Remember that scene in Now You See Me, where the Four Horseman hypnotize audience members to attack the FBI agents so that they can escape unscathed? For a lot of people who haven’t encountered hypnosis as a therapy, this is how hypnotism works. As a result, they have several misconceptions about the process.
Let’s take a look at some of them and why they mustn’t be believed in.
You Can Get Stuck In a Hypnotic Trance
Okay, let’s get this straight: no one has ever been stuck in a hypnotic trance. It just doesn’t happen! Being hypnotized is like being in a naturally occurring state that you can easily opt-out of any time you want.
People often come to the false conclusion that if a hypnotist was to leave them unattended and not revive them out of their trance, they’ll stay in that state until the hypnotist finally decides to “set them free”. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. At most, you’ll fall asleep for around 5–10, only to wake up and be fully alert once again. In fact, if there was an emergency, for instance, the fire alarm goes off or the room starts flooding, your mind and body will recognize the situation and allow you to regain alertness.
You don’t necessarily need a hypnotist to bring you back to your alert state. You’ll be able to do it on your own, even if the hypnotist goes AWOL.
Hypnotists Have Special Powers
If by special you mean they have formal training in the field of hypnosis, then this is indeed true. Hypnotists are trained and licensed to perform this form of psychotherapy on their patients. What they don’t have, however, is supernatural power that allows them to dig deep into one’s subconscious mind.
There are no superpowers involved in hypnosis. A competent hypnotist will be thoroughly familiar with the different techniques used in hypnosis, allowing them to put you in a hypnotic trance. Trust us; they’re not dealing with occult or supernatural forces when they do this!
Hypnotists Can Control Our Actions
Despite what you may have seen on stage hypnotism and in Hollywood flicks, hypnotists don’t control your actions. The very foundation of hypnosis is based on the consent and voluntary participation of the patient. Hence, you can’t and won’t be persuaded against your will to do things you don’t want to.
You needn’t worry about embarrassing yourself by impersonating a chicken or acting like a toddler during your hypnosis session. These “silly” acts are only limited to stage performances where audience members consent to be put under a trance in front of an audience. This is very different from actual hypnosis sessions, which are much more serious than the ones you’ve seen on TV.
Before entering a hypnotic trance, you get to discuss what kind of suggestions you’ll be given during the process with your hypnotist. If the suggestion made while you’re in a hypnotic trance is too bizarre or simply one that’s unacceptable to you, you’ll automatically reject the suggestion and may even come out of your trance because of it. Remember, you have control over your subconscious, not your hypnotist!
Rekha Shrivastava is a certified hypnotist at Blossom Hypnosis who uses subconscious mind healing techniques for various conditions. This includes treating anxiety, depression, phobias, ADHD, and smoking cessation.
Book a Skype consultation with her today or visit her clinic in Rochester, NY.
Not ready to book an appointment? Learn how self-hypnosis can help you recover from PTSD and depression.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hypnosis/about/pac-20394405
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/01/hypnosis
Hypnosis, contrary to popular belief, is simply a state of higher alertness, focused attention, and responsiveness to suggestion. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with sleeping, and it can very well be carried out during a simple, everyday conversation.