Taking the Mystery out of Hypnosis

By Barrie St John - HypnoShop.com

Much of society’s resistance to hypnosis is based on false beliefs perpetuated by a fear of the unknown. I’ve compiled and addressed some of my favorite myths to help clarify exactly what hypnosis is, and more to point, what it is not.

Myth #1 - Hypnotists have some kind of special power:

Entertainment media plays a significant role in sensationalizing the word hypnosis. At the risk of demystifying the term, I submit that there is no trickery involved whatsoever. Skilled hypnotists operate from a basic understanding of humans and human experiences. The hypnotic state can be achieved alone, which refutes the point that hypnotists are somehow magical. It also suggests that anyone can induce hypnosis, either on themselves or on someone else. The real skill lies in how we use hypnosis to influence people.

Myth #2 – Only weak minded people can be hypnotized:

Interestingly, concentration is the basis for achieving hypnosis, and the ability to concentrate requires a strong intellect. The greater your ability to concentrate, the better a hypnotic subject you will be. Suggestibility is unrelated to intelligence, and our susceptibility to suggestion is not indicative of weakness or gullibility. The decision to accept a treatment or service that you feel will benefit you is a conscious, calculated decision, not an act of weak mindedness.

Myth #3 - Hypnosis can only work on certain people:

To this, I say, sure... if you really don’t want to be hypnotized, you can certainly impeach the process. Certain people will benefit more from hypnosis than others, because they are motivated to get more out of it. Your level of suggestibility cannot be altered, but your commitment and the degree of concentration that you invest can and will influence how much you get out of hypnotherapy. Hypnosis works for everyone. It’s the degree that varies, and this variable is entirely up to you.

Myth #4 – You will be able to recall everything that has ever happened to you:

If there is any benefit to you whatsoever in recalling certain specific times or events in your life, then a good hypnotist can help you do that. But typically, there is no real need to go back and remember the past. Hypnosis is a natural state of total relaxation. Regression is a different thing.

Myth #5 - You can be made to say or do something against your will:

Hypnosis is a natural state of complete relaxation, not a state of sleep. In this relaxed state, you become highly susceptible to suggestion, but you don’t become a different person. Achieving a state of heightened suggestion does not compromise your faculties, morals, ethics, or beliefs. Being hypnotized won’t lead you to say or do things against your will. If you’re asked to do something you don’t want to do, you will simply refuse.

Myth #6 – People who are hypnotized become dependent on the hypnotist:

Hypnosis when used as a form of therapy and carries no greater risk of dependency than any other form of therapy. While in hypnosis, you’re in full control of what happens to you. Hypnotherapy is a means of empowerment, achieved with the assistance of an outside entity. It’s not submissiveness, and it’s not a surrender of control. You have the ability to pull yourself out spontaneously, at any moment.

Myth #7 – Hypnosis is bad for your health:

The irony here is that the very essence of hypnosis is regularly recommended by physicians and psychotherapists. These trusted health professionals invariably advise us that we need to relax more, yet they seldom state how. When you are hypnotized, you are quite simply in a deep, natural state of relaxation.

Myth #8 – When in hypnosis you could get stuck and be unable to wake up:

Hypnosis is a natural state which we all reach from time to time on our own, without prompting of any kind. There is absolutely no danger of getting stuck in this state. It’s about as likely as getting stuck completely asleep, really. The worst that can possibly happen is that you drift off into deep sleep for a few minutes, because you are in that bridged state between awake and asleep.

Myth #9 - You’re asleep or unconscious when in hypnosis:

If people were asleep or unconscious when in hypnosis, they would not be able to report on what they were feeling. In fact, you are fully aware of what’s happening, and you are able to recall your state of hypnosis. Some describe it as feeling heavy, some light, others just very relaxed. Typically, the body will feel as though it’s gone to sleep, but the mind remains alert and receptive to the suggestion.

Myth #10 - Hypnosis is the devils work and is dangerous:

In the past I’ve heard some religious people refer to hypnosis as the ‘devils work’. Like anything else, hypnosis can be used for good or for bad, but it is left to us to find a trusted hypnotist. Hypnosis is a natural occurring state, widely used by respected health care professionals. There are lots of doctors who practice hypnotherapy. I doubt very much that they are in league with the devil.

As with other unknowns, we quite readily make assumptions or suppositions about things that we aren’t sure of, and usually when we explore more closely, we find the reality is in fact quite different than the impression we had formed.

