Quit smoking today
A toolkit in your pocket to help you quit smoking, thanks to clinically-backed neuroscience.
Clinically backed
Grounded in 50+ years of research and clinical experience by Stanford's Dr. David Spiegel.
Immediately effective
83% of our members felt increased control over their unwanted habits after one session.
Personalized to you
Our sessions are tailored, and personalized to your goals.
As seen in
The urge to smoke is a habit of the mind.
Reveri helps reduce the urge to smoke, guided by one of the world's leading researchers on habit change.
Stop smoking today
Control smoking over time
83% of our members felt increased control over their unwanted habits after one interactive session
with our science-backed digital program. Read more
David Spiegel, M.D.
Associate Chair of Psychiatry
4.6/5 (5,000+ reviews)
Real people, Real relief
Quit Smoking Through Hypnosis
Smoking can easily become a routine habit that’s hard to break. With nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States associated with tobacco smoking, there’s no better time to curb the habit than today. But, how? If you’ve tried to quit smoking before you probably know it’s easier said than done - that is until you discover hypnosis to quit smoking. While you’ll still need the commitment to stop smoking, hypnosis for addiction can help you achieve the necessary mindset to succeed. It can also help you deal with factors such as stress or lack of sleep that may be pushing you toward the addiction. Several studies have found hypnosis to be an effective drug-free approach for smoking cessation. Hypnosis for smoking cessation led to 40% cessation after therapy, 60% at a 12-week follow up, and 40% at a 26-week follow up. While some people require multiple sessions over time, many individuals significantly reduce or eliminate their smoking habit after just one session.
You've tried other things. Try this.
10 minutes. No drugs. No side effects. 7-day free trial. Most people know after the first session whether it works for them.
Self-hypnosis app to stop smoking: Smoking cessation hypnotherapy
Compared to conventional approaches to stop smoking, hypnosis is a drug-free approach that is safer, cheaper, and more effective. Using the Reveri hypnosis app, individuals are guided into a highly focused state to access the subconscious mind. The mind is then re-trained to focus on the things you are for, rather than against while allowing you to detach from the triggers or routines that are contributing toward your addiction. Hypnosis can help individuals quit smoking and maintain abstinence. With our online hypnosis to quit smoking app, members are provided the flexibility to receive hypnosis therapy on their own time making it a more accessible approach.
FAQ
-
Promising. Research on hypnosis for smoking cessation has shown 40% cessation after therapy, 60% at a 12-week follow-up, and 40% at a 26-week follow-up. In Reveri's own data, 83% of users felt increased control over their unwanted habits after a single 10-minute session. Many people significantly reduce their smoking after one session, though sustained change usually involves regular use over time.
-
Effective, particularly for people who have tried other approaches without success. Unlike nicotine replacements or medications, self-hypnosis carries no side effects, no risk of dependency, and no drug interactions. It works on the mental pattern behind the urge, not the chemical craving alone. 83% of Reveri users felt increased control over their unwanted habits after one session.
-
Some plans cover tobacco cessation therapy that includes hypnosis, but coverage varies widely. Check with your insurance provider for specifics. Reveri itself is a direct-to-consumer subscription and not currently covered by insurance, but the 7-day free trial lets you find out whether it works for you before committing.
-
The urge to smoke is a habit of the mind, and self-hypnosis works directly on the mind. Dr. Spiegel guides you into a state of highly focused attention where the brain becomes more responsive to suggestions that change how you respond to the urge. It's not about resisting cravings; it's about changing the pattern that produces them. 83% of Reveri users felt increased control over their unwanted habits after one session.
-
Compared to other smoking cessation methods, hypnosis is a drug-free approach that’s not directly reliant on other professionals. With access to self-hypnosis through Reveri, members can access a personalized tool kit in their pocket around the clock. Rather than simply helping individuals break the craving for tobacco, hypnosis helps change behaviors and associations through a state of highly focused attention.
When used in combination with other approaches such as counseling, hypnosis for smoking is proven to be even more effective. One study showed that after three months of both hypnotherapy and counseling, 56% of the patients quit, compared to the 12% that only attended counseling.
Research: On hypnosis and smoking cessation
Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of adverse health outcomes, early mortality, as well as worsening progression of COVID-19 in the United States [1,2]. Nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the U.S. alone are associated with tobacco smoking, 10-fold the number of deaths attributed to all wars in U.S. history [3]. Moreover, tobacco smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by approximately 25 times, the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease by 2-4 times, and the risk of type II diabetes by 30-40% [3]. Government projections estimate more than 5.6 million children and adolescents in the United States will die prematurely due to smoking [3].
-
Yet, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [1], more than 40 million adults in the U.S. are tobacco smokers. Furthermore, according to the annual report of the Federal Trade Commission, in 2020, cigarette sales went up for the first time in 20 years, with 800 million more cigarettes bought than in 2019 [4]. Thus, reducing smoking is a top public health priority. Despite the high rates of smoking, about 70% of smokers in the U.S. report a motivation to stop smoking, and at least 50% have attempted quitting [3]. This is encouraging, as evidence suggests that quitting tobacco smoking can produce substantial improvements in physical health: within a few years after quitting smoking, the risk of heart attack drops, the risk of stroke decreases to an almost never-smoked level, and the risk of lung cancer drops by 50% after more than 10 years of not smoking [3,5].
Can hypnosis help with smoking cessation?
