How Long Does It Take For Hypnosis To Work?

Many people wonder, is hypnosis real and how long can it take to work.  

It was Frances Mesmer, an Austrian physician in the 1770’s, who first sparked curiosity about hypnosis when he began putting patients in a trance state. 

This is where the verb “to mesmerize” came from.

Hypnosis is a mental therapy that involves focused attention, reduced awareness of your surroundings, and the ability to respond to suggestions.

There’s no clear cut answer for knowing how long hypnotherapy might take to work. 

It will depend entirely on you, your hypnosis therapist and the techniques used.

The hypnotherapy session can provide a full change ten minutes into the session. 

Yet a single session is rarely ever enough for you to achieve the lasting change you want for many reasons.

How Long Does It Take For Hypnosis To Work

How Many Sessions Does It Take For Hypnosis To Work?

Every person is different and so is every situation.

How long hypnosis can take and how many sessions you need depends on several different factors. 

Up to 98% of people who smoke only need one hypnotherapy session to quit. 

A study from 1994 found that eighty percent of participants who had hypnosis and aversion therapy to quit smoking, still abstained from smoking after six months.

The skill and experience of the hypnotherapist is key to your success with hypnosis. 

It’s always wise to find one who is qualified.

Another important thing that may determine how long it takes is your susceptibility to enter into trance. 

Some people are easier to go into a hypnotic trance than others.

Lastly, the time it takes for hypnosis to work can depend on what your specific goals are.

It’s crucial to match the change happening on the inside with what’s happening on the outside.

Your outer environment can either support you or hinder you.

This refers to the people around you, your work, the places you spend leisure time in, the choices you make for entertainment, and the patterns of behaviour you have with the people you spend most of your time with.

When you look for change within you, it’s also helpful to be open to change the things around you that don’t support your healing.

How long does it take for hypnosis to work?
source: unsplash.com (Ludde Lorentz)

How Often Should You Do Hypnosis?

Hypnosis has gained popularity in medical fields recently. It can be very successful long term when you make the time for yourself.

A hypnotherapist or coach may only see a person once a week, if that.

So consider, If you see a personal trainer once a week, and you ask how long it will take to see results you want in your body. 

They would tell you it will depend on how often you train in between sessions with your trainer, and whether you change the way your eating patterns have been.

For example, if you’re having hypnosis therapy for weight loss you can expect to see results you like and want after three months. 

In this case, it will also depend on what other weight loss techniques you’re using.

If your goal is to boost your self esteem, you may only need a few hypnotherapy sessions. 

That is, unless there are other issues involved, like depression. 

Within a month or two hypnosis can lift your self-esteem and depression.

Does Hypnosis Work Instantly?

Yes, hypnosis does work and you can notice the change begin immediately. 

However, if the hypnosis therapist has only gone as deep as your outward symptoms.

To simplify an example, say you want to clear a conditioned phobia of red cars, and the hypnotherapy suggestions were that whenever you see a red car you feel peaceful and calm. 

It may work for a while, until you see a red car in the specific model that once hit you when you were crossing the street. Suddenly, those familiar thoughts, feelings and beliefs return. 

Basically, once you experience your typical emotional triggers, the unhealthy behaviour will resurface.

To achieve the full benefits and have the outcome you want from hypnotherapy, a good therapist will like to work on the deeper issues beyond the outward symptoms. 

Our minds are deeply embedded with habitual patterning.

These thought patterns are accumulated over lifetimes. 

What does hypnosis feel like?
source: pixabay.com (innerwhispers)

Hypnosis Can Change Your Unconscious Pattern

When you use hypnosis, it does work to change your unconscious thoughts but how long it takes depends on how deep you go.

What we believe to be true from the information our senses gather for us, may not always be completely true.

For example, if we go back to the conditioned belief about red cars and you see one pass you by, your eye captures the sensory data of the car and that information is sent to the brain. 

Then your brain connects that information with all the information from your subconscious regarding red cars. 

That then, determines your judgements, thoughts and beliefs to fit your conditioned patterns.

This all happens really fast and the only way we can notice it is to be super aware of the process. 

It can be difficult for some people to be that aware and so if you can use hypnotherapy, it can really help.

So to make hypnotherapy work and affect real change, it reaches the deep patterns of your subconscious mind.

A qualified and experienced hypnotherapist would be able to help you in this way also they are able to keep all your rights reserved. 

Find out, do hypnotists work with your issue and how often have they successfully treated them.

This will help you find an experienced therapist for your specific needs. 

Hypnotherapy can benefit you in a number of ways and the bottom line is that you will like yourself and your life so much better.

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About The Author

Bijan Kholghi is a certified life coach with the Milton Erickson Institute Heidelberg (Germany). He helps clients and couples reach breakthroughs in their lives by changing subconscious patterns. His solution-oriented approach is based on Systemic- and Hypnotherapy.

Bijan