I hope I’ve managed to dispel some of the untruths about hypnosis, as it would be shame to deny oneself the benefits of hypnotherapy because of unfounded doubt or false impressions.

About the Author
Barrie St John is a leading figure in the field of hypnotherapy and personal change. He is the author behind the best selling self hypnosis CDs and downloads at www.HypnoShop.com

Success with Self Hypnosis

By Barrie St John - HypnoShop.com

There are many benefits to using self hypnosis. It can be used to overcome fears, fight addictions such as smoking, improve confidence and self esteem, and improve sports performance, to name just a few. In fact self hypnosis can be used to improve just about anything you want to in your life.

For some people self hypnosis is extremely easy and requires very little effort. Some take to it like a duck to water, while other people may need to experiment a bit more to reap the wonderful benefits it can bring. This article intends to help you get the most out of self hypnosis.

Self hypnosis can involve a little bit of trial and error at the beginning until you start to identify the conditions that best suit you as an individual. Variables such as the ideal body position, or the most opportune time of day are truly yours to determine based on your particular situation, schedule, and individuality. It’s important to remember that there are no fixed rules that apply to everyone. Everyone is unique and it is left to you to identify what works and how you can most effectively reach that desired state.

There are, however, a few elements which will help increase your degree of success with self hypnosis, regardless of individual needs. Some of the points I will address or based on listening to a recorded self hypnosis download or CD. However, I’ll start with the issues which should be addressed regardless of whether you’re listening to a recording or not.

A fairly obvious requirement is total relaxation, which usually requires reduced distractions. So it is very important to try and find a quiet place that limits or completely obliterates outside sources and choose a time when you are certain you won’t be interrupted. Ensure that if you have people at home, tell them to not disturb you for however long you want, unless of course there is an emergency.

Knowing that hypnosis is in fact an altered state on consciousness, it bears noting that the early morning may not be the best time. You may find you’re extremely alert and hyper-sensitive to distractions at that time. Instead, pick a time of day when you’re slowing down, or typically starting to feel fatigued. For most people, self hypnosis is best in the evening time, preferably more bedtime.

The most useful bit of advice I can give to a beginner is try not to try too hard. Self hypnosis requires concentration, but being overly focuses on being hypnotized will impair the process. Part of the self hypnosis process is being able to just let go and let it happen to you. Rather than focusing on achieving hypnosis, focus on nothing, and let the message make its way clearly and seamlessly, effortlessly, whether it’s a recording or your own words.

Using a recording is a great for self hypnosis. One key factor in getting the most out of a recorded self hypnosis session is regular listening. Repetition is the key to successful suggestion and the more you subject your mind to the message, the more it will penetrate and impact.

Another important factor in getting the most out of a recorded self hypnosis session is to wear headphones. Not only are headphones great if you’re easily distracted, but they also promotes an intimacy between you and the voice on the recording, closing off outside noises, and facilitating a more direct route to your mind.

Like anything else, you will only get out of self hypnosis what you’re willing to put into it. If you’re determined to find ways to fight hypnosis and disprove its effectiveness, you’re unlikely succeed. This is essentially true of anything we do in life. But if you go into it with a clear open mind and you’re willing to invest the time to find your ideal hypnosis conditions, you can literally reap of benefits of self hypnosis on a fairly regular basis, even daily.

About the Author

Barrie St John is a leading figure in the field of hypnotherapy and personal change. He is the author behind the best selling self hypnosis CDs and downloads at www.HypnoShop.com

Use Hypnosis And Boost Your Creativity

Are you always on the lookout for new ways to boost your creative powers and improve your productivity? I know I am.

That's why I'm keen to share this powerful information with you.

The most powerful way I've discovered for boosting creativity is self hypnosis - it's easy to do, safe and above all absolutely FREE!

Hypnosis is really nothing more than relaxing and going into a state of intense concentration - a strange kind of contradiction, but somehow it works.

We are actually moving into and out of such hypnotic states every day of our lives without realising it.

Just think back to the times when you've been totally engrossed in an activity - playing sport, writing a poem, painting a picture, watching a movie. Well, you've been hypnotising yourself!

I started using self-hypnosis a couple of years ago to reduce the stress and anxiety I was experiencing (and as a freelance artist and writer I know about that!).

After a while, I realised that the powerful benefits I was getting could be used on any part of my life - which included my creative career.

