Understanding Hypnosis: How Does it Work?

You are getting veeerrry sleeepyyyy....... Sleeeep.... Sleeeep.... Sleeeeeeeep.... - Is that how you view hypnosis? That you will be put to sleep and then surrender control to the Hypnotist? Also, that he will have a goatee, a pocket watch and wear all black? If so, you're not alone. I've talked far too many people over the years that have a negative, or even fearful impression of hypnosis, due mainly to its common portrayal as mind control. From the cartoons we watched as kids, to the TV shows, movies and even stage hypnosis shows we've seen as adults. The appearance is usually that the person being hypnotized is at the mercy of the hypnotist's whims. This could not be further from the truth.

Originally, I was planning on writing an article explaining how hypnosis can be used for weight loss or weight control. I realized as I began writing though, that it would be better to actually explain what hypnosis is and how it works first. So, what I'm going to do is explain hypnosis is simple layman's terms that are easy to grasp and understand. After all, it is the unknown that we fear the most.

No history lesson.

Look, if you read this and become interested in hypnosis, there are plenty of resources (like the Internet) where you can learn the history of hypnosis. I'm not going to bore you with that. My goal is help you understand hypnosis itself and it's applications. I will give you a hint for your research with the name Francis Anton Mesmer. Think mesmerized.

What is Hypnosis?

Simply? My definition would be a mood. With the characteristics of that mood being heightened awareness, combined with receptiveness to direction and suggestion.

You'll notice that I said heightened awareness. That's because being hypnotized does not mean going to sleep. When in trance, you are always fully aware of your surroundings, not snoring and drooling (though it can be so relaxing that some people do fall asleep, at which point you have to lighten the trance). This confusion regarding sleep often causes problems doing hypnotic work. IE. "I can still hear him, so I must not be in trance". Remember this, because a person in trance is not asleep, it is impossible to give them a suggestion that goes against their moral or ethical values. If I put you into trance and then gave the suggestion for you to do a headstand in my office, chances are, you'd open your eyes and look at me like I had two heads. There is no reason to fear being hypnotized.

Example: I once hypnotized a stripper because she wanted to stop drinking sodas (true story, I also ended up working with a few of her co-workers). Now, you (or maybe just I) might think, "Hey, she takes her clothes off for a living." "What would be the big deal to have her do it here in my office?" The problem? I can guarantee that no matter how deeply she was in trance, my butt would probably wind up in jail for trying it. Hypnosis just doesn't work that way. The moment you give an suggestion considered unacceptable by the subject, they remove themselves from trance. It's that simple, and kinda a shame really from my perspective. C'mon, I'm a therapist, not a monk.

As I said, the hypnotic trance is just a mood, and as you know, moods can change quickly.

Stage Hypnosis

Now, you may be thinking, "But what about people that get hypnotized in a stage show?" "They don't look like they're in control?" They are, but not in the way you think. People that go to hypnosis shows, then put themselves on stage to be hypnotized, are not shy. In fact, they are usually not only very outgoing, but also unafraid to do silly things, making them perfect candidates for a show. You see, while you might find some of the suggestions unacceptable, the type of people that usually volunteer do not. If you've been to a show, you've also noticed that the Hypnotists typically have to weed a few people from the stage. These people are most likely up there because of a dare, or were tricked by a friend, and didn't really want to on stage in front of people. Because of this, they most likely won't be comfortable enough to go into trance at that time.

Example of control: One time, I had a gentleman in a stage show that responded very well to every suggestion, except one. He would absolutely not remove his watch! Each time I used the key word he fiddled and fiddled with it, but on his wrist it stayed. It actually became a pretty funny part of the show. Later on after the show, I asked him about the watch and he told me that it was previously his deceased father's and was one of his most prized possession. So, no go.

Can I be Hypnotized?

This is by far and away the most common question I have been asked regarding hypnosis and I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future. Even though hypnosis has been recognized by the American Medical Association since 1958, many misconceptions remain to this day as to what it actually is.

So, back to the question of whether or not you can be hypnotized. The short answer is, yes. In fact, you have already been hypnotized many times throughout your life by books, movies, TV commercials, music etc. Think of how many times you have been driving and your mind has started wandering. The next thing you know you've driven right by your exit, or found yourself wondering how you got home so fast. Guess what? You were in trance, and you did it all by yourself.

Think of a time when you were reading a good book and time just flew by. Engrossed in the story, your logical mind was set aside so your emotional mind could fully involve itself. You were in trance.

Think of a time when a movie made you cry. Your logical rational mind knew that it was just a movie (Old Yeller didn't really have rabies), but your emotional mind was still affected. A great movie "suspends disbelief". A movie term that could be used just as well for hypnosis.

Think about the TV commercial for Empire Carpet. If you are from certain parts of the country, their singing phone number jingle just popped into your head.

You've been hypnotized.

Using Hypnosis

Hopefully now you have a better understanding of what hypnosis is, so I'll explain quickly how it can be used in therapy by using an example. In future articles, I will go into more detail as to how to use hypnosis for various problems such as weight control, fears, phobias, etc.

Example: Let's say you're a smoker. Your logical rational mind knows all of the negative attributes of smoking, but your emotional mind still enjoys it. Guess who wins that battle? The emotional mind. Why? Because we always follow our strongest emotional desire at the time, and use our logical mind to rationalize our behavior. Think about that for a moment as it is very important. In order for someone to quit smoking, the emotional desire to become a non-smoker has to become stronger than the desire to smoke.

Often times, we don't know what our emotional mind is trying to accomplish or why. We just follow the patterns set for us, wondering all the while why we continue an unwanted or unnecessary behavior.

This is where hypnosis comes in. Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy can be used to help a person identify and change their emotional desires by bypassing the logical, rational mind and working directly with the emotional mind, where the behavior originates.

You have the ability to do this yourself, but it can be done a lot faster and easier with help.

Oh, and I don't even own a pocket watch.