The more offers there are for online hypnosis and hypnotherapy, the more often the question arises as to whether it really works. Basically, the answer to the question: "Does hypnosis work online?" is yes. As someone who very often carries out hypnotherapy online, I can say this with great certainty. Hypnosis basically works the same whether it is experienced digitally or analog.

However, the question may refer to recorded or live hypnosis. Hypnosis on YouTube or via video chat with a hypnotherapist works differently, of course.

In addition, the goal can be different. Some simply want to get into a trance with hypnosis, others want changes through hypnosis.

Effect of hypnosis

Basically, hypnosis has two effects, namely the creation of a trance and the influence on unconscious parts. The second effect belongs primarily to the category of hypnotherapy and is based on the first effect. In principle, it is possible to go into a hypnotic trance without a post-hypnotic change occurring. However, we cannot change anything hypnotically without a trance.

Both of these effects of hypnosis can be achieved via the internet. Anyone who has ever caught themselves in a trance, e.g. while watching online videos (even unrelated to hypnosis), knows that screens can be very hypnotic. People who are glued to their smartphones are often very absorbed in a trance. They tune out the world and focus on what is happening on the screen. We can use this in online hypnosis. The first effect is therefore certainly given with online hypnosis.

The second effect, namely the change, depends very much on the type of online hypnosis.

Types of hypnosis online

Now that we have evaluated the possible effects of hypnosis, we can look at the forms of hypnosis: recorded or live.

Recorded

Recorded online hypnosis includes everything from videos to audio recordings. These are available in various qualities and on various topics on the Internet. Certain hypnotists have built their entire business on selling hypnosis mp3s. Now we can ask ourselves whether and why recorded hypnosis works online or not.

In principle, most hypnotic media can put people into a hypnotic trance. In most cases, the audio track is sufficient, as most people close their eyes for hypnosis anyway. This means that audio files can also function as hypnosis.

The question is not so easy to answer when it comes to the change process of this recorded hypnosis. This is because the second effect of hypnosis is not necessarily dependent on the subject, but on the person. If the recorded hypnosis is appropriate and permissive, it can certainly work. However, most of the hypnosis I have heard on the internet is often not very elegant. The more straightforward and commanding a hypnotherapy is, the less people, or their unconscious, are picked up by it. I always have clients who have listened to a lot of hypnosis on YouTube or similar without feeling any great effect. If what is said does not fit, then our unconscious often gets in the way and a certain mood may be created, but sometimes the effect cannot unfold.

The transformative function of hypnosis in this form of online hypnosis is therefore limited for many people. However, this does not mean that you cannot be hypnotized. Because everyone can be hypnotized with the right hypnosis

Live

The hypnosis that works best online is not recorded. This means that the hypnotherapist can tailor his hypnosis to the reaction of the hypnotized person. In contrast to recording, individual characteristics can also be taken into account. Not everyone likes "the white of the snow-covered mountains" and not everyone relaxes to the "sound of the waves". Certain suggestions such as diving into the sea can even do more harm than good. In personal live hypnosis, these facts can of course be taken into account.

The better the hypnotic suggestions fit our subconscious world, the better they are usually accepted and incorporated. That is why the personal touch is generally recommended for online hypnotherapy.

Does online hypnotherapy via video chat work?

One-to-one hypnotherapy via video chat is of course the most successful method of hypnosis online. In my experience, hypnotherapy sessions via video chat work just as well as those in person. Sometimes they even work better.

People are very good at allowing themselves to be influenced by their surroundings. The effect of hypnosis is therefore also linked to the environment. The skilled hypnotherapist naturally makes use of this: "Every time you walk through the door, your inner self will remind you that...". However, experience shows that this application is less effective than hypnosis at home. I have often experienced in my practice that someone has tied the change to the premises and the transfer to everyday life was more difficult. However, if someone with sleep disorders, for example, is lying in bed for hypnotherapy, this connection can become much stronger. I had a client with whom this happened and she was able to fall asleep free of insomnia because she automatically remembered the images of hypnosis in bed.

Conclusion

Hypnosis can work well online if you let it work on you in the right way. Hypnotherapy works just as well or even better online than in person.