So what I did was produce my own scripts, which I recorded on a tape and played back to myself during my hypnosis sessions.

I also adapted them for silent reading and produced a list of affirmations which I use during the day to keep myself on track.

These affirmations reinforce the suggestions in the scripts to make sure they stay active.

I started getting results immediately. If you are an artist of any kind you will know how difficult the whole business can be sometimes - you can't concentrate, nothing seems to come out right, you're blocked, feel useless, waste your time making cups of coffee, etc, etc.

The results were startling - I felt much more at ease with my own creativity. I no longer worried about being able to come up with ideas. And when I was working, it all went much smoother than before.

In one year alone I produced more than 150 paintings and artworks (most of which I sold on Ebay) as well as writing a
poetry commission for a Writer's Tour and coming up with ideas for a number of ebooks.

Even if you don't consider yourself an artist of any kind - you can still benefit enormously from self-hypnosis.

So how does this work for you?

Simple.

Go to any major hypnosis website and download a copy of induction script (and read up about hypnosis while you're there).

Adapt it for your own circumstances, adding in something like the following :

"Every day in every way I'm becoming more and more creative. From the moment that I wake, the ideas keep flowing into my mind. Making art is easy. It's easy to pick these ideas up and make them real. I do this all the time, that's why I'm a successful creative artist and people love my work. Every day I make more art and every day I sell more art. The more I produce the better I become, and day by day in every way I'm becoming more and creative."

Then record it all on tape and use it for your sessions. Adapt it, change, rewrite it - do whatever you need to make it right for you.

Throughout the day keep repeating the above script.

Repetition is the key.

By constant repetition, your subconscious will absorb these ideas and they'll take root there. They'll be bearing fruit very quickly!

To get the best from self-hypnosis you should be doing it first thing in the morning and last thing at night, then practising whenever you can during the day. Even short sessions of just a minute or two in a busy schedule will yield results!

I wish you luck with your endeavours. I'm off now to work on some more paintings!

Article by Michael Blackburn BA MA FRSA, an artist and writer living in the UK. He has had two books of poetry published and has sold hundreds of artworks around the world. He runs an arts website, Art Zero, and regularly auctions books and paintings on the net. http://www.artzero.org.uk/

Choose From Over 500 Hypnosis Scripts Guaranteed To Change Your Life!

Natural Ways To Quit Smoking

Everyone knows that smoking is a terrible habit and can pose serious health risks.

In an article on The Ellsworth Amercian, it states that:

There is conclusive evidence that smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths of the lung, larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, bladder, esophagus, pancreas, cervix, kidney, stomach, and some leukemias. Smoking is also a major cause of heart disease, aneurysms, bronchitis, emphysema, and stroke, and it makes pneumonia and asthma worse. If you smoke long enough you are almost guaranteed to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive illness that permanently damages the lungs. COPD alone has accounted for over one million working-age people to become too sick to work and costs billions of dollars a year in medical bills and lost productivity. And if you are a man, there is yet another good reason to quit. In a recent study of 8,000+ men, researchers reported that smoking increased the likelihood of impotence by 27 percent and concluded it was “significantly associated with erectile dysfunction.” They also discovered that the more a man smoked, the more likely it was that he would suffer from erectile dysfunction.

The good news is there are many natural ways to quit smoking. Here are some of the natural methods that may help:

• Going "cold turkey” where you just stop smoking abruptly while relying on just your willpower and self-determination.



• Change your routine to avoid the times you usually light up. This might be when you’re waiting for the bus, out with friends, or relaxing after work. By finding other things to do at these times like keeping a straw or other cigarette substitute handy to keep your hands and mouth busy, you’ll make it easier to resist the urge to smoke.



• Drink lots of water to help your body flush itself out quickly. Water effectively helps in flushing out of the toxins, which include nicotine from our body. The more the water consumption, the more is the elimination of toxins.



• When cravings hit, close your eyes and count down from 10 to 0, very slowly. Breathe deeply with each count.



• Call a friend when you feel like reaching for a smoke. Divert your attention.



• Take a quick walk, even if it is just to the bathroom or mailbox. Alternatively, taking brisk walks at lunch time or walking up some stairs every time you want to have a cigarette will also help.



• Regular exercise can beat the stress and help smokers reduce the urges to smoke. Research has shown that most smokers don’t crave cigarettes after exercise, and is a real winner for smokers struggling to quit.



