You are looking for self-help products to change or improve some aspect of your life. Maybe you want to lose weight, stop smoking, reduce stress or lower your blood pressure. A little quick relaxation might be good for frazzled nerves. What about controlling chronic pain? If you are a woman, you may want to enhance your bust.

You may have heard that hypnosis has been successful for these situations and others. But where do you find products that fit your needs? Why, eBay of course!  It's easy enough to start a search. You simply go to the upper right hand corner of any eBay page and type the word hypnosis.  You now have over 2,300 items, everything from medical and psychology textbooks to specific CDs.  Even programs that claim to teach you how to be a stage hypnotist! 

Confused yet?  You narrow your search to a more specific category such as hypnosis weight loss CD.  You are now confronted with over 200 titles ranging in cost from $0.01 to $110.00, all claiming to be the ultimate weight-loss miracle.  Some of the products are subliminal. (That simply means that the spoken words are at a lower sound level than the foreground music, ocean waves; etc. that you hear.) On other CDs, you hear the hypnotist's voice giving instructions, suggestions and affirmations. It is common to add music, special sounds and effects. So how do you choose from this mish-mash? I am going to give you guidelines based on my 30 years of neurophysiology research.

Hypnosis is now a respected medical and psychological science. Thousands of successes occur daily, but myths and misconceptions persist, creating doubts and phobias. Before I get to the meat of this guide, I want to demystify hypnosis by showing the origins of misinformation.

SOME HISTORICAL MILESTONES

MYSTICISM, RELIGION AND HYPNOSIS:  Some medical historians regard Egyptian Sleep Temples as the earliest recorded instance of hypnosis. They are mentioned first in papyrus scrolls from Heliopolis, where Imhotep served as Chancellor and High Priest of the Sun god Ra over 4,000 years ago.  Chanting induced a trance-like state that often ended in cures believed to be a gift of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of healing.

MEDICINE  AND HYPNOSIS: Hippocrates (460-377?) is called The Father of Modern Medicine. He studied at a Healing Temple on the Greek island Cos (Kos) where he analyzed the dreams of patients who had been placed in a trance by means of chants and prayers. In the earliest known reference to hypnotherapy, Hippocrates describes the use of dream interpretation to heal disturbed patients. This is notable because he was one of the first physicians to separate healing from superstition and miracles. His insights form the foundation of modern medicine and psychology. Even Sigmund Freud borrowed techniques from Hippocrates.

ANTON MESMER: Mesmer was an eighteenth-century physician, who used Mesmerism (hypnosis) to 'heal' patients with 'animal magnetism,'  a mystical force he claimed to induce by touching patients with a lodestone (a recently discovered magnetic rock). Such was Mesmer's reputation that his patients instantly entered a deep trance. This is one of the tricks that stage hypnotists use today. Its success depends on the power of suggestion, and the influence of a 'power figure' (hypnotist,  psychologist, physician; etc.).

Ironically, Mesmer was the victim of his own success and in 1784 he attracted a scientific inquiry headed by Benjamin Franklin, who discredited 'animal magnetism,' and left Mesmer branded as a  charlatan. We know today that many of his procedures were valid, but Mermer slipped quietly into the pages of history and hypnosis as a healing art all but disappeared for 174 years.

In his classic 1943 book, HYPNOTISM, G. H. Estabrooks states:

"In America we have been a little unfortunate in our introduction to hypnotism.  Most of us have made its acquaintance via the stage and the "professional," whereas in Europe, these public exhibitions of hypnotism are generally not allowed.  As a result we find there [in Europe] in almost every town of any size some doctor who is an authority on the subject and uses it as needed in his practice.

"But with us [in the US] the medical profession fights shy of hypnotism, knowing full well that any individual who starts using hypnotism in his practice becomes associated in the public's eye with the stage artist, the quack.  Even his companions in medicine look on him as a little queer[1940 usage], so that in America hypnotism has died a very natural death."

Fortunately, most doctors no longer hold this view.

HYPNOSIS, VAUDEVILLE AND MOVIES: Hypnosis as entertainment created the persona of the mad scientist with absolute power to make men rob and kill and women provide sexual favors at the snap of a finger. The stage hypnotist is a caped Svengali who uses his 'evil eye,' a swinging pendulum and mysterious gestures to control those who come into his grasp. With this deeply ingrained picture, who wouldn't approach hypnosis with  skepticism?

HYPNOSIS AND THE AMA:  In 1958, the American Medical Association (AMA) accepted clinical hypnosis as an adjunct to standard medical care. The AMA recommended that hypnosis instruction be included in the curricula of medical schools and postgraduate training centers.

Hypnosis is now widely used to relieve pain, reduce stress and overcome phobias. Dentists and surgeons often use hypnosis instead of anesthesia. Their patients report no pain, often staying awake throughout their operation and experience less post-operative swelling and bleeding.  Hypnosis can also relieve pain in childbirth.

One case surprised even the experts. A woman with a small bust asked her doctor if hypnosis could increase her breast size. The doctor told her, "Absolutely not, it's a hormone problem." The woman begged him to try anyway because her small breasts caused her distress. 

The doctor put her under hypnosis and told her that she would feel as if a hot, steaming  towel was covering her chest. Then he gave her a posthypnotic suggestion that she would have the same warm feeling every day. Imagine his surprise when the woman actually reported that her breasts were growing. At first he didn't believe her, but in six weeks her bust had increased two cup sizes. Thousands of women, since that first success, have reported similar results, and scientific articles seem to prove the validity of the procedure.

This story goes a long way toward demonstrating how hypnosis can release the power of the subconscious mind.  Remember. however, that hypnosis does not automatically confer healing power or medical qualifications. If someone is not qualified to treat something without hypnosis, then they are not qualified to treat it with hypnosis either.

