Meditation vs. Self-Hypnosis

If you’re just learning about meditation, you might be wondering how it differs from self-hypnosis, and it’s perhaps an obvious question.

Are they just two different terms for the same thing – or are they completely different?

As with so much in life, the answer is not black and white, partly because there are so many styles and methods of meditation, with some being quite similar to self-hypnosis, and others being very different.

Of course, both are impressive tools when used properly and consistently.

So, what do you think of when you think of meditation?

It’s quite likely you envision a yogi or monk sitting quietly in solitude, legs crossed, and perhaps chanting some mantra such as “om mani padme hum”.

What about self-hypnosis?

Perhaps you bring a psychologist to mind, or maybe you recall the stage hypnotist you once saw that made some of the audience members cluck like chickens. And then you might think about using similar techniques on yourself.

Maybe you’re already familiar with what may officially be the first example of self-hypnosis, or auto-suggestion, by Émile Coué, “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.“, which I talk about here.

So, let’s start by considering the following three differences:

1. Purpose

   While it is possible to meditate with a very specific end in mind, most forms of meditation have a more general goal that usually revolves around understanding the nature of the mind, mindfulness / awareness, and reducing the occurrence and influence of random thoughts.

   Self-hypnosis, on the other hand, has a more specific purpose, such as quitting smoking or becoming more confident while public speaking. Self-hypnosis is used as a means of making you more open to suggestions or affirmations.

   Self-hypnosis can also be used to overcome phobias, change your attitude about wealth, or to lose weight, and it can be utilized to find a creative solution to a problem. For example, you might want to determine the best plot twist for a novel or find a solution to a complex dilemma in your life.

2. Attention

   Meditation focuses on a fixed point or object, such as the breath, a spot on the wall, or a mantra, with the goal being to hold your attention on this one focal point.

   When your thoughts stray, as they usually will, especially at first, the objective is to return your attention.

   Alternatively, you can meditate by thinking about nothing in particular (i.e. without a specific focal point), and just seeing where your mind takes you, the only important aspect here being to accept those thoughts without judging them.

   One form of this, which is a technique I use often, is to do nothing other than listen to music – preferably instrumental, but whatever works for you. Again, while I try to focus on just the music, thoughts will and do occur, and I let them arrive and then go again without following them down a rabbit hole.

   By doing this, you learn about how your mind works and how to focus more effectively.

   On the other hand, self-hypnosis frequently involves following a story, such as confidently navigating a social situation. In this situation, it’s the experience that’s the object of your focus, and you lead yourself through that experience and gain benefits from that.

   With self-hypnosis, you can change your normal perception and perspective, and you can experience something that might not be available to you in everyday life.

3. Guided Or Non-Guided

   Meditation can be done by yourself, or it can be guided, while self-hypnosis is, by definition, non-guided.

   However, many people consider the use of hypnosis audio recordings, which are guided since they are narrated (usually by a professional hypnotist) to be a valid form of self-hypnosis. (The use of a live hypnotherapist would, of course, not be self-hypnosis.)

   There are many audio programs available to help you learn how to meditate or utilize self-hypnosis, but you need to be careful because the quality of these recordings varies tremendously, given there are numerous amateur practitioners with dubious or even non-existent qualifications. Having said that, I’ve found this site to be reliable and high-quality, with a broad range of programs.

Conclusion

Both meditation and self-hypnosis can bring you benefits, and you can use both in your life:

• Meditation can be used to quiet your mind, enhance your ability to focus, and decrease the tendency to ruminate. It has been around for thousands of years, and it’s very effective.
• Self-hypnosis is a more surgical tool for dealing with specific challenges in your life. Whether you want to increase your confidence, lose weight, quit smoking, or get over your fear of heights, self-hypnosis can be a powerful tool.

Both techniques can work very quickly in some people, but others find that weeks or months are required to see real benefits. Either way, the more you practise, the better you will become, which is no different to almost everything in life that is worthwhile.

If you think either or both of these techniques might be of benefit to you, why not give them both a go for a few months?

All you need to do is treat it like a scientific experiment, which includes measuring your results and then evaluating them once you’re done. And, of course, you should not try both techniques at the same time because then you won’t know which of them works best.

You may find one works better for you than the other, or you may find they both have a place, depending on your needs at the time.

My suspicion (unproven, of course), is that meditation is a useful daily habit to practise because its benefits tend to be more generalized, and it’s more like a health maintenance routine, while self-hypnosis will be better for more specific needs.

Note, though, that self-hypnosis might be less successful if, like me, you suffer from aphantasia, which effectively means you cannot create mental images.

In summary, then, meditation and self-hypnosis are not considered to be the same thing – but they are certainly related.

Remember, there are many types of meditation (such as these ten styles, but those are not the only ones), and some are more similar to self-hypnosis than other types of meditation.

Finally, don’t forget to check out my other articles about meditation and related topics.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Recorded Hypnosis Programs