.
Stop Smoking Hypnosis therapy is a great way to build extra motivation to keep away from cigarettes. It also has a big advantage of not relying on drugs or nicotine replacement products to help you quit.
Mike is an ex-smoker who managed to quit after several years of trying. He now exercises regularly and runs marathons. He publishes a website on Ways To Quit Smoking. You can find more information about stop smoking hypnosis on the web page Ways To Quit Smoking - Hypnotherapy.
