text: meditation or self hypnosis for anxiety? which would be better to decrease my anxiety (just in general), meditation or sellf hypnosis. i've tried both but i usually wind up falling asleep!  also does anyone konw of a good book on self hypnosis or meditation for phobias or generalized anxiety?  johnny b. meditation and self-hypnosis tend to be different flavours of a very similar state.   with a structured outline for your session, self-hypnosis can be orchestrated by your conscious mind to actually achieve particular outcomes. mainstream forms of meditation tend to be focused on simply achieving a beneficial state that has a progressive and positive effect upon your levels of anxiety.   if you are looking at overcoming anxiety or phobias, then self-hypnosis is a far, far more applicable means of achieving this in my opinion and experience.   i am of course deeply biased, but the best selling self-hypnosis book "the secrets of self-hypnosis: harnessing the power of your unconscious mind" is the best structured way to learn how to use it that i have encountered in 20 years of studying it. i am the author of that so let me give you some others too choose from too:   the power of your subconscious mind by joseph murphy. self-hypnosis by brian alman. through the open door by kevin hogan.  all are great ways of learning more about how to communicate with your subconscious mind when you achieve self-hypnotic states.