One of the most appealing things about hypnosis is that it offers a different way to work with attention, thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Rather than relying only on talking through a problem, hypnosis can use focused attention, guided imagery, and suggestions to help you explore new ways of responding.
For some people, it can be a useful addition to their approach to managing pain, stress, or certain habits. It can also provide an opportunity to pause, focus, and practice mental skills in a supportive setting. The benefits depend on the person, the goal, and the quality of the approach—and hypnosis is not a guaranteed solution or a replacement for appropriate medical care.¹
Here are some of the most interesting and potentially useful things about hypnosis, along with what research can and cannot tell us.
Can Hypnosis Help You Feel More Relaxed?
Relaxation is one of the benefits people often associate with hypnosis. A session may involve settling into a comfortable position, focusing your attention, and following calming suggestions or imagery.
Some people find this helps them slow down, take a break from everyday distractions, and feel more at ease. Others may experience focused attention without feeling especially relaxed.
An important distinction is that hypnosis is not simply another word for relaxation. It is generally described as a state involving focused attention and increased responsiveness to suggestion. Relaxation may be part of the experience, but it is not essential for everyone.
Can Hypnosis Help You Manage Stress?
Hypnosis may help some people develop a different response to stressful situations. Guided imagery and suggestions can be used to rehearse feeling calmer, responding more deliberately, or approaching a challenging situation with greater confidence.
Research has examined hypnosis for stress and anxiety, although the strength of evidence varies according to the condition, the intervention, and the study design. It should not be presented as a cure for anxiety disorders or as a substitute for established mental health treatment.²
One practical attraction is that hypnosis can provide a structured opportunity to practice focusing attention and imagining a preferred response. Whether that translates into meaningful improvements in everyday life varies from person to person.
Can Hypnosis Help With Pain?
Pain management is one of the areas in which hypnosis has been studied most extensively.
Research suggests that hypnosis can reduce pain for some people in certain settings. It has been investigated for acute pain, pain associated with medical procedures, and some forms of ongoing pain. The results are not identical across conditions, and hypnosis does not eliminate pain for everyone.³
One possible advantage is that hypnosis may help change how a person experiences or responds to pain. For example, suggestions and imagery may encourage a different focus of attention or a less distressing interpretation of the sensation.
Hypnosis should not be used to ignore unexplained pain or delay medical assessment. If you are considering it for pain, discuss the option with your healthcare professional, particularly if you have a new, severe, or changing symptom.
Can Hypnosis Help You Change Unwanted Habits?
Hypnosis is sometimes used to support behavior change. A practitioner might help you identify situations in which a habit occurs, clarify what you want to do differently, and use suggestions or mental rehearsal to support that goal.
People may seek hypnosis for habits involving smoking, eating, or other repetitive behaviors. However, the research does not show that hypnosis is equally effective for every habit.
For example, evidence for hypnosis as a smoking-cessation method has been mixed. A Cochrane review found insufficient evidence to establish whether hypnotherapy is more effective than other interventions or no treatment for quitting smoking.⁴
If you are considering hypnosis for a habit, look for a practitioner who is realistic about the evidence and can explain how the work fits with other helpful supports.
Can Hypnosis Help With Sleep?
Some people use hypnosis as part of a bedtime routine or to practice calming imagery and suggestions. The aim may be to reduce mental distractions, develop a more settled routine, or change unhelpful thoughts about sleep.
Research into hypnosis for sleep has produced some encouraging findings, but the evidence is not strong or consistent enough to promise that it will resolve insomnia.⁵
Persistent sleep problems can have many causes. If difficulty sleeping is affecting your daily life, consider discussing it with a healthcare professional. Hypnosis may be an option to explore alongside appropriate assessment and evidence-based care, rather than a substitute for them.
Can Hypnosis Help You Feel More Confident?
Hypnosis may offer a way to mentally rehearse situations in which you would like to feel more capable or composed.
For example, someone who feels nervous about public speaking might use guided imagery to picture entering the room, beginning a presentation, and responding calmly to questions. A practitioner may incorporate suggestions focused on preparation, self-belief, or coping with nerves.
This kind of rehearsal can be appealing because it gives you an opportunity to imagine how you would like to respond before facing the real situation.
However, confidence is influenced by many factors, and hypnosis cannot guarantee that you will perform well or stop feeling nervous. It may be most useful as one part of a broader plan that includes preparation, practice, and practical skill-building.
Can Hypnosis Help With Anxiety?
Hypnosis has been studied as a possible intervention for anxiety, including anxiety related to medical procedures and other specific situations. Some research suggests it may help reduce anxiety in certain contexts, but findings should not be generalized to every anxiety condition.²
A practitioner might use calming imagery, focused attention, or suggestions to help you practice responding to a situation that makes you anxious.
