Sleep Magic: "A Hypnotherapist On…Dopamine"

Host: Jessica Porter
Date: October 12, 2025
Theme: Exploring the role of dopamine in self-soothing, addiction, and how hypnotherapy can help listeners access restorative, self-generated calm.

Episode Overview

Jessica Porter, hypnotherapist and host of Sleep Magic, shares her perspective on the science and psychology of dopamine—specifically, how understanding our own “inner chemistry set” can empower us to self-soothe, break free from addiction, and find deeper, more restorative sleep. Framing dopamine not just as a “reward molecule” but as a self-created state, Jessica guides listeners through rethinking their relationship to comfort, pleasure, and mental wellbeing.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dopamine as Self-Made Reward (00:12–03:10)

• Jessica opens by recalling her early days as a hypnotherapist, helping clients quit smoking.
• She explains that many clients speak of cigarettes as "my best friend" or a comfort in times of stress.
• Key Insight: The act of smoking isn’t about the cigarette, but about “self-soothing” and accessing the body’s own dopamine.
• Dopamine is defined as both a neurotransmitter and a hormone.
• Memorable Analogy:
  • “Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and also a hormone that signals a reward to the brain. It's a good feeling that we give ourselves… we're getting high on our own supply.” (Jessica Porter, 01:07)
• Jessica explains that substances like cigarettes, heroin, or even chocolate don't contain dopamine: they trigger us to release it.
• “Addictions are really sort of roundabout ways of getting to our own dopamine. And wouldn't it be nice to just get straight to the dopamine, without the messy addiction?” (Jessica Porter, 01:54)

2. Hypnosis and Addiction—Disentangling Dopamine (02:30–03:53)

• Hypnosis is effective in quitting smoking because it helps the client “secrete their own dopamine, to disentangle it from the cigarette.”
• The hypnotherapist’s role is to help clients realize that “they've been soothing themselves the whole time and no cigarette is actually necessary anymore.”
• Jessica positions this insight for all listeners:
  • “You're going to secrete all the good chemicals that you think you get from things outside of you. Your chemistry set has always been inside of you and always will be.”
  • Playful encouragement: “Isn't it about time you got to play with it?” (Jessica Porter, 03:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Cigarettes do not contain dopamine, nor does heroin or even chocolate, my favorite. They trigger our dopamine, but we supply the dopamine ourselves.” – Jessica Porter, 01:30
• “So addictions are really sort of roundabout ways of getting to our own dopamine.” – Jessica Porter, 01:54
• “Your chemistry set has always been inside of you and always will be. Isn't it about time you got to play with it?” – Jessica Porter, 03:38

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:12 – Episode opens: Jessica introduces her background in smoking cessation and self-soothing
• 01:07 – Explanation of dopamine as a self-produced neurotransmitter and hormone
• 01:30 – Clarifying that substances only trigger, not provide, dopamine
• 01:54 – Addictive behaviors as indirect paths to dopamine
• 02:30 – Hypnosis helps separate dopamine from addictive triggers
• 03:38 – Empowering the listener: Access your “chemistry set” internally

Episode Tone & Style

Jessica maintains a warm, encouraging, and relatable tone. She uses personal anecdotes and gentle humor (“chocolate, my favorite”) to demystify scientific concepts. Her language is supportive, consistently inviting listeners to feel empowered about their ability to influence their own wellbeing.

Summary Flow

This episode focuses on reframing our understanding of comfort and habit. Jessica explains that dopamine—the brain’s “reward” molecule—is not something we get from the outside world, but a feeling we produce internally. By highlighting the connection between addictive habits and dopamine, she leads listeners to the empowering realization that, through practices like hypnosis, we can self-soothe in healthier, more direct ways. For anyone struggling with restless thoughts, dependency, or insomnia, this episode offers a gentle invitation: discover the magic of your own mind and reclaim your innate peace.