Hypnosis is that natural dream like state between waking and sleep.  You can learn very quickly in this special state which is why you can experience such benefits from hypnotherapy.

This state is referred to as a trance state.  It is not like sleep, you are alert the whole time. In this form of consciousness that many people enter every day, such as driving, losing yourself in a book or movie and mowing the lawn.  You are fully conscious, but you tune out most of the stimuli around you and you focus on the subject in hand.

In the everyday trance of a daydream or movie an imaginary world seems some what real to you.  It fully engages your emotions.

It can be amazing effective and is often directly responsible for major changes in life.

The benefits of the state of hypnosis are, increased levels of relaxation and decreased levels of anxiety and stress.

Within the hypnotic state one can by-pass the barriers to inner thoughts and feelings, and suggestions are acted upon much more powerfully than is possible in a normal state of mind.