Recently I received a comment on my YouTube video, A Simple Self Hypnosis Technique: What is the correlation between meditation and Hypnosis?
That's a good question! Both are relaxing; both help reduce stress, and both tend to lead the brainwaves to go down into theta - about 3-5 cycles a second.
There are many forms of meditation, although most are familiar with the concept of following one's breath to feel calm and centered, or allowing one's thoughts to just drift by, with simple awareness, but no attachment to the thoughts themselves.
Hypnosis also takes many forms, but in essence is a relaxed, focused state of concentration known as going into trance (or the zone). In this state, the mind is open to suggestion, can review past traumas with emotional distance for healing purposes, and reinforce any positive habits or patterns that the client wants, whether the perfect golf swing or giving a public speech.
In many ways, hypnosis is a guided meditation that has a specific intention. Some examples: age regressions or past life regressions; meet ancestors/guides; change a habit; hypnobirthing; experience emotional freedom; receive messages from the body; pain management; reduce insomnia, etc.
The correlation between them is they are both ways to experience more calmness and peacefulness, allowing the body to get out of "fight-or-flight" and back into the parasympathetic nervous system. They are both wonderful ways to create the mind-body connection as well as more mindfulness; manage emotions rather than having emotions manage you; and for many people, a spiritual practice offering comfort, guidance, and insight.
