Definition of hypnosis
Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness. It is a state of internal focused attention and heightened imagination. It is very similar to a daydream state where a person is deeply absorbed internally in their own thoughts or imagery.
During this special state, suggestions have a greater impact on the mind and can be carried out without conscious interference.
How hypnosis works
Hypnosis is only achievable once the conscious mind or the critical part of the mind is distracted. There are two main parts of the mind, namely, the conscious mind and the subconscious (or unconscious) mind.
The Conscious Mind
The conscious mind is the part of us that protects us, criticizes our thoughts and actions and filters the information that reaches our subconscious mind.
Before the age of seven or so, the conscious mind has not yet fully developed. In essence, it does not yet functionally exist. During this time, everything we learn and experience goes straight to the subconscious mind, which accepts everything as fact. As the conscious mind is not yet fully available to criticize and filter information, what occurs in these early years of life greatly helps form our personalities and beliefs for the remainder of our lives.
Between the ages of seven and eleven approximately, the conscious mind begins to develop until it reaches maturity. From the beginning of conscious development, we become more judgemental and analytical about the world around us. We begin to question things we learn and experience. This process helps us to overcome gullibility and protects us from unnecessary or harmful information as we develop into teenagers and adults.
The Subconscious Mind
The subconscious mind is the deeper part of our mind that has been operating since birth and most likely, before birth. This part of our mind does not think; it simply operates along a pre-programmed path. It controls our heart beat, pulse and all other bodily functions without the need to consciously think about these tasks.
The subconscious is affected and programmed further by experiences that occur before the conscious mind has fully developed and can also be affected after conscious development by strong emotional or traumatic events.
When the conscious mind finds something too unpalatable or shameful for us to deal with consciously on a day to day basis, it pushes it down into the subconscious part of the mind so that we may operate functionally in our lives. This is a double edged sword as consciously suppressed memories are lost to the memory of the conscious mind and therefore, a repression is born. A repression is simply an event or experience that has been hidden by the conscious mind in the depths of the subconscious mind.
Because the subconscious does not think and only acts upon the information stored there, repressions can cause anxiety, fears & phobias and other mental issues as long as the memory is repressed. Only by releasing these hidden or repressed memories back into conscious awareness can we overcome such mental dilemmas. The process of releasing these repressed memories is the main framework for traditional psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and hypno-analysis.
Due to the fact that the subconscious mind acts without thought, repetition of an experience, event or act slowly bypasses the conscious mind and enters the subconscious where it affects us in sometimes subtle and sometimes noticeable ways.
As an example of this, a person who smokes their first cigarette is not yet an addict, as a habit has not been formed. Through repetition of this act however, the subconscious learns to accept this act as the norm, creating a habit and an urge to smoke. This is aside, of course, from the nicotine addiction. Through hypnosis, we access the subconscious area of the mind and thankfully, can change or remove the need or the habit of smoking, allowing us to become smoke free once again. The nicotine addiction tapers off over a week or so.
A danger associated with this is when the habit or need to smoke has been removed. This can cause an empty slot in the subconscious mind that now needs to be filled with something else. If we remove the need to smoke and replace it with an urge to start a healthier lifestyle for example, we are filling that slot and avoiding any negative side effects. This process of replacing negative subconscious patterns with more positive ones is called symptom substitution.
However, if we do not fill this empty slot with something more positive, the mind will choose its own random action to replace the act of smoking. This can be a desire to overeat, a fear, a phobia or a full blown panic attack when we find ourselves in a situation where we desired a cigarette in the past.
This not only applies to smoking but to any subconscious act or desire which we wish to change. Therefore, we must be very careful if we decide to remove a negative habit or thought process, ensuring it is both beneficial and replaceable to that particular client.
So what are we doing when we bring about the state of hypnosis?
To induce the hypnotic state, we need to bypass the conscious or critical mind. We need to distract it by giving it something to do so that we may access the subconscious mind, which is greatly affected by suggestion.
To distract the conscious mind, we usually use a combination of relaxing music, a soothing voice and good, positive imagery. Since the mind usually works best with imagery rather than words, we use our words to paint a picture in the mind. Preferably, we involve all senses or modalities in this process, i.e. sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
We may begin by asking the client to take some deep breaths and begin counting backwards. We may ask them to imagine walking on a beautiful beach, hearing the birds overhead, smelling the air, feeling the sand between their toes, and even tasting the salt of the sea on their lips. The more involved the process, the more we can distract the conscious mind and help the mind focus inwardly, away from external stimuli that may force the conscious mind back into protective action.
Once we have achieved this, we can suggest relaxation, usually in the form of imagining the various parts of the body relaxing. Again, here we use imagery to create the feeling of relaxation, e.g. “imagine that your legs are made of rubber and are stretching out, relaxing, feeling heavy and sinking down into the couch” etc.
