2008 Woodie Awards
Can hypnosis help you lose weight or quit smoking? Don't bet on it
Walter Lesczynski
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: Features
Have you ever been hypnotized? That phrase ranks among the all-time cheesiest pick-up lines, yet the answer can be quite revealing about a person's beliefs and personality.
Some people believe hypnosis can work wonders. Others, however, are more skeptical, viewing its practitioners as little more than opportunistic charlatans.
"I tried hypnosis last year to quit smoking," said Sarah Hough, a sophomore from Dayton, Ohio. "I'm still at about a pack per day. It wasn't cheap and I might as well have used the money to buy more smokes for all the good it did."
Despite fantastic claims made by weight loss clinics and smoking cessation programs, hypnotism is much less a miracle cure than simply a useful tool when combined with other treatments, experts said.
"There is too much mysticism about hypnosis," said Don Beal, professor of psychology at Eastern. "Too many people thinking they can lose 100 pounds or stop smoking instantly."
Beal has performed numerous hypnotisms, but said he believes in a more traditional approach.
"I don't find it helpful," he said. "People come in expecting magic. I find it much better to offer straight treatment."
Part of the problem in attributing success or failure to hypnotic therapy is that it is almost always used in conjunction with another method. For example, a smoker trying to quit may try nicotine gum, the patch and hypnosis simultaneously. This make is difficult to determine its true effectiveness.
Research literature indicates that treatments haven't fared well in general, although they may have helped the occasional patient. "It's a useful technique in certain situations, such as pain management," Dr. Beal said. "I find that perhaps the most beneficial aspect is the relaxation-it's a very strong component. For example, students perform much better on tests when they are relaxed."
This is similar to the effect of truth serum - sodium pentathol. It brings about a relaxed state, and when someone is relaxed that person can remember things tension might prevent.
Some people believe hypnosis can work wonders. Others, however, are more skeptical, viewing its practitioners as little more than opportunistic charlatans.
"I tried hypnosis last year to quit smoking," said Sarah Hough, a sophomore from Dayton, Ohio. "I'm still at about a pack per day. It wasn't cheap and I might as well have used the money to buy more smokes for all the good it did."
Despite fantastic claims made by weight loss clinics and smoking cessation programs, hypnotism is much less a miracle cure than simply a useful tool when combined with other treatments, experts said.
"There is too much mysticism about hypnosis," said Don Beal, professor of psychology at Eastern. "Too many people thinking they can lose 100 pounds or stop smoking instantly."
Beal has performed numerous hypnotisms, but said he believes in a more traditional approach.
"I don't find it helpful," he said. "People come in expecting magic. I find it much better to offer straight treatment."
Part of the problem in attributing success or failure to hypnotic therapy is that it is almost always used in conjunction with another method. For example, a smoker trying to quit may try nicotine gum, the patch and hypnosis simultaneously. This make is difficult to determine its true effectiveness.
Research literature indicates that treatments haven't fared well in general, although they may have helped the occasional patient. "It's a useful technique in certain situations, such as pain management," Dr. Beal said. "I find that perhaps the most beneficial aspect is the relaxation-it's a very strong component. For example, students perform much better on tests when they are relaxed."
This is similar to the effect of truth serum - sodium pentathol. It brings about a relaxed state, and when someone is relaxed that person can remember things tension might prevent.