Self-hypnosis can be learned by anyone. The effectiveness depends on the individual, how well you learn and practice. Hetero-Hypnosis (by another) and Self-Hypnosis differ in several ways. Hetero involves the disorganization of the inhibitory process while Self requires the organization of the inhibitory process. Self hypnosis can be helpful for positive thinking and reinforcing positive suggestions from a Hetero session but, in most cases it is too difficult to be objective about ones problems which is often how they came to be problems. Also a person who has tried various things to solve their problems without success will invariably take that lack of success with them into their state of Self.
Meditation - It should also be clearly understood that meditation is not Self-Hypnosis. Meditation has great benefits and is a practice unto itself, one I fully promote, but it is more of a visualizing, imagining and somewhat prayerful spiritual practice/discipline not to be confused with Self-Hypnosis.
Post-Hypnotic Suggestion - Under Hetero-Hypnosis a post hypnotic suggestion can be given to re-induce the hypnotic state by the individual at a later time, but this is still a state of Hetero-Hypnosis as the individual is operating under the post hypnotic suggestion. In this state recorded hypnotic suggestions can be listened to and responded to, but when a person is under hypnosis they are listening to and only taking directions from the person who induced the state originally. So induction by one source and stimulus by another will basically have no effect.
Audio Induction - If the individual is "audio induced" by a voice on a recording it will have an effect, but the strongest effects come from having an induction in person. Hypnotic recordings that play lovely background music or sounds of nature are great for sleeping and some meditations. But, by their very nature they can be counter productive to hypnosis, as with mass media, you generally do not know what thoughts or emotions a song or sound will trigger in the subconcious memory. For self-hypnotic self-help, the simpler the better before slowly branching into audio agmentations.
