Hypnosis Products on CD, MP3, and Download
A wide variety of recorded self-hypnosis products are available in stores and on the Internet. The quality of these recordings varies widely, as does the hypnotic content. Many producers of self-hypnosis recordings have little or no training in hypnosis, lack clinical experience and often use inferior equipment. This is especially true of the many very low-priced and free products available on hypnosis websites.
There are four basic rules in evaluating recorded hypnosis products:
- Decide what you want to accomplish with self-hypnosis: weight loss, smoking cessation, stress relief? Pick one goal, one that you are motivated to accomplish.
- Find a recording that offers an approach that agrees with your world-view and belief system. Many websites offer extensive descriptions and even short preview recordings of the session. Approaches vary widely. For example, Adam Sargent (hypnosisaudiocds.com) integrates Buddhist concepts and elements of quantum physics in his scripts. On the other end of the spectrum, the therapists at the Hypnosis Network (hypnosisnetwork.com) are all licensed mental health professionals employing a more traditionally psychological method.
- Make sure the recording is a high quality production, especially if it incorporates such technologies as binaural beats, subliminal suggestions or layered voices.
- Check into the qualifications of the hypnotist who designed or created the recording. Usually, a few web searches on the name of the hypnotist producing the recording are sufficient to sort out the professionals from the amateurs.
If there is a preview of the recording available, listen carefully to the quality of the voice. You won't be easily hypnotized by a nasal voice that reminds you of an annoying relative. Vocal quality varies widely across products from Wendi Friesen's (wendi.com) bubbly presence to Kelly Howell's (brainsync.com) melodic voice to Adam Sargant's deep, British tones. Try listening to samples of many different hypnotists to find a few that are both relaxing and inspiring to you.
Finally, though there are some advantages to sessions using the high-tech approaches with rich sound, three voices speaking at once, layered suggestions and binaural beats designed to confuse the mind, these recordings may be overwhelming to the inexperienced listener. They rely heavily on influencing the subconscious through confusing the conscious mind and, while powerful, can be disorienting. In hypnosis, more technology is not necessarily better. Even experienced self-hypnotists often find a simple script read by a pleasant, relaxing voice will accomplish just as much.