If anxiety is persistent, severe, or interfering with daily life, it is important to seek an appropriate assessment. Hypnosis should not replace treatments recommended by a qualified healthcare professional.
Can Hypnosis Help You Prepare for Medical Procedures?
Hypnosis has been studied as a supportive approach before and during some medical procedures. Research has explored its potential effects on anxiety, pain, and distress in clinical settings.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials found that hypnosis may provide benefits for patients undergoing medical procedures, although the size and certainty of the effects vary across outcomes and studies.⁶
In practice, hypnosis might involve guided imagery, suggestions for comfort, or help managing anticipatory anxiety. It is intended as a complement to appropriate medical care—not a replacement for anesthesia, pain relief, or the procedure itself.
If you are interested in using hypnosis in a medical setting, discuss it with your treating team and ask whether a suitably trained practitioner is available.
Is Hypnosis a Good Way to Understand Yourself?
Some people appreciate hypnosis because it gives them time to focus on their thoughts, feelings, and personal goals without the usual distractions.
Guided imagery and reflective suggestions may help you consider how you would like to respond to a situation or what changes matter to you. This can be a useful part of a reflective or therapeutic process.
However, hypnosis should not be treated as a reliable way to uncover hidden memories or establish what happened in the past. Suggestions and expectations can influence memory reports, and hypnotically recalled material is not automatically accurate.⁷
A responsible practitioner should avoid presenting hypnosis as a method for retrieving forgotten memories or discovering a definitive explanation for your difficulties.
Can Hypnosis Help You Feel More in Control?
One potentially valuable aspect of hypnosis is the opportunity to practice responding differently rather than feeling stuck with an automatic reaction.
For example, you might rehearse pausing before responding to a stressful situation, imagining yourself coping with a challenge, or focusing on a behavior you want to strengthen.
This does not mean hypnosis gives you special control over your mind or makes unwanted thoughts disappear. Rather, it may offer a structured way to practice attention, imagery, and suggestions that support a chosen goal.
The most useful outcome is not necessarily a dramatic experience during a session. It may be a small, practical change that you can apply in everyday life.
Does Hypnosis Work for Everyone?
No. People differ in how they respond to hypnosis, and outcomes depend on the issue being addressed, the person, the practitioner, and the treatment context.
Some people find hypnosis helpful. Others notice little benefit, dislike the experience, or prefer a different approach. Research findings also vary considerably between conditions, so a result in one area should not be assumed to apply to another.
Be cautious of anyone who promises guaranteed results, claims hypnosis can solve every problem, or suggests that you should stop medical or psychological treatment.
What Makes a Good Hypnosis Experience?
A positive experience should be based on clear communication, realistic expectations, and your agreement about what will happen.
A responsible practitioner should:
Explain their training, experience, and scope of practice.
Discuss what hypnosis can and cannot reasonably be expected to do.
Ask about your goals and listen to your concerns.
Explain the proposed approach before beginning.
Respect your right to ask questions, decline a suggestion, pause, or stop.
Encourage appropriate medical or mental health care when it is needed.
You should feel involved rather than pressured. You do not need to lose control, reveal private information, or experience anything dramatic for a session to be worthwhile.
So, What Are the Best Things About Hypnosis?
The best things about hypnosis are its potential to offer another way of working with attention, imagery, suggestions, and responses to challenging situations.
Depending on the person and the goal, it may help with pain management, anxiety in certain settings, preparation for medical procedures, relaxation, or practicing new responses to habits and everyday challenges. The evidence is stronger in some areas than in others, and results are never guaranteed.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing is that hypnosis does not have to be mysterious or dramatic. It can be a collaborative process in which you remain involved, understand what is happening, and work toward a practical goal at a pace that feels comfortable.
What Are the Best Things About Hypnosis?
One of the most appealing things about hypnosis is that it offers a different way to work with attention, thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Rather than relying only on talking through a problem, hypnosis can use focused attention, guided imagery, and suggestions to help you explore new ways of responding.
For some people, it can be a useful addition to their approach to managing pain, certain anxiety-provoking situations, and specific health concerns. It may also provide a structured opportunity to pause, focus, and practice a response they would like to strengthen. The benefits depend on the person, the goal, and the quality of the approach—and hypnosis is not a guaranteed solution or a replacement for appropriate medical care.¹
Here are some of the most interesting and potentially useful things about hypnosis, along with what research can and cannot tell us.
Can Hypnosis Help You Feel More Relaxed?
Relaxation is one of the benefits people often associate with hypnosis. A session may involve settling into a comfortable position, focusing your attention, and following calming suggestions or imagery.