If you have decided to undergo hypnosis or hypnotherapy, the question often arises as to whether health insurance companies pay for hypnosis. Since I get this question so often, I have asked all the statutory health insurance companies in Switzerland and here is the answer to the question of whether the health insurance company pays for hypnotherapy:

Health insurance companies that recognize hypnosis - Insurance List Switzerland 2023

As you can see in the following table, Switzerland is a developing country when it comes to the recognition of hypnosis by health insurance companies.

I got the initial list from the FOPH's directory of health insurers. The request to the Swiss basic insurers was more laborious than expected. I asked them directly whether they would cover hypnosis or hypnotherapy. Most of them understood the request, but there were health insurers who refused to provide information without me being insured with them. I have noted this in the table. With the exception of Swica, I have not included basic insurers from whom I did not receive a reply in the table.

Does basic insurance cover hypnosis?

Basic health insurance in Switzerland does not cover the costs of hypnotherapy. This also applies to medical hypnosis and even if other therapy methods have not been successful. Without supplementary insurance, hypnosis is not covered by health insurance and is not a health insurance benefit,

EMR/ASCA recognition

Unfortunately, many insurance companies rely on the private company called EMR (short for Erfahrungsmedizinisches Register) to recognize therapy methods. Contrary to all scientific findings, this company excludes hypnosis. The competitor certificate of the ASCA of the Foundation for Complementary Medicine, on the other hand, recognizes hypnotherapy as a therapy method. Unfortunately, of the insurance companies we asked, only rhenusana referred to this label.

Conclusion Hypnosis Health Insurance Switzerland

In principle, hypnotherapy is therefore not recognized by health insurance companies in Switzerland. Only 4 of the insurances requested pay for hypnosis under the right circumstances and only the EGK pays for hypnosis with every therapist and for every topic.

Frequently asked questions

Hypnosis as well as meditation are very trendy. More and more people want to be more in harmony with themselves. But more and more often the question arises: What is the difference between hypnosis and meditation?

Again and again in my hypnosis practice I am asked this question.

In order to be able to compare the two practices properly we should distinguish between what one does alone, namely self-hypnosis and meditation, and what one is guided from the outside, such as guided meditation and hypnosis.

In addition, there are of course also different forms of meditation, some of which are different. While some focus on something, others simply let themselves "happen" and practice mindfulness.

So there are different forms of both meditation and hypnosis. But it connects them more than it distinguishes.

Why hypnosis or meditation at all?

Why are you interested in meditation or Hypnosis? Most people who have chosen are interested in the search for change, in the search for an access to the inside. Perhaps even in search of enlightenment.

Mostly they have noticed that there is more to you than just your conscious mind. And meditation as well as hypnosis can be a way to get in touch with your inner self.

The connoisseurs of trance know that a life in harmony with oneself brings balance, health and understanding. To become a team with the unconscious is therefore worthwhile in any case.

For a start

Hypnosis very often has a certain shady aftertaste. One thinks of manipulation and sleazy hypnotists. Meditation, on the contrary, has the appearance of pure enlightenment. You just sit and close your eyes. This difference is probably mainly due to the respective marketing.

However, what most forms of meditation have in common is that most beginners do not know exactly when it "worked". Very often practitioners then sit there with their eyes closed and wait for it to feel different. It is then usually not quite clear if and what should change in their feelings. If the goal is not clear, it can sometimes be hard to find the right way.

How do hypnosis and meditation work?

As someone who has had a lot of experience with meditation and (self-)hypnosis, I can say that both have the same effect. Both hypnosis and meditation create a trance. The trance is so relevant in spiritual events that it has many names in different teachings. As many names as it has, the same thing is usually described. It is a state of lightness and carelessness that combines both focus and creativity. Many also describe it as "all thoughts as well as none at the same time" as "being in flow" and "in harmony with oneself".

The trance can be understood above all as the bridge between the conscious and the unconscious mind. As a state between awake and sleeping, the trance connects the two inner parts. This can also be measured in the brain.

Brain waves

If we measured brain waves with an EEG, at Mastering meditation and mastering self-hypnosis would probably result in something quite similar. Namely one more in alpha and theta waves. These also occur naturally, namely during concentration and as a preliminary stage to dreaming. That's why even experienced meditators and practiced self-hypnotists report of colored images in front of the inner eye.

Grundsätzlich haben also die Zustände verschiedene Namen, sehen aber am Schluss ziemlich ähnlich aus.

