---

Some Frequently Answered Questions about Hypnosis   What is hypnosis? Can A hypnotized subject be made to do something "against their will"? Is A hypnotized subject aware of their surroundings? What Are some things that hypnotherapy is useful for? Is hypnosis dangerous? Can a person be "cured" of an addiction in one session?

This is a question that is not easily answered. The definition and basic nature of hypnosis, and hypnotic phenomena, are still not completely understood and remains open to debate and exploration. This writer feels fairly safe in saying that the phenomena of hypnotic experience arise from a complex interaction of alterations in states of consciousness and psychosocial forces.

To varying degrees we spontaneously enter a hypnotic state at least twice every day - as we are falling asleep (hypnogogic state) and as we are awakening (hypnopompic state). It can also occur when we become absorbed in a story, whether we are reading or watching something that captures our attention and imagination. In the process of recounting an experience to a friend we usually slip into a light trance as we access our stored memory of the physical sensory content and emotional context of the experience we wish to relate.

Hypnosis seems to be a naturally occurring alteration in the state of consciousness, wherein awareness is focused, and suggestibility is significantly increased. Mediated by hypnosis, memory and present-time perceptual experience are subject to modification, as are many, typically involuntary, physiological functions. Hypnosis can be systematically induced, permitting the utilization of the above phenomena for a wide variety therapeutic applications.

It has been mistakenly posited that relaxation is a characteristic trait of hypnotic experience. The association of relaxation with hypnosis is probably due to the common use of relaxation suggestions during hypnotic induction, in an effort to quiet the mind and focus awareness. However, hypnosis and relaxation occur independently of one another. It is possible, even common, for hypnotized subjects to affect muscular tension and rigidity, as well as dramatic expressions of mental and emotional arousal.

Can a hypnotized subject be made to do something "against their will"?

No. The false idea that a hypnotized person is "under the control" of the hypnotist, and can be made to act against their own will, has been fostered by fiction writers of the print, movie, and television media, and by stage hypnosis acts.

A person in a hypnotic state retains full control of their decisions. They can decide to comply with a suggestion or reject it. In a typical stage hypnosis act, the hypnotist screens the audience for potential volunteers by asking the audience to participate in a brief demonstration of suggestibility. Those of the audience that demonstrate a positive degree of suggestibility are then asked if they would be willing to volunteer to participate as stage subjects. Those that volunteer expect that they will be asked to do unusual and often foolish things. Even under these conditions, a subject cannot be made to act in a manner that would violate their own integrity.

Is a hypnotized subject aware of their surroundings?

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness. It is not a state of unconsciousness. At the depth of hypnosis typically used in hypnotherapy, and most stage acts, the subject remains consciously aware of their surroundings. Even in deeper states of hypnosis, in which a subject is no longer consciously aware of their surroundings, the subject is not actually "sleeping". They are just in a very deep, relaxed and suggestible state. They are still subconsciously aware of everything that is being said and everything that is happening around them. They are able to "awaken" and respond to anything in their environment, if they wish to.

There are some situations when masking or suppressing conscious awareness of the surroundings (such as the whine and vibration of the dentist's drill and the smell of burning dental enamel) is both desirable and beneficial to the subject. Here, the subject is choosing to accept suggestions that would permit them to modify, or ignore, their conscious perception of specific external stimuli. They know that doing so would reduce their fear, pain and anxiety. This would enable them to undergo the beneficial procedure without enduring psychological trauma. They also know that time required for healing any surgical wounds would be reduced and their resistance to infection would be improved. Subconscious memory of everything that transpired during the procedure is still retained, and can be retrieved by accessing the subconscious through hypnosis.

It is possible that a deeply relaxed subject, who is already tired (and working with a hypnotist who is not paying attention), may drift off into normal sleep. At this point they would no longer be aware of their surroundings, nor would they be able to respond to suggestions. Such a state is not very useful during hypnotherapy sessions and tends to make for rather boring stage acts.

What are some things that hypnotherapy is useful for?

A list of issues a hypnotherapist would assist with includes, but is not limited to:

Is hypnosis dangerous?

(The following is excerpted from the Official Hypnosis FAQ of the alt.hypnosis Newsgroup, ©1998, Written and maintained by C. Roy Hunter, M.S., Certified Hypnosis Instructor. I have chosen to use it here as I feel that Mr. Hunter has done an excellent job of addressing this issue. The entire FAQ list can be viewed and downloaded at: http://www.royhunter.com/HYPNOFAQ.html)

This question may be of interest to both the consumer and the serious student of hypnosis alike.

according to many instructors, hypnosis of and by itself is not dangerous. If it were, we would all be in jeopardy every time we get engrossed in a good book, movie, or TV show. Unwise use of suggestion may create the opposite of the desired results if the person using hypnosis does not understand the disciplines of suggestion structure. For example, a suggestion such as "You don't like candy" will cause someone to imagine candy, and imagination is the language of the subconscious!

What we say and how we say it creates images in the subconscious, which does not know the difference between fact and fantasy. (If you don't believe that last statement, hold your arms out in front of you and close your eyes. Then imagine a bucket in one hand and 100 helium balloons in the other. Imagine SEEING water pour into the bucket. HEAR it splashing, and FEEL the bucket getting heavy. After several seconds of deep breathing, open your eyes and notice where your arms are. Most people will notice a difference!) An untrained hypnotist often talks about the problems to be avoided; whereas most competent hypnotherapists focus on results - whether they use direct or indirect suggestions, and/or discovering and releasing the subconscious cause(s) of resistance to change.

