Published research · Lancaster, PA & online
What the research says about hypnosis, with links to every study.
Hypnosis has been studied for decades. These are the studies I find most useful, each linked to the original so you can read it yourself. I've described each one the way the researchers did, including how big it was and what it didn't show.
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Quitting smoking
Hypnosis to quit smoking.
Three results from two studies that followed people for months. Quit smoking with hypnosis
Smoking · 2004
81%In one small clinical study of a three-session hypnosis program, 81% of smokers were smoke-free when the program ended.
Elkins & Rajab, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental HypnosisSmoking · 2004, one year on
48%In the same small study, 48% were still smoke-free a year later.
Elkins & Rajab, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental HypnosisSmoking · 2014
3xIn a 2014 study of people hospitalized with heart and lung conditions, those who had a single hypnosis session were over three times more likely to be smoke-free at 26 weeks than those given nicotine replacement.
Hasan et al., Complementary Therapies in MedicineWeight and eating habits
Hypnosis and eating.
Two trials, one review, and one study of mental imagery. Weight loss with hypnosis
Eating habits · 2022
68%In a trial of 80 adults who struggled with impulsive eating, 68% of those who had hypnosis no longer scored as impulsive eaters after eight months, compared with 11% who took nutrition classes alone.
Delestre et al., American Journal of Clinical NutritionStress · 2023
Better ways to cope
In the same trial, eight months on, the people who had hypnosis and learned self-hypnosis handled stress more by solving problems and less by reacting emotionally, and they reported more energy.
Untas et al., American Journal of Clinical HypnosisHypnosis with CBT · 2021
Medium-sized advantage
A 2021 review that pooled 48 treatment comparisons found that adding hypnosis to cognitive behavioral therapy gave people an extra benefit. At follow-up, the authors reported a medium-sized advantage, “specifically for the treatment of obesity.”
Ramondo et al., International Journal of Clinical and Experimental HypnosisMental imagery · 2019
14 lbIn a trial of 114 adults, people trained to use vivid mental imagery of their goals lost an average of 14 pounds by 12 months, with no diet advice at all. A group given the same amount of motivational counseling lost under 2 pounds. It's one trial, and imagery training isn't hypnosis.
Solbrig et al., International Journal of ObesityThe science of eating habits
Why diets alone don't last.
You don't need more information about food. These studies show what actually drives eating: habits, settings, feelings and sleep. None of them are about hypnosis. They're about the part of you that hypnosis works with.
Weight regain · 2018
80%A review by an NIH obesity researcher describes the usual pattern after a diet: early weight loss, a plateau, then gradual regain. In the studies it cites, more than half of lost weight came back within two years, and more than 80% within five.
Hall & Kahan, Medical Clinics of North AmericaHabits · 2002
43%In diary studies, about 43% of what people did each day was habit: done almost every day, in the same place. Nearly half of their eating and drinking fit the same pattern.
Wood, Quinn & Kashy, Journal of Personality and Social PsychologyHabits · 2011
Stale popcorn
In a cinema study, people with a strong movie-popcorn habit ate about as much week-old stale popcorn as fresh. Hunger and taste barely mattered. The habit only ran in the cinema, and it loosened when they ate with their other hand.
Neal et al., Personality and Social Psychology BulletinEmotional eating · 2007
3,345 peopleAmong 3,345 people who had lost weight and kept it off, those who tended to eat in response to their feelings and thoughts were more likely to regain over the next year.
Niemeier et al., ObesityStress · 2001
Stress and sweets
In a lab study of 59 women, those whose bodies released more of the stress hormone cortisol ate more after a stressful task, and more sweet food overall. The more their mood dropped, the more they ate.
Epel et al., PsychoneuroendocrinologySleep · 2017
385 caloriesWhen people were short on sleep, they ate about 385 more calories the next day, without burning any more.
Al Khatib et al., European Journal of Clinical NutritionDistracted eating · 2026
The next meal
A 2026 review of 50 experiments found that people who ate while distracted ate more at their next meal.
Gough et al., American Journal of Clinical NutritionAnxiety and the nervous system
What happens in the mind and body.
Two reviews of the anxiety research, and how hypnosis affects the nervous system. Anxiety hypnosis
Anxiety · 2019
84%A 2019 analysis pooled 15 studies that compared hypnosis with a control group. By the end of treatment, the average person who had hypnosis lowered their anxiety more than about 79% of the people in the control groups. At the last follow-up, that rose to about 84%. Hypnosis worked best alongside other kinds of support.
Valentine et al., International Journal of Clinical and Experimental HypnosisAnxiety · 2010
“Compelling evidence”
“The tremendous volume of research provides compelling evidence that hypnosis is an efficacious treatment for state anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.”
"State anxiety" means anxiety tied to a situation, like a test or a medical procedure.
Nervous system · 2024
Rest and digest
A 2024 review in Frontiers in Psychology reported evidence that hypnosis reduces fight-or-flight (sympathetic) activity and increases rest-and-digest (parasympathetic) activity.
Leo, Keller & Proietti, Frontiers in PsychologyWhich habit would you change first?
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Your next step
Research is a good start. Your situation is the next step.
The discovery session is a free 30-minute phone call, with no obligation. I'll ask about your goals and what you've tried, explain how hypnosis works with what you're dealing with, and help you get started if it's a fit.
Book your free discovery session30 minutes on the phone, free, and no pressure to sign up for anything.
On the call you'll get:
- Straight answers to your questions, from a certified hypnotist who's been doing this since 2013.
- A clear picture of what's going on. What's been keeping the habit in place, and how hypnosis can work with it.
- An honest evaluation. You'll know whether hypnosis is right for your situation, and the pricing will be laid out plainly. If we both agree to move forward, we'll schedule your first session right on the call.