Mindfulness and hypnosis are usually described as opposites. One teaches you to observe your experience without trying to change it. The other sets out to change it. A newer approach asks whether they might work better together.
The idea
Mindfulness works, but it is hard. Standard courses run for eight weeks with daily practice of up to forty-five minutes, and many people give up. Sitting with a restless mind and no guidance is not easy.
Hypnosis is good at producing focused attention and at making suggested experiences feel real and effortless.
Mindful hypnotherapy uses a hypnotic induction to get into a focused, receptive state, and then gives suggestions for the skills that mindfulness aims to build: present-moment awareness, acceptance, and a non-judging attitude. The approach was developed by Gary Elkins and colleagues at Baylor University.
In effect, hypnosis becomes the delivery method and mindfulness the content.
The pilot trial
In a study published in 2020, forty-two university students with high stress levels were randomly assigned to mindful hypnotherapy or to a waiting list.
Those in the treatment group had one session a week for eight weeks, each about an hour, with recordings for daily home practice. Sessions covered:
- Present-moment awareness
- Non-judgemental awareness of the senses
- Awareness of thoughts and feelings
- Self-hypnosis
- Compassion for self and others
- Awareness of personal values and meaning
- Carrying mindfulness into the long term
What it found
Compared with the waiting list, the mindful hypnotherapy group showed:
- Large reductions in perceived stress and psychological distress
- Large increases in mindfulness
- Increases in self-compassion, and in sense of meaning
The waiting-list group showed no significant change in stress.
Two practical findings stand out. Participants practised on almost every day, and rated their satisfaction at 8.9 out of 10. Sticking with it is exactly where ordinary mindfulness courses struggle.
How much weight can it bear?
It was a pilot study:
- Forty-two students at one university
- A waiting-list control, which shows it was better than nothing, not better than mindfulness alone or hypnosis alone
- Self-report measures
- A short follow-up
A later systematic review and meta-analysis has examined mindful hypnotherapy for psychological distress across several studies. The key test, a head-to-head comparison with standard mindfulness training, is the kind of evidence still needed.
So it is a promising idea with early support.
Why the combination might help
- Easier entry. A guided induction gives a wandering mind something to follow.
- Less effort. Hypnotic responses feel as if they happen by themselves.
- Shorter practice. Recordings of fifteen to twenty minutes are easier to fit in.
- Suggestion reinforces the attitude. “You find it easier and easier to notice thoughts and let them pass.”
- Post-hypnotic cues carry mindfulness into the day.
Who it might suit
- People who have tried mindfulness and found it too hard to keep up
- People who like being guided
- People who respond well to hypnosis
- Anyone wanting help with everyday stress
It is not a treatment for clinical depression, anxiety disorders or trauma, which need proper care.
A ten-minute practice
- Settle. Sit comfortably. Let your eyes close.
- Induce. Take three slow breaths. With each breath out, let your body soften. Count down from five to one.
- Present moment. “Right now, there is nowhere else I need to be. I notice the feeling of the chair beneath me, the air on my skin, the sounds around me.”
- The breath. “I notice each breath as it comes and goes. I do not need to change it.”
- Thoughts. “Thoughts arise. I notice them, as I might notice clouds crossing the sky, and I let them pass.”
- Acceptance. “Whatever I notice is allowed to be here. I meet it with kindness.”
- Suggestion. “Each time I practise, this becomes easier. During my day, whenever I notice my breath, I return to the present moment.”
- Return. Count from one to five and open your eyes.
Record it in your own voice, slowly, with pauses.
How it differs from guided meditation
The line is blurry, and some guided meditations are close to hypnosis already. The differences are a formal induction, the deliberate use of suggestion to make the skills feel automatic, and post-hypnotic cues for everyday life.
A caution
Both mindfulness and hypnosis can occasionally bring up difficult feelings, and intensive practice has been reported to unsettle some people, especially those with a history of trauma. Keep sessions short, keep your eyes open if you prefer, and stop if you feel worse. Seek professional help for anything beyond everyday stress.
The bottom line
Mindful hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to make mindfulness easier to learn and to stick with. An early trial found large reductions in stress and very good adherence. It needs testing against standard mindfulness, but it is a sensible thing to try.
Next in the series: Hypnosis for Chronic Low Back Pain
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.