Some people find this helps them slow down, take a break from everyday distractions, and feel more at ease. Others may experience focused attention without feeling especially relaxed.
An important distinction is that hypnosis is not simply another word for relaxation. Relaxation may be part of the experience, but it is not essential for everyone. The most useful question is whether the approach helps you work toward the goal you have chosen.
Can Hypnosis Help You Manage Stress and Anxiety?
Hypnosis may help some people practice responding differently to stressful or anxiety-provoking situations. Guided imagery and suggestions can be used to rehearse feeling calmer, responding more deliberately, or approaching a challenge with greater confidence.
A meta-analysis of hypnosis research found reductions in anxiety across the trials it examined. It also reported that hypnosis tended to be more effective when combined with other psychological interventions than when used alone. However, the number and type of studies were limited, so the findings should not be treated as proof that hypnosis works for every anxiety problem.²
One practical attraction is that hypnosis can provide a structured opportunity to practice focusing attention and imagining a preferred response. Whether that translates into meaningful improvements in everyday life varies from person to person.
Can Hypnosis Help With Pain?
Pain management is one of the areas in which hypnosis has been studied most extensively.
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis examined hypnosis used alongside usual care for clinical pain. It found small additional reductions in pain intensity for some groups, including people with chronic pain and people experiencing pain related to medical procedures or surgery. The authors emphasized that hypnosis was being used as an addition to other care, not as a replacement.³
One possible advantage is that hypnosis may help change how a person experiences or responds to pain. Suggestions and imagery can encourage a different focus of attention or a less distressing response to the sensation.
Hypnosis does not eliminate pain for everyone, and it should not be used to ignore unexplained pain or delay medical assessment. If you are considering it for pain, discuss the option with your healthcare professional, particularly if you have a new, severe, or changing symptom.
Can Hypnosis Help With Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Gut-directed hypnotherapy is a specialized approach that uses suggestions and imagery focused on gastrointestinal symptoms and functioning.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that there is evidence it can help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The American College of Gastroenterology includes gut-directed hypnotherapy among the psychological therapies it conditionally recommends for IBS, while noting that the evidence supporting the recommendation is of very low quality.¹
This is a good example of why it is important to look at the specific use of hypnosis rather than assuming that evidence for one condition applies to every other concern. If you have ongoing digestive symptoms, speak with a healthcare professional about diagnosis and suitable treatment options.
Can Hypnosis Help You Prepare for Medical Procedures?
Hypnosis has been studied as a supportive approach before and during some medical procedures. Research has explored its potential effects on anxiety, pain, and distress in clinical settings.
A meta-analysis of randomized trials involving adults undergoing surgery or medical procedures found benefits for several outcomes, including emotional distress and pain. The researchers also noted limitations in the quality of the underlying trials, so the findings are promising rather than definitive.⁴
In practice, hypnosis might involve guided imagery, suggestions for comfort, or help managing anticipatory anxiety. It is intended as a complement to appropriate medical care—not a replacement for anesthesia, pain relief, or the procedure itself.
If you are interested in using hypnosis in a medical setting, discuss it with your treating team and ask whether a suitably trained practitioner is available.
Can Hypnosis Help You Change Unwanted Habits?
Hypnosis is sometimes used to support behavior change. A practitioner might help you identify situations in which a habit occurs, clarify what you want to do differently, and use suggestions or mental rehearsal to support that goal.
People may seek hypnosis for habits involving smoking, eating, or other repetitive behaviors. However, the research does not show that hypnosis is equally effective for every habit.
For example, evidence for hypnosis as a smoking-cessation method has been mixed. A Cochrane review found insufficient evidence that hypnotherapy is more effective than other forms of behavioral support or unassisted quitting.⁵
If you are considering hypnosis for a habit, look for a practitioner who is realistic about the evidence and can explain how the work fits with other helpful supports. For smoking cessation, established support and treatments should remain part of the conversation.
Can Hypnosis Help With Sleep?
Some people use hypnosis as part of a bedtime routine or to practice calming imagery and suggestions. The aim may be to reduce mental distractions, develop a more settled routine, or change unhelpful thoughts about sleep.
A systematic review of research on hypnotherapy for sleep found a mixture of positive, mixed, and null results. The authors described hypnosis as promising, while also identifying limitations in the available studies and a need for better research.⁶
Persistent sleep problems can have many causes. If difficulty sleeping is affecting your daily life, consider discussing it with a healthcare professional. Hypnosis may be an option to explore alongside appropriate assessment and evidence-based care, rather than a substitute for them.
Can Hypnosis Help You Feel More Confident?
