Why everything you think about Hypnosis is probably wrong

Posted by Honey Lansdowne Over 1 Year Ago

So how can I be so sure that everything you think about Hypnosis is probably wrong? Well for two reasons. When I have free consultations with clients they usually have questions about Hypnosis which I like to sort out and answer as fully as I can before their sessions. And also, in preparation for this article, I invited questions so I could answer them fully.

Assumptions about Hypnosis

1 – You are under the Hypnotist’s ‘spell’ or control.

Hypnosis is not control. You can ignore suggestions given in trance if you want to, or if they are not in line with your wishes.

2 – Hypnosis is sleep

You are not asleep while in Hypnosis. Hypnosis is not sleep. In fact your mind is super alert! But you will probably feel deeply relaxed as relaxation is a wonderful by product of Hypnosis.

Questions people asked about Hypnosis

1 – Will it brainwash me?

Suggestions made in Hypnosis are hugely powerful. But they only take affect if you truly want them and accept them. For example… if you really want to stop smoking, Hypnosis will enhance all the reasons you already affirm are good reasons to stop.

One of the meanings of brainwashing is ‘to pressurise (someone) into adopting radically different beliefs by using systematic and often forcible means’.

So my diplomatic answer to this is – it can help you make true the things you already believe, but can’t achieve alone. NLP can change your beliefs but more about that in another article.

2 – Does it last forever?

This will vary for everyone. Some smokers stay stopped. Some don’t. I don’t have any stats around it, but many people change their lives and remove their unwanted habits with Hypnosis.

It’s like saying if someone gets rich, will they be rich forever. Well, they might maximise on their wealth or not, depending on the decisions and actions they take.

3 – What if I don’t want to change?

Then Hypnosis is not for you. You have to want to change for it to work. Although you might still enjoy the relaxation elements of Hypnosis.

4 – Will Hypnosis erase my personality?

No cases on record :)

5 – Can Hypnosis give lasting mindset changes?

Your mind does not know what is real and what is not. If you watch a movie you know it’s actors, in costumes, on a film set, playing a story in front of a huge film crew. You still cry and laugh like it’s real don’t you?! Your mind believes it and the emotions are real.

If the suggestions you receive during Hypnosis are consistent with what you REALLY want, it will give you the change you seek.

6 – What happens in a trance?

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind; people are often surprised that they hear every word and could get up and walk out of the room at any moment. Unless you enter a deeper state, you may not feel much different.

7 – Why do you speak directly to my subconscious?

I will talking much more about your subconscious mind in a separate article. But an analogy is making changes in your conscious mind is like clearing your inbox, it helps at a surface level but real improvements happen at hard drive or cloud level and that is your subconscious. Your subconcious is much more powerful than your conscious mind so makes sense to use it!

Your subconscious mind is like the film of your life and your conscious mind the photos. The subconscious knows everything and the conscious just has snapshots. So review the film to remind you of things from the past and address them so you can move on and feel better.

8 – I’ve had Hypnosis before but it didn’t work, should I try again?

I’m not going to be critical of my fellow Hypnotists here and put them at fault. I would say we all try things that don’t work at some point in our lives… relationships, diets, gym memberships, holidays, restaurants! Sometimes the time is not right, sometimes it’s the chemistry and sometimes it just is.

9 – What happens if I go to sleep?

The feeling can be similar to drifting off to sleep at night when you are not quite awake and not quite asleep but it is not sleep. If you were to fall asleep your Hypnotist would be able to sort this out and bring you back up to a suitable state.

10 – Will you make me do things I don’t want to?

Never.

11 – What’s the difference between stage Hypnosis and what you do?

A number of factors make stage Hypnosis different to therapeutic Hypnosis. When someone knows they are going to a Hypnosis stage show, they have probably decided if they will volunteer before they even arrive. They then put their hand up at the show and volunteer. They are giving their consent for Hypnosis to happen and they fully know some silliness will be involved! It is more likely than the volunteer is of an extroverted nature and enjoys being the star of the show.

12 – Will I definitely wake up?

You are not asleep. Please see answer to question 9

13 – I find it hard to shut my brain down so struggle with Meditation too. Can Hypnosis break through that?

Firstly, here is an interesting video about Meditation myths:

https://youtu.be/Xco3UjLLvGo

I get loads of clients who can’t meditate but desperately want to relax. Meditation can take years to perfect! Think monks lol.

Hypnosis puts you in the hands of a skilled professional who can facilitate you reaching your desired or acheiveable state.

14 – Can I get stuck in Hypnosis?

Even from the deepest trance state (which is delicious), you will still emerge or fall into sleep when you are ready. So no. You can’t get stuck in Hypnosis.

15 – Can I be Hypnotised?

I’m going to be honest with you here. The level of success depends on two things. Your allowance to yourself to let it happen and removal of any fear to it happening (although there is nothing to be scared of). A Hypnotic trance is a feeling of relaxation, it is different for everyone. The more you do it, the better it gets!

There is also expectation. If you expect your Hypnotherapist to lay you out cold, this might not be your experience! During Hypnosis you are aware of everything that is being said and you can bring yourself at anytime you decide. But you probably won’t want to!

16 – How do I choose the right Hypnotherapist?

I’ve put myself in your shoes here because of course I want to say contact me! Some might give you recordings. Some might offer group sessions and 121. Some may specialise in certain areas like PTSD, weight loss, stop smoking, working with children, anxiety or phobias. I specialise in depression and what I call ‘work of the self’ (but I treat anything I consider feasible after a client consultation aswell).

When choosing your Hypnotherapist you might want to consider the way they work. They might favour a quick approach or prefer to see you for more sessions. Not every issue is a ‘quick fix’ although many can be. Some therapists (like myself) integrate Hypnosis with other therapies such as NLP for really deep work with their clients. You can cover so much ground and make real purposeful transformations in just a few sessions.

I love the satisfaction of knowing that my clients have had the opportunity of an ’emotional deep cleanse’ which they often haven’t been able to fix even with weeks/months/years of Coaching, Counselling or Pyschotherapy. They walk away with a spring in their step.

To summarise:

You can’t be hypnotised if you don’t want to be hypnotised.
You can’t be made to do things that you don’t want to do.
You can’t get “stuck” in a hypnotic trance.
It is NOT mind control by one person over another.
It is your journey. The therapist is more like a guide.