Differences between meditation and hypnosis

Now that we know that hypnosis and meditation reach the same state, it may be clear that mainly the application is different.

Because hypnosis is used to use the state of trance for change. Meditation usually has the achievement of the state as its only goal. Being in the flow alone has many positive effects, such as relaxation, stress reduction and better blood circulation.

The direct communication with the unconscious is self-hypnosis in a certain direction. Certain parts of the self are directly addressed. The unconscious parts are given suggestions for a change.

So meditation is a kind of empty hypnosis; a self-hypnosis that has the trance state as its goal. In doing so, one pays attention to what happens in the body without having any direct influence.

"Meditation seeks the trance, hypnosis uses Trance "

So what is more suitable for beginners?

For absolute beginners in the field of trance I recommend the foreign induced hypnosis. That means the most effective start is when you let someone hypnotize you. Because a trained hypnotist gives us an individual access to the trance. Something that has a connection with the personal experience. And once you have experienced the trance, then you know how to feel it. With a known destination, the search is much easier.

For example, I had a client who had been going to a temple for 20 years to meditate. She said that she could solve all her issues that way. About twenty seconds after I induced the trance on her, she started to cry. Apparently there was not as much solved as she thought. After the session she told me that for the first time she felt a change inside. When she had known how her state should be, she could then also reach it herself while meditating.

So after years of hearing and reading about this inner state, she had experienced it for the first time herself. Through this, she finally knew the goal and was able to orientate her path accordingly. Also the mental images I had used in her hypnosis, she took up her meditation/self-hypnosis.

That means for the beginning I would let a professional show me the access to my inner self. This way I know afterwards during the self-hypnosis/meditation how it should feel and what I should look for.

Also for those who are practiced in meditation it is worthwhile to try out hypnosis.

Learn where hypnosis helps with medical problems and why hypnosis may be the best proven aspect of medicine.

More and more people are realising that hypnosis can also help them to treat physical complaints. Through the combination of body and mind many things can be changed that do not seem treatable with conventional medicine.

History of medical hypnosis

When we go back in human history, the doctor and the hypnotherapist were the same person. The medicine man was both at the same time. To those who asked him for help, he gave medicine to drink and spoke the special healing words.

Over time, the professions split up. In order not to succumb to the "charlatanry" of earlier methods, the medical doctors isolated themselves and formed conventional medicine. What many do not know, however, is that the hypnotic effect is still one of the best proven effects of conventional medicine. More about this later.

The focus was on diseases, but not so much on the totality of health and prevention. The body was also seen as a kind of machine where you turn a screw or press a button and then it gets better. Meanwhile, we know that this is not entirely true for humans. The attitude towards medicine works independently of the medicine itself. This also means that our character and our daily experience have a strong influence on our health.

Even though some hospitals and universities are slowly approaching the body-mind connection again, comprehensive treatments are still in their infancy. There are still many doctors who look at me in shock when I tell them that even major operations are performed under hypnosis and almost without anaesthesia.

This means that it is advisable to use medical hypnosis if we want to support orthodox medicine. Medical hypnosis therapy also makes sense in areas where conventional medicine still has problems.

What is medical hypnosis?

Medical hypnosis is the use of hypnotherapy to treat medical problems. Hypnosis can also be used to promote health

Can medical hypnosis replace going to the doctor?

As mentioned in the introduction, the best effect is achieved by combining conventional medicine and medical hypnosis. Conventional medicine is particularly suitable for problems that "come from outside". So everything that is not bodily. For example viruses and bacteria, but also open fractures or dislocated shoulders. Hypnosis can certainly support the body with such topics, but you should not use it alone.

The main area of medical hypnosis is what comes "from within". So what the body does itself. These issues include pain, autoimmune diseases, allergies and even cancer. Self-healing always comes "from within".

Medical hypnosis can be unusually worthwhile for chronic diseases, where conventional medicine has already given up.

It is important for the patient or client to know that one does not have to choose between "conventional medicine" and "medical hypnosis". You can choose and combine that which makes the most sense to you. In the end, the body heals itself, whether with medication or hypnosis. Both have a mutually supportive effect and, ideally we combine both.

Understanding the placebo effect

Every drug that comes onto the market is compared with the placebo effect. So the placebo effect may be the effect that is best proven in all of medicine. And yet many still believe that placebo is "nothing". I hear "That's 'just' placebo," way too often.

