Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines hypnosis as "a state that resembles sleep but is induced by a hypnotizer whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject." Hypnotherapy is defined as "the treatment of disease by hypnotism."

We can take this definition of hypnosis a little further by saying that hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness where the subject (client) responds to the suggestions of the Hypnotherapist.

An altered state of consciousness may sound like something out of the norm, but we all go into an altered state several times during the day. For example, when we drop off to sleep at night or take a nap, and when we first wake up in the morning or wake up from a nap. We also go into an altered state when we daydream. Have you ever driven down the road and when you got to your destination, you didn't remember traveling there? This altered state is called highway hypnosis. So you can see that we do go into an altered state of consciousness several times during each day and we don't even realize it. The only difference when being hypnotized by a Hypnotherapist is that the subject is consciously aware of being hypnotized.

According to Arons Depth Scale, there are basically six levels or stages of hypnosis. The first three stages are mnesic or memory retaining, and the last three stages are amnesic or memory forgetting. The first three stages is where habit correction and behavior modification takes place. The second three stages are useful for dentistry, childbirth and surgery. People who desire to stop smoking, reduce weight, reduce stress, etc., only require using the first three stages of hypnosis to modify these behavior patterns.

Hypnosis is a state where the subject is physically deeply relaxed. While in this deeply relaxed state the subject is many times more mentally aware than in the conscious state. As you can see, hypnosis is nothing more than a Hypnotherapist placing a person in a deeply relaxed state. While the subject is in this deeply relaxed state, habits and behavior modifications can take place.