The combination of voice, music and relaxing imagery that involves all of the senses, brings about a serene and tranquil state of relaxation, i.e. hypnosis.
This state can be deepened further with more creative imagery and suggestion until we finally have a deeply hypnotised volunteer who will respond very well to suggestions given. In other words, we have distracted the conscious mind so much that we are now communicating directly with the subconscious part of the mind.
This, in effect, is how all hypnosis is induced and you can remember this by the following simple formula:
Imagination + misdirected attention = hypnosis
Everyday examples of the hypnotic state
If you ask most people if they have ever been in hypnosis, they will say no. But in truth, all of us enter varying states of hypnosis or altered states of consciousness numerous times throughout the day.
For example, when you are daydreaming, when you are awakening in the morning or in that twilight state at night, just before you drift off to sleep.
Other common examples are listed below and you have most likely experienced one or more of these everyday trance states.
Highway Hypnosis
If you drive a car, you may have found yourself driving on a long journey, arriving at your destination with no recall of passing through towns or villages, passing landmarks and familiar areas without noticing any of them. This is an altered state of consciousness. Your conscious mind is distracted with your thoughts; while your subconscious mind is acting upon what it has learned through repetition and is safely driving the car. Some people, upon looking back on their journey and realising they paid no attention to the route, find it a frightening experience.
However, the subconscious part of your mind is in control of driving your car perfectly without conscious criticism or interference. It has been proven that this is actually the safest way to drive. That’s hypnosis!
Movie Hypnosis
If you have ever been at a movie theatre or watched a good movie at home, you may find that you are totally absorbed by the story line, sucked right into the plot and are distracted from reality so much that you almost believe the movie is a real event. You know that the people on screen are just actors. You know that the actor who just died in the movie is already working on a new, soon to be released movie, but you still feel for them. You still experience the emotion, the excitement and share each moment with the actors in the movie. That again is a form of hypnosis. If the doorbell rings whilst you are absorbed in the movie, you may jump and suddenly come back to reality. Why? It is because you have been in an altered state of reality.
In this altered state, your conscious mind has been distracted. You are tuned directly into the subconscious part of your mind, the seat of all your emotions, which is why you suspend reality and feel for the characters in the movie. That’s hypnosis.
The same effect can occur when you are reading a good book, painting a picture, playing a musical instrument, simply relaxing by the pool on holiday or sunbathing in your back garden. All of these examples are altered states of awareness and are forms of hypnosis. Furthermore, they are all forms of self-hypnosis as you are the one controlling or allowing the situation to occur.
So not only have most people experienced hypnosis, but most people are masters of self-hypnosis even though they may not be consciously aware of it. The only difference between this form of self-hypnosis and a state of hypnosis brought about by a professional is that during the latter, you are being guided towards a certain purpose, i.e. losing weight, overcoming anxiety etc.
Myths and misconceptions of hypnosis
You may already have noticed from the above examples that hypnosis is not sleep or a state of unconsciousness. Indeed, you are fully aware and alert during the hypnotic state. But rather than focusing on the world around you, your attention is on your own internal thoughts and imagination. This is all hypnosis really is.
Below are more examples of what hypnosis is and is not. Most individuals have many misconceptions regarding hypnosis which is one of the reasons it is such an interesting subject to them. These misconceptions are what generally lower the reputation of hypnosis and the following examples should allay most of your fears and issues with the subject.
Hypnosis is not sleep
As discussed above, hypnosis is simply an altered state of awareness or an altered state of consciousness. You are fully aware at all times and are simply focused inwards on your own thoughts and imagination.
You do not lose control
Contrary to popular belief, being in a hypnotic state does not make you blurt out all of your secrets or make you do silly things. As in the conscious state, you are fully aware of what you are doing and saying and you have free choice to comply or not comply with any suggestions given. If anything was suggested to you that went against your moral or religious values, you would simply choose to not respond or would be shocked out of the state immediately. You always maintain control.
You are not ‘under hypnosis’ or ‘being hypnotised’
All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. You have to allow the suggestions given to be accepted into your mind for hypnosis to take effect. You always decide what is and is not acceptable to you and will simply refuse to co-operate with improper suggestions. Therefore, you are always hypnotising yourself. You cannot and will not be hypnotised against your will. It is impossible for even the most experienced hypnotist to force you into a hypnotic state and you are never under any power other than your own power to decide what you want for yourself.
Hypnosis does not cause amnesia
It is untrue that a person who has been hypnotised does not remember everything after they come out of the state of hypnosis. As you are always fully aware, you are aware of everything that has occurred. The only exemption from this is via self-suggestion. If you firmly believe that you will not remember anything, you may inadvertently suggest this to yourself and actually cause amnesia to occur. Otherwise, you will remember everything after the state has ended.
It is possible for a hypnotist to suggest amnesia, but this is rarely beneficial to the client and is not recommended unless special requirements are present that call for suggested amnesia. These may include trauma removal processes during hypnotherapy for example or forgetting the part of you that was previously a smoker and so on.
