I’ve found no better explanation about hypnosis and the myths surrounding hypnosis than the one given by William W Hewitt in Hypnosis for Beginners. I’ve paraphrased some of it in order to make sense. Read on for a new understanding and awareness about hypnosis, and my particular practice of it, hypnotherapy.
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What is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a lot like daydreaming. When you daydream, you alter your state of consciousness to the alpha frequency region and engage in your fantasies. All while you are conscious and aware, yet you remain oblivious to eternal distractions. Daydreaming is a perfectly normal, safe, and healthy phenomenon that we all engage in from time to time. Sometimes a daydream is so intense and goal-oriented that the person achieves the goal. This usually happens spontaneously and without deliberate intent. (…breaking in, this is one of the best methods I coach success-seekers in.)
Hypnosis is a technique that enables you to achieve this altered state of consciousness – the daydream state – deliberately and direct your attention to specific goals in order to achieve them. Like day dreaming, hypnosis is a perfectly normal, safe, and healthy phenomenon. In hypnosis, like daydreaming, you are conscious and aware, yet remain oblivious to external distractions. In both daydreaming and hypnosis your mind adjusts to the alpha frequency range – the difference is that in hypnosis your mind is directed to specific beneficial goals you wish to achieve and not to fantasies. These beneficial goals include quitting smoking, dieting, improving self-image, overcoming phobias and fears, improving memory – the list of uses is limitless.
Hypnotic State
Under hypnosis the person is very aware of where he or she is and what is happening. The subject hears everything and is in a daydream-like state of deep relaxation. Often the subject has either a numbness throughout the body or no acute awareness of having a body.
Suggestions
You’ll find that suggestions used in hypnosis are extremely important. Important because all suggestions given are positive, constructive, and beneficial. This is because the subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a good suggestion and a bad one. The subconscious mind merely accepts what you give it and then acts on it.
Myths
There are many serious misunderstandings about hypnosis. Many of these misunderstandings have been promoted by B-grade movies that depict people being transformed into zombie-like creatures by some super-powerful mystic who says, “Look into my eyes…” While this may make for an exciting movie, it is 100% fiction and has no resemblance to the truth. Following are some of the more common myths and their explanations.
A hypnotist has magical powers. (First off, if any of you know me, you know this to be patently false.) A hypnotist is an ordinary human being who has mastered the skill of using the power of suggestion to being about desired results.
A person can be hypnotized and made to do things against his or her will. Absolutely false. First, no person can even be hypnotized against his or her will. The subject must be 100% cooperative. Second, no one under hypnosis can be made to do anything they would not freely do if not under hypnosis. During hypnosis, the subject can choose to accept or reject any suggestion given. If a suggestion is given that upsets the subject, he or she would likely come out of hypnosis immediately of their own choice.
Only weak-minded people can be hypnotized. The contrary is true. The more intelligent a person is, the easier it is to hypnotize him or her. In fact, in certain ceases of mental debility, hypnosis is impossible. Nearly everyone who wants to be hypnotized, can be hypnotized. Only about 1% of the population cannot be hypnotized (either because of mental deficiencies or reasons we don’t understand).
A hypnotized person is in a trance or is unconscious. Not true at all. Under hypnosis, the subject is awake and aware – extremely so. The hypnotized subject has merely focused his or her attention to where the hypnotist directs it, and is oblivious to anything else.
A person can get stuck in hypnosis. This is completely false. Even if the operator dropped dead after putting the subject under deep hypnosis, the subject would come out of the hypnosis easily. The subject would either slip into a brief sleep and then awaken normal, or open his or her eyes when the operator’s voice had not been heard for some time.
Deep hypnosis is necessary for good results. Not true. Any level of hypnosis from light to very deep can bring good results.
Conclusion
Hypnosis is one of the most valuable tools in the world today for the enrichment of lives. With hypnosis, you can break undesirable habits, create desirable habits, and constructively deal with and resolve every sort of human problem.
