Throw out your old ideas of hypnosis! It’s more than just a magic trick or the power of suggestion—consider the benefits of the mind telling the body how to react in certain situations. In some patients, hypnosis can help counter nausea associated with pregnancy and chemotherapy, pain after surgery or childbirth, and other tricky health problems such as hiccups, according to an article in The New York Times.

Many people believe that for hypnosis to work, one must be unconscious or asleep during the session. However, during hypnosis, the subject is actually put into a conscious but relaxed state, which opens the mind up for accepting suggestions. The suggestions can range from changing the way the body functions to influencing behavior.

It’s not even necessary to be in the same room as the hypnotist to reap the benefits. CDs are available for common hypnosis issues such as weight loss, chronic pain, and stress management; and can be just as effective as an in-person hypnosis session.

Have you tried hypnosis, or do you know patients that have used it to improve a condition?