Science Behind Hypnosis
An altered state of consciousness refers to a different way of experiencing the world compared to our usual wakeful state. It can involve feelings of relaxation, increased focus, or unique perceptions, where our thoughts and sensations may be different from our everyday awareness.
For example, waking is a different state of consciousness than sleeping. Sobriety is a different state of consciousness than intoxication. Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state of consciousness which is positively utilized through hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is a Different Neurological State
The Science of Behavior Change
The more we lay down the same neuropathways brain the easier it is to access that pathway and in turn end up with the desired behavior. Hypnosis allows us a way of laying down these neuropathways quickly and easily.
Rewiring the Brain for Success: Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is the brain's remarkable ability to change throughout life. It refers to the brain's capacity to form new neural connections and adapt its structure and function in response to experiences, learning, and environmental influences. This process allows the brain to learn, acquire new skills, recover from injuries, and adapt to changes, highlighting the brain's incredible flexibility and potential for growth.
Your Brain Can Change
Imagine your brain as a vast, untamed field. Each time you repeat an action, emotion, or thought, it's like paving a clear pathway through that field, making it easier to navigate. This process, known as neuroplasticity, allows your brain to adapt and change throughout life.
Just as a well-paved pathway makes walking easier, repetitive actions, thoughts, and emotions strengthen the connections in your brain. With each repetition, neural pathways become more efficient, leading to quicker and more automatic responses. This is how habits form, skills improve, and learning happens over time.
Hypnosis Amplifies This Process.
If a pathway is not used, the field will grow back as if the path were never even laid down, a process known as pruning. Pruning is the brain's way of conserving energy and resources by eliminating unused neural connections, making it essential to consistently reinforce desired pathways through repetition and practice.
Being in a state of hypnosis makes your brain more plastic- meaning you can create these pathways with quicker speed, more strength, and more ease. It is the difference of building paths with a construction crew instead of one person with a shovel.
“Neurons that fire together wire together.”
- Stanford Neurobiologist Carla Shatz
The saying "neurons that fire together wire together" means that when certain brain cells (neurons) are active at the same time repeatedly, they develop stronger connections. This strengthening of connections helps information travel more easily between those neurons, making it easier for the brain to learn and remember things. Essentially, it's like building a well-connected network in the brain by repeating certain activities or thoughts together.
Hypnosis utilizes this process to better help people take control of what they want to do and how they want to feel in their lives.
When the Subconscious Mind Sends a Thought, Emotion, or Action on its Neurological Path,
It Is More Likely to Choose the Pathway You Have Created With Many Repetitions in Hypnosis.
The American Medical Association (AMA) approved of the use of hypnosis as an appropriate therapeutic technique in 1958.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) endorsed hypnosis in 1961.
