Since the late 1950s the use of hypnosis as a tool for personal change has been accepted by the AMA with people all over the world using hypnosis and self hypnosis techniques to help them lose weight, stop smoking, eliminate pain, explore past lives, eliminate procrastination, enhance sexual performance, manage stress, increase confidence, contact their higher self and 1001 other applications to help them take control of and enhance their lives in some way.
In times past hypnosis was largely the domain of psychologists and psychiatrists and medical and dental practitioners.
A more recent phenomenon is the Hypnotherapist who is someone who is trained in and specializes in the use of hypnosis as a stand alone therapeutic method.
One tool that hypnotherapists use to enhance the experience for their clients, as well as the therapeutic results, are hypnosis CDs and audios.
Hypnosis CDs and audios are a way of powerfully increasing the effectiveness of face to face clinical sessions through repetition that the client can do daily in the comfort of their own home.
These audios are available in two basic formats.
Firstly, individual private sessions can be recorded at the time of the session with the hypnotherapist.
In this way the client can be assured that the suggestions are very specific to their needs and they have a much greater sense of continuity and reinforcement due the fact that they are going over and over the session they had with the therapist.
The second kind of audio that is a more recent phenomenon is the generic hypnosis audio.
In this case an over-the-counter audio is purchased that includes within it an hypnotic induction and powerful positive suggestions to help the purchaser make their desired change.
Particularly popular are stop smoking and lose weight hypnosis audios.
The generic style audio is a very affordable way of experiencing the benefits of hypnosis that everyone can afford without the need of going to a paid professional therapist.
The downside to these audios are that they are not custom-made and may not take into account the specific details of the particular problem that the person is trying to change as well as the specifically scripted most powerful suggestions to create the desired change.
Today there are literally thousands of hypnosis audios available covering every possible therapeutic need.
A typical treatment program utilizing one of these audios is 20 minutes to half an hour of listening each day.
Repetition is incredibly important with any kind of hypnosis training and so it is with the use of hypnotic CDs.
A program of daily listening will in very short order create the desired change for the listener.
Another interesting application of using audios hypnotically is in the area of subliminal hypnosis and subliminal audios.
A subliminal audio is an audio where the actual hypnotic induction and the words of the hypnotherapist cannot be heard.
Instead what you actually hear can be a variety of sounds or music or a combination of both The verbal audio track is there but it has been reduced to the point where conscious hearing of the voice is impossible.
Why use a subliminal audio and not a conventional hypnosis audio? Subliminals are most effective where there is significant resistance to the idea of change that is being created.
When the suggestions cannot be heard there is less likelihood of conscious resistance to those suggestions.
By simply listening to the music and sounds the conscious mind is distracted and the below normal hearing suggestions can go directly to the subconscious.
When listening to a conventional hypnosis audio it is generally accepted that you need to be sitting down and relaxed free of distractions and interruptions.
And you most certainly cannot operate heavy machinery or drive a car ( or do anything really that requires full concentration) when listening to an hypnotic audio.
Subliminal audios on the other hand, depending on the suggestions given, can be used continuously during the course of the day running in the background, the conscious mind aware of it sometimes and sometimes not.
Generally speaking no suggestions for relaxation are given as relaxation is not important when using subliminal audios.
If you're serious about using hypnosis to create change or enhance some area of your life the best option is to see a professionally trained hypnotherapist for a session or two and supplement those sessions with a regular program of self hypnosis using hypnosis audios.
If cost is a factor or you would simply feel too awkward or embarrassed to go to someone for help with a particular problem you're looking for help to change,CDs are a very effective and affordable standalone method for utilizing the power of hypnosis to create to changes in your life that you really want.