Fequently Asked Questions
Questions
What is Hypnosis?
Is Hypnosis Dangerous?
Will I tell secrets under hypnosis?
Will I do something under hypnosis that I wouldn't ordinarily do?
Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
Will I be unconscious and forget everything that happens in the session?
Can anyone be hypnotised?
Can you tell me about the most powerful hypnotists of all?
Does Hypnosis really work?
How do you hypnotise someone?
Can hypnosis be used medically?
Answers
What is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is not an unusual state of mind it is an extremely relaxed and focused state of concentration.
Most people believe that hypnosis is very similar to sleep, but this is in fact not the case.
During hypnosis the level of brainwave activity drops from beta (waking) to alpha (pre-sleep).
When in this pre-sleep state there is a change to the way your senses react, with your ability to visualise greatly heightened, so when guided by a hypnotist, you can experience this visualisation more vividly and with more content.
The more vivid your experience, the more likely your subconscious mind is to accept that what you are experiencing is real, so the more likely it is to affect your behaviour in your fully waking state.
This is because your subconscious does not know the difference between what is visualised and what is real, even if your conscious mind does.
Is Hypnosis Dangerous?
Everyone has something called an observer self which is always looking out for dangers and keeping you safe.
When you are in a trance state, which is something most people experience everyday without realising it, your observer self is aware of everything that is going on around you. During hypnosis your observer self will be taking care of you.
Your observer self is not a guide or a spiritual being; it is the normal function of the brain. Rest assured if you were in danger of any kind while under hypnosis, you would come back to a normal state of awareness in a split second.
Will I tell secrets under hypnosis?
Absolutely not.
You would not divulge anything under hypnosis that you would not ordinarily divulge in a normal state of awareness. You always have a choice because your brain continues to function normally while you are hypnotised.
As explained above, hypnosis is a normal and natural state of mind. What you are made more aware of within a therapeutic hypnotic session is the way your subconscious mind is programmed to repeat certain behaviours such as fears, phobias, or anger. Once you uncover the truths within your deep mind you are able to make the changes necessary to move forward positively in your life.
Will I do something under hypnosis that I wouldn't ordinarily do?
One of the biggest misconceptions about hypnosis is that you are under someone else's control while you are hypnotised, this could not be further from the truth.
The only person in control is you. In fact, all hypnosis is self hypnosis.
Hypnotherapy can however help you to achieve things that you may not ordinarily be able to do. As an example, an ice-skater who is unable to complete a certain move could go through a course of hypnotherapy as an aid to being able to achieve the move. In fact hypnotherapy can be very effective with sports performance improvement.
Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
All hypnosis is self hypnosis, so the answer is no. There has never been a case of anyone being admitted to hospital with a terminal case of hypnosis! If you were hypnotised and the hypnotist left the room you would come out of the state naturally and normally on your own.
In the same way, if there was something happening that needed your instant attention you would immediately come back to a normal state of awareness.
Will I be unconscious and forget everything that happens in the session?
Amnesia after a session of hypnosis is extremely rare and even less likely to last.
Sometimes a therapist may suggest to the client that they should forget all about the session and just let their subconscious mind do the work.
However, most hypnotherapists will want you to remember what has gone on in the session and the suggestions they have given you because this is more helpful to your therapy.
While you will be consciously aware of everything that is going on during the session, you may forget part of the session because you have drifted into a light sleep state.
However, even if this happens, when the therapist ends the session you will be fully aware and awake.
Can anyone be hypnotised?
There is a widely held belief that 2% of the population are unable to be hypnotised. The truth of the matter is you are in control, so if you decide not to be hypnotised, no one can hypnotise you.
The first time someone is hypnotised they will say that they just felt completely relaxed but other than that they felt no different. This is because there is no such thing as a 'hypnotised feeling'. Hypnosis is a completely natural and normal state to be in so you are unlikely to feel anything other than focused and more relaxed than you have ever felt before.
It is a common misconception and completely untrue that when someone is hypnotised they are in an unnatural state of mind and they are unaware of what is happening.
Can you tell me about the most powerful hypnotists of all?
The most powerful hypnotist of all is you.
All hypnosis is self hypnosis, which basically means that no one can hypnotise you unless you are willing to be hypnotised.
Does Hypnosis really work?
The power of hypnosis is documented by many leading health professionals. In the late 1950s it was approved as a legitimate medical and dental treatment method by the American Medical Association.
How do you hypnotise someone?
Well, we don't swing a watch in front of someone's eyes saying things like "you are felling very sleepy" in a drowning voice!
Actually, most hypnotists simply 'talk' their clients into a hypnotic state, although there are other methods. Just talking is often the most effective way to get a client into a good state of hypnosis for therapeutic work.
A hypnotherapist is a motivational coach, a teacher and a guide and will teach you about the way your mind works relative to how hypnosis is able to help and guide you to a state of trance where you can empower yourself.
Can hypnosis be used medically?
Hypnosis has been documented time and time again by doctors and other health professionals as having beneficial effects. However, no ethical or professional hypnotist will ever perform any medically related hypnotic work without first seeking the relevant medical authorisation. It is important to remember that pain is experienced to let us know that there is something wrong.
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