Whole belief systems can be transformed with the power of hypnosis, which is why the technique is used for treating addictions and phobias. On the Tonight Show with David Letterman, actor Matt Damon lauded the power of hypnosis to help him stop smoking. Damon noted, "I should have done it years ago. It's amazing - I didn't even want cigarettes any more," (cited on the Hypnosis Network).

No absolute statistics for the effectiveness of hypnosis are possible due to a number of intervening variables that interfere with research validity and reliability. Hypnosis works in part because of the cooperation of the client. The placebo effect is a type of hypnosis: the person tricks his or her body or mind based on the belief that a substance is working. In other words, the placebo effect is hypnosis in action. Hypnosis proves that it does not matter whether or not a pill...
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