The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hypnosis
Book Review
Reviewed by Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.
Want to read a book on hypnosis that is fun and easy to understand? Want to good book about hypnosis that you can recommend to your clients? The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hypnosis by Roberta Temes is both. The book consists of six parts.
The first part answers the question "What is hypnosis?" In this part of the book you will find information about hypnotizability, answers to the most common questions and misconceptions about hypnosis, the mechanisms of hypnosis, an overview of applications, and a respectable history of hypnosis.
Part 2, The Healthy You, focuses on how hypnosis can improve health, banish unwanted habits and alleviate phobias. Here, you can find plans, programs, and scripts for treating insomnia, overeating, smoking, drinking, and drugging. There is even a chapter on how to improve one's sex life with hypnosis.
Part 3, The New You is all about self improvement and enhanced performance in sports, academics, and public speaking. The chapter on hypnosis with children is particularly well-written.
Part 4, Get Well Soon, shows readers how hypnosis can be used in medical procedures such as preparation for surgery, childbirth, pain management, and recovery from injury.
Part 5, Another Side of Hypnosis, reveals the secrets of stage hypnotists and discusses the dangers of stage hypnosis. There is also a very good chapter on hypnosis and memory.
Part 6, You're on Your Own, teaches self-hypnosis, with tests of hypnotizability, do-it-yourself scripts, and advice on how to find a trustworthy hypnotist.
Roberta Temes, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and Hypnotherapist, teaching as an clinical assistant professor in the Psychology Department at SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn, New York. She is the editor of the first medical school textbook on hypnosis.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hypnosis draws from laboratory studies and the opinions of experts in the field. It has lots of little extras such as summaries of case studies, explanations of hypnotic terms and vocabulary, scripts, examples of post-hypnotic suggestions, hypnosis web sites, and information on how to contact hypnosis societies and training programs. This enjoyable book will be a treasure in your personal library!
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hypnosis
By Roberts Temes, Ph.D.
Alpha Books, Copyright 2000