Dr. David Spiegel: 10-MINUTE Hypnosis Hack to Rewire Your Brain & Reduce Stress 80% Faster

David Spiegel sheds light on hypnosis as a mental state of deep concentration and a departure from conventional thought processes, mirroring the immersive experience of a captivating film.

Hypnosis is a state of highly focused attention and dissociation from one's ordinary ways of thinking and being

Hypnosis is characterized by a sharpening of focus and a detachment from typical awareness. Spiegel compares it to the engrossment experienced when one is so absorbed in a movie that they feel part of the story rather than merely an observer. This intense concentration on specific thoughts or sensations comes with a disconnection from external stimuli, which allows for a profound experience of inner mental processes. Spiegel explains that under hypnosis, individuals might experience sensations differently, as they become more responsive to suggestions and less connected to their usual self-awareness.

Hypnosis involves three key elements: turning down activity in the brain's salience network, enhancing connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and the insular cortex, and suppressing activity in the posterior cingulate cortex (the "default mode" network)

Neurological Changes in Hypnosis

Spiegel states that hypnosis affects the brain in several ways, enabling alterations in perception and self-concept. Activity in the anterior cingulate cortex—the brain's salience network that signals when attention is needed—decreases, allowing for a narrowed focus. There is also increased functional connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula, a brain region that serves as a conduit between mind and body, which enhances control over bodily functions and internal awareness.

Furthermore, the prefrontal cortex shows inverse connectivity with the posterior c ...

David Spiegel highlights how hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool in managing pain, stress, and other physical and psychological symptoms, as well as helping individuals confront and reframe traumatic memories.

Hypnosis can be used to manage pain, stress, and other physical and psychological symptoms by altering the mind-body connection.

Spiegel recounts the experience of a reporter with metastatic breast cancer who used an app called Reverie, which Spiegel guided, helping her sleep through the night for the first time in a year. This app, useful for issues like distress, insomnia, and pain, acts interactively, providing instructions based on user feedback, resembling the experience of working with a hypnotherapist. The speaker implies that hypnosis offers control over one’s physiological responses, and he cites that 80% to 90% of individuals report immediate improvements in stress and pain management.

He shares how a pregnant woman used hypnosis to reduce her severe back pain significantly by imagining a warm bath, employing the mind's power to recall past states of relief and discomfort. This suggests that individuals can learn to "filter the hurt out of the pain" and regulate their physiological responses to stressors.

Hypnotherapy can also help people revisit and reframe traumatic memories in a more adaptive way, fostering healing and growth.

Through controlled dissociation, patients can safely relive emotional events and gain new perspectives on them. Spiegel speaks about a patient who recounted an attempted rape under hypnosis, assuring her that she was safe, and another case where a Vietnam veteran under hypnosis relived experiences during the Tet Offensive. Both individuals were able to connect the painful memories with positive ones, which led to greater emotional regulation and growth.

He explains that hypnotherapy isn't about perfec ...

David Spiegel is committed to correcting the misunderstandings surrounding hypnosis, emphasizing its role in self-regulation and personal empowerment, rather than loss of control or manipulation.

Hypnosis is not about losing control or being manipulated by the hypnotist; rather, it involves cultivating one's own capacity for focused attention and self-regulation.

Spiegel indicates that hypnosis enhances an individual's control over their reactions to external events. For instance, it might prevent someone from reacting negatively to something provocative a boss might say. He also makes clear that returning to one's usual state of mind is within the individual's control. The hypnotist's role is not to control the person but to guide them in using abilities they already possess, akin to how one would teach mindfulness. Spiegel's approach is about empowering people to explore capacities they may not have realized they had, promoting the idea that hypnosis is about gaining control, not losing it.

He wants to banish the fear that many have about hypnosis by demonstrating that it's about self-regulation, such as modulating pain and focus. Spiegel asserts that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, rejecting the idea of the hypnotist as a magician and instead positioning himself as someone who helps people self-regulate through the training of self-hypnosis.

The hypnotist's role is to guide the individual in harnessing their natural abilities, not to exert power over them.

Spiegel dispels the myth that hypnosis implies being easily influenced by demonstrating that understanding how one can be influenced can, in fact, lead to better self-defense. By becoming aware of their natural abilities, individuals are better protected against undue influence. Spiegel likens his role to that of a teacher who helps people use the "features of their brain," similar to how one uses an automobile's features. This signals that his goal is to aid individuals in harnessing their own knowledge and abilities.

Despite the common portrayal of hypnosis in media and entertainment, it is not a dangerous or uncontrollable state, and it does not invol ...

David Spiegel and Jay Shetty delve into the subject of hypnotizability, its stability over time, and how one can potentially enhance this natural state through practice and focus.

An individual's capacity for hypnosis is relatively stable over time and exists on a spectrum, with some people being highly hypnotizable and others less so

Spiegel articulates that most children naturally experience hypnotic-like trance states through imaginative play, but as people grow and logical thinking develops, some may lose part of this ability. About one-fifth of adults, referred to as "researchers," are not very hypnotizable because they constantly examine and evaluate everything. At the other end are the "poets," those who have retained high hypnotizability and can deeply immerse themselves in experiences. The majority, around 60%, are moderately hypnotizable and capable of reflecting and repeating experiences. Spiegel shares that a colleague's trait stability study discovered that hypnotizability is as stable as IQ over 25 years, with a test-retest reliability of 0.7.

Factors such as childhood experiences, personality traits, and neurological differences contribute to one's natural hypnotizability. Spiegel describes hypnotizable people as often being very sensitive to others' emotional cues and sometimes prioritize others' needs over their own.

While one's hypnotizability may be difficult to change dramatically, everyone can benefit from practicing self-hypnosis and learning to focus their attention in the ways that hypnosis enables

David Spiegel comments on the ease with which an individual can enter a state of concentration with practice. Jay Shetty expresses surprise at his own level of hypnotizability, having scored seven out of ten on an assessment, revealing his previously unacknowledged potential for hypnosis.

Spiegel discusses on ...