How Hypnosis Helps

Multiple meta-analyses have found hypnosis more effective for nicotine cessation than methods like nicotine replacement therapy. Studies confirm that an individualized, three-session program increases your chances of long-term success. By the end of a full course of treatment, 81% of participants reported they had stopped smoking, 48% reported abstinence after twelve months, and 95% reported satisfaction with the service.

Studies show that adding hypnosis to your weight loss program can double your weight loss and help maintain it longer. A 2022 study found that hypnosis led to reductions in caloric intake and weight loss in patients with obesity. A separate study found that after ten weeks, participants saw decreases in BMI and leptin, a hormone associated with obesity, alongside increases in irisin and adiponectin, hormones that protect against obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at the University of Hartford analyzed fifteen studies, incorporating seventeen trials, on hypnosis for anxiety reduction. Across all seventeen trials, participants showed a 79% reduction in anxiety symptoms, and in seven of those trials, reductions reached 84%. This analysis suggests that hypnosis may be more effective than standard care for anxiety.

Those who receive hypnosis show more reduction in depression symptoms than about 76% of those who receive other treatments, leading researchers to conclude that hypnosis is a very effective way of alleviating the symptoms of depression. Hypnosis can also help create a more positive outlook, lessen feelings of hopelessness, and give a greater sense of control.

A 2021 meta-analysis, the first comprehensive review of hypnosis for relieving pain, found that the average participant receiving hypnosis reduced pain more than about 73% of control participants. Separately, after a single fifteen-minute session, patients reported immediate pain reductions similar to what one might expect from an opioid painkiller, along with a decrease in the perceived need for medication.

In a study measuring brain wave activity, researchers found that hypnosis boosts deep sleep quantity and quality, with participants sleeping 67% more and seeing deep sleep time rise by 80%. Another study found that hypnosis enhances slow-wave sleep, the deepest stage of sleep, and increases hormone secretion while affecting the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems, the two major systems linking the brain with peripheral body functions.

People with GI problems often find relief through hypnosis. Gut-directed hypnotherapy has been shown to reduce abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel dysfunction, and to improve quality of life. On average, 75% experience relief, and 80% continue to feel better for years. The American Gastroenterological Association now recognizes gut-directed hypnosis as an effective treatment option for IBS.

Hypnosis offers a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical way to tap into the mind's natural ability to reduce stress before a medical procedure. In trials, those who received hypnosis reported less pain and anxiety, fewer complications, less vomiting and nausea, and faster recovery than those who received standard care, with less need for painkillers. A report in The American Journal of Medicine concluded that if hypnosis were a drug, "it would be standard of care."

Research shows that hypnosis can decrease stress, reduce pain and inflammation, and reduce behaviors such as scratching, itching, and hair-pulling. Hypnosis can affect autonomic and physiological functions, including pain and immune response. It has been studied for skin issues such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, and hives. A 2005 review by the Mayo Clinic concluded that the use of hypnosis in dermatology supports its value for many skin conditions not believed to be under conscious control.