Because hypnosis is becoming more and more mainstream, used by doctors and nurses, chiropractors, and stage hypnotists. Creative visualization is a form of hypnosis, so if you've experienced it in a relaxation or yoga class, you, too, have engaged in a form of hypnosis.

The Mayo Clinic has been employing hypnosis for years. Its founders, the Mayo brothers, were trained in hypnosis and used it regularly to control pain and limit blood loss during surgery.

Psychiatrists used it quite a bit before they could prescribe drugs to control anxiety and depression.

In fact, it's likely that you know someone who has used hypnosis for smoking, weight control, or stress relief. Or for greater ease in giving birth. In fact, those who use hypnosis during labor usually claim a faster recovery.

But there are also some lesser known uses for hypnosis, all successful to a greater or lesser degree. Consider these:

1.Age regression to ?relive? at a safe distance some incident in the past, often childhood, to heal a trauma. Most frequently used by psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.

2.Hypnosis to find lost objects: The person being hypnotized has to have been present during the misplacing of the object. This is not magic but simply a no-pressure way of retrieving a memory. This is sometimes successful but not always.

3.Hypnosis to aid in fertility. When doctors cannot find a physical reason why pregnancy hasn't occurred, hypnosis for fertility is often successful. While it is usually the woman who is hypnotized, some practitioners are now hypnotizing the

man too. I was trained in this application by Lynsi Eastburn, author of It's Conceivable and I can vouch that it can be surprisingly successful, sometimes after just one or two appointments.

4.Hypnosis to help smooth the way for love and relationship. My Hypno-Attraction? Hypnosis for Love programs boast many successes. To answer a frequently-asked question: the hypnosis is used on the person desirous of love, not on the object of desire.

The purpose is to create an opening for relationship, a belief that love is possible, and to break barriers that have kept one from finding love in the past. Limiting beliefs are explored and released, and new, healthier attitudes of relating are constructed or restored.

5.Hypnosis to create a virtual vacation when one is experiencing stress and can't take a physical break. This is certainly not a substitute for decadent getaways on the beach, in the mountains, or a Swiss chalet. But it can be a quick, no-hassle way to decompress and restore ease until more substantial free time can be scheduled.

6.Instruction in self hypnosis to ease anxiety on an ongoing, as-needed basis, is often recommended by health professionals. Clients learn that modulating their thoughts can regulate emotional discomfort and thereby stabilize blood pressure.

7.Hypnosis to lessen, control, and even eliminate fears. I have used it with clients who need to deactivate stage fright, public speaking anxiety, and other fears hat make it difficult to socialize with ease or to excel in certain careers.

If you have been curious about the process of hypnosis, or wonder what it feels like, consider thinking about a problem, issue or desire that you may want to be hypnotized for.

You may, for instance, be interested in moving away from procrastination or fear of pubic speaking because they don't serve you I your career. Or you may want to date but shyness or nervousness has stopped you, and you want to move past that. Or perhaps you simply want to enjoy exercising so you'll do it more often, naturally.

Whatever you choose, look for a hypnotist/hypnotherapist in your area, or, if you can't find one nearby, consider phone hypnosis, and enjoy this useful tool without having to go anywhere. ?2008 by Wendy Lapidus-Saltz. All rights reserved.