Frequently Asked Questions

A good definition is: A state of relaxation and concentration with heightened awareness by the unconscious mind induced through suggestion.

Pretty much. The exceptions are: those with special education needs or those suffering from senility, very young children, hard drug addicts, anybody under the influence of large amounts of alcohol.

A hypnotised individual is, technically, in a trance. But you are not aware of this trance state, any more than you are aware of it when you are listening to certain music or immersed in a book to the point where you don't react to someone calling you. These are both trance states in which you are aware of the object of interest only, and it is almost identical to the hypnotic 'trance'. It is NOT the trance you see on films and TV where somebody is staring glassy-eyed with no idea of where they are or what they are doing. The depth of trance varies from one individual to another. You are not unconscious in any way unless you go to sleep, which happens! Then you would simply awake when directed.

Absolutely not! You are in control at all times. If by chance a hypnotherapist were to tell you something that was outside your moral code, you would either dismiss it altogether or wake up.

You cannot 'make' anyone do anything in hypnosis. Hypnosis gives nobody any power over the person who is hypnotised. People will not do or say anything under hypnosis that they would not do or say when not in hypnosis. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis - you cannot be hypnotised against your will. This fear usually comes from the TV shows and performances by stage hypnotists. The stage hypnotists know how to select the most easily hypnotised volunteers.

Not in the hands of a properly trained individual. There can be circumstance that would be undesirable with a non-trained or poorly trained operator, but nothing serious, in any case.

Being hypnotised is usually very relaxing, and is not very different from being 'awake'. This sometime confuses people. They remain conscious, just very relaxed, and some people doubt that they've been hypnotised unless there's some convincing evidence - like how they responded during the trance or to any post hypnotic suggestions the hypnotist gave them.

No. Someone who is left in a trance will do one of two things: they'll either fall into a natural sleep and then eventually wake normally, or they'll come out of the trance on their own.

Generally the answer is yes. When you are hypnotised you are actually conscious the whole time. This means that everything that happens to you and around you goes into your memory just as it would normally. In this sense it's not possible for what happens during the trance to be completely forgotten or erased. That said, it's not uncommon for someone to not remember all the details of what happened once they're awake. Usually these details are ones that aren't particularly interesting, and they come back over the next few hours or days anyway.

The hypnosis is the same, though many believe it is not. But it is the therapy part that is different - the stage hypnotist is out to entertain others. The hypnotherapist is out to make somebody's life more enjoyable to live.