Hypnosis FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Hypnosis.
Will I still be in control of myself?
Yes. You always have control over yourself. Many are scared that if they give in to the relaxation of hypnosis and go fully into a trance-like state that they won’t be in control of themselves and they can be controlled easily by the hypnotist. You are always fully in control of yourself when you are hypnotized. You are still conscious, but your conscious mind is just extremely relaxed. No one can take control over you and make you do silly things while you are hypnotized unless you allow it.
When you are in a hypnotic state, you are more aware and even more focused on yourself than normal. You don’t give up your free will or allow anyone to turn you into a “zombie,” or robot-like slave. Despite what you have seen in movies and on television, hypnosis doesn’t make you a slave to the hypnotist.
A hypnotist cannot make you fall in or out of love with someone else, make you change an important part of who you are, or make you do anything you don’t want, or wouldn’t normally do. You are in full control throughout the whole hypnosis session. You are not “under a spell” or under the direction of anyone else. The things you see in movies or in stage hypnosis shows where people are “hypnotized” and run around acting like chickens or saying silly things on command is not real hypnosis and you will never do anything while you are hypnotized that you wouldn’t do under normal circumstances.
Can I be hypnotized without my consent?
No. No one can hypnotize you without your consent. Hypnosis is not magic. Hypnosis is a state of very deep relaxation. If you don’t want to be hypnotized, then you won’t be able to relax and it will be impossible to enter a hypnotic state. The process of entering a hypnotic state takes time because the body and mind need time to relax and reach the deep relaxation necessary for hypnosis.
You can stop the session at any time during the process if you are not comfortable or if you do not want to be hypnotized. You cannot be hypnotized with the snap of a finger. One of my very first clients came out of hypnosis themselves because they were not comfortable and we had to conclude the session and, the sessions that followed were all successful.
What happens if I can’t come out of Hypnosis?
This is physically impossible because you are not unconscious at any point during hypnosis.
You are in a deeply relaxed state but fully conscious and you can come out of that state any time you want to. You can also come out of hypnosis when given a verbal cue by the hypnotist, and sometimes when you get that verbal cue, you may not want to come out of it because the relaxed state that you are in feels so good. If that does happen, it might take you a few minutes to return to your normal awareness, but that is only because you chose to stay in that relaxed state, not because you are forced to stay in it or because you can’t come out of it on your own. You are always in control.
Can I hypnotize myself?
Yes, you can hypnotize yourself.
Some prefer self-hypnosis because they have a hard time trusting another person hypnotizing them and they can’t relax enough to enter a true hypnotic state when someone else is around. You can also hypnotize yourself between sessions with a hypnotist if you want or need a little extra relaxation.
Does Hypnosis work on children?
Yes. Hypnosis is often used to help children with behavioral disorders and children who have experienced traumatic events. Children have also been hypnotized to help solve crimes where children have been attacked. Hypnosis is one method of helping with night terrors, and can be more effective than other methods. If your child is having night terrors and has not responded well to other methods, using hypnosis is a good option that can be discussed with your Doctor.
Is Hypnosis just “New Age Hooey?”
Many are skeptical at first, but that’s because they don’t understand of how hypnosis is used for medical and psychological treatments.
Hypnosis is not some crazy New Age therapy. It is a legitimate therapeutic technique that has been used with proven success to treat medical and psychological disorders in millions of people (please note that I am a certified Hypnotist, not a Hypnotherapist, and use it for remedial purposes only.)
Anyone can be treated with hypnosis, and hypnosis is very effective in helping with many different disorders and situations.
How many problems can I address at once using Hypnosis?
Hypnosis isn’t a magic cure that will get rid of all your problems at once. You will still need to address your problems one at a time, and usually over the course of several sessions in order to see results.
Do I need to see a Hypnotist more than once?
Yes. Generally you will need more than one session with a hypnotist to solve your problem.
Most will see noticeable results after just a few sessions, but almost always it will take more than one session for you to see any kind of noticeable results. That being said, hypnosis is still far more effective than psychotherapy.
In 1970, Alfred A. Barrios published “Hypnotherapy: A Recovery Appraisal.” with the following recovery rates:
With Psychoanalysis, there is a 30% recovery rate after 600 sessions.
With Behavior Therapy, there is a 72% recovery rate after 22 sessions.
With Hypnosis, there is a 93% recovery rate after just 6 sessions.
Is Hypnosis Dangerous?
Hypnosis is perfectly safe. You are always in control of the situation, and you are never unconscious. There are no side effects and, hypnosis always works, unlike medication or drugs which may or may not work depending on your body’s chemistry and nature of the disorder. Hypnosis can safely help with physical and mental aspects of common problems like addictions, and can help you break your physical and emotional dependencies such as overreating , smoking, drinking, drama, anger, or any other destructive addiction you might have.
Do you have any other questions about Hypnosis that I have not covered here? Let me know in the form below.