Can Hypnosis Make Me Better At My Job?

(Photo by Benoit Beaumatin on Unsplash)

For many, the term “hypnotherapy” invokes visions of swirling discs, swinging pendulums, and unwitting subjects being forced to act like a chicken against their free will. But as this episode of Click Cast demonstrates, hypnosis is not only a legitimate form of therapy — recognized by the two major psychiatric boards of the United States — but, for many, it’s had long-term beneficial effects on physical and mental health.

Take Linda Giles, who hasn’t so much as considered smoking a cigarette for some 30 years after just one hypnosis session cured her addiction to nicotine. Others, too, have found success using hypnotherapy to improve their diets, boost their confidence and even mitigate chronic pain. Here, reporter Hannah Sparks explores the mechanisms and metaphysics of hypnotherapy, asking experts to explain why it works and exactly how it maneuvers the brain. Then, she gives it a go herself: Will hypnotherapy rid Hannah of the social anxiety that thwarts her field reporting? Tune-in to Click Casts’s “Hypnocast” to find out:

Special thanks to Devin Person, Dr. Nwayieze Ndukwe, and Linda Giles for contributing to this podcast.