Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Hypnosis

The 25th of July is observed annually as Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day to bring attention to the positive effects of hypnotherapy on health and happiness. Did you know that until the 18th century, hypnosis was regarded as sorcery and magic? Hypnosis is a psychological condition resembling sleep in which a person loses the ability to act voluntarily and becomes extremely receptive to suggestions or commands. Hypnotherapy, or the use of hypnosis as a therapeutic technique, is frequently used to help people overcome bad behaviours and deal with issues such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, weight loss, grief, conflicts, and sleep disorders. Hypnotherapy is administered by hypnotherapists and psychologists with training.

The background of Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day

Since the advent of ancient Egypt and Greece, hypnosis has been used to assist with problem-solving. In 1027, Avicenna (Ibn Sina) published “The Book of Healing,” a book on sleep and hypnosis, which is the earliest known reference to hypnosis. Around 1770, the Austrian physician Franz Mesmer devised the theory of animal magnetism, also known as’mesmerism.’ Mesmer used this hypnotic technique to treat patients in Vienna and Paris, but his work was swiftly discredited by other scientists for lack of scientific evidence. However, many clinicians of his time continued to use’mesmerism.’

James Braid, a Scottish ophthalmologist, devised the term ‘hypnosis’ in 1842, from the Greek word for’sleep.’ This term was first introduced in his unpublished “Practical Essay on the Curative Agency of Neuro-Hypnotism.” Braid opposed the Mesmerists while developing a psychological and physiological rationale for the effects of mesmerism.

Later, Braid was recognised as the first genuine hypnotist. Several physicians took an interest in hypnosis around the middle of the nineteenth century. This includes Jean-Martin Charcot, Ambroise-Auguste Liebeualt, Hippolyte Bernheim, and Josef Breuer (who advocated for the use of hypnosis to treat hysteria). During a trip to France in the 1880s, Austrian physician Sigmund Freud observed hypnosis as a treatment for neurotic disorders and resolved to implement it in Vienna.

However, he encountered difficulties hypnotising certain patients and decided against hypnosis in favour of free association. The First International Congress for Experimental and Therapeutic Hypnotism was conducted in 1889 in Paris, France, and was followed by the Second International Congress from August 12 to August 19, 1900. In 1892, the British Medical Association endorsed hypnosis as a therapeutic technique and rejected mesmerism. The American Psychological Association established the Division 30 Society of Psychological Hypnosis in the late 20th century. Currently, hypnotherapy is used to manage both medical and behavioural problems.

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HYPNOSIS

During hypnosis, one is hyperaware and gains greater mental and physical control.

Hypnosis can be used to sedate patients during minor surgical procedures.

Using auto-suggestion, individuals are able to hypnotise themselves.

The only time you lose your memories during a hypnotherapy session is if that is the intended outcome.

Associations such as the National Guild of Hypnotists, American Hypnosis Society, American Hypnosis Association, and International Hypnosis Association are open to qualified hypnotists.

HEALTH AND HAPPINESS WITH HYPNOSIS DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	July 25	Tuesday
2024	July 25	Thursday
2025	July 25	Friday
2026	July 25	Saturday
2027	July 25	Sunday