Can Hypnotism Help Dealing with a Midlife Crisis?

You're in the middle of a midlife crisis or a midlife transition and are looking for help. We've all heard about (and recommended) books, life coaches, and other resources to help one through the period(s), but what about hypnotism?

A website called "Hypnosis Downloads.com" purports to have a hypnosis script aimed directly at midlife crisis issues.

A deeply relaxing and gentle induction lifts away the strain and pressure of worrying about these concerns. A delightful feeling of well being is instilled.

A series of truisms are gently and speculatively reconsidered so that their 'obvious' truth can be re-accessed in the context of this particular life. A new quest is then initiated for the purpose and direction of life - a process to be experienced as a joyful and exciting adventure.

Scanning the web, one can find a number of stories of people using, referring or marketing hypnosis tapes (or downloads) for issues such as midlife crisis (and just about everything else). Even though these use the term "hypnotism", our opinion is that they are more about relaxation and positive suggestions than in the cliched mental picture of mind control. Of course, midlife crises are immensely stressful and anything that can help one relax can be beneficial--even if it is just a little bit. If you are open minded (pun intended) they might be worth a try but unlikely to be much of a factor in dealing with serious issues.

Let us know if you have a different opinion.