Hypnosis for personal development, and not for a stage show,
may be better if you can do it by yourself. (It would be very
difficult to hypnotize or mesmerize yourself or another person
for a stage show).
Self hypnosis can be more difficult and take longer than being
hypnotized by a professional hypnotist. In some cases, however,
it may be easier – you may be more willing to be relaxed
and trusting of yourself than of another person.
Another advantage is that for a long term effect, it may be
necessary to be hypnotized more than once or twice. It can
be more convenient to learn to hypnotize yourself than to
have to go to another person.
Learning Self-Hypnosis has Long-Term Benefits
It may take longer to learn to hypnotize yourself than to
be hypnotized by a professional hypnotist, but learning to
hypnotize yourself also removes any risk of spending a lot
of money on an inferior hypnotist who perhaps might not get
what you need done.
For therapeutic purposes, hypnosis with a professional may
be superior, but it may not be superior enough to outweigh
the risks and loss of control. Hypnosis can also be more beneficial
if it is done regularly, and regular sessions with a professional
can be costly.
There is also the risk of choosing an incompetent hypnotherapist,
or perhaps one who already has their own theories of what
you need to do. Some hypnotherapists can be very focused on
repressed memories, and while these can surface naturally,
and it may be helpful to have professional assistance should
they arise, if a therapist is looking for repressed memories,
they will find them.
Even if these memories didn’t actually happen, because
the subconscious mind is so receptive, it can be convinced
something did happen.
For many people, a concern is that hypnosis will bring up
repressed memories that they may not be ready to deal with,
and for these people, it may be better to go with a professional
hypnotherapist, so as to have professional help with any problems
which may arise. You may also decide that it is less likely
for you to bring back a repressed memory if you focus on your
own goals during self-hypnosis, and thus this will not be
a concern for you.
The natural advantage to self-hypnosis is that you can do
this by yourself every day, which will more easily reinforce
your goal and may make success more likely. This advantage
may outweigh the advantage to going to a professional therapist
or hypnotherapist, who may be better at hypnotizing you, and
get faster results, but would not be able to provide the desired
daily long term benefits.
