The world of hypnosis is often perceived as a strange and mysterious one – a world of strange stage performances where by the hynotherapist looks to be forcing the audience to act and behave in strange ways and what looks like involuntary actions being carried out. Hypnosis practiced as a therapy cannot be more different from this. Hypnosis is a very simple and naturally occurring process or state depending on how you look at it. To start to get an idea of how hypnosis actually works, consider two alternative states of mind – the first one is when your thoughts are occupied with what is going on in a very conscious way, in other words, you are very aware of what you are thinking.
The second state is one in which things are running automatically. You are thinking about things but perhaps aren’t consciously aware of what you are thinking. This is the state in which decisions are made which affect your beliefs and your emotions. Hypnosis, used properly and professionally is simply a way of helping you make the right decisions and develop the right beliefs for you, thereby helping you to ‘feel’ better and to get better day to day results. Maybe this helps you to understand why self-hypnosis is the most powerful tool you can aim at.
Most people’s questions about hypnosis stem from the confusion caused by technical and Hollywood style explanations of the subject. Questions often reflect people’s worries about control or danger or people’s lack of understanding about the process which, frankly, could be taught in far simpler ways than it generally is. Here are some of the more common questions encountered.
Will you lose control when under hypnosis?
No, absolutely not! A common misconception, this is a question I am asked on a daily basis. It’s impossible for someone to be hypnotised against their will. A hypnotherapist can not control you or your mind, it’s a clear matter of the therapist working with you to create change that will be long lasting.
If you think about it, have you ever heard of a hypnotist making someone rob a bank or do something that may get them in to trouble…the answer is no, of course not! This misconception about ’control’ comes from stage hypnosis. In actual fact, the people who are being hypnotised on stage are all very happy to be hypnotised and totally happy with what they are doing.
Hypnotherapy is about empowerment and people’s incredible capacity and desire for change.
Will you be asleep when hypnotised?
No, you wont be asleep. You will just be very very relaxed. You may feel so relaxed that you may feel like you’ve been asleep but unlike being asleep being under ‘hypnosis’ you will be able to come out of the trance at any time, you can control this yourself.
Hypnosis is more like daydreaming than sleeping, you are aware of what is going on around you but feel like you’ve been drawn in to a very relaxing and trance like state, imagine how you feel while you are totally engrossed in a great book or film that you love, that feeling where you feel like you have almost been ‘sucked in’ to where the book or film is set…
Will you blab out and tell secrets while under hypnosis?
No, this wouldn’t happen! There is never a time when you will blab out secrets, you can not be forced to do or say anything you wouldn’t want to tell the therapist while not under hypnosis. You can be assured that you are always completely in control and empowered.
Can anyone be hypnotised?
As with everything, people are different and some of us find being able to totally relax easier than others. The same rule applies to hypnosis, some people find it easier than others and some find that they experience different levels of relaxation and hypnotic trance. Most people can go into at least a light trance and with most hypnotherapeutic goals that is enough so therefore everyone can benefit from hypnotherapy to some extent.