Hypnosis for smoking cessation has been studied for decades — in randomized controlled trials, at major medical centers, and with smoking status confirmed by objective testing. The findings point in an encouraging direction: hypnosis has doubled quit rates against nicotine replacement, outperformed behavioral counseling, matched a leading cognitive-behavioral program, and worked in a single session.
The method behind your session
Your session uses the methods of the Quit Smoking in 60 Minutes or Less program, as taught by Dr. Matt James, who holds a doctorate in clinical hypnotherapy. I am trained and certified in this 60-minute protocol, and it is the foundation of every MyLastSmoke session.
90%+ success. The program reports success rates above 90% among clients who complete the program — the initial session, plus the follow-up session where one is needed. This figure is reported by the program from its practitioners’ client results; it is not a peer-reviewed study.
At a glance
Share of participants smoke-free at follow-up in three randomized trials. Amber is hypnosis.
About double the quit rate of nicotine replacement, with abstinence verified biochemically.
UCSF and the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Hypnosis led at both 6 and 12 months.
Hypnotherapy matched an established cognitive-behavioral program, verified by carbon-monoxide testing.
What the trials found
Hasan et al., 2014
In a randomized controlled trial of hospitalized smokers with heart or lung illness, 36.6% of patients receiving hypnotherapy were smoke-free at six months, compared with 18% receiving nicotine replacement therapy. After accounting for demographic and clinical differences, hypnotherapy patients were about 3.6 times as likely to be smoke-free. Smoking status was confirmed by biochemical testing, not just self-report.
Hasan FM, Zagarins SE, Pischke KM, et al. Hypnotherapy is more effective than nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation: results of a randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2014;22(1):1–8. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2013.12.012. View on PubMed
Carmody et al., 2008 — UCSF / San Francisco VA
286 smokers were randomized to hypnosis or standard behavioral counseling, with nicotine patches for both. Hypnosis produced higher confirmed quit rates at six months (26% vs. 18%) and at twelve months (20% vs. 14%). Among participants with a history of depression, hypnosis produced significantly higher confirmed quit rates at both points.
Carmody TP, Duncan C, Simon JA, et al. Hypnosis for smoking cessation: a randomized trial. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2008;10(5):811–818. doi:10.1080/14622200802023833. View on PubMed
Batra et al., 2024
In one of the most recent trials, 360 smokers were randomized to hypnotherapy or an established cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program and followed for a full year, with results confirmed by carbon-monoxide testing. Continuous abstinence was 15.0% with hypnotherapy and 15.6% with CBT — and the researchers concluded hypnotherapy’s effectiveness appears comparable to that established program.
Batra A, Eck S, Riegel B, et al. Hypnotherapy compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy for smoking cessation in a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology. 2024;15:1330362. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1330362. View on PubMed
Williams & Hall, 1988
This one speaks directly to the MyLastSmoke model. Smokers were randomized to a single hypnosis session, a placebo, or no treatment. The hypnosis group smoked significantly less and achieved significantly greater abstinence than both comparison groups — and the advantage held at every follow-up, out to 48 weeks.
Williams JM, Hall DW. Use of single session hypnosis for smoking cessation. Addictive Behaviors. 1988;13(2):205–208. doi:10.1016/0306-4603(88)90014-7. View on PubMed
What the wider literature shows
2025 review of the hypnosis and smoking literature
Researchers screened 745 publications and examined 63 papers. Of the 33 studies evaluated for efficacy, two-thirds reported a positive effect of hypnosis on quitting — and positive results were more common where treatment was more thorough. The authors concluded that hypnotherapy is a useful approach to smoking cessation.
Systematic review on hypnotherapy and smoking cessation. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. 2025. View on PubMed
Tahiri et al., 2012 — American Journal of Medicine
Pooling randomized trials of alternative quit aids, the authors concluded that hypnotherapy may help smokers quit, and called for further trials to firm up the size of the effect.
Tahiri M, Mottillo S, Joseph L, et al. Alternative smoking cessation aids: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. American Journal of Medicine. 2012;125(6):576–584. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2011.09.028. View on PubMed
Where the research is headed
Hypnosis protocols vary widely from study to study — from one group session to many individual ones — which makes them hard to compare. Reviewers, including the Cochrane Collaboration in 2019, have called for larger, standardized trials before ranking hypnosis against other methods. That’s the normal path for any approach gaining scientific attention, and the trials above show why it is getting that attention.
Barnes J, McRobbie H, Dong CY, et al. Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019;6:CD001008. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001008.pub3. View on PubMed
Results disclaimer
Individual results vary, and no specific outcome is guaranteed. Study results describe research participants, not you, and study methods differ from the one-on-one session MyLastSmoke provides. The 90%+ figure is reported by the Quit Smoking in 60 Minutes or Less program, is based on clients who completed the program (including a follow-up session where applicable), and has not been independently verified or published in a peer-reviewed journal. Your results depend on factors including your history, health, motivation, and follow-through.
Hypnotherapy is not medical or psychological treatment and is not a substitute for advice from your physician. See our Disclaimers for full details.
What I promise you
Research tells you what’s possible. My guarantee protects you while you find out. It runs for 90 days from your session, and everything happens inside that window: if you’re still smoking, your follow-up session is free — and if you complete the follow-up and are still smoking, you get your money back, as long as you request it within those same 90 days. Details are in our Terms of Service.
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