Hypnosis Therapy for Cancer

What exactly is hypnosis? Hypnotists say that hypnosis creates a state of deep relaxation. They say that hypnosis quiets the conscious mind and leaves the unconscious part of the mind open to suggestions. People who are in an hypnotic state have selective attention. They are able to concentrate completely on a specific thought, memory, feeling, or sensation and totally block out distractions.

Hypnosis has been very successfully used over the years for behavior modification (weight loss, smoking cessation, etc.), and physicians have found that hypnosis is a very effective complimentary therapy to use when treating cancer patients. Through hypnosis, cancer patients can learn to control pain, fear, anxiety, and stress. The use of hypnosis can reduce or even eliminate the need for many medications that are used to help cancer patients control the physical and mental pain caused by the disease.

Let's be very clear, here. There is absolutely no evidence that hypnosis can cure cancer or slow or stop the growth of tumors. Hypnosis is not a treatment for cancer. Hypnosis is a complimentary therapy that can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, drug therapy, and surgery to help patients cope with their pain, fear, stress, and anxiety and to improve their quality of life. Hypnosis is often used in conjunction with other complimentary therapies like aromatherapy massage and biofeedback to help cancer patients cope and to decrease the need for drugs.


Sometimes when people think of hypnosis, they picture the hypnotist on stage with a volunteer who clucks like a chicken. But this is simply a wrong concept of hypnosis. The patient is never under the control of the hypnotist. In an altered hypnotic state, a patient can be guided by the hypnotist to positive outcomes like pain control, more peaceful emotions, and less stress, fear, or anxiety.