Self-hypnosis demystified
What it is, what it is not, and why it is the most underrated tool in cognitive performance.
What hypnosis is not
It is not sleep: the EEG of a hypnotised subject resembles that of someone awake and concentrating. It is not a loss of control: you hear everything, you can stop at any moment, and you will never carry out a suggestion contrary to your values. It is not reserved for particularly suggestible people: practically everyone reaches a usable state with practice.
What it is
A state of focused attention with reduced critical vigilance. Two components.
Focus. Attention narrows onto a small field: a sensation, an image, a voice.
A lowered critical filter. Suggestions are no longer immediately contested by internal dialogue, which makes them far more effective.
You already know this state. You enter it when you drive on the motorway and miss your exit, when a film absorbs you, when you are deep in a book. It is a natural and frequent state: self-hypnosis simply means entering it deliberately and doing something useful there.
What the research establishes
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