• If you have already made a determination to kick the butt, self hypnosis can help you reinforce this motivation and maintain your smoke-free lifestyle.

Hypnotherapist Marisa Peer who has worked in London and America for 20 years and has many celebrity clients offers her top tips for quitting with self hypnosis...

1. The first and most important thing to do is stop associating smoking with pleasure. Instead, focus on something like formaldehyde or paint-stripper, and try to imagine this is what you are inhaling every time you smoke. If you see it as something that will cause you pain, rather than pleasure, you will be able to stop yourself picking up a cigarette.



2. Next, focus hard on all the positive points about quitting. Think about how much healthier you’ll be, how much glossier your hair and nails will look. This will help you see giving up as something that will give you pleasure, and make it much easier to do.



3. Repeat the above points to yourself to make sure you really learn them. Say them out loud every day, and put reminder notes in places you can see them. Think about making yourself a CD that repeats the positive points about quitting. The more you drum them into your mind, the less likely you are to fall off the wagon.



4. When you quit smoking there is still a lot of nicotine in your system, which makes you crave it. Having a session in a steam room or sauna, and drinking lots of water and orange juice will help cleanse your system quickly, making cravings easier to bear.



5. Although you may want to, try not to eat too much. While it may keep you occupied for a while, overdoing your food will get you into an “I don’t care” mentality that could soon have you reaching for the cigarettes. The weight you will gain from too much snacking is also likely to tempt you back into smoking, as many people see cigarettes as a tool for keeping the weight off.

This hypnosis download can help you quit smoking naturally - and stay stopped.

Weight Loss With Self Hypnosis

Is it possible to lose weight effectively with the help of self hypnosis?

Let's start with a simple question - why do most weight loss programs fail? There are many people who have tried different diets, joined multiple workouts and yet have not been successful in losing their belly fat, even though they claim to eat less, follow fitness plans and do everything else associated with a good weight loss program. The weight just keeps coming back.

The truth about most diets, weight loss pills and workouts - you may be shocked - is that many of them does not provide for the overweight person what he or she really needs: to establish a different relationship with the food they are eating.

What that means is diets and exercise on its own will not make you thin, not as long as you keep eating pizzas, super-size burgers or binged on high calorie foods several times a week.

We know that eating is pleasurable and sometimes psychological . We know we should choose salad over burgers and yet our own subconscious mind undermines our efforts to be thin at every turn.

As a result, many of us who tried losing weight, continue to overeat and snack unnecessary and we wind up eating more than we need to, and we gain weight.

The solution to losing weight effectively? Rewire our subconscious mind with self hypnosis to change our unhealthy eating habits and lose those fats permanently.

"Hypnosis can actually help you lose weight."

- Harvard Medical School psychotherapist Jean Fain, Oprah Magazine

How Can Self Hypnosis Help In Losing Weight?

The tried and tested formula for losing weight effectively, successfully and permanently is all about developing healthy habits. And self hypnosis can help transforms those unhealthy eating habits by reinforcing our will power, inculcate a sense of discipline and strengthen our determination to make the right food choices and keep our cravings for fatty or high calorie foods at bay.

In fact, many celebrities use self hypnosis themselves and that is what helps them maintain those sexy body shapes even though they are virtually inundated with gourmet foods at every social event they attend. Most of them are self hypnotizing themselves to enable them to stay away from unhealthy foods, however much scrumptious they might look.

The power and benefits of self hypnosis has already been proven in several areas of human personality development, such as helping people overcome their anxiety disorders, helping people cope with addictions and quit smoking. Self hypnosis can also certainly help you to lose weight effectively and melt away the pounds - seemingly without effort.

Change your relationship with food today. Lose weight easily, naturally and permanently with weight loss hypnosis.

Hypnosis Recordings vs. the Real Thing

By Barrie St John - HypnoShop.com

I’m often asked the question:

"Are self hypnosis recordings really as effective as hypnotherapy with a real live person?"

My answer is yes, absolutely.

Certainly, there are significant differences to be found when comparing self hypnosis downloads or CDs to one on one therapy, but they are just that, differences.

What one individual considers a benefit may be seen as a drawback to the next person. It really comes down to each person’s natural makeup, which determines what works for them.

For instance, in the case of live one to one hypnotherapy, a session can be concentrated on a particular problem, which may be a priority to you at a given moment, especially if you’re easily hypnotized. With recorded self hypnosis sessions, you do not have the benefit of focalized subject matter. There is no doubt that for specific problems, particular deep rooted problems, live one to one hypnotherapy is the best option.

