The Ultimate Hypnosis Library

The pleasurable effects of nicotine have been studied for many years and are one of the reasons people find it so difficult to stop smoking. Some people try a cigarette and hate it on first puff — so they quickly give up smoking and never start again. For others, though, that first cigarette provides such a positive rush that they can't imagine ever not smoking again.

Clearly, different people experience nicotine differently. The reasons for this difference are the subject of a new study published by The University of Western Ontario, and researchers there are examining, specifically, how nicotine travels the brain pathways.

In those who enjoy smoking from the first puff...continue reading »

A new study published in Genome Biology suggests that mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, may be a developmental byproduct of our brain's evolution.

Humans have the most evolved and largest brains of all the mammalian species. Furthermore, our brains evolved rapidly compared to other species; this rapid...continue reading »

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disorder which leads to hair loss. Initially, the disease is characterized by rapid hair loss, usually on the scalp, but it can also lead to hair loss on other parts of the body. Alopecia Areata may lead to complete loss of hair, creating bald patches on the scalp or body, or it may be more diffuse, where the hair becomes thinner and more fragile.

Typically, Alopecia Areata is diagnosed when there is rapid hair loss, patchiness, and a more significant loss of hair on one side of the head compared to the other. It is believed to be caused by an immune disorder in which the body's own cells attack the hair follicles and disrupt normal hair growth and formation. Alopecia Areata is often associated with other autoimmune disorders such as lupus, ulcerative colitis...continue reading »

This is personal for me, as I recently found out I have a previously undiagnosed thyroid problem that has made my weight a constant issue.

But let's start with the celebrity.

As you may know, recently Oprah Winfrey revealed that she has hypothyroidism.

Oprah said she was ". . . going around from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was wrong, and finally figured out that I had literally sort of blew out my thyroid."

Could this have been what was causing her weight...continue reading »

The July 2008 issue of the European Journal of Pain details a study which examined hypnosis and pain management in patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), the researchers compared two groups of fibromyalgia sufferers. One group was given suggestions for pain management without hypnotic induction, while the other group received the same suggestions after hypnotic induction. (Basically, one group was hypnotized, and the other wasn't.)

Researchers then took brain scans of each group...continue reading »

You know that smoking isn't one of your healthiest habits. You might have been trying to quit for a while, even though this can be challenging to do.

There is another reason to stop smoking now — a new study predicts that spouses of smokers are at an increased risk of stroke.

For those who have never smoked, being married to a smoker leads to a 42% increase...continue reading »

The University of Liverpool has published a study which demonstrates that hypnosis can slow the symptoms of dementia. As you may know, dementia is a neurological condition which can result in people losing their memories- they can forget where they live, they forget people they love, and tend to become more withdrawn and less social as the disease progresses.

In this study, dementia patients were treated with hypnosis, and showed improvements in memory, concentration, and levels of social interaction compared to a group who did not undergo hypnosis. In addition, for the hypnosis dementia group, relaxation, interest, and motivation also improved, as did participation in the activities of daily living (ADL's). Activities of daily living would include behaviors such as taking a shower...continue reading »