Hypnosis may offer a way to mentally rehearse situations in which you would like to feel more capable or composed.
For example, someone who feels nervous about public speaking might use guided imagery to picture entering the room, beginning a presentation, and responding calmly to questions. A practitioner may incorporate suggestions focused on preparation, self-belief, or coping with nerves.
This kind of rehearsal can be appealing because it gives you an opportunity to imagine how you would like to respond before facing the real situation.
However, confidence is influenced by many factors, and hypnosis cannot guarantee that you will perform well or stop feeling nervous. It may be most useful as one part of a broader plan that includes preparation, practice, and practical skill-building.
Is Hypnosis a Good Way to Understand Yourself?
Some people appreciate hypnosis because it gives them time to focus on their thoughts, feelings, and personal goals without the usual distractions.
Guided imagery and reflective suggestions may help you consider how you would like to respond to a situation or what changes matter to you. This can be a useful part of a reflective or therapeutic process.
However, hypnosis should not be treated as a reliable way to uncover hidden memories or establish what happened in the past. Suggestions and expectations can influence memory reports, and hypnotically recalled material is not automatically accurate.⁷
A responsible practitioner should avoid presenting hypnosis as a method for retrieving forgotten memories or discovering a definitive explanation for your difficulties.
Can Hypnosis Help You Feel More in Control?
One potentially valuable aspect of hypnosis is the opportunity to practice responding differently rather than feeling stuck with an automatic reaction.
For example, you might rehearse pausing before responding to a stressful situation, imagining yourself coping with a challenge, or focusing on a behavior you want to strengthen.
This does not mean hypnosis gives you special control over your mind or makes unwanted thoughts disappear. Rather, it may offer a structured way to practice attention, imagery, and suggestions that support a chosen goal.
The most useful outcome is not necessarily a dramatic experience during a session. It may be a small, practical change that you can apply in everyday life.
Does Hypnosis Work for Everyone?
No. People differ in how they respond to hypnosis, and outcomes depend on the issue being addressed, the person, the practitioner, and the treatment context.
Some people find hypnosis helpful. Others notice little benefit, dislike the experience, or prefer a different approach. Research findings also vary considerably between conditions, so a result in one area should not be assumed to apply to another.
Be cautious of anyone who promises guaranteed results, claims hypnosis can solve every problem, or suggests that you should stop medical or psychological treatment.
What Makes a Good Hypnosis Experience?
A positive experience should be based on clear communication, realistic expectations, and your agreement about what will happen.
A responsible practitioner should:
Explain their training, experience, and scope of practice.
Discuss what hypnosis can and cannot reasonably be expected to do.
Ask about your goals and listen to your concerns.
Explain the proposed approach before beginning.
Respect your right to ask questions, decline a suggestion, pause, or stop.
Encourage appropriate medical or mental health care when it is needed.
You should feel involved rather than pressured. You do not need to lose control, reveal private information, or experience anything dramatic for a session to be worthwhile.
So, What Are the Best Things About Hypnosis?
The best things about hypnosis are its potential to offer another way of working with attention, imagery, suggestions, and responses to challenging situations.
Depending on the person and the goal, it may help with pain management, certain anxiety-provoking situations, IBS symptoms, preparation for medical procedures, or practicing new responses to habits and everyday challenges. The evidence is stronger in some areas than in others, and results are never guaranteed.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing is that hypnosis does not have to be mysterious or dramatic. It can be a collaborative process in which you remain involved, understand what is happening, and work toward a practical goal at a pace that feels comfortable.
Notes
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “Hypnosis,” National Institutes of Health, last updated January 2020.
Keara E. Valentine, Leonard S. Milling, Lauren J. Clark, and Caitlin L. Moriarty, “The Efficacy of Hypnosis as a Treatment for Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis,” International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 67, no. 3 (2019): 336–363.
Hannah G. Jones et al., “Adjunctive Use of Hypnosis for Clinical Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” Pain Reports 9, no. 5 (2024): e1185.
S. Tefikow et al., “Efficacy of Hypnosis in Adults Undergoing Surgery or Medical Procedures: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials,” Clinical Psychology Review 33, no. 5 (2013): 623–636.
Jamie Barnes, Heather McRobbie, Chun Y. Dong, Natalie Walker, and Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, “Hypnotherapy for Smoking Cessation,” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, no. 6 (2019): CD001008.
Nathan Wofford, Morgan Snyder, Chris E. Corlett, and Gary R. Elkins, “Systematic Review of Hypnotherapy for Sleep and Sleep Disturbance,” International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 71, no. 3 (2023): 176–215.
John F. Kihlstrom, “Hypnosis, Memory and Amnesia,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 352, no. 1362 (1997): 1727–1732.