Top Questions About Hypnosis Answered
Q: How, or why, does hypnosis work?
Think of it this way. There are two parts to each of us: a conscious mind and an unconscious (or subconscious) mind. Milton Erickson, a psychiatrist who became famous for his work with hypnosis, described the relationship between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind as a horse and rider.
The rider thinks he's in control, because he's sitting in the saddle and holding the reins. And that's true—as long as the horse is following his directions.
But what happens when the horse becomes startled and bolts off in a different direction? At that point, it's the rider who's going along for the ride.
If your thoughts, feelings or habits are out of control, it's because your subconscious mind is "bolting off" in a direction that's different from where you consciously want to go.
The way to tame your subconscious mind is through hypnosis.
Q: How do stage hypnotists control their subjects?
Like stage magic, stage hypnosis relies largely on illusion. There are several factors working on a stage show:
The subjects who end up on stage at a hypnotism show are the most responsive individuals in the entire audience. That's because the hypnotist first asks for volunteers—effectively selecting only the subjects who want to entertain the audience—and then performs a suggestibility test to narrow the selection.
What's more, the context of the stage show enables subjects to act in ways they wouldn't act in normal conditions. Not only can they place responsibility on the hypnotist for their actions, they have tremendous peer pressure to perform.
The powerful responses you see on stage (e.g. positive and negative hallucinations) are hypnotic skills demonstrated by the subjects. If the power were in the hypnotist rather than the subject, the initial selection process would not be necessary.
Outside the context of a stage show, the "control" a hypnotist has over his subjects becomes apparent as an illusion.
Q: What's the difference between a hypnotist and a hypnotherapist?
While some practitioners make a distinction between the two titles, we use them interchangably, and in many cases prefer the term "hypnotist" because it encompasses a broader scope of practice. Even though we may sometimes use the term "hypnotherapist," we do not represent that we practise psychotherapy, which is an entirely different profession. The title "Consulting Hypnotist" has become popular in recent years, especially among hypnotists who want to differentiate themselves from psychotherapists.
Q: My son/daughter needs to stop smoking (or get better grades, overcome a fear, etc.). Can you help?
We would be honoured to help your child. However, from prior experience, we have determined several things you need to know as a parent before asking your child to undergo hypnotherapy:
- We are in the business of empowering individuals, not forcing them to do things against their will. Your child will need to phone us directly and express his or her decision to start hypnotherapy, without any pressure from you.
- Regardless of who is paying for the session, our client is the person undergoing hypnosis, and his or her wishes come first. If our client indicates that he or she does not actually want to stop smoking (etc.), you would be spending your money needlessly.
- Anything your child says during a consultation or session is confidential and cannot be revealed to you.
If you can abide by these conditions, please ask your child to phone me. Young people often respond better to hypnosis than adults, and have the imagination necessary to make the process work well. You will need to come to the first session, so that we can arrange payment and so you can sign the informed consent form as a parent or guardian.
Q: I don't know if I can be hypnotized.
If you are able and willing to follow instructions, you can be hypnotized. In fact, hypnosis is a natural state of mind we all enter at various times throughout the day, such as when we're daydreaming or watching a movie. However, sometimes fears or apprehensions about hypnosis inhibit clients from entering the state of hypnosis. During your consultation, we can help you determine whether or not you respond to hypnotic suggestion.
Q: I don't know what I want. Can hypnosis help me discover what I want?
We are still trying to develop a method that lets you discover your life purpose. Unfortunately, both times we took such cases, we ended up refunding the client's money (we were happy to do it, but it didn't help the client). Hypnotherapy is much more effective when you know exactly what you want, and you need help attaining it. There are other approaches that might be more effective for discovering your life purpose.
Q: Can hypnosis make me forget a person or event?
In theory, it's possible to induce anmesia inside hypnosis. In practice, it's not a helpful response to a real part of your life. Instead of making you forget a memory, we can help you change your present-day perspective on the memory so that you can learn and grow from it, without necessarily forgetting it.
Q: What happens inside hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a totally natural and common state of mind. In fact, we go into a hypnotic trance many times during a typical day. If you’ve ever been absorbed in a good book or movie, you’ve experienced a light state of hypnosis. It’s relaxing and feels great. Most likely, you’ll emerge from hypnosis feeling like you’ve had a good night’s rest.
When you see a hypnotist, the hypnotist helps you enter this pleasant state of mind, removes the negative programming you've accumulated over your lifetime, and installs new beliefs that lead you in the directions that you want.
You will be aware of everything that happens, remember everything (except in rare cases) and be able to accept or reject any suggestion.
What Can Hypnosis Help With?
Hypnosis is effective for:
- Smoking cessation
- Weight management
- Fears, phobias and anxieties
- Stress reduction
- Improved sleep
- Improved self-confidence
- Improved memory and study skills
- Impotence or inability to orgasm
- Pain control (with doctor’s referral)
- Sales and sports motivation