8 Hypnotherapy Myths

Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Paul.  Thanks for visiting MyCohesiveSOULutions.com.

I first started using Hypnosis as a tool in my therapy sessions in the early 1990s, and it’s still one of my favorite change-tools because it’s so efficient and effective.  Also, my clients love the opportunity to relax and let the constant noise of their conscious minds quiet down for a while. 

But, there are a lot of myths and misinformation that still surround Hypnosis due to television, movies, and stage shows like those you can see in Las Vegas.  So I’d like to take a few minutes to clear up some of those myths. 

When people don’t have all the facts about something, they tend to fill in the gaps with fear and avoidance, so I’d like you to really understand how hypnosis works so you can make an informed decision about how you might use it to your benefit in the future.

Of course, if you still have questions after the video, feel free to send me an email with your questions, and I’ll answer them as soon as I can.

Let’s start with Myth number 1, which is “I can’t be hypnotized!”

We ALL pass through hypnotic states when we fall asleep, and when we wake up, so unless you never sleep (which of course is impossible) you CAN be hypnotized.  Most of us go in and out of hypnotic states throughout the day as well. For example: It’s about an hour drive from where I live to Denver.  Along the way, I always pass a town called Longmont on I-25, but it’s a familiar drive, so lots of times I find myself at the outskirts so Denver and don’t really remember passing Longmont.  I was on “auto-pilot”.  That’s a hypnotic state.   

Now, its possible that you don’t WANT to be hypnotized, or that you don’t trust or feel comfortable with the IDEA of hypnosis, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be hypnotized.  Hypnosis is a