Back More
Salem Press

Table of Contents

Principles of Health: Occupational Therapy & Physical Therapy

Autogenic Training

by Mihaela Avramut

Specialties and related fields: Personal training; Psychology

Definition: a form of relaxation that involved self-hypnosis and autosuggestion

KEY TERMS

autosuggestion: the hypnotic or subconscious adoption of an idea that one has originated oneself, sometimes by repeating verbal statements to oneself to change behavior

selective awareness: the process of directing our awareness to relevant stimuli while ignoring other stimuli in the environment

self-hypnosis: putting oneself in a highly suggestive state to focus, motivate, become more self-aware, and make the best use of innate skills

trigger: an event or situation that can induce certain mental states to occur

OVERVIEW

Autogenic (“generated from within”) training, or AT, is one of the oldest biobehavioral methods used in clinical psychology and stress management. Developed in the 1920s by Johannes H. Schultz as a self-hypnotic procedure, it drew on the observation that persons often reported a sensation of heaviness (muscle relaxation) and warmth (vascular dilation) in their limbs under hypnosis.

A firm believer in the self-regulatory capacities of the human body, Schultz considered that hypnosis occurred not only because the patient allowed it but also because they induced it. Consequently, Schultz looked for an autogenic “trigger,” or formula, that he could use to enter this state. Ultimately, he perfected a series of simple mental exercises that allow the mind to calm itself by turning off the body’s stress responses.

The technique uses autosuggestion to establish a new mind/body balance through changes in the autonomic nervous system. Unlike progressive muscular relaxation and biofeedback, AT does not involve a conscious attempt to relax the muscles or control physiological functions. Rather, through passive self-suggestion (“observing” concentration and nonforcing), the person tries to render specific body regions warm and heavy. The training process involves focusing on and subvocally repeating one of six basic autogenic phrases, or orientations, several minutes each day for one week or more. These phrases (with many possible variations) are “My arms and legs are heavy,” “My arms and legs are warm,” “My heartbeat is calm and regular,” “My lungs are breathing for me,” “My abdomen is warm,” and “My forehead is cool.” The practitioner can change the words without altering the method’s effectiveness to suit the practitioner’s mind and circumstances. Within months of training, achieving a state of deep relaxation and beneficial physiological changes will take only seconds.

MECHANISM OF ACTION

The AT verbal suggestions represent self-hypnosis, which powerfully induces deep relaxation. Autogenic training uses selective awareness (SA), which represents the receptivity of the conscious mind to receive and acknowledge specific thoughts. Under SA circumstances, the censorship exerted by the ego should be eradicated, and thoughts should be allowed to travel freely from the conscious to the unconscious realm. The absence of censorship can dramatically improve the mind’s ability to influence physiological processes as desired. In this receptive state, pain sensations are also significantly reduced.

Worldwide, abundant anecdotal reports of persons accomplishing daunting physical tasks while severely injured bear witness to the power of this phenomenon. Still insufficiently understood, the interplay between conscious and unconscious can nevertheless play important roles in maintaining physiological and psychological homeostasis. The method appears to balance the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic, fight-or- flight and rest-and-digest, respectively).

During AT sessions, sudden physical and emotional reactions, such as numbness, muscle twitching, or tears, may result from releasing unconscious thoughts. The manifestation considered normal and beneficial is called “autogenic discharge.”

USES AND APPLICATIONS

Autogenic training is most used to reduce anxiety, fatigue, chronic pain, and stress. The sensations of warmth and heaviness can induce sleep, thus rendering the method useful in those with insomnia.

Other proposed uses for the method include constipation and diarrhea, gastritis, ulcers, headaches, high blood pressure, hyperventilation, asthma, irregular and rapid heartbeat, and Raynaud’s phenomenon (episodic vasospasm of fingers and toes). Evidence suggests that AT may enhance mental well-being and clinical outcome in persons with Meniere’s disease (an inner-ear disorder that affects hearing and balance).

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

Thousands of studies have been conducted on AT’s effects and clinical applications, both in Europe since the introduction of the method and in the United States beginning in the 1980s. A wealth of data remains in languages other than English.

Ample experimental support exists for the hypothesis that AT affects sympathetic tone and parasympathetic function (increased cardiac parasympathetic tone, with beneficial results). There is considerable difficulty in standardizing the technique, selecting participants, and measuring outcomes, so rigorous clinical studies are notoriously difficult to perform. Many studies have serious methodological flaws. Nevertheless, randomized-controlled trials have been conducted, with significant results indicating AT effectiveness in reducing anxiety and chronic pain, improving the symptoms of migraine headaches, and alleviating the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and other conditions.

SAFETY ISSUES

Autogenic training is generally safe and can be used by most people, except children younger than school age and persons with severe psychiatric disorders. However, before implementing the technique, persons should undergo a physical examination and discuss potential effects with a healthcare practitioner. It has been suggested that rapid autonomic rebounds can lead to dizziness, disorientation, anxiety, panic, and even hallucinations. Finally, persons with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or other severe disorders should only use AT under medical supervision.

SIGNIFICANCE

Despite being very different approaches to rehabilitation, AT and occupational therapy (OT) can collaborate in the conditions they address and the interventions they use. For example, individuals with chronic pain or anxiety may benefit from both AT and OT to help manage their symptoms and improve their ability to perform daily activities.

Occupational therapists (OTs) may incorporate relaxation techniques such as AT into their treatment plans to help individuals manage stress and improve overall well-being. The OTs may teach individuals to use AT exercises to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety or pain.

Additionally, OTs may use AT techniques to help individuals with sensory processing issues learn how to self-regulate their responses to sensory stimuli, such as noise or touch. Such training can benefit individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other neurodevelopmental disorders.

While AT and OT have different approaches and concerns, they may be used together as part of a comprehensive treatment plan to help individuals achieve their goals and improve their overall health and well-being.

Further Reading

1 

Edlin, Gordon, and Eric Golanty. Health and Wellness. 10th ed., Jones and Bartlett, 2010.

2 

Linden, Wolfgang. “The Autogenic Training Method of J. H. Schultz.” Principles and Practice of Stress Management, edited by Paul M. Lehrer and Robert L. Woolfolk, 4th ed., Guilford Press, 2021, pp. 527-52.

3 

Seaward, Brian L. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. 6th ed., Jones and Bartlett, 2009.

4 

“Welcome to the British Autogenic Society.” British Autogenic Society, 2022, britishautogenicsociety.uk.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Avramut, Mihaela. "Autogenic Training." Principles of Health: Occupational Therapy & Physical Therapy, edited by Michael A. Buratovich, Salem Press, 2023. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=POHTherapy_0147.
APA 7th
Avramut, M. (2023). Autogenic Training. In M. A. Buratovich (Ed.), Principles of Health: Occupational Therapy & Physical Therapy. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Avramut, Mihaela. "Autogenic Training." Edited by Michael A. Buratovich. Principles of Health: Occupational Therapy & Physical Therapy. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2023. Accessed December 07, 2025. online.salempress.com.