But the placebo effect is the core of medicine. Placebo works without an active ingredient, even if the patient knows that he is taking placebo. The effect of placebo can be observed everywhere, even where conventional drugs have no effect.

Even if much is still unclear, we know in principle that a lot in our body adapts to our ideas. Whether these ideas were consciously and directly put into our mind with hypnosis, or e.g. by accident through careless statements by a doctor, makes no difference. They are nevertheless implemented by our subconscious.

Utilising placebo

So why isn't such a great cure used more often? The answer probably lies in uncertainty. Despite growing interest in the subject, medical research has not yet isolated any cause for the placebo effect. And this is apparently too uncertain for many orthodox physicians.

We hypnotherapists, on the other hand, know: the unconscious works in mysterious ways. Therefore, it is not immediately important for us to understand why hypnosis works on physical issues. If you don't understand the body only as a machine, then you can also deal with the fact that with application A you sometimes get B, sometimes C or sometimes something completely different.

However, it is quite clear that the placebo effect is pure hypnosis. Convincing the unconscious of something to make changes happen is my daily bread. When I use hypnosis to treat physical complaints, I'm actually medically inducing a better placebo effect. Completely without active substance and only with words. And without any side effects.

Preventing Nocebo.

The opposite of the placebo effect is the nocebo effect. This term is mainly used for negative placebo effects. The more interesting part, however, is that the effect of active ingredients in drugs can be reduced by the nocebo effect. When a drug does not work, it is often associated with the nocebo effect. If, for example, higher doses of painkillers are prescribed without any change, then this can very well be "Nocebo".

So it's not only important what you prescribe, but how you prescribe it. Unfortunately, this knowledge is often missing. "It doesn't make it worse either" or "With this you can get well" are very different instructions to the unconscious. In one example it hears "make it worse" in the other it's "get well"Medical communication in this case is medical hypnosis, so to speak.

That is why hypnosis therapy is such a suitable addition to regular medical treatment. With the use of hypnosis, we additionally direct the unconscious towards healing. We tell it that the drugs have good intentions, that they will work and that health is always possible. In this way we can reduce or even prevent the nocebo effect.

Does medical hypnotherapy pose any dangers?

As already explained, the nocebo effect can not only reduce the effect of drugs, but also cause negative effects. For example, there was a case in the USA where the effect of Novocaine was suggested during pain treatment. The doctors did not know that the client was allergic. The suggestion alone triggered an allergic reaction in the patient. The clumsy use of medical hypnotherapy can therefore be dangerous. Therefore, it is even more important to choose the hypnotherapist well.

Should I go to a doctor for medical hypnosis?

There are certainly some interested doctors who are well versed in hypnosis. Unfortunately, my personal experiences with doctors who had learned hypnosis have been rather negative. Hypnosis was seen as an additional drug that could be administered. This mechanistic view of man is not conducive to medical hypnosis in such cases.

Therefore I recommend to go to a hypnotherapist for medical hypnosis. Of course, it is best to consult your own doctor beforehand.

What do I do as a patient?

If you have a physical problem that you want to treat with hypnosis, you can proceed as follows: It is important that you first have everything medically checked. All serious hypnotherapists require that all physical symptoms have been medically checked

The best thing is to ask your trusted doctor if he or she can recommend someone for hypnosis. There are more and more doctors who work with hypnotherapists. If nobody is recommended to you, you can come to me.

Whether you want to tell your doctor that you are also under hypnotic treatment is up to you. In any case, you should inform your hypnotherapist which medication you are taking.

What do I do as a doctor?

If you are a doctor and are interested in hypnosis in medicine, the first thing I would recommend is self-experience. The easiest way is to book an appointment with a hypnotherapist who also offers medical hypnosis. Hypnosis in theory is something completely different than experienced hypnosis. For those who don't need self-experience, there are always courses and lectures where you can experience hypnosis.

Conclusion

Medical hypnosis has nothing to do with showhypnosis. In fact, the opposite is true. Hypnosis, in the form of intentional induction of placebo, is the most tested and versatile "cure". And if we don't use hypnosis randomly, but purposefully, the effect goes beyond placebo. Medical hypnosis is therefore a good idea for almost all patients.