What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a commonly misunderstood state of mind that has been exploited for its entertainment value and by false gurus claiming to heal all ills, until its original meaning and use have been practically obliterated.

Theraputic hypnosis has been used for thousands of years by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. The word hypnosis comes from the Greek (hypnos) and means “to sleep”. It is true that while in a hypnotic state a person is extremely relaxed, or in an almost sleep-like frame of mind. But it is important to remember that they are not actually asleep. In fact, they are in a heightened state of suggestibility and awareness.

The Egyptians had “sleep temples” in which people would lie down and listen to a voice chanting. This was believed to cure illness.

Hypnosis — is a state of intense inner focus in which the subconscious mind is at the forefront and the conscious mind is subdued, similar to sleep. Only the main difference is that hypnosis works while a person is fully awake and enables them to relax and temporarily put aside their conscious train of thought.

Clinical hypnosis is not mind control. A person undergoing clinical hypnosis does not surrender their free will to another person. They cannot be made to do anything they wouldn’t normally agree to. It is, however, a state of complete relaxation and inner focus that allows the power of suggestion to overcome the mind’s usual objections or reservations and makes the hypnotized person more receptive to certain ideas. In other words, hypnosis uses the subconscious mind to overcome barriers the conscious mind automatically erects against certain feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

Using the subconscious mind is so effective because it never sleeps. It continually

operates in the background while a person is sleeping or awake. For example, your subconscious mind controls inhalation and exhalation, and many of the things you do throughout the day on “auto-pilot” or without consciously thinking about them. Your subconscious mind never rests, while your conscious mind is more deliberate, determining the way in which you do things, when, and why.

Clinical hypnosis is used with the goal being to bring about a change in a person’s behavior or thought process. It can be used successfully in many situations such as helping a person stop smoking, lose weight, manage stress, or even control pain. Psychologists and psychiatrists frequently use clinical hypnosis to assist traumatized victims of rape or assault in remembering details of the crime.

Since there is an undeniable aura of mystery surrounding hypnosis there is naturally, a general confusion as to what hypnosis really is and what it isn’t. Here we will explore some of the more common myths about hypnosis and clinical hypnosis or hypnotherapy.

Myth #1 — You can be hypnotized against your will.

This is most definitely not so. While hypnosis can accurately be described as an altered state of consciousness, it cannot dominate a person’s free will. To sum it up, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis in a manner of speaking. You must want to be hypnotized before you can enter the trance state necessary to allow hypnosis to take place. So do not fear, you cannot be hypnotized unless you permit it to happen.

Myth #2 — If you can be hypnotized, you have a “weak, pliable” mind.

During hypnosis, the person being hypnotized never has less than total control over the situation. Since hypnosis is basically a state of intense relaxation, the person undergoing the procedure must make a conscious decision to allow themselves to relax deeply enough so that they will enter a trance. If they are opposed to being hypnotized, then it will not be possible to hypnotize them. If they permit themselves to relax sufficiently, then they will become hypnotized. Having a “weak” or “pliable” mind has nothing to do with the ability to be successfully hypnotized.

Myth #3 — People who are hypnotized will say things they normally would not say, make startling revelations, or blurt out secrets they would never have made known otherwise.

Even though a hypnotized person is in a trance, they can clearly hear and understand every word the hypnotist is saying and remain in full control of their responses. In the situation where hypnotherapy is being used to aid in bringing repressed experiences or traumas to the surface, people wishing to recall events more clearly or reveal actively repressed information permit themselves to enter a trance state that goes much deeper than the usual hypnotic trance states. A hypnotherapist cannot make someone reveal anything while unaware of what they are saying. Long hidden secrets will not be voiced aloud unless that person willingly decides to do so.

Myth #4 — After coming out of a hypnotic trance, a person cannot remember what occurred while they were in that state. This is absolutely false. Hypnosis doesn’t automatically bring on a state of amnesia, nor can the hypnotist induce such a state without the cooperation of the person involved. You will remember everything that happened while you were hypnotized.

While this article does not attempt to go into the many forms of hypnosis in detail, hopefully it has at least clarified the meaning of hypnosis and some of its uses in the modern world.