Once dismissed as trickery, hypnosis has been found to have therapeutic uses, ranging from easing pain to conquering fear. And now, a few simple techniques may also let you benefit from hypnosis on your own.

Neither sleep nor unconsciousness, hypnosis is a state in which a person has shut out distractions and is free to focus intently on a particular subject, emotion, or memory. Practitioners stress how normal and commonplace the hypnotic state is. Almost everyone, they point out, experiences some form of hypnosis spontaneously - while daydreaming, reading, or even while driving long distances along a superhighway.

Such focused concentration has practical benefits, for while under hypnosis a person is more receptive to suggestions. Because of this, hypnosis has been used successfully to alleviate pain, reduce stress, overcome phobias, and break such habits as cigarette smoking, overeating, and nail-biting. In addition, chronic headache sufferers have found relief without heavy sedatives or painkillers, and people afflicted with allergies and some skin diseases have been helped as well. Often people "feel better" just by knowing that hypnosis can put them in greater control of their lives.

Hypnosis is recognized by the medical establishment. However, physicians caution that patients should get a proper diagnosis before trying it. Anyone suffering from an undiagnosed illness or who simply feels unwell should use hypnosis only under medical supervision because the treatment may mask symptoms of disease.

Easing Chronic Complaints - For those wishing to avoid drugs or surgery for certain chronic ailments, hypnosis may be an appropriate alternative. In particular, eczema and warts have been effectively treated with hypnosis, often in conjunction with counseling and medication. Allergy and asthma sufferers have also found relief using hypnosis, and some have augmented their care by using self-hypnosis to prevent flare-ups.

One recurring feat is that a hypnotist can force a subject to perform, illegal, or dangerous acts. Staunch defenders or hypnotism reject this claim, arguing that the subject can "awaken" at any time and that there is no danger of loss of control. Using the services of a qualified, trained hypnotist, or practicing self-hypnosis are good ways of allaying anxiety about the treatment.

What You Can Expect - During a session, the hypnotist will probably ask you to concentrate on an object or on the sound of his voice. As he guides you into a state of relaxation, he will likely use permissive messages, not commands: "You may find your eyelids becoming heavy. It is all right to let your eyes close". Or the hypnotist may ask you to count backward from 20 to zero. When under hypnosis, your sense of time can be distorted so that a great deal seems to happen in a very short time.

People vary in their ability to achieve deep hypnosis. Many attain what is called a light stage. When told that their arm may feel heavy, they will have trouble lifting it. When told that their hand is anesthetized, they will feel little or no pain if pinched. A hypnotist can sometimes induce you into a deeper level with suggestions that you are descending an escalator or stairway. In this way you may then be able to achieve total anesthesia, or perhaps control various involuntary body functions like blood pressure and heartbeat.

Hypnosis may be valuable in helping a person recall long-suppressed experiences. It can also be used to help a subject recreate a time when a traumatic event occurred that still causes pain or trouble. Relief may be gained by reliving the experience under safe conditions and seeing it from an adult viewpoint.

Another vital factor is sleep! Try to get at least eight hours of sleep every night - and if you can, eat a peanut butter sandwich just before going to bed!

Try all the above for at least two weeks, and at the end of week two, you will have put on at least five pounds of body weight - not just fat but also some quality muscle mass as a result of the weight lifting routine as well!

NOTE: Before becoming involved in any kind of a diet or exercise regimes, you have to seek the advice of a health care professional.