Several studies found hypnosis to be a beneficial drug-free approach for smoking cessation and other related habit control. For example, hypnosis for smoking cessation led to 40% cessation after treatment, 60% at 12-week follow-up, and 40% at 26-week follow-up [6]. Some found that even a single session can result in significant reductions in cigarette smoking compared to placebo or no-treatment control groups, as well as greater abstinence at 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after the session [7]. Although most studies were relatively small, a large (N = 226) uncontrolled clinical trial found that a single session yielded a 52% post-treatment cessation and 23% maintenance of continuous 2-year abstinence [8]. Hypnosis might also enhance the effects of behavioral interventions on smoking cessation. For example, one study demonstrated that after 3-months of hypnosis combined with counseling, 56% of participants stopped smoking, compared to 12% using counseling alone and 0% of those who received other task assignments (controls) [9]. Furthermore, at a 10-month follow-up, 50% of those who received hypnosis and counseling remained abstinent compared to 0% of those who received counseling alone [9]. Self-hypnosis is a readily available and effective means of reinforcing an number of quitting strategies. You can take a break, inhale fresh air rather than smoke, and feel better without the tar and nicotine.
Why is hypnosis a better alternative?
First of all, the effects of hypnosis seem to be greater than those of medication and behavioral treatments. For example, meta-analytic studies (statistical summaries of findings across different studies) of drug therapy combined with behavioral interventions estimated that about 25% of individuals remained smoking-free one year after treatment ended [10], and physician advice alone produced only 2.5% smoking abstinence [11].
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), the most common drug-based approach for smoking cessation, does not require a prescription but comes with a substantial financial cost [12,13]. Moreover, a recent randomized trial found that hypnosis-based treatment for smoking cessation, whether combined with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT; such as nicotine patches) or by itself, is up to three times more effective in preventing smoking behavior than NRT (at a 26-week follow up) [14]. When combined with NRT, a randomized trial found that one year after treatment 29% of participants who received hypnosis remained abstinent, compared to 16% of those who received counseling for smoking cessation [15].
Aside from the discussion about effectiveness, some medications for smoking cessation come with substantial financial costs and potential side effects (e.g., nausea, headache, and insomnia) [16], as well as interactions with other medications [17]. Additionally, some of the first-line drug treatments for smoking are not recommended for individuals with risk for mental health problems due to potential increases in anxiety and mood symptoms [17].
Bottom Line
Hypnosis can be an effective approach to reducing tobacco use and maintaining abstinence. It is likely more effective than common drugs and counseling and can enhance their effects when combined with those approaches. Given the effectiveness, safety, and ease of use of hypnosis, and considering the devastating health effects of smoking, we strongly recommend hypnosis for your unwanted habit control.
References
Cornelius, M. E., Wang, T. W., Jamal, A., Loretan, C. G. & Neff, L. J. Tobacco Product Use Among Adults — United States, 2019. Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep.69, 1736–1742 (2020).
Patanavanich, R. & Glantz, S. A. Smoking Is Associated With COVID-19 Progression: A Meta-analysis. Nicotine Tob. Res.22, 1653–1656 (2020).
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014).
Federal Trade Commission. Cigarette Report for 2020. (2021).
Shopland, D. R. & Burns, D. M. Medical and public health implications of tobacco addiction. in Nicotine Addiction: Principles and Management (eds. Orleans, C. T. & Slade, J.) 105–128 (Oxford University Press, 1993).
Elkins, G., Marcus, J., Bates, J., Hasan Rajab, M. & Cook, T. Intensive Hypnotherapy for Smoking Cessation: A Prospective Study. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Hypn.54, 303–315 (2006).
Williams, J. M. & Hall, D. W. Use of single session hypnosis for smoking cessation. Addict. Behav.13, 205–208 (1988).
Spiegel, D. et al. Predictors of smoking abstinence following a single-session restructuring intervention with self-hypnosis. Am. J. Psychiatry 1090–1097 (1993).
Pederson, L. L., Scrimgeour, W. G. & Lefcoe, N. M. Comparison of hypnosis plus counseling, counseling alone, and hypnosis alone in a community service smoking withdrawal program. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol.43, 920 (1976).
Tønnesen, P. Smoking cessation: How compelling is the evidence? A review. Health Policy91, S15–S25 (2009).
Stead, L. F. et al. Physician advice for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev.2013, CD000165 (2013).
Howard, P., Knight, C., Boler, A. & Baker, C. Cost-Utility Analysis of Varenicline versus Existing Smoking Cessation Strategies using the BENESCO Simulation Model. PharmacoEconomics26, 497–511 (2008).
Rodu, B. & Plurphanswat, N. Quit Methods Used by American Smokers, 2013-2014. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public. Health14, 1403 (2017).
Hasan, F. M. et al. Hypnotherapy is more effective than nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Complement. Ther. Med.22, 1–8 (2014).
Carmody, T. et al. Hypnosis for smoking cessation: A randomized trial. Nicotine Tob. Res.10, 811–818 (2008).
Hays, J. T., Ebbert, J. O. & Sood, A. Efficacy and Safety of Varenicline for Smoking Cessation. Am. J. Med.121, S32–S42 (2008).
Molero, Y., Lichtenstein, P., Zetterqvist, J., Gumpert, C. H. & Fazel, S. Varenicline and risk of psychiatric conditions, suicidal behavior, criminal offending, and transport accidents and offenses: population based cohort study. BMJ350, h2388 (2015).
About the author:
Afik Faerman, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. He completed his doctoral training in clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology, and his clinical training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Afik’s research centers on identifying key neurocognitive mechanisms in clinical change, focusing on hypnosis, pain, and sleep. His research was supported and acknowledged by the American Psychological Association, the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.