Clear Mirror Healing

Take Control of Your Life

Common Misunderstandings:

I don't think I can be hypnotized

I don't want to be out of control

I am too resistant (or strong willed, or analytical, or controlled) to be hypnotized

I tried it before and it didn't work

"Truth Serum"

What if I get stuck in hypnosis?

I don’t think I can be hypnotized  - First of all it’s important to realize that a hypnotic trance is a normal, common state that everyone has experienced.  So everyone can be hypnotized!  Hypnosis is that focused yet detached state we find ourselves in while driving a familiar route in monotonous traffic, while watching TV, or just before you fall into a deep sleep when you are aware of sounds around you but feel little obligation to respond to them.

            Some of us may have seen a stage hypnotist perform and found that we were neither selected to appear on stage nor felt particularly responsive to his suggestions.  This is a common experience from which many mistakenly conclude they cannot be hypnotized (this even happened to me once!).  The thing to realize is that a stage hypnotist is doing a show.  He does some easy suggestions and then looks for those people in the audience who respond most dramatically.  People do have different levels of responsiveness, which can change markedly depending on the environment, moods, interest, experience, etc.  One thing that’s nice to know is that each time we experience hypnosis we go deeper and are able to accomplish more than the preceding time so that even if your first experience of hypnosis was dissatisfying you can definitely expect the next one to be more fulfilling!

I don’t want to be out of control – You need never relinquish control at all during hypnosis.  In fact hypnotherapy is a great way to gain control over those parts of one’s life that seem poorly regulated.  But maybe you’ve seen or heard stories about someone who stood up and clucked like a chicken following a hypnotic suggestion.  Just as a person might loosen up and indulge in silly behavior after a couple of beers though he’s not really drunk, a person may find hypnosis just relaxing enough that, in the context of a stage show and a room full of friendly folks waiting to be entertained, he is able to indulge some silly suggestions by the hypnotist.

            If this is just the sort of thing you don’t want to happen, let me make a few suggestions.  First you might want to spend your first session with the hypnotherapist practicing going into a few light trances and coming back out so you become familiar with the process.  Have her teach you some self-hypnosis techniques that you can practice at home between sessions.  All of this will familiarize you with the territory and help you maintain your sense of control.  It will also have the added bonus of helping you access deeper levels and achieve more satisfying results in the following sessions.  Having a sort of ‘practice’ session like this will also give you the chance to get to know the hypnotherapist and see that she is trustworthy before you begin working on issues.  Lastly during the session try to remain focused on the hypnotherapist’s words throughout.  The intensity of your focus will sharpen your awareness of the suggestions that are given and allow you to override (silently to yourself) and later discuss (aloud with the hypnotherapist) any suggestions with which you are not completely comfortable and at ease.

 I’m too resistant (or analytical, or strong willed, or controlled) to be hypnotized – All these things are good qualities and they will in no way interfere with your ability to be hypnotized nor to achieve success through hypnotherapy!  Often the basic misunderstanding here is that it is the hypnotherapist’s goal to manipulate you or that it is your goal to manipulate or force your unconscious mind to comply.  A more accurate picture is that hypnotherapy is an opportunity for your conscious and unconscious minds to consider issues together and come to mutual understandings that are to your total benefit.  The hypnotherapist’s role is to act as guide and assistant in the process.

             With this picture in mind it’s easy to see why a strong, analytical mind would be an excellent asset in such a process.  Furthermore I think resistance can arise from an unconscious knowledge that one takes suggestions very well.  In this case the resistance is the unconscious protection against too many unwanted suggestions, which tells you two things:  you are already experienced in letting your unconscious mind work for you AND you respond well to messages from your unconscious.  The next step is to become more conscious of how the unconscious mind works and all it can do, then to begin letting it serve you better – and that’s just what hypnotherapy is all about.  

I tried it before and it didn’t work – You will be especially happy to know that you can expect more satisfying results with each successive session!  This is because we are able to access deeper and deeper levels of the unconscious with each successive experience of hypnosis.  You can also discuss with the hypnotherapist just which techniques were used so she can try other techniques more tailored to you.  See the section on “Techniques Used” for a brief overview of the many possibilities.  Many people who don’t respond well to classical hypnotherapy do just great with NLP.

 I’ll be unconscious during the session – Though the subject of hypnosis may appear unconscious he is actually in a state of heightened consciousness.  Subjects can often recall details of what was said with more accuracy than if they had remained unhypnotized (which is what makes hypnotherapy such a great aid to study and enhanced learning). While the participant is thoroughly aware of their surroundings they may choose to ignore them by focusing on specific ideas.    Of course it is possible to drop into sleep from a hypnotic trance since this is what most of us do daily (see the section: What is hypnosis?)  but this is not the aim.

 I may be induced to do something embarrassing or immoral – A hypnotized person will not knowingly violate his or her own code of ethics.  Milton Erickson (known as the father of modern hypnotherapy) did several experiments with this idea and found that a person’s ‘moral compass’ remains intact regardless of hypnotic suggestions.  Sometimes with stage hypnosis a hypnotized person may engage in silly behavior because the atmosphere is so conducive (also see the section ‘I don’t want to be out of control’) or they may feel being hypnotized is sufficient excuse for such behavior.  Realize you will be aware of what is being said and can choose to reject suggestions at any time during the hypnosis.   Realize also that while the aim of stage hypnotism is to entertain, the aim of hypnotherapy is to help the client gain control of patterns or behaviors that are undesirable.  So silly antics have no real place in such therapy.  You may want to follow the suggestions offered in ‘I don’t want to be out of control’ if the idea of doing something embarrassing is particularly troubling.

What if I get stuck in hypnosis – While not possible, this idea does make a great movie plot (check out the movie Office Space with Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston).  You cannot get stuck in hypnosis.  In fact you pass through a hypnotic trance on your way to sleep all the time.  So even if the hypnotherapist left you in a trance and never returned you would either fall asleep or simply come out of the trance on your own. 

         If you would like a handy fail-safe here it is:  When you find yourself in a trance and would like to come out say to yourself (silently or aloud), “I’m going to count backward from ten to one.  When I reach one I will be wide-awake, alert and refreshed.  Ten…nine…eight………” If you are using this in your car please count quickly.  We don’t need drivers in a trance behind the wheel for a moment longer!  Which brings me to the point that a hypnotic trance can also be broken by a sudden sharp sound or sensation.  Let’s just be sure it’s not the sound of metal colliding or the sensation of your airbag smacking you in the face.