The Myths of Hypnosis
Hypnosis is shrouded in numerous myths, usually associated with its portrayal in Hollywood (or “Hollyweird” as we like to say) movies, old time books about hypnosis, misunderstanding from religious sources and many other sources. Once you put aside those fears, once you set aside those myths, you can be to explore fully the power of hypnosis. For the power of hypnosis is truely the power of your own mind. For hypnosis is merely the activation of powers, knowledge and abilities you have had all along but just aren’t using yet. Finally, putting aside those myths and really learn hypnosis, you will become the real master of your own mind and your own life.
Can you begin to imagine what you life could be like if you stopped negative self-talk, if you could create and held onto beliefs that propelled you forward to your goals rather than hold you back? When you release your mind from myths and stereotypes, when you free you mind with positive, emotionally charged and energetic self-affirmations, there is really no limit to what you can achieve. As Henry Ford once said “whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” Hypnosis is a powerful way to get your mind, your unconscious mind, to get on board so you absolutely believe “I can” for the real goals you set yourself. When you learn hypnosis, learn to hypnotize yourself for your own self-development, the world is your oyster, as they say.
I’ll Become a Mindless Robot/Zombie if I’m Hypnotized
So what are some of the myths of hypnosis? One of the biggest myths is that you lose control when you’re in hypnosis. This just isn’t true. Hypnotized people remains in full control of their faculties, their awareness of what’s going on, and they are able to reject suggestions or even emerge themselves from trance.
You do not lose control under hypnosis. While in hypnosis, the subject remains in complete control of all of his faculties-he is aware of everything going on around him, hears the voices of the hypnotist and the other sounds around him. Think about stage shows: the stage volunteers must hear everything the hypnotist says in order to carry out the suggestions.
Stage shows perhaps help along this misconception about hypnosis, but mostly because of a misunderstanding of what really happens during a stage show. You see, in a stage show subjects are volunteering to go on stage and perform various hypnotic skits. The stage volunteers have all seen or at least heard about what is expected in a stage show. They volunteer, wanting to do the skits. The want to be the stars, they want to show off, they want to be the life of the party. It’s hardly surprising how well they usually carry out the skits. It’s a good excuse for doing what they want to do anyway: “I couldn’t help it, I was hypnotized!”
I once attended a stage show in Las Vegas. Prior to the show the hypnotist showed on screens various suggestions. Some suggestions were common ideas of stage hypnotists’ suggestions, things like “bark like a dog,” or “cluck like a chicken” that are rarely used today (if they ever were). Even though there was absolutely no hypnosis involved, 15 or 20% of the audience still followed the suggestions! You see, the people are there to have fun and to enjoy the show, and do things on stage that they may never otherwise get a chance to do. It’s fun for the volunteers, and if it’s not something that will be fun, you don’t volunteer. I doubt I could count the number of people who volunteer again and again to go on stage for a stage show.
To the audience however it may seem that the subjects are acting against their will, and doing things that they wouldn’t otherwise do. In fact, however, they are doing exactly what they volunteered to do.
Hypnosis Will Make Me Tell All My Secrets
Another myth of hypnosis is that hypnosis is a truth serum and you will reveal all of your deepest, darkest secrets. Nothing could be further from the truth. A hypnotized subject may lie, may remain silent or tell the truth as they choose. Many stage shows will have one of the hypnotized volunteers lie about something. The skit may have one of the subjects pretend to be a secret agent, and when the hypnotists ask him about what he’s doing, he’ll lie about it as secret agent would.
I Wasn’t Hypnotized–I Heard Everything You Said
Some people think that when they’re hypnotized they won’t be able to hear or understand what’s going on around them. In fact, under hypnosis, your senses are much more heightened than they are normally. You hear more, see more, and are more aware of your surroundings than you are in a normal conscious state.
When you’re hypnotized, your senses are actually much more aware than when you are in your normal conscious state. The reason for that is that, in hypnosis, your conscious mind is bypassed and is not interfering with your perceptions. It’s not filtering out things that it normally would. That’s why stage hypnotists always want the audience to be completely silent when they hypnotize the volunteers. Whispers or conversations in the audience can sound quite loud to the volunteers and can stop them from going into a deep trance.
Hypnotherapy clients will sometimes think they weren’t hypnotized because they “heard everything.” Of course, they heard everything. The session wouldn’t be of much use if the client didn’t hear what the hypnotherapist said!
In truth, you will hear and be aware of everything going on around you, and you will likely remember everything as well. A hypnotherapist may sometimes deliberately create amnesia in a client for some specific reason, but amnesia is certainly not an automatic result of being hypnotized.
Only the Weak Minded Can Be Hypnotized
Another myth of hypnosis is that only the weak minded can be hypnotized. Nothing can be further from the truth. To go into a deep hypnotic trance requires a creative use of your imagination, your intelligence, and your ability to concentrate. In fact, the more intelligent you are, the more you’re willing to use your ability to imagine and concentrate, the easier it will be to go into a deep hypnotic trance. The only thing stopping you from going into a trance is you. Many people choose not to go into a trance because they believe one of the myths about hypnosis. When you get past the myths and really decide to “go for it” you’ll find hypnosis very easy to achieve. It is a completely normal and natural state that we all in fact go into every day.
If I’m Hypnotized, I Might Never Wake Up
Some people are afraid of hypnosis because they fear they will never “wake up” from trance. Millions and millions of people have been hypnotized and every single one of them has emerged from trance. If a hypnotist was simply to leave the room and leave you alone you would emerge from trance all on your own. If you were completely exhausted when you got hypnotized, you might drift off to sleep and wake up after a good rest.
The best way to experience and to really learn hypnosis is simply to let go of all those fears, those old concerns that held you back from experiencing a wonderful state of relaxation and accelerated learning. My book “Beyond the Conscious Mind” teaches you how to enter a deep state of hypnotic trance, give yourself positive suggestions for achieving your goal, and emerge yourself from trance feeling alert, refreshed, feeling absolutely wonderful in every way. This book is free; just fill out the request form on this page, Hypnosis is simple and easy. You don’t need to spend long periods of time to get wonderful results. You can spend as little as five minutes a day to be well on your way to achieving your own goals, the goals that have so far eluded you, and the goals you have decided are important to you.
