Contrary to the popular view, hypnosis is not a sleep state. It is a progressive trance state, whereby the attention of the hypnotized person becomes highly focused upon certain specific ideas to the exclusion of other ideas. The result of this focused concentration is that the mind is rapidly re-educated.
Hypnosis helps to alter our habitual thought patterns so we begin to react differently to our environment. In general, this is how hypnosis can help to improve our lives, because our thoughts dictate how we behave in relation to our environment, both internally and externally.
In general the answer to this question is NO! For the most part, Hypnosis is a co-operative effort between the client and their hypnotherapist. In addition, a person cannot under normal circumstances be compelled to act contrary to their inner moral code while they are hypnotized. There are numerous scientific studies which verify this fact.
Many people make this claim. However, the truth is, if a person co-operates with the therapist, hypnosis will result in about 80% of the population. Most people in the general population are therefore hypnotizable to one degree or another; however, the degree of influence a person is capable of experiencing varies markedly and can range from excellent to fair in terms of individual response to hypnosis. Only a small portion of the population are not hypnotizable. The actual estimates of hypnotizable people in the general population are as follows:
20% are considered excellent
20% fair, poor or nonresponsive
60% are actually good in terms of response.
This is good news because the majority of the population fall within the excellent to good range and therefore can benefit from hypnosis. Because response to hypnosis can be different from one person to another due to differences in the genetic wiring of the brain, a prudent hypnotherapist will always assess a client’s abilities to be influenced by hypnosis before starting any form of therapy.
Hypnosis is a very safe form of therapy. Temporary injuries have occasionally been reported when a person was hypnotized by an unskilled operator, who did not understand the proper formulation or delivery of suggestion. Even in these cases however, the injuries where never permanent and usually relatively simple to correct by a qualified hypnotherapist.
Hypnotherapy has numerous benefits and applications, including:
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Building self-confidence and esteem |
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Overcoming fears |
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Eliminating Negative Habits |
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Improving Memory and Rapid Learning |
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Addressing Weight Issues |
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Managing Acute & Chronic Physical Discomforts |
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Eliminating Shyness |
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Increasing Motivation and Determination |
To name just a few possible applications.
No, a person cannot get stuck in hypnosis. If they failed to awaken at the hypnotist’s direction, if left alone their hypnosis would eventually shift to a normal natural sleep and they would wake up a bit later completely unharmed.
This depends on the purpose for which you are being hypnotized and the training of the psychologist. The clinical Psychologist and the Clinical Hypnotherapist are two entirely different professions. Many psychology programs do not even address hypnosis, and many that do offer only a page or two on the subject; so while the clinical psychologist may be very skilled as a psychologist, they may be no good whatsoever as a clinical Hypnotherapist. If a Psychologist does apply hypnosis in their practice, it is usually an adjunctive tool rather than the focus of their practice.
Not at all! Hypnosis is endorsed and recognized by the American Medical Society as a legitimate Medical modality and has been so recognized since 1958. Hypnosis is also recognized by the American Psychiatric Society, The American Dental Association and the American Association of Obstetricians.