On the other hand, to someone else, successful hypnotherapy may be dependant on the need to hear the message repeatedly. The law of concentrated attention and the power of suggestion in hypnosis are proven and very real. In this case, a recorded self hypnosis session is really the best option. You have complete control over when and how often to hear the recording. With live hypnotherapy, you do not have the benefit of repeated play, or the convenience of selective timing.

There is nothing preventing you from trying combined therapy, wherein you see a hypnotherapist in person, and also benefit from self hypnosis recordings in your own time. There is no system to conform to; it’s really whatever works for each individual person. Each of us has to answer this for ourselves.

After several face to face hypnotherapy sessions, you may want to try a CD or a download, and see how it works for you. On the other hand, you may start with self hypnosis recordings, and after experiencing some degree of success, you may wish to have one or more face to face sessions.

From a cost standpoint, it’s certainly worth trying self hypnosis recordings first. It’s far more economical than face to face, and if successful, you can save a lot of time and money by directing your own therapy. I always give my clients one of my own self hypnosis CDs to use in between therapy sessions, so that they get the best of both worlds.

There is also the added advantage that by repeated listening of a recording you’ll have experienced the hypnotic state many times, which means you’ll no what to expect from hypnosis in general. Some people find it hard to enter a state of creative relaxation on the first few attempts. Since you’ll have experienced this many times from listening to a self hypnosis recording, it could save you both time and money should you wish to visit a hypnotherapist for live one to one sessions.

I’ve heard of a few hypnotherapists who question the effectiveness of self hypnosis recordings and I often get asked the question "do recorded hypnosis sessions actually work?" I say yes they do, without question. It’s like anything else; it may not work for everyone, but for those who are willing to listen regularly, it can be extremely successful. Hypnosis is about suggestion, the more you hear something, the more it penetrates. This is precisely why recorded self hypnosis sessions are so effective. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

About the Author
Barrie St John is a leading figure in the field of hypnotherapy and personal change. He is the author behind the best selling self hypnosis CDs and downloads at www.HypnoShop.com

Self Hypnosis To Quit Smoking

Here's a brief look at self hypnosis to quit smoking and why it is an effective method for overcoming the addiction to cigarettes..

An increasing number of people who are addicted to nicotine are turning to self hypnosis to quit smoking. In fact, one of Hollywood top actor, Matt Damon, star of The Bourne Identity describe his hypnosis experience to Jay Leno, The Tonight Show

"I should have done it years ago…It's amazing I didn't even want cigarettes any more."

With self hypnosis, no longer will you be controlled by the need to smoke. This natural self help remedy will gently reinforce your mind from its current addicted state to completely break free from the addiction to cigarettes.

Why Does Self Hypnosis to Quit Smoking Work?

• It helps people who have already made a determination to kick the habit. The hypnosis can reinforce this motivation and help a person to become a non-smoker.



• Hypnosis is of great benefit in allaying the various physical and psychological symptoms that might begin to make an appearance in the person when they try to keep away from the cigarettes. These symptoms could be as severe as a cold turkey situation in some people. Generally, people find it very difficult to go through these symptoms and just so that they could avoid them, they might give up their plan to stop smoking. However, hypnosis can ease or even completely remove these symptoms. This makes it easier for people to quit smoking.



• Pattern smoking is found in many people. Some people would light up after a meal or some would light up after they return home from work. This happens even without any conscious desire to smoke. It is just a habit that the person has formed and now finds it difficult to give up. Self hypnosis to quit smoking helps immensely in helping people give up such pattern related smoking habits. It is a method that can help in reprogramming your subconscious mind.



• Smoking is a desire-driven habit too. Nicotine is a habit-forming substance, though it itself does not do the harm that is associated with cigarettes (that is why nicotine patches work – they satisfy the person's craving without introducing the harmful substances such as tar and carbon monoxide in the body of the smoker). Hypnosis is probably the only way in which the desires that a person has for nicotine can be removed or at least, lessened.



• When hypnosis is used to help people quit smoking, the therapy also bring some positive changes in the person too. Like, the motivation to take up yoga class or exercise to have a healthy lifestyle. These changes can become permanent in those people and greatly enrich the qualities of their lives.

