Sep 23, 2021
Shall I Try Hypnosis or Meditation?
What’s the difference between both disciplines?
We all have heard about hypnosis and meditation, however most people might confuse the two, or don’t really understand the difference between both disciplines.
Meditation and hypnosis are both good techniques used for cognitive intervention. These techniques are used in therapy to tap into the subconscious mind and resolve several health and psychological related issues. Both practices are beneficial and known to calm the mind and induce deeply relaxing states.
During hypnosis, you enter into an altered state of consciousness which can help resolve undesired behavioural patterns, and treat a variety of conditions such as depression, chronic pain, and insomnia.
Meditation practice is widely known to be used as a technique to deal with anxiety and negative thoughts.
Both techniques are quite similar as you can obtain similar results by changing the neuroplasticity of the brain as explained by neuroscientist Dr. Joe Dispenza. Scientific evidence has proved that it is possible to rewire and reprogram our brain to improve our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions.
So let’s explore these two disciplines so you can have a better understanding of the practices and their benefits.
What does Hypnosis involve?
You might be skeptical about the benefits of hypnosis and question whether this technique actually works.
Scientists have been researching about the effects of hypnosis by brain scans, and they were able to see changes in brainwave activity when a person’s brain got activated under hypnosis.
The brain is an electrochemical organ, a source of electrical activity in the form of brainwaves with four different types of frequencies; Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta which correlate to different states of consciousness.
Hypnosis is often used to overcome phobias and addictions and this usually requires a number of sessions depending on the person and severity of the issue.
What does meditation practice involve?
The principle behind meditation is to still the mind and silence the mental noise which is responsible for most of our fears and negative thoughts.
Meditation promotes an increased state of awareness and concentration. Researchers found that a set of simple exercises like focusing on our inhales and exhales, or repeating a mantra, are effective psychotherapeutic techniques.
By practicing meditation we become less identified with our thoughts as it creates space between the self and the mind, which are two different fragments of who we are.
Meditation is also known to raise your vibration and makes you feel more positive, calm and solution oriented. It helps us realize that we cannot control external circumstances in life, but we have the power to control what happens within us.
What happens when you get hypnotized?
A person who is hypnotized by a professional hypnotherapist enters into a hypnotic state, but is still aware of his surroundings. During the hypnotic state, you can tune out from your surroundings, and focus your attention within as you tap into the subconscious mind.
You become very relaxed and enter into a trance-like state where your mind become more receptive to transformative messages. By changing your subconscious beliefs and ideas, it will be easier to change behavioural patterns.
Everything you experience during hypnosis seems very real to you. The hypnotherapist’s role is to understand why or what is making you feel in a certain way to understand the underlying cause of the issue. Then he can change the script in your mind to overcome your fears and inhibitions.
What happens when you meditate?
When you meditate, you focus on either your breath flow, or a mantra instead of engaging in distracting thoughts and internal dialogue. Meditation calms the mind as brainwaves go down to Delta frequency.
When we are awake, our brains emanate Beta frequencies. The brain uses the 5 senses to interact with the environment so our attention is fully focused on our external environment.
When you sit down in a quiet place and close your eyes, you disconnect from the outer world and shift your attention to your inner world. The neocortex, which is the part of the brain that takes care of cognitive functioning, slows down to Alpha and we enter into our imaginary world.
If you enter into a more deep relaxed state, your brainwaves go down to Theta, which represents our dreaming state while the mind is awake which is similar to lucid dreaming.
If you manage to go further into a deepened relaxed state, your brainwaves go down to Delta which our sleeping state. The brain can go down to Gamma brainwaves which is defined as the state of super consciousness, and your brain enters into a heightened super conscious state.
By lowering our breathing rate and reaching a deep relaxed state, meditation can help us transition through these different types of brainwave frequencies. Just like any other skill that we learn, consistency and practice is key to mastering this technique.
Differences and comparisons between both disciplines
Both disciplines are similar as both practices tap into the subconscious mind and shed light on our dark shadows. The main difference is that during hypnosis you focus on a specific subject or situation to resolve an issue.
Meditation can also be used to resolve certain issues like anxiety and stress, but the main objective of meditation is to calm the mind and become still.
Both techniques are beneficial for your general well-being, hypnosis by a trained professional can help you treat different medical conditions. Meditation can help you transform yourself and cultivate a sense of inner peace.
Similarities:
- Enter into an altered state of consciousness
- Provide therapeutic benefits
- Enter into a deep relaxed state
- Change undesired behavioural patterns
Differences:
- Meditation focuses on stillness
- Hypnosis focuses on something specific
The bottom line is that both hypnosis and meditation are beneficial and pleasant experiences. So it really depends on what kind of issue you would like to address and what you feel most comfortable with. If you’re just curious to learn more about the beautiful mystery of life, have a go at both techniques and rest assured that you will be fascinated with both!