Hypnosis is not brainwashing
As should be clear to you by now, you are aware during hypnosis and have free choice and control over suggestions given. The process of brainwashing includes such things as sleep deprivation, torture and psychotropic drugs. Hypnosis has reportedly been used as a part of this process but in itself, it has no power to brainwash a human being.
Suggestibility does not equal stupidity
Many people believe that if they are very suggestible or make excellent hypnotic subjects that they are somehow stupid or seen by others as such.
It is a fact that the more intelligent you are, the more suggestible you may be. This is because intelligence allows you to follow suggestions more completely, thereby, reaching a deep level of hypnosis. The less intelligent you are, the less you are able to follow suggestions and therefore the less hypnotisable you are.
Also, approximately 10% of any population is hyper suggestible. This hyper suggestibility is known as somnambulism. Those of you who regularly sleepwalk, talk in your sleep or perform other actions during sleep are most likely natural somnambulists and would make excellent hypnotic subjects. This 10% of people are usually those who end up performing on stage at a hypnotic performance due to the fact that they have responded well to suggestibility tests prior to the main performance.
As a note of interest, a somnambulistic state can be induced in hypnosis. This takes some time and results in a very deep state of altered awareness.
Almost everyone can be hypnotised
If you say that you cannot be hypnotised, then you are right. You are right because what you are really saying is that you are not willing to be hypnotised and therefore will not accept suggestions readily to allow the state of hypnosis to occur.
If you decided that you could be hypnotised, then you can. Almost everyone with some level of intelligence, grasp on reality and ability to follow suggestions can be hypnotised. The depth of the state of hypnosis and the feelings involved will vary from person to person but everyone will experience the state in their own unique way.
The only people who cannot be readily hypnotised are children who are too young to comprehend the words and actions of the hypnotist, those who are intoxicated by drugs or alcohol and people suffering from severe brain trauma.
However, some people should not be hypnotised unless they are in the direct care of a highly trained professional. These include people with certain forms of brain tumour, severe epilepsy and certain psychotic illnesses.
Pregnant women can safely be hypnotised
A woman who is pregnant or heavily pregnant can be safely hypnotised without any ill effects. In fact, hypnosis can be an excellent aid to an easier, less painful childbirth and is good for both mother and baby in this respect. Hypnosis is perfectly safe for mothers-to-be.
Hypnosis is completely natural
There are no drugs whatsoever involved in the use of hypnosis. It is a wholly natural state that involves only the imagination and intellect of the volunteer. The only side effect of hypnosis is relaxation and a feeling of well-being. It is entirely harmless and when used correctly, is of great physical and mental benefit.
There are drugs known as ‘hypnotics’ that do not simulate hypnosis, but rather cause feelings of sleepiness more than anything else, which is why they are used to combat anxiety and insomnia. These drugs do not generally make a person more suggestible and therefore have no real comparison to hypnosis. Hypnosis does not cause sleepiness unless it is suggested during the state and accepted by the client.
Hypnosis does not make you feel like you are in a trance
As mentioned earlier, everyone experiences hypnosis in their own unique way. Some people have the sensation of being really heavy, others experience feelings of floating. Some may feel tingling or warmth. It is likely that you may feel a combination of all of these sensations throughout your own experience. However, generally everyone who experiences hypnosis feel mental and physical relaxation. This varies in depth and usually increases with increased use of hypnosis and deepening techniques.
The history of hypnosis
The first recorded use of hypnosis was in the sleep temples of ancient Egypt around 5000 B.C. During this time, a person afflicted with physical or mental ailments would be placed on an altar inside a building called a ‘sleep temple’ and put into a trance by a high priest. They would remain in this state for up to several days until the answer to their problem came to them in a ‘vision’, at which time a cure would have been reportedly achieved.
From that time onwards, there have been many famous practitioners who have used hypnosis in traditional rituals and also in mental health work. The eminent Psychotherapist, Sigmund Freud, utilised hypnosis as part of his treatment, practically inventing hypno-analytical therapy.
Carl Jung also used hypnosis in similar ways.
The
most recognised name in association with hypnosis is Anton Mesmer. If
you do not recognise the name, you will almost certainly have heard the
word ‘Mesmerism’. 
In the 1800’s, a Scottish Doctor named James Braid attempted to change the word ‘hypnosis’ to ‘monoideism’, feeling it was a more apt term for the state.
In modern times, hypnosis has been used for everything from dental and medical anaesthesia to forensic regression and has proved to be a very useful medical, psychological and physical tool for wellbeing and pain reduction. It is also an effective alleviation treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and for Phantom Limb, where an amputee still has sensations such as itching where the removed limb used to exist.
Hopefully, this post has allayed any fears you may have had about the state of hypnosis. It is a wonderful and natural tool to assist us in our daily lives but is also a very powerful psychological tool that should never be used carelessly.
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