These brainwaves are present in our brains during sleep when we are dreaming and also during REM sleep. Trance: This is the state you are in while you are hypnotized. It refers to the altered state of mind you are in both alpha and theta. Waking hypnosis: This refers to being hypnotized naturally while we are awake and functioning. There are some great books out there that will give you a starting point and help you to expand on your knowledge of self hypnosis. Self-Change Hypnosis by Richard Mackenzie is a great book to help you get started in using hypnosis to rid yourself of negative thoughts and opinions of yourself. In his book he will break down what self hypnosis is so that even a beginner can understand and get started. Self hypnosis can save you a lot of time and money over hiring a hypnotist to hypnotize you. By using what you already have available to you, you can hypnotize yourself for free. There are various ways that you can self hypnotize yourself. What you use and how you hypnotize yourself if dependent on what you are wanting to achieve. I polled more people to get a better understanding from the view point of people as to why with so much skeptics surrounding hypnosis and even self hypnosis are hypnotists still able to receive a large number of new and repeat clients. Men and women both seemed to view this from the same standing. What I learned was that in the mind s of people this business is flourishing because despite skeptics people are willing to try anything to get what they want. Scientists and researchers are also adding sleeping to be considered a form of self hypnosis. During the day we use our conscious mind to get through the day. Although when we become intent on something our subconscious mind comes around to help out, our conscious mind is still there. When we are asleep however, our conscious mind leaves and we only have our subconscious mind. Braid coined hypnosis from the Latin word Hypnos which happened to be the Greek god of sleep. Dr. Braid would go on to discover the fixed gaze technique that could cause a sleeplike state of mind. Many more people would follow suit and in the twentieth century Milton Erickson would begin to use hypnosis in his psychiatric practice.