CHOOSING HYPNOSIS CDs: Now that we have taken a look at the history of hypnosis, let's examine valid uses that will work for almost anyone. The most common are :

Relaxation - There are two basic types of relaxation and both are used to induce the hypnotic state of mind.

Physical relaxation where you are instructed to first tense and then relax certain muscle groups. For example: Make a tight fist, then relax your fingers. Feel the difference. Now tense your arms and then release the tension. Repeat for other muscle groups. After a few minutes of tensing exercises, the hypnotist will move on to affirmations about how relaxed you are and how good you feel. In most cases, breathing exercises are included. This is good, because breathing is one of the few things governed by your unconscious (not subconscious) mind that you can control with your conscious mind. I believe controlled breathing is the gateway to the subconscious mind.

Mental relaxation where you are led into a relaxed state with soothing music, nature sounds, rhythmic sounds  and by suggesting pleasant actions involving your senses. You may be asked to imagine walking through a garden or by the sea. You hear the waves, feel the cool sea breeze on your face and smell the scents of nature. The best sounds are music with a slow beat of less than 60 beats per minute. The sound of a slow heartbeat also has a calming effect (perhaps from sounds in the womb).The hypnotist talks slower and slower as calming suggestions are made.

As you relax, your breathing and heart rate decrease and important hormonal changes take place. Three of the related hormones and their effects are:

1. Cortisol often called "the stress hormone," helps your body regulate fat storage and glucose blood levels. When you are under stress the normal response is to fight or run away (the "fight or flight response"). Your body converts stored fat to glucose for energy. When cave men were confronted dangers like a saber-toothed tiger, this glucose was burned up by physical action, but in the modern world we often have to face stress without action. When this happens your fat cells fill back up and, if it happens often enough, you get fat. Research has now shown tha the use of hypnosis to relax ("the relaxation response") neutralizes the damaging effects of stress and greatly aids weight loss. Hypnosis appears to be more effective at controlling cortisol than some much touted and expensive weight loss pills.
2. Vasopressin is a powerful hormone that regulates energy use by the brain.  Research has shown that a deeply relaxed person can learn up to seven times faster than normal as the vasopressin level rises. This is part of the basis for Superlearning, a revolutionary teaching method that uses slow baroque music to relax students.This type of music is often used as the background for audio hypnosis CDs. Best of all, relaxed people remember what they learn. 
3. Oxytocin is the hormone that creates bonding between a nursing mother and her baby, but recent research has shown that it also creates bonding between loving couples. Once again, hypnosis can release this powerful and bonding hormone. 

SOME CLASSIC USES OF HYPNOSIS

1. Weight control. Generally you will receive suggestions about changing eating habits and self-esteem. You may be asked to visualize your future appearance, first if you continue your present eating habits and second if you correct your eating habits. Usually you are told to draw on past experience; i.e., when you last had your weight  under control.
2. Stop smoking. This is similar to weight control techniques. The hard part is that you have to quit completely.
3. Stress reduction. These are often the most successful hypnosis CDs and offer huge health benefits. Stress reduction aids both weight control and smoking cessation because you can soothe the comfort center in your brain. Stress reduction also reduces hormones like cortisol and serotonin.
4. Overcoming insomnia. Relaxation decreases anxiety and bypasses concerns that block sleep.
5. Increased concentration. You can block distractions.
6. Improved memory. A tranquil mind is a relaxed, receptive mind.
7. Overcoming phobias. You are able to remember past experiences about the origins of phobias. If your phobia is severe, you may need professional help. Generally you can decide how far you can go without risk.
8. Enhancing athletic ability. Relaxation allows you to focus on past achievements and then mentally review what went right. You can the visualize similar successes in the future. You can even use hypnotic visualization to review the success of other athletes.
9. Improving personal success. Just as you can enhance athletic abilities, relaxation allows you to focus on past success and mentally review the positive feelings of that success. You can then visualize similar success in the future and you can model the success of others.

ADDITIONAL CONCERNS:

Almost all CDs found on eBay are safe to use if you use the following precautions:

1. Never listen to a hypnosis CD while you are driving a moving vehicle or operating machinery. You will almost always need to close your eyes.
2. Repetitive electronic sounds in the foreground can trigger epileptic seizures in some people.
3. If you feel panic or great unease, quit listening, Such responses may come from deep-seated problems and you may need professional help.

SUBLIMINAL PROGRAMS:

There is a great deal of controversy about audio subliminal messages. In many cases, spoken suggestions are recorded at a sound level below that of foreground sounds. An analysis of the sound patterns in these programs often detects fragments of words. Milton Erickson, MD (often considered the greatest medical hypnotist of all time) once told me that he considered this type of audio program to be like pouring a bucket of water over Niagra Falls and then trying to catch it downstream.

But according to Dr. Erickson, subliminal programs are better than none, because the three most important parts of successful hypnosis are the subject's ability to concentrate their attention, the expectation of success and the ability to bypass the critical conscious mind; therefore even fake subliminal programs (those with no spoken suggestions at all), will be more successful for people who are highly analytical and critical of the words they hear. Experiments have also shown that fake subliminals have a positive placebo effect on at least 20% of the subjects who listen to them in controlled experiments.

Many of the subliminal CDs listed on eBay have high quality sound tracks with soft relaxing music and sounds of nature that by themselves can put you in a mellow, relaxed mood. Such sounds often create the natural hypnotic state spontaneously.

Personally, I prefer to hear all the words that are fed into my subconscious. mind, but everyone needs to reach their own conclusions about beneficial effects any audio programs may produce.