The addictive power of nicotine in cigarettes is so incredibly strong that some psychologists often claim that it is easier to stop using heroin than it is to stop smoking. The chemical composition of nicotine has strong effects on the brain, and while some cigarette companies market low-nicotine products, these are only a small proportion of their marketing system (similar to McDonalds, who advertises healthy salads but makes less than 1% of their revenue from salads). Smokers of all ages and backgrounds have attempted to quit of their own accord, but only around one in three smokers can make a clean break from their addiction without relapsing. Fifty million Americans smoke cigarettes and approximately seventy percent of smokers express the desire to quit. Smoking can be a habit that costs upwards of five thousand dollars a year and drastically shortens life expectancy by spiking the odds of cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, and gums. Strategies, such as cold turkey, stepping down, or using patches or gum can help, but some find the physical desire too great to overcome. As such, many have turned to alternate solutions for their problem, including a method that seems drastic but has shown great improvement — stop smoking hypnosis.

Popular perception of hypnosis is very poor; the idea that a swinging stopwatch will turn a person into someone’s personal slave at the clap of a hand is untrue. Psychologists are not entirely unified on the subject of hypnosis, but many agree that the state of deep REM sleep makes one more susceptible to suggestion. Psychologists use many different practices to achieve this level of trance-like sleep, but some do not even need to place a patient under their suggestion, and will give auditory messages to be played during normal sleep — the equivalent of one patient managing to quit smoking with hypnosis CDs or tapes. The messages become ingrained into the subconscious so that actions taken, even purely voluntary in nature, can trigger psychological distress or anguish; reaching for a pack of cigarettes becomes a painful experience.

Individual hypnosis for quitting smoking is different from group sessions or mass-marketing approaches, as there is an individually tailored practice that may or may not work for different smoking addicts. While one-on-one hypnosis is widely considered more effective, it is naturally also more expensive. Clinical psychologists can charge anywhere from thirty to five hundred dollars an hour for their time, and rarely are able to produce satisfactory results in only a few sessions. The disadvantage is almost purely a monetary one, as hypnosis has few (if any) side effects and no health complications. Many hypnotists are quick to say that even the most expensive session rates are trivial compared to the amount of money — perhaps hundreds of dollars each month — spent on a smoker’s habit. The advantage, of course, is well promoted by the mental health advocates — hypnosis has almost three times higher success rates than any other tobacco quitting routine.

The principle behind hypnosis is the idea that, at a point in every smoker’s life, they were not physically and mentally addicted to the nicotine in tobacco. As such, hypnosis sessions start with lengthy question and answer sessions about the introduction of tobacco into a smoker’s life. After all, each smoker had to start somewhere, and identifying the initial addiction is key to the recovery. Hypnotists collect as much information as possible and then prepare to re-create this environment. The ultimate goal with hypnosis is to reduce and eliminate the psychological need for nicotine. This need is considered to be about three-quarters of the desire that smokers feel (the other part is the body’s reaction to smoking, such as the light-headed feeling and increased blood pressure), but it was not always part of a smoker’s mental makeup. As such, finding the balancing point is a critical part of hypnosis for quitting smoking.

The clinical procedure requires a great deal of trust between patient and hypnotist. After all, it is universally acknowledged that a proper attitude is of the utmost important for the desired results and a cynical or jaded person cannot be fully submerged in the proper state. The psychologist first creates the proper atmosphere for the process by removing as much stress impetus from the patient, as possible, clearing away whatever doubts about financial states or family may be a roadblock to clear thinking. When the proper mood has been achieved, the patient must re-create their first experience with the physical need for a smoke. Under the hypnotic state, the hypnotist can begin to implant seeds of doubt and distrust in the smoker’s psyche, which begins to remove the mind’s desire to achieve the pleasant feeling of nicotine. This is similar to the process by which addiction occurs — after all, the smoker had to have overcome any feelings of revulsion he or she first experienced to become dependent upon smoking. This effect may take quickly or it may take extensive time, but eventually a smoker will not only begin to feel little urge to smoke, but the experience will be far less pleasurable than it was during addiction.

Some psychologists believe that self-hypnosis is as important as clinical procedures and allow their patients to self-hypnotize in order to keep up therapy. This procedure is relatively simple, as hypnotic states are similar to basic sleep. Through meditation or medication, a patient enters the state of susceptibility and a recorded tape or a partner feeds them the information or message they are working with. This method may be cheaper than regular sessions, but lacks the professional oversight often needed for a full recovery.

Those interested in pursuing a psychological procedure for overcoming their addiction to nicotine and tobacco should first consult their doctor for a recovery plan, and to determine their personal capabilities and willingness to follow through each stage of the plan. Then, consider the most optimal recovery rates and expense needs, and consult a licensed parapsychologist to administer and monitor the recovery.

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