Self-hypnosis is a form of hypnosis in which a person hypnotizes themselves without the assistance of another person to serve as the hypnotist. Most people who practise self-hypnosis require a focus for their attention in order to become fully hypnotized; there are many commercialcomputer programs on the market that can ostensibly help in this area. Self-hypnosis is a staple of hypnotherapy and related self-help programs; it is most often used to help the self-hypnotist stay on a diet, overcome smoking or some other addiction, or to generally boost the hypnotized person's self-esteem. It is rarely used for more the complex or controversial uses of hypnotism, which require the hypnotist to monitor the hypnotized person's reactions and responses and respond accordingly.
