Definitions of terms relating to hypnosis
Hypnotic trance—A deeply relaxed and focused state with increased suggestibility and suspension of critical faculties.

Direct hypnotic suggestion—Suggestion made to a person in a hypnotic trance that alters behavior or perception while the trance persists (for example, the suggestion that pain is not a problem for a woman under hypnosis during labor)

Post-hypnotic suggestion—Suggestion made to a person in a hypnotic trance that alters behavior or perception after the trance ends (for example, the suggestion that in the future, a patient will be able to relax at will and will no longer be troubled by panic attacks)

Hypnosis Technique
Hypnosis is the induction of a deeply relaxed state, with increased suggestibility and suspension of critical faculties. Once in this state, sometimes called a hypnotic trance, patients are given therapeutic suggestions to encourage changes in behavior or relief of symptoms. For example, in a treatment to stop smoking, a hypnosis practitioner might suggest that the patient will no longer find smoking pleasurable or necessary. Hypnosis for a patient with arthritis might include a suggestion that the pain can be turned down like the volume of a radio. Some practitioners use hypnosis as an aid to psychotherapy. The rationale is that in the hypnotized state, the conscious mind presents fewer barriers to effective psychotherapeutic exploration, leading to an increased likelihood of psychological insight.

What happens during Hypnosis?
In hypnosis, patients typically see practitioners by themselves for a course of hourly or half-hourly treatments. Some general practitioners and other medical specialists use hypnosis as part of their regular clinical work and follow a longer initial consultation with standard 10- to 15-minute appointments. Patients can be given a post-hypnotic suggestion that enables them to induce self-hypnosis after the treatment course is completed. Some practitioners undertake group hypnosis, treating up to a dozen patients at a time—for example, teaching self-hypnosis to prenatal groups as preparation for labor.

Source: Western Journal of Medicine