Hypnosis and Memory Recall – Can the Process Help You Retrieve Forgotten Memories?

Did you know that the belief about hypnosis recalling past memories has been around since ancient times? There were famous psychologists in the past who rallied behind the idea.

For one, Pierre Janet, one of the founding fathers of psychology, used hypnosis to help patients recall memories they have forgotten due to a painful past. He believed that this would help his patients deal with the psychological issues brought about by the buried memories.

Janet’s therapeutic approach heavily relied on hypnosis. He helped his patients relieve memories and transform them into meaningful experiences.

Some modern clinicians are torn on the accuracy of the memories that can be recalled through hypnosis. However, most of them use the process to help patients deal with the troubles brought upon by the forgotten past.

How Can Hypnotherapy Help You?

Instead of focusing on memory recall, hypnotherapy focuses on restructuring the actual memories of clients to make them understand the troubling emotions and give them a sense of power and control. Hypnosis helps them become focused on making positive changes to their behavior, feelings, and thoughts.

The process utilizes focused attention, intense concentration, and guided relaxation to help the patient get to the state of trance. At this state, everything else is ignored or blocked to focus on specific tasks or thoughts.

Through the help of a trained therapist, hypnosis helps patients explore hidden memories, feelings, and thoughts. The process also allows them to see things and memories in a different light.

When clients are in a hypnotic state, they become more open to suggestions, and it becomes easier for them to say what they feel. The treatment can be applied in improving symptoms of other conditions, including the following:

• Grief and loss
• Post-traumatic anxiety
• Stress
• Anxiety and fear
• Phobias

It is also used to make it easier for people to overcome unhealthy habits, such as overeating and smoking. It helps them deal with the symptoms, pain control, and eventually learn to manage their personal crisis.

Enhancing Memory

This is something that many experts believe people must focus on when seeking therapies that involve hypnosis. Memory remains a complicated topic in science up to this day. People have short-term and long-term memories.

When you go in a trance-like state, the practitioner can help you focus on either type of memory to recall information that you stored but have forgotten. This is why some people go to a hypnotherapist to retrieve trivial memories like passwords, lock combinations, or where they have placed certain things.

Some patients seek hypnotherapy treatment to improve memory. This is typically done by a therapist through posthypnotic suggestions while helping the patients deal with stress. The process can help people who want to memorize lines faster, those taking tests, and professionals who wish to hone their mental state.

While hypnosis can help retrieve memories, no one can ever be certain if you have recalled a genuine memory or something brought upon by heightened imagination. If you still want to undergo the process, make sure that you go to a hypnotherapist who will explain and guide you through it. One thing is certain, though – you cannot employ hypnosis as a truth serum or an alternative to a lie detector.