There is much debate in both the hypnosis and meditation communities as to which practice is better or safer, and even whether there is any difference at all between the two. My years of experience with both disciplines has led me to the conclusion that they are, in fact, just different aspects of the same thing.
Either can be done alone, and when this is the case hypnosis takes on the moniker of self-hypnosis. Or there can be another individual present leading the practitioner, and when this is the case meditation takes on the moniker of guided meditation. Alone, one-on-one or in a group setting, what will work for you depends on what you wish to achieve and your own personal level of comfort with each technique.
Meditation can be a secular or a spiritual pursuit. Hypnosis, for the most part, is secular in nature, but can sometimes have a spiritual component (e.g. Past Life Regression).
Here is my thumbnail breakdown of what differentiates each component:
MEDITATION - used for purposes of relaxation or spiritual communion. Can involve either an emptying of the mind or intense concentration to achieve trance state.
Main Goal: Achievement of trance state.
SELF-HYPNOSIS - utilizes the technique of intense concentration to achieve a trance state. Once desired trance level is achieved positive suggestions or affirmations are then repeated to subconscious mind.
Main Goal: Reprogramming of behavior.
GUIDED MEDITATION - the participant achieves trance state by concentrating on the imagery provided by an outside operator.
Main Goal: Experiential, usually involving relaxation or spiritual guidance.
HYPNOSIS - the participant achieves trance state by listening to suggestions/guided imagery of an outside operator.
Main Goal: Behavioral shift - stop smoking, weight loss, exam anxiety, stage fright, sports performance, etc.
Personally, I have used each of the above techniques at different times in my life depending on what I was looking to achieve. Meditation for daily stress release; self-hypnosis for daily goal motivation; guided meditation for relaxation, when I was unable to achieve it on my own; hypnosis, through another hypnotherapist, for hard to root out behavioral changes I desired to achieve.
Of course, there will be many out there who will disagree with my brief analysis. The best thing you can do is to try each one out for yourself and see what you think.
Either can be done alone, and when this is the case hypnosis takes on the moniker of self-hypnosis. Or there can be another individual present leading the practitioner, and when this is the case meditation takes on the moniker of guided meditation. Alone, one-on-one or in a group setting, what will work for you depends on what you wish to achieve and your own personal level of comfort with each technique.
Meditation can be a secular or a spiritual pursuit. Hypnosis, for the most part, is secular in nature, but can sometimes have a spiritual component (e.g. Past Life Regression).
Here is my thumbnail breakdown of what differentiates each component:
MEDITATION - used for purposes of relaxation or spiritual communion. Can involve either an emptying of the mind or intense concentration to achieve trance state.
Main Goal: Achievement of trance state.
SELF-HYPNOSIS - utilizes the technique of intense concentration to achieve a trance state. Once desired trance level is achieved positive suggestions or affirmations are then repeated to subconscious mind.
Main Goal: Reprogramming of behavior.
GUIDED MEDITATION - the participant achieves trance state by concentrating on the imagery provided by an outside operator.
Main Goal: Experiential, usually involving relaxation or spiritual guidance.
HYPNOSIS - the participant achieves trance state by listening to suggestions/guided imagery of an outside operator.
Main Goal: Behavioral shift - stop smoking, weight loss, exam anxiety, stage fright, sports performance, etc.
Personally, I have used each of the above techniques at different times in my life depending on what I was looking to achieve. Meditation for daily stress release; self-hypnosis for daily goal motivation; guided meditation for relaxation, when I was unable to achieve it on my own; hypnosis, through another hypnotherapist, for hard to root out behavioral changes I desired to achieve.
Of course, there will be many out there who will disagree with my brief analysis. The best thing you can do is to try each one out for yourself and see what you think.
Here's a Wiki link about Meditation: