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by Scott Haltzman, M.D.
Q: I hear advertisements on the radio for hypnosis sessions to help you quit smoking. Does this really work?
 Answer: When I was a child, my family would go up to the Concord, a now-defunct resort in the Catskills. There, they had nightly entertainment for the guests. I’m sure great acts like Rodney Dangerfield and Buddy Hackett made appearances, but the person I remember was the hypnotist.
The tuxedo-clad performer invited two dozen volunteers on the stage. Once he found those who were most suggestible, he put them into deep trances by counting to 10, then had them act as if they were chickens, or as if everyone in the audience were naked. It was so funny that I remember it to this day.
Sometimes, the image of the stage performer is so strong in my mind, or the minds of my patients, that it’s hard to imagine the use of hypnosis for legitimate medical reasons. But hypnosis can be a helpful tool and in some cases should be considered as a real treatment option.
HOW HYPNOSIS WORKS
The practice of hypnosis seems mysterious, but it’s based on some basic principles. When your mind is extremely relaxed, you are more suggestible and have a heightened imagination.
 One example of an everyday trance might be a trip to the movies to see The Lord of the Rings. When the lights dim and the movie begins, you allow yourself to be absorbed in the moment and are open to seeing, thinking and feeling things you’d never accept in the real world.
This state of relaxation isn’t anything like the “deep sleep” stage-hypnotists talk about but more like a heightened ability to accept things into your brain—perhaps because you put your anxieties aside.
Trained professionals can induce this trance state in many people. Studies show it can help reduce pain sensation (by having your mind redefine the hurt), and anxiety symptoms associated with phobias, such as fears of elevators and flying.
HYPNOSIS TRAINING
Hypnotists who advertise in the newspaper may not be regulated by any agencies or professional organizations, so it’s hard to know how they have been trained. The American Medical Association recommends that hypnosis sessions for recovering memories be conducted by a psychiatrist or psychologist and that they be videotaped. (See page two of this article for more on this.)
HYPNOSIS FOR SMOKING AND WEIGHT LOSS
There is still debate over whether hypnosis can help you quit smoking or lose weight. Sometimes people seek these types of treatment when they feel really ready, and the power of suggestion is enough to catapult them to success. But most physicians feel that it's not sufficient to rely on hypnosis. Finding ways to change negative health behaviors for the better involves understanding the triggers that make you do those bad habits and replacing hurtful activities with helpful ones.
[Next page: "Recovered Memories: When hypnosis goes bad"]
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