Myths and Misconceptions
Perhaps no other natural phenomena has as much mystique surrounding it as hypnosis does. Thanks to stage hypnotists and Hollywood movies, hypnosis appears to be part magic and part hype, part mystery and curiosity, either a tool of incredible power or a mere magician's trick. Separating fact from fiction is no easy task given the mass media.
Here, then, for your amusement and education, are some of the common myths and misconceptions surrounding hypnosis, as well as what is known about this simple yet powerful technique for effecting change.
Myth: Hypnosis is not accepted by western medicine…it is hocus pocus.
Fact: Hypnosis has been recognized by the American Medical Association since 1958 as an effective treatment method. One of the reasons why it is not used more often is the time involved in doing an induction versus the speed of drugs. However, hypnosis does not have any side effects.
Myth: Hypnosis is mind control.
Fact: You need deprivation for mind control. Hypnosis is merely focused concentration. With hypnosis, you are in control of your own experience at all times. It is not mind control.
Myth: Hypnosis is truth serum.
Fact: You can lie or edit under hypnosis all you want. It is not truth serum. You won't tell any secrets under hypnosis either.
Myth: I'll lose control under hypnosis.
Fact: You are always in control of your own experience. All hypnosis is, in fact, self-hypnosis. Hypnosis is much like a daydream…you hear what's going on, and if something disturbs you, you refocus your attention and come awake if you like.
Myth: I won't remember anything that happened during hypnosis.
Fact: You will hear and remember everything that happens under hypnosis, unless you go into the deepest of all trances, a "somnambulistic" state. Your mind is alert, your body relaxed, and you will remember what transpired to the same degree as you would recall a conversation, for instance.
Myth: Hypnosis can make people do things they ordinarily wouldn't do.
Fact: You will never do anything under hypnosis that violates your own moral code. If a stage hypnotist tells you to bark like a dog, and you have no moral inhibitions against doing so, you may well comply. Another person might find that action insulting and so would not do it.
Myth: I don't think I can be hypnotized.
Fact: The vast majority of the population can be hypnotized. In fact, most people go in and out of trance several times during the day. If you've ever daydreamed, were totally engrossed in a book or movie, or passed your exit on the highway, you were in a light trance state. High intelligence, a strong will, a strong imagination, an analytical mind-all respond to hypnosis. The main qualification is an ability to concentrate and trust the process. Several people have come to me and have reported that other hypnotists told them they couldn't be hypnotized. In every case this was simply not true. I had absolutely no trouble getting them hypnotized.
Myth: You need a deep trance to get results.
Fact: Most of the work that we do requires only a light trance.Issues such as weight loss, smoking, procrastination and dozens of others require only a light trance to effect change. Now, if you're going in for surgery or under the dentist's drill, you want to make sure you are in a deeper trance. But depth has very little to do with achieving results. The best thing to do is just relax and go along with the process.
Myth: I'll know if I'm hypnotized
Fact: Most people cannot tell if they're hypnotized. That's because they expect to be so deeply under that they won't hear anything or remember anything. The truth is, you will hear and remember everything that's said under hypnosis. Your mind is alert, but relaxed. I tell my clients let me worry about whether or not you're hypnotized, and just go along with the process.
Myth: I'll know right away if it's working or not.
Fact: You won't know at the time if you're being hypnotized. The proof will in the pudding. Your feelings and actions in the days to come will be the measure of your success. Recently I had a 9-year old girl who came to see me for thumb-sucking. After her first session, she was sobbing because she was so sure nothing had happened, and hypnosis didn't work for her, and she felt desperate to change. One week later her mother brought her back to me and said that her daughter had some "good news" for me. Sarah (not her real name) reported that she hadn't sucked her thumb once in the entire week, something that had never happened before. Several of her neighbors have come to see me since, and say that it's been six months and they haven't seen her suck her thumb once. The moral of this story is "your conscious mind is often the last to know." So relax and enjoy the process.
Myth: The hypnotist has all the power. He does it to me.
Fact: You are responsible for your own experience under trance. The hypnotherapist is merely a guide, a facilitator. He or she cannot "make" you do anything against your will or intent. Some of my clients wish I had that kind of power, so I could magically make them quit smoking or start looking for a new job. But only you have that kind of power and control.
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