When people hear the word "hypnosis," they often picture a swinging pocket watch or someone clucking like a chicken on stage. But these tropes miss the deeper truth. Hypnotherapy is a time-tested, client-centered practice that taps into the subconscious mind to support healing, clarity, and change.
What is Hypnosis?
In essence, hypnosis is a natural state of narrowed and heightened focus. We move in and out of similar states throughout the day—like when we become absorbed in a great book or lose track of time while driving a familiar route. You've probably experienced "highway hypnosis" at some point, where your mind is focused on a thought, but your body very skillfully keeps driving and navigating on the road. Or daydreaming--where you don't hear what's going on around you, but are focused on your inner world.
Definition and History of Hypnotherapy Explained
What is Hypnotherapy?
In therapeutic hypnosis, this focused state is intentionally guided to access the inner landscape where habits, emotional patterns, and core beliefs reside. A hypnotherapist is trained to recognize what emerges in these states, offer well-crafted suggestions, and help clients work with inner material safely and meaningfully.
During a hypnotherapy session, a certified hypnotherapist will guide you into a deeply relaxed state, similar to daydreaming. In this restful state, your subconscious mind is more receptive to positive suggestions which can be anything that helps you achieve your goals, such as reducing stress, managing pain, or breaking a bad habit. You are always in control during a hypnotherapy session and can't be forced to do anything against your will, and you can easily come out of the relaxed state whenever you choose.
Ancient Roots and Global Traditions
Long before the word 'hypnosis' existed, ancient cultures were using altered states for healing and insight. Egyptians practiced trance in sleep temples using chants and guided rituals. The Greeks saw altered states as conduits to divine wisdom and physical healing. In India, early yogic and meditative practices invited trance-like states for clarity, healing, and connection to higher consciousness.
Across Indigenous traditions—from Native American vision quests to shamanic journeys in South America and ritual healing in Africa—healers guided people into expanded states of awareness to receive insight, guidance, and relief from suffering.
Each of these traditions laid important groundwork for how hypnosis would later be understood and studied in Western contexts. They highlight that entering altered states for healing is a universal and timeless human practice—long before scientific models were applied.
Turning Points in Western History
In 18th-century France, Franz Mesmer proposed a theory called "animal magnetism," believing an invisible force could promote healing. Though the theory was eventually discredited, it ignited public fascination with altered states.
More significantly, Mesmer's contemporary Jose Custodio de Faria, a priest and philosopher, discovered that the healing power lay not in the hypnotist but in the client's openness to suggestion—an essential shift toward understanding hypnosis as collaborative.
In the 1830s, Scottish physician James Braid coined the term "hypnosis," mistakenly believing it was related to sleep. He later revised his view, recognizing hypnosis as a unique and active mental state.
By the late 1800s, hypnosis entered medical settings. At the Mayo Clinic, nurse Alice Magaw used hypnosis during thousands of surgeries, drastically reducing complications. Her published work in 1906 helped validate the clinical use of hypnosis as a compliment to anesthesia.
In the early 20th century, Émile Coué promoted autosuggestion, using repetition and belief to engage the subconscious—a precursor to modern affirmations.
Later, hypnotists like Dave Elman taught physicians to use hypnosis for pain control and anesthesia, while others, such as William Kroger and Edgar Barnett, demonstrated its mental health benefits. Milton Erickson, active from the 1930s to the 1980s, revolutionized the field with indirect techniques, storytelling, and deep respect for the subconscious as a wise ally.
Popularizers like Gil Boyne and Dick Sutphen helped bring hypnosis into the mainstream through workshops, books, and recordings focused on healing and transformation.
What Happens to the Brain in Hypnosis?
Modern neuroscience confirms that hypnosis is not merely "deep relaxation" but a distinct, measurable brain state.
EEG and fMRI studies show that as a person moves from normal waking beta waves into alpha and especially theta (4–8 Hz) frequencies, activity shifts in regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex (attention), the default‑mode network (self‑reflection), and sensory‑integration areas.
With the analytical prefrontal cortex less dominant, critical filtering eases and internally generated imagery becomes more vivid and influential.
Why Theta Matters
Theta is often called the gateway between the conscious and subconscious mind. In this fertile state, creativity rises, emotional memories surface, and the brain’s capacity for neuroplasticity—rewiring its own pathways—peaks. Suggestions offered here sink in like seeds in rich soil, making it easier to release old patterns and adopt healthier ones. Many clients describe feeling deeply relaxed yet alert, able to observe inner shifts in real time.
Key Sources: Jensen et al., 2016; Oakley & Halligan, 2013; Gruzelier, 1998.
Why the Role of the Hypnotherapist Matters
Hypnosis is not something that "happens to" you—it's a co-creative process. A skilled hypnotherapist guides the journey into relaxation and the receptive brain state, assists you in recognizing what arises, and aligns suggestions with your values and goals.
With training in psychology, trauma sensitivity, and ethics, the hypnotherapist helps make your subconscious terrain safer and more navigable. The real power lies in you—but the right guide can make all the difference.
Final Thought: An Evolving Tool for an Evolving Mind
From ancient rituals to modern science, hypnosis reflects our timeless desire to understand and shape the inner world. Today’s hypnotherapy honors that lineage by blending insight, technique, and presence.
If you're curious how hypnotherapy might support your unique path, I offer a 30-minute consultation for just $19. Together, we can explore how your subconscious mind may hold the key to your next steps in growth, peace, and well-being.
During this hypnotherapy via Zoom session, we'll discuss your specific goals, answer any questions you have, and explore how hypnotherapy can help you reach your goals.
See additional Christine Brodmerkel Hypnotherapy Services that are provided. Or visit Christine Brodmerkel Hypnotherapy.com for more information about Christine.
Modern Uses of Hypnotherapy: A Link to Other Blog Posts
Hypnotherapy is now widely used to address a variety of challenges and support personal growth. You can learn more about specific applications in these posts:
