There are a number of methods available to encourage the subconscious mind to undertake radical change. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless, we don’t all react in the same way to the various attempts. It goes without saying, therefore, that the best results will only be achieved by using the approach that is most appropriate for us. Classical hypnosis, for example, is well suited to a subject who accepts what he or she is told without asking too many questions. This is traditional hypnosis, which has been used since the dawn of time. It consists of making direct suggestions to the unconscious mind, in order to rid it of its dark thoughts. It’s an authoritarian therapeutic practice that aims to change the way the body feels and treat certain behavioral disorders.

Here’s a look at the origins of this technique, how it works, its various branches and how it differs from Ericksonian hypnosis.

A brief history of traditional hypnosis

Also known as hypnotherapy, traditional hypnosis has been practiced all over the world since ancient times. Indeed, healers, shamans, sorcerers, sages, tribes, Hindu fakirs, Indian yogis and Persian magicians have long used various procedures to master hypnosis. As did the healing temples (or dream temples) of the Egyptians, dating back to 4,000 BC.

The temples of Imhotep, in the Middle East and Africa, were also popular for “sleep sanctuary” and “sleep therapy”. Traditional Hebrew hypnosis involved breathing exercises, meditation and chanting to produce a hypnotic effect under the term “Kavanah”. This technique for liberating oneself through hypnosis is today what we consider to be self-hypnosis. Priests, too, found that the special power of “sleep” had a positive impact on recovery. That’s why the term “hypnosis” was coined. Indeed, traditional hypnosis is derived from the Greek word “hypnos”, which refers to “sleep”.

Moreover, traditional hypnosis, like all forms of hypnosis, defines an act of guided relaxation and modified attention aimed at achieving a heightened state of consciousness, also known as “trance” in the subconscious. During this period, attention can be so intense that you may no longer know what’s going on around you. In this natural hypnotic state – and with the help of a therapist – a person will focus on specific thoughts or tasks. The desired result is some form of new response, thought, behavior, attitude or feeling. A creative visualization that can induce extreme transformation.

How does traditional hypnosis work?

With hypnotic suggestion, patients generally feel free and relaxed. This is due to the dissipation of worries and doubts that control their actions. The same trance-like situation can be observed in everyday life. For example, you may experience a similar feeling when watching a film or reading a novel. When you’re immersed in the plot, worries about your work or family disappear – until all you can think about is her. This imaginary world then feels more real, in the sense that it fully engages your emotions.

Traditional hypnosis works in the same way. The hypnotherapist’s suggestions are perceived as if they were reality. If the hypnotherapist suggests, for example, that your tongue has swollen to twice its normal size, you will feel the same sensation in your mouth. You may even find it difficult to speak. Similarly, if he suggests that you’re scared, you may feel panic or start sweating. In short, when the hypnotist tells you to do or feel something, you’re likely to embrace the idea completely. You simply have to be motivated for traditional hypnosis to take effect. However, as in a lucid dream, you’re aware that everything is imaginary throughout. You are fully conscious, but you eliminate most of the stimuli around you.

Healing through hypnosis?

It’s entirely possible to free yourself through hypnosis. After all, the body is designed to heal itself. Although this complicated process works automatically, it can be accelerated and improved through direct hypnosis. By asking the subconscious mind to focus its energy on a specific system of the body, traditional hypnosis will allow a large part of the body’s natural resources to be focused there.

This means that if, for example, you’ve been burned, your body will naturally begin the healing process, which can take up to a week. If you were to use direct hypnosis to speed up this process, you could complete the healing in half the time. Also, mastering hypnosis can be extremely effective in reducing pain, as can Caycedian sophrology.

What are the different branches of traditional hypnosis?

Originating in ancient Egypt, there are many branches of traditional hypnosis today.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC-HALL HYPNOSIS
This is a form of hypnosis dedicated to the world of entertainment. It was also one of the first forms to retain a large part of traditional hypnosis.

Generally speaking, music-hall hypnosis is used to entertain the general public. However, it can also be used to educate and convey moral values. For the show to be a success, the performer must select his or her subjects carefully. Specifically, he must choose individuals with good profiles and a certain predisposition to traditional hypnosis.

