ABSTRACT
One of the questions routinely asked of experts in clinical hypnosis concerns the relationship between clinical hypnosis and other experiential approaches. In this chapter, the authors expand the view of hypnosis to see its principles and methods evident across many different modalities, identifying how patterns of hypnosis are clearly evident in experiential approaches. They consider what defines an approach as “hypnotic” in form and function. Therapists have also embraced the kinds of structured guided experiences that are identical in both form and intent to hypnosis, such as visualization, mindfulness, and guided imagery. Mindfulness is a popular experiential approach that has attracted a great deal of attention from health care professionals, especially mental health professionals. The attention appears to be well deserved because, to date, the therapeutic merits of mindfulness have received considerable support in the scientific literature. Mindfulness strategies typically focus on the breath as the vehicle for staying connected to oneself in the moment.