Self hypnosis is one of the most effective method for helping a person quit the smoking habit, however it must be remembered that hypnosis will not work if the person hasn't resolved himself or herself to give up the habit. A prior belief in hypnosis and the determination to quit smoking is extremely important, because only then can your brain take in the suggestion easily to help program you to stop smoking and become a non-smoker.

This self hypnosis download can help you to quit smoking and stayed stopped!

Self Help Hypnosis - Maximise Your Potential With Self Hypnosis

Anyone and everyone can help themselves to overcome life's challenges with self hypnosis and achieve the extraordinary.

If you are wondering why would anyone want or should learn to preform self hypnosis to help themselves since there are already thousands of methods that a person can turn to, to improve themselves. Well, the answer lies within our powerful subconscious mind.

In a 1981 article "The phenomena and Characteristics of Self Hypnosis", Dr Erika Fromm discovered that our brain is more receptive to self suggestions, rather than receiving them from another person, because these self suggestions are more readily accepted by our ego. Therefore, if you have something you desire to change or accomplish such as losing weight, overcoming a fear or to quit a 20 year smoking habit, believe it or not, self hypnotherapy can help you deal with all of these problems quickly and easily. By positively aligning your thoughts with your area of enhancement, self hypnosis will help you create a definite focus for your mind to maximize your creative potential to accomplish whatever you desire from life.

7 Simple Steps To Perform Self Hypnosis

1. First, decide what you wish to accomplish with self hypnosis. For example, you may plan to give yourself auto-suggestions that will increase your self confidence for an upcoming presentation or interview. Create one or two positive sentences and making sure to frame them in the present tense: "I am gracious, charismatic and confident of my success" might be one possibility.



2. Next, choose a quiet, private place to perform your self hypnosis. Plan at least half an hour without interruption.



3. Sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Tell yourself to relax completely. One way to assist the process of full relaxation is to tighten your muscles, hold for about four seconds, and then relax them fully. Relax each part of your body, beginning with your face, your neck, your shoulders down to your legs.



4. Now imagine yourself walking down a flight of ten stairs leading downwards to a door, and counting silently to yourself as you imagine going down the staircase step by step. Once you reach the bottom of the staircase, open the door you see there.



5. As you step into the room, tell yourself that you will find whatever you need in that room. Begin your self suggestions at this point. You may simply picture yourself doing, or being, or experiencing, whatever is your goal for this session.



6. Continue to breathe deeply and evenly as you repeat these suggestions. You may even wish to say them out loud a couple of times.



7. When you feel ready, imagine yourself going back through the door. As you climb the staircase, count backward from Ten to One. On One, you will open your eyes slowly. You control your mind during this process, and your constant self-affirmations have a powerful effect for change on your subconscious mind.

Can I Really Change Myself through Self Hypnosis?

You certainly can. You can undo bad habits, like smoking or overeating. You can give yourself permission to be happier, more self-confident, less shy and more outgoing - just by using the right message.

To achieve real change, it's necessary to change the subconscious; and the best way to develop influence over the subconscious mind is through the skills of self hypnosis.

Do you know the world's top athletes and movie stars like Tiger Woods, Lee Evans, John Travolta and Oprah use self hypnosis to help themselves overcome their failures and achieve their true potential.

If you are truly ready to live better, use professional self hypnosis downloads to help you improve yourself, increase your motivation, and make dramatically positive changes in your life.

Does Hypnosis Work?

If you ever wonder does hypnosis work, you need to read about this very useful and well-informed article about the possibilities in hypnosis from The New York Times.

It usefully points out a few case studies and explained why many people believed that "hypnosis didn’t work on them" or "why they weren't hypnotized" - and yet hypnosis did work - and the patients' problems were resolved permanently!

The Times article states:

...Hypnosis is the epitome of mind-body medicine. It can enable the mind to tell the body how to react, and modify the messages that the body sends to the mind. It has been used to counter the nausea of pregnancy and chemotherapy; dental and test-taking anxiety; pain associated with surgery, root canal treatment and childbirth; fear of flying and public speaking; compulsive hair-pulling; and intractable hiccups, among many other troublesome health problems

Read the complete New York Times article here...

So what about self hypnosis? Can I change myself through self hypnosis too?

You certainly can.

In the same article, Dr. Temes said hypnosis could be helpful even if done with a cassette tape or CD...

If you’d like some help to begin with, there are many good (powerful) self hypnosis downloads available on the homepage of this site that can help you achieve dramatic positive changes in your life.