NO, it's not mum, dad or foes for that matter. We are our worst critic.

There's an inner critic in all of us, a voice which tells us that we're never good enough, study has shown.

"Often we say, 'I can't do this, I'm no good, I'm useless at this'," says British hypnotherapist George Houguez (picture).

These are suggestions we give ourselves and because we believe them, we make them true, he says.

But because humans are highly suggestible creatures, drumming in positive messages into ourselves will, similarly, breed good outcomes, he adds.

Self-hypnosis is one such process. It reinforces positive and helpful ideas in us, at a time when we're most susceptible to listen, which is when we're in the in-between state of sleep and wake.

This hypnotic state of mind isn't as bizarre as it sounds.

We slip into it at least twice a day -- when we're about to sleep, and when we're about to wake.

It's a perfectly normal human state, says Houguez, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently.

In self-hypnosis, we induce ourselves into this trance, and direct our suggestions to our unconscious, without having the critical and logical faculties get in the way.

"Many times, we'd like to do something differently, or be positive but we can't because the critical part of our brain stops us.

"Hypnosis allows us to reach deep into the unconscious," says the lecturer with the London College of Clinical Hypnosis in Birmingham.

Self-hypnosis can be used to boost self-esteem, deal with fears, or control temper.

Some people also use it to manage their weight, cope with pain and steel up their drive for success.

As illustrated in many studies, we are what we tell ourselves, says Houguez.

In one such experiment, a number of medical students were told that a hot spoon was to be placed on their arm.

When this was done, the natural mechanism in the body dealt with the heat by flooding the area with blood, reddening the skin.

This took the heat away from the tissues and prevented tissue damage.

After a few repetitions, the students were again warned that a hot spoon would be placed on their arm, but this time, the spoon used was taken out of the freezer.

The same response was obtained.

The students' skin reddened because the autonomic nervous system was fooled into believing that the spoon was hot and responded to the suggestion.

"This shows that the body doesn't differentiate very well between hot and cold. It's the same nerve endings; it's the same sort of signals.

"So it's our thoughts that determine the responses we give."

For more information on self-hypnosis, log on to www.hypnosis-malaysia.com