Hypnosis is one of the most misunderstood of modern psychological techniques. Through television programs and, particularly, cartoons hypnosis is often presented as a way to control others and typically force them to do goofy things such as acting like a chicken. The truth is that no one can hypnotize you without your consent. Hypnosis is, at its core, very personal and the hypnotic experience comes from within not from without. With this in mind, it is clear that it should be possible to hypnotize oneself. Indeed, self hypnosis has been shown to be a very powerful technique for controlling mental state. Self hypnosis is often used to calm down in stressful situations and some have even used self hypnosis to undergo dental and surgical procedures without the use of anesthetics.
Self hypnosis is really a way to achieve the desired state of mind by engaging the imagination. Day dreaming is something that most of us do every day. Self hypnosis involves reigning in and controlling the images that arise during daydreams and using them to place yourself in a hypnotic state of mind where you are susceptible to suggestion.
The first step of self hypnosis is to place yourself in a deeply relaxed state. There are several techniques to accomplish this. One common method is to count down from 20 backwards. Imagine yourself becoming more relaxed with each count. By the time you reach zero, you should be in a state of relaxation. As you become more experienced with self hypnosis, you can choose a different starting number that is most effective for you.
