Hypnotherapy has come a long way from the early days when Franz Anton Mesmer suspended his patients in a tub filled with a mixture of fluids. His theory of ‘animal magnetism’, after a thorough investigation, was considered quackery by the scientific community despite not arriving at any concrete conclusions. However, almost a century later, one of the most successful surgeons in Scotland known as James Braid used Mesmer’s theory to pioneer the field of ‘hypnotherapy’ in the state that it exists today. Now since, hypnotherapy works with the sole objective of altering the subject’s emotion, behavior and attitude, its areas of application extends as far as a method where a subject (in this case, a smoker) undergoes hypnosis to quit smoking.
Some folks might consider it to be a radical approach as compared to the cold turkey, nicotine patches and gums as well as the e-cigarettes methods that are employed to help a smoker lose the habit. And one can’t help but wonder if it is a valid form of treatment apart from the e-cigarette concept that is doing pretty well. So, as far as the statistics are concerned, almost 66% of the subjects that have undergone this treatment have dropped the habit. But then again, one cannot determine whether it will work in their situation or not.
Now, when it comes to the procedure, there are two ways by which this method is carried out namely, self-hypnosis, hypnotherapy by a certified hypnotherapist or a combination of both, where the subject is made to relax (no mystical trances or voodoo, if you will) while the subconscious is re-programmed to imagine a life without smoking. With this ‘altered’ state of mind, one continues to live out this ‘imagined reality’ by avoiding cigarettes when they regain consciousness. It sounds simple enough, yet the success of hypnosis to quit smoking hinges on one factor (as suggested by Braid himself): suggestion.
If you are considering hypnosis to quit smoking you might want to think about the cost and the time it will take to accomplish your goal. Another method that is gaining huge popularity is the electric cigarette. These little gadgets give you that nicotine your body craves without any of the tar and carbon dioxide. Plus, your teeth will not stain, your breath won’t smell and you can “smoke” in public places because there is not second hand smoke.. relx 電子煙