When it comes to defining what hypnosis can and cannot do, I can only share with you what I know as fact, first hand, based on my own experience. In my opinion, if hypnosis has any limitations, they will be a direct result of unrealistic expectations.
I have seen hypnosis work in conjunction with traditional medicine. I have seen significantly reduced impact of side effects to certain treatments like chemotherapy. I have seen a reduction in pain, and increased tolerance to chemo and other treatments. I have witnessed a greatly improved ability to cope with the emotional strain of terminal illness with the help of hypnosis. But I have never seen hypnosis cure cancer. And I wouldnt state that it can. Maybe others have made such claims, and if in fact they have achieved such heights of success with hypnosis, they can and should attest to it. But ethically, I cannot speak to speculation or risk imposing any false hopes upon my clients.
Other questionable benefits of hypnosis include actual physical changes in the body like enlarged breasts, or increased height. Perhaps if I were to follow the pursuit of one such benefit for an extended period of time, by...