As with any subject cloaked in mystery, there are numerous myths and misconceptions that people have about hypnosis. By and large, these come about because people don’t know what hypnosis is, and they fear the consequences. In reality, hypnosis is equivalent to an efficient learning process and is a natural consequence of the capacity limits of our brain.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the main myths and misconceptions about hypnosis, along with why they’re just not true.
Myth 1. Not everyone can be hypnotized
This one is so prevalent that even researchers at prestigious universities have been misled into thinking it’s true. Here’s the thing though: Hypnosis is a natural state that everyone goes into multiple times a day.
With hypnosis, all we’re doing is using the natural abilities of the human brain to allow our subject to temporarily forget some stuff so that they can consider some new stuff. This is an integral part of learning, and we quite literally can’t learn new things without hypnosis.
When we put all of that together, the question of whether everyone can be hypnotized is logically equivalent to the question of whether everyone can learn. And the fact is that other than a tiny handful of people with a specific kind of brain damage, everyone can learn.
Therefore, everyone can be hypnotized.
Where the researchers seem to fall down is in assuming that because a specific person doesn’t yet know how to access a hypnotic trance on demand, they can’t be hypnotized.
I’ve worked with hypnosis subjects who go into hypnosis instantly, and I’ve worked with subjects who required more time. Out of multiple thousands of subjects, every single one could be hypnotized, given enough effort. Almost all of them required only a few minutes.
Myth 2. The effects of hypnosis aren’t permanent
This one is just bizarre myth.
In a very real sense, hypnosis is equivalent to a way of learning. When we make changes with hypnosis, we’re essentially learning new stuff in an efficient way. And using hypnosis, we can make the new things we’re learning stick far more quickly than they might otherwise.
Like all learning, we can also forget. And we get to choose what we keep.
Here’s the thing though: There are countless people out in the world who have used hypnosis to permanently quit smoking. There are probably even more who have used it to permanently lose weight.
As you might expect with a process that is a form of enhanced learning, hypnosis can help with so many things that this would be a very long article if I listed all of them.
Not only is it possible to make the effects of hypnosis permanent, it’s generally desirable to do so.
Myth 3. You can’t be hypnotized online
Every so often I’ll come across hypnotists who claim that it’s not possible to hypnotize people online.
Generally they have formed this belief because they don’t know how to do it.
This usually happens because either they fear technology, or they only know how to induce hypnosis using a physical induction, such as the handshake induction.
Most hypnosis inductions do not involve physical contact at all.
Hypnosis happens inside the mind of the subject. So long as we can communicate with that mind, it’s possible to hypnotize him or her. And guess what online communications tools do?
In a lot of ways, it’s easier to hypnotize someone online through a video call than it is in person.
Myth 4. You can get stuck in hypnosis
Hypnosis is a state, much like happiness, sadness, and focus are states. And the thing about states inside a human mind is that they can only last for about 90 seconds.
The only way a state can last for longer than 90 seconds is if we do something to keep it going. When we’re happy or sad, we tell ourselves stories that tend to perpetuate that state.
With hypnosis, if you’re not a hypnotist, you won’t know what stories to tell to keep it going. And if you are a hypnotist, you know exactly what to do to stop the hypnosis on demand.
Either way, it’s impossible to get stuck in hypnosis.
Myth 5. Hypnosis is fake
For a lot of people, their knowledge of hypnosis comes from popular culture. We watch stage shows and think that’s what hypnosis is. In reality, a stage show is just that: It’s a show in which the hypnotist’s primary concern is entertaining the audience.
When we watch a movie, we know that the things in it aren’t really real. This doesn’t mean that they can’t be representations of real events.
In a hypnosis stage show, the hypnotist picks and chooses people who want to show off to the audience, and are good hypnosis subjects. This is what makes for a good show. And it also leads some people to conclude that hypnosis is fake.
At the same time, people have weird beliefs about hypnosis, such as it being the same thing as mind control. When we have beliefs like this, we tend to insist that hypnosis is fake because we don’t like the consequences if it isn’t.
And then there’s people who think that hypnosis is fake because they once listened to an audio recording or Youtube video and it didn’t work. Or a specific hypnotist was unable to hypnotize them.
