5 myths about hypnosis

Hypnotherapy is often subject to scepticism, particularly fuelled by the way hypnosis is portrayed in entertainment and the media. A lack of awareness and understanding can lead to widespread misconceptions about hypnosis and its effectiveness. In this article, we'll explore five myths about hypnosis and debunk them. 

5 myths and misconceptions about hypnosis 

1. You are not in control

Wrong. You can come out of hypnosis whenever you want to. The truth is that you are always in control. This is what makes hypnosis a legal state which many NHS doctors and dentists use.

Sometimes a potential client may worry the hypnotherapist will put them ‘under’ and use that state of ‘unconsciousness’ to take advantage. For example, they will somehow manipulate them into divulging confidential information such as financial details, medical diagnoses, or personal troubles from long ago. The hypnotherapist will then have power over them to exploit them or even use blackmail.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Firstly, entering into a hypnotic state is voluntary. No hypnotherapist, however skilled, is able to hypnotise someone against their will. Hypnosis is a state of focused concentration which enables us to explore subconscious or unconscious obstacles to achieving what we want and to overcome the obstacles.

That said, some people do more naturally and easily embrace a deep hypnotic state whereas others have a different experience of hypnosis. They feel deeply relaxed and enjoy the experience but are in a lighter state. Recent developments in clinical trials using hypnosis to boost the management of chronic pain suggest this is due to subtle differences in the innate structure of the brain of each individual.

The aim of hypnotherapy is not to give you a different brain but to enable your brain to ‘wake up’ and harmonise your conscious and unconscious mental resources to identify and remove the emotional obstacles that stand in your way. Everyone with a normal brain can participate and receive transformative benefits.

2. Hypnosis is not safe

Wrong. Medicaments, drugs, potions or instruments are not used in hypnosis, making it a very safe form of therapy. There is no physical contact and you are fit to drive after sessions and return to work.

It is common for people to leave a session in a tranquil state of mind, feeling renewed and restored because the techniques used are life-enhancing and confidence-building. People who are dealing with trauma can feel hugely relieved, whereas those who are torn between conflicting impulses are much calmer. The overall impact is that people feel more accepting. The exhausting fighting against ourselves has gone, and the way ahead, however complex, feels so much clearer.

3. The benefits wear off

Wrong. The benefits of hypnosis really stick. The change can last forever. Hypnosis is a deep process. When we drive our car we can see the gear stick, instruments and windscreen. We can’t see deep into the engine which drives the car. Hypnosis utilises the engine of the mind: the unconscious. This is an immeasurable reservoir of experience, emotions, memories, stress triggers and habits which keep everything about us going. Broadly speaking, it is the domain of our ancient brains rather than our modern cognitive brains – though the two areas can interact.

If we are to make the changes we need, we have to address change at the root, buried deep down in the unconscious. This is the change that lasts.

How this process will be activated in each person at the unconscious level is unknown and can be unpredictable. For the hypnotherapist, it can be humbling to witness the changes it can achieve, sometimes in a short time.

Artie*, for example, asked me for hypnotherapy to help him face the traumatic ordeal of having all his teeth out. It was a necessary operation, not because his teeth were bad (far from it), but because he had an underlying health condition. At the initial consultation, where he was accompanied by his wife, a lovely woman, he told me how much he dreaded the procedure.

When he arrived for his hypnosis, I saw pure fear, and decided to abandon my preparations, and not even mention the word ‘tooth’ or ‘dentist’ but take a totally different tack.

After his hypnosis finished, he said ‘ OK. I can have my teeth out now.’ He explained a totally forgotten memory had come back to him in the session, ‘As real as if it was this morning.’

Forty years before, he got in with a bad lot and ended up in jail. The day he was released, he had felt so worthless, he wanted to die. He said, ‘Whatever happens to me in my life, I will never, ever, let myself feel this bad about myself again.’ He took a  pin, opened a map, shut his eyes and vowed, ‘Wherever this pin comes down, there I will go and make a new life.’ He found what he needed in him at that time, and went forward to build family and career success, and he never looked back.

Artie had rediscovered those remarkable inner strengths which were still a profound part of him. Only one session of hypnosis had been required to kick them back into shape.

4. You will be put to sleep

Wrong. You will be awake and alert in a state of very focused concentration. We all know what it is like to be lost in our thoughts or deeply absorbed by a powerful film or fascinating conversation – these experiences are similar to hypnosis.

The idea of ‘sleep’ may have arisen because people have shown with their eyes closed. In fact, it is not necessary to close your eyes to have hypnosis, all you need do is concentrate on the words you hear, but you may prefer to close your eyes to shut out distractions. In fact, children often don’t close their eyes at any time in their sessions.

Hypnosis is a vigorous approach to unconscious processes and for that reason, if possible, morning sessions are ideal, before we are distracted by the phone, or our to-do list or overtired from a long day at work. Sometimes people do doze for a minute or two in hypnosis. This occurs because your mind is working very hard to sort through and filter the hypnotic guidance you are receiving and needs a bit of ‘time out’ to process it.

It is true, however, that some people, depending on their natural make-up, enter a form of rapid eye movement which occurs when we are dreaming. This is because the process is stirring up the elements of the unconscious, active when we dream, including symbols and metaphors. We are visualising memories and imagining possibilities so as to make new connections clarifying the right direction for us. You can come out of this whenever you want.

5. You will know all there is to know about your unconscious mind

Wrong. Hypnosis is astounding because it goes through the unconscious mind. This is the part of us that generates imagination, so no one can know the limits of its power. Before we have anything, we have to imagine it.

It would be wrong to attempt to limit the imagination, as it would deprive it of its power. Without it, there could be no surprises, innovations, dreams, inventions, or creations.

Anything that has ever happened to us leaves a mark on our mind, not just when we are highly intelligent adults, but when we are in the womb or are still a small child not yet capable of fully processing thought and language. All these impressions remain an influence on the unconscious part of the mind and help to form our memories, which can still affect us. Hypnosis may encourage you to reimagine these times as a way of helping you understand the person you have become, and your current predicament, as well as activating more recent events of which there is clear recall.

Intrigued? Why not give hypnosis a try and discover the power of your own mind for yourself?

Research the right person for you, as trust is key to success. Hypnotherapists do not all work in the same way, and there can be significant differences in approach. A professional hypnotherapist will be devoted to you as a unique individual and tailor their methods accordingly.