Also known as “show hypnosis”, it employs its own specific techniques. These include choosing subjects who are sensitive to hypnosis and capable of producing a spectacular effect. What’s more, the audience can play an important role in the success of a hypnosis show. Even the fact that a large number of people have come to see the show is a sign that everyone is willing to cooperate. On the other hand, the fact that someone volunteers to go on stage is a further sign that he or she accepts hypnotization.

The subject’s state of stress and anxiety once on stage, in front of an audience, only facilitates traditional hypnosis. Indeed, the hypnotist is able to dominate the subject without difficulty, given his disorientation by the environment around him. This is Pattern’s interruption, a barrier that allows the subconscious mind not to be influenced by external stimuli. Hypnosis aims to bypass this barrier.

TRADITIONAL HYPNOSIS AND MEDICINE
There are a number of medical fields in which hypnosis can be used to treat various types of psychological or behavioral disorders.

Among the psychological disorders treated by traditional hypnosis is depression. Depression is a mood disorder in which the sufferer cultivates gloomy thoughts. Depression can affect a person so deeply that they lose confidence, feel rejected by society and, in the worst cases, wish to commit suicide.

Traditional hypnosis offers a solution to this illness. In this case, it will be combined with drug treatment. The professional needs to take into account a number of factors when starting treatment: the degree of suggestibility, the fear of opening up to others, etc. Only after analysis are action plans proposed in traditional hypnosis. These include:

self-affirmation: value yourself, bring out your personal resources… ;
relaxation: releasing stress and tension…

Hypnotherapy can also be used to treat agoraphobia, a fear of public places and open spaces. This stems from the individual’s fear of not being able to get out easily. They lose all control and feel panic rising. Traditional hypnosis offers cognitive-behavioral therapeutic techniques for this disorder. However, the effectiveness of the treatment depends on the individual and the level of the disorder.

In any case, traditional hypnosis enables patients to plunge into a hypnotic state to free their unconscious. In this way, the underlying cause of the anxiety disorder can be identified.

What are the tests for traditional hypnosis?

Before proceeding with hypnotherapy, the patient must be well prepared. This preparation involves various tests that the hypnotist carries out according to the individual.

One of the most frequently used tests in hypnotherapy is the magnetized fingers. It involves shaking hands and crossing each finger. Then, by raising the index finger, the person must maintain a gap of 3 cm (1.18 inches). During traditional hypnosis, the hypnotist then suggests that the two index fingers come together and link to each other. Finally, when the hypnotist asks the subject to separate the fingers, he or she is unable to do so.

In addition, some professionals use the backward and forward fall test to apply hypnosis. There are several possible methods: placing the hands on the individual’s shoulders and pushing him or her forward, asking the subject to stare at his or her hand and imagine it supporting his or her back, and so on. In the end, this causes the individual to fall forward or backward.

How does traditional hypnosis differ from Ericksonian hypnosis?

The traditional form of hypnosis is the one practiced by most hypnotists today. It consists mainly of direct suggestion, which encourages the elimination of various symptoms. This is usually done with the help of a therapist, using verbal repetition and mental imagery to help the patient achieve hypnotic liberation. When you’re under hypnosis, you feel calm and relaxed. This makes you more open to suggestion. What’s more, this therapeutic practice can help you control undesirable behaviors. Traditional hypnosis can also be indispensable for coping with anxiety or pain.

For example, if the goal is to stop smoking, once in trance, the hypnotist will use direct hypnosis and ask you to visualize the negative effects of smoking, the pain it causes to your eyes and nose, or the unpleasant smoke. He will then suggest that you will be better off without smoking. He’ll ask you to remember how terrible the smell is every time you feel the need for a cigarette.

It’s this authoritative aspect that distinguishes traditional hypnosis from Ericksonian hypnosis. Ericksonian hypnosis takes a completely different approach. Suggestions are made indirectly. Ignoring Freud’s notion that the cause of problems must be eliminated from the past, Ericksonian hypnosis believes that the language of the unconscious is imagination and metaphor. For this reason, each intervention is tailored to the needs of the individual. It’s based on an understanding of the patient’s needs and the uniqueness of his or her situation. This is why Ericksonian hypnosis tends to generate much higher success rates than traditional hypnosis.