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The Definition of Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a state of hyper-suggestibility where the conscious and subconscious (unconscious) minds dissociate. It is a state of mind where the subject is more likely to accept the hypnotist’s suggestions. You have been in hypnosis many times without even realizing it. For example if you have ever watched a sad film and reacted with a tear in your eye, you have been hypnotized by the action and dialogue on the screen. You entered a state of increased suggestibility where you uncritically accepted the suggestion of sadness on the screen and reacted with a sad emotion, the tear in your eye. In other words your reasoning ability, which is contained in your conscious mind, was bypassed. You did not reason that the show was just a play; you accepted the action as being real. So you reacted with real emotion.

Who can be Hypnotized

It has been found that all normal people are hypnotizable to a greater or lesser extent. People with an IQ of less than 70 generally are not hypnotizable. People who are in an active state of psychosis are generally not hypnotizable. Most senile people are difficult or impossible to hypnotize. For the vast majority of people hypnosis is a potent and beneficial tool when used in a therapeutic situation. The person's motivation is the key to success.

Do I have to be a "Deep" subject for success?

For the therapeutic applications of hypnosis most often deal with, depth of hypnosis is not required. You can be in the lightest possible trance and still receive all of the benefits from hypnosis that subjects in the deepest trance will obtain. Sometimes far too much importance can be placed on how deep a subject is. If the subject is deep state of hypnosis, it could be beneficial. This however, is not always necessary. Actually, with the latest hypnotic techniques, depth is one of the least important aspects, which contribute to a successful outcome.

Are there any dangers in Hypnosis

There are really no danger in using hypnosis. It is impossible to "get stuck" in hypnosis. The worst thing that could happen while a subject is in hypnosis is that he or she might fall into a natural state of sleep for 20 or 30 minutes. They would awaken rested relaxed and out of the state of hypnosis.

Misconceptions about Hypnosis

There are many misconceptions about hypnosis. Most of them are due to the stage and television acts. Ironically, it is because of the fact that the television can hypnotize you that these misconceptions are so strongly entrenched in people's mind.

Is Hypnosis sleep?

The largest misconception about hypnosis is that it is sleep. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you are asleep, you are unconscious. If you are unconscious, you cannot hear anything. If you cannot hear anything, then the hypnotherapist cannot help you. Hypnosis is a state of keen awareness. The subjects are wide-awake and aware of everything around them. This misconception stems from the stage hypnotist's use of the word "sleep" as part of the hypnotic induction. When the old time hypnotist swung the watch in front of the subject's face, he told the subject that she was getting "sleepy." He then told the subject to go to sleep. What he meant was to go into a hypnotic sleep; not a natural sleep.

Is there a Hypnotized feeling?

The second largest misconception is that there is a hypnotized feeling. There is no hypnotized feeling. I repeat, there is no hypnotized feeling. What most people feel is being totally relaxed when in hypnosis, as relaxation seems to be the essence of hypnosis. Some people feel heavy. Some people feel light. Some people have other sensations and feelings like tingling in the arms or face. Other people have absolutely no feeling that they are in hypnosis, and believe they have not been hypnotized when they most definitely have. These people are almost always amazed at the rapid passage of time.

Can the Hypnotist control me?

NO! The hypnotist cannot make you do anything against your will. There is always an observing ego state. Should the hypnotist make an offensive suggestion; this ego state would reject the suggestion. You will probably come out of hypnosis if the hypnotist makes an offensive suggestion.

Can the Hypnotist make me divulge my secrets?

You will not divulge any secrets while in hypnosis unless you want to do so. The hypnotist does not have any control over the subject. Quite the contrary, the subjects have more control over themselves since at this time they have control over their own subconscious mind. The subjects can easily reject any suggestion the hypnotist makes, no matter how simple or complicated the suggestion might be. The subjects can open their eyes, emerge from the state of hypnosis, and walk out of the room at any time they choose.

Must people tell the truth when in Hypnosis?

NO! People can lie when in hypnosis.

Do Hypnotists have special powers?

This is a common misconception. The hypnotist does not have any special powers, nor does he have any special vibrations with which to hypnotize you. Actually, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. The hypnotist leads the subject into a state of hypnosis. In other words, the ability of hypnosis is in the subject.

Why do some people fail to reach their goals using Hypnosis?

Perhaps the biggest reason for the inability to reach one's goals through hypnosis is an inadequate amount of time spent reaching that goal. The greatest reason for the return of a symptom or "relapse" is the premature discontinuance of therapy with the hypnotherapist or any other kind of therapy undertaken. If a person or method is really helping one to make their desired changes, then it is priceless and it should be continued. It is for this reason that follow up hypnosis is generally recommended even after a symptom seems to have disappeared completely.

Will I be better off hiring a Hypnotist, or will purchasing a recorded program work better?

That is an excellent question. Normally I would recommend that you utilize the services of a reputable hypnotist. The reason is that by meeting with you, a good hypnotist will be able to customize his approach to your personality and your particular way of digesting information, in other words -- the way you favour taking in information through the senses to make sense out of it and react to it. That said there are some excellent products out there which will work with varying degrees of success if the problem is not deep rooted. In summary hypnosis is an excellent tool when used to help people with a variety of problems. The degree of success always depends on the skill of the Therapist and the complete co-operation of the subject but the success rate is very high.