However, with that being said, I wish to address several concerns:

a. AVERSION SUGGESTION: In my opinion, the gross aversion suggestion given in many group hypnosis seminars is very risky. If a person VIVIDLY IMAGINES major disease as a result of smoking, and convinces himself or herself that the disease will come if the smoking habit persists, then how can we be sure whether the negative subconscious belief had anything to do with creating the onset of the disease??? Suggestions must be kept POSITIVE, affirming the desired results. Yet there are books written by people with doctorate degrees advocating the use of aversion suggestion when dealing with tobacco and other addictions.

One of my former clients, desperate to lose weight, bought a suggestion given by her psychiatrist to get sick whenever she tasted or desired pizza; and she did so twice weekly whenever her husband called for pizza delivery. After suffering for over a year, she saw me to have the aversion suggestion removed. I am 99% opposed to most uses of aversion suggestion, except very temporary and mild ones in rare cases when numerous other attempted (and appropriate) techniques are resisted.

b. REGRESSIONS AND FALSE MEMORIES: First of all, let's consider the fact that a COMPETENTLY trained hypnotherapist might, in some cases, choose to hypnotize a client with a hypnotic regression being one of the objectives to achieving therapeutic results! This is perfectly acceptable if the hypnotherapist understands how to effectively handle client abreactions, understands the risk of false memories, AND stays within his or her field of competency. The therapist without actual "hands on" training in regression therapy should avoid regression therapy. Also, any regression therapist MUST understand the important difference between "leading" and "guiding" questions.

Hypnosis causes an increased ability to fantasize, so it is all to easy for a compliant client to fantasize a suggested sexual molestation that never took place!!! Some mental health professionals have found themselves on the wrong end of lawsuits because of this very problem. These glaring examples show the dangers of projecting your own preconceived opinions into your client's trance. Until you how to competently facilitate hypnotic regressions, DON'T.

If the above warnings about false memories aren't enough to convince you to obtain competent training, ask yourself how easy it would be for a "UFO abductee-wannabe" to convince both himself/herself and a hypnotist that a real abduction took place? also, if a hypnotist convinces a client that he/she starved to death in a past life, it is amazingly easy for the subconscious to fantasize something to validate that opinion.

In short, no matter what degrees you do or don't have, avoid using hypnosis to validate a preconceived opinion about the cause of a client's problem.

c. PAIN MANAGEMENT: Since pain is a warning that something is wrong with the body, the cause should be discovered by someone who is licensed to diagnose. See my comments for Question #13. If you already have a medical referral for hypnotic pain management, you may contact the International Medical & Dental Hypnotherapy Association to obtain a referral to a hypnotherapist in your area. Their phone number is (248) 549-5594.

d. ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: No ethical hypnotherapist would even consider trying to use hypnosis to induce criminal or anti-social behavior, nor trying to deceive someone into doing such. Furthermore, research seems to indicate that a person would not knowingly accept suggestions to break the law unless he/she already feels inclined to do so. Nonetheless there are occasional postings on this newsgroup claiming that some people have been the subjects of secret government experiments involving drug-induced hypnotic mind control experiments. Although I am not personally aware of such experiments, there have been many questionable things done over the centuries in the name of scientific research. I personally believe that a normal person could resist unwanted suggestions (especially if he/she knows that hypnosis is self-hypnosis), but I'm not qualified to state what might or might not be possible with certain mind-altering drugs. Also, people can be tricked even in a fully conscious state; so it might be unwise to let an unscrupulous person hypnotize you.

e. FORENSIC HYPNOSIS: If you plan on using forensic hypnosis, perhaps you should read TRANCE ON TRIAL (Scheflin and Shapiro) and then decide whether you wish to seek additional training in that field first. Also, unless you have a legal background or background in law enforcement, make certain that the training you receive is specialized and adequate. Even with all my years of experience in hypnotherapy, I still avoid the use of forensic hypnosis.

f. DEPENDENCE: The dependence issue should not be a concern with any client of a hypnotherapist who seeks to help a client become self-empowered. Client-centered techniques help clients use the power of their own minds to change, while the hypnotherapist serves only as the guide or facilitator of such change. Since I'm a firm believer in the benefits of self-hypnosis, perhaps you could say that I've become dependent on self-hypnosis because it works! Furthermore, I'll put myself on the receiving end of hypnotherapy whenever I require it. Self-hypnosis is like lifting a chair; but when I'm moving a piano in my subconscious, it's much easier with someone on the other end helping to lift.

Can a person be "cured" of an addiction in one session?

While such "cures" are not unusual, several factors influence the degree and rate at which success is achieved, and the durability of a successful outcome once it is achieved.

The three main influences on the outcome of hypnotherapy, in ascending order, are:
1) The skill of the hypnotherapist;
2) The rapport existing between the therapist and client;
3) The expectations of the client and their desire and commitment to changing their behavior. As the joke goes... Q: How many hypnotherapists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but the light bulb really has to want to change.