Hypnosis relies heavily on the hypnotist having feedback from the subject. With a recording this never happens, so recordings are notoriously inefficient at inducing hypnosis.
Not only that, but hypnosis requires a complex interplay between the hypnotist and the subject. Even the very best hypnotist in the world may find some subjects that they just don’t get on with in the right way for hypnosis to work. Another hypnotist may have no trouble at all with those same subjects.
Here’s the thing though: Hypnosis itself is a logical consequence of the capacity limits of the human brain. Hypnosis is not only real, but necessary for our brains to function.
Myth 6. Hypnosis is dangerous
With a topic as mysterious as hypnosis, it’s only natural to ask whether it’s safe. And the truth is that there are a few risks with hypnosis. But they’re probably not what you think.
We go into hypnosis many times every day when we are watching TV, movies, drive on a familiar highway, daydreaming. It is natural state of mind.
As a rule, none of the things that people tend to think might be dangerous about hypnosis are actually true. They saw something about hypnosis on TV show or movie, but it came completely from the imagination of a script writer. Fear is low vibration emotion and we need to let it go to evolve spiritually.
So what it comes down to is that when you intentionally expose yourself to hypnosis with a competent professional hypnotist, it’s completely safe.
Myth 7. Hypnosis is sleep
To the casual observer, it might appear that someone who is hypnotized is asleep.
On top of that, when people get their knowledge from pop-culture rather than reality, they can come to believe that people don’t remember what happens in hypnosis sessions.
Since a lot of people don’t recall their dreams, this leads them to erroneously conclude that hypnosis is the same thing as sleep.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Far from being a sleep state, hypnosis is more akin to a state of hyper-focus. When we’re hypnotized, we are typically fully aware and alert. Our attention is simply directed inwards.
Now, it is true that some forms of hypnosis can lead to sleep. Hypnosis can be used to quiet thoughts, and it can be used to cause relaxation. Both of these are conducive to sleep. But that’s not the same thing as hypnosis being sleep, which it isn’t.
Myth 8. You won’t remember what happened under hypnosis
With hypnosis it’s possible to induce a state of amnesia. That is, we can block out memories of a session, or part of that session.
There’s a few things around that.
First, blocking out memories usually requires extra work on the part of the hypnotist. We generally won’t do it unless it’s to help you to take onboard a change that you’ve asked for.
Second, even when we do block out your memories, they’re still there. All you have to do to access them is think back to the start of your hypnosis session, and replay it in your mind.
In almost all hypnosis sessions, there’s no reason to block out someone’s memory. Furthermore I am recording a session for you, so you can watch or listen to it later.
At the end of the day, almost everyone who is hypnotized tends to remember their hypnosis session more vividly than they recall other details of their life.
Myth 9. Intelligent people can’t be hypnotized
Something that comes up time and time again is people who think they’re too smart to be hypnotized. This one is wonderfully amusing, because smart people are easier to hypnotize.
Think about it for a moment.
The ability to be hypnotized depends on things like your ability to learn and your ability to focus. Intelligent people tend to have these traits in abundance.
Alongside this there are other traits that intelligent people tend to have. And all of them are traits that help people to become exceptional hypnosis subjects.
Now you might be thinking that if smart people can be hypnotized, maybe people of low intelligence can’t be.
Not so.
It might take longer if they haven’t been hypnotized before, but they can still learn how.
The only people who can’t be hypnotized are those who cannot learn new things. And those ones are easy to spot, because they also can’t form new memories.
If you’ve managed to make it this far through this article, you are neither too smart nor too slow to be hypnotized.
Myth 10. Strong-willed people can’t be hypnotized
This one is just funny.
When we have the belief that the hypnotist is somehow forcing people into hypnosis, it can be easy to conclude that if we have enough willpower we can somehow resist them. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis.
Here’s the thing: Far from forcing people into hypnosis, a skilled hypnotist is more like a guide. The relationship between hypnotist and subject is more like the relationship between teacher and student than anything else.
Not only that, but one of the important traits that helps people to be easily hypnotized is their ability to focus. And guess what… strong-willed people tend to have an excellent ability to focus.
