How Is Hypnosis Different from Programs Like Silva That Focus on Mind-Centered Visualization?
Programs like Silva focus primarily on visualization. Hypnosis, on the other hand, is open to all of the senses. Visualization techniques might be incorporated into a hypnosis session, but would not constitute a complete session. Visualization is just one of many tools that may be used by a psychologist who is highly skilled in the use of hypnosis. So you might say that visualization is contained by hypnosis. A lot of visualization programs, like Silva, are usually coupled with new-age beliefs in which thoughts create tangible reality. The hypnosis programs created here are not mystical. Visualization can be a good practice to help focus the unconscious on goals, and it can help with concentration. Hypnosis just has a much greater capacity to overcome limitations, because it contains more tools and its practitioners have a broader skill set.
