Can music be used in hypnosis?

As someone who speaks with customers every day, I receive this question often. And the answer is yes, music is actually one of the most effective tools for hypnosis. Similar to how a steady rhythm can shift your mood or how ambient sounds drown out a partner's snoring or outside traffic, in a hypnotic state sound acts as kind of an auditory cocoon. It helps mask random noises of the day and guides your brain toward the calmer, more receptive state needed for deep relaxation.

fanciful depiction of a woman using music during hypnosis

One key factor to consider is how you listen to the music. If you're trying to reach a deep state of relaxation, especially while lying in bed, traditional headphones or earbuds can really be frustrating. Over-the-ear headphones are cumbersome and can cause sweating while earbuds can either easily slip out or become jammed in your ear canal. Additionally, both types become painful when you lie on your side. I've actually spoken with many people who said wearing earbuds or traditional over-the-ear headphones ruined their hypnosis experience.

We intentionally designed SleepPhones® headphones to avoid these issues. By tucking ultra-thin, padded speakers inside a soft, comfortable headband, nothing pokes your ear. The headband design keeps SleepPhones® headphones in place even if you shift around trying to find the right position. Many customers report this design is so comfortable they forget they're even wearing anything at all. When you're not worrying about your gear, you can focus on your meditation, guided imagery, or hypnosis.

Dr. Lai's Take

Stage hypnosis (the fun hypnotists that make people walk and quack like a duck on stage) is very different from clinical hypnosis (quitting smoking, for example). Both use extensive audio cues to work. The visual and auditory methods that hypnotists use to do their magic tap into our subconscious in a very real way. If you have a particularly difficult situation - especially one that is more mental than physical - that you'd like to fix in a way that's as natural as possible, you might consider clinical hypnosis. Often, listening to particular sounds is part of the hypnosis treatment. Our SleepPhones® headphones allow you to continue listening to the auditory anchors while you sleep as you treat your subconscious.

Find more answers on our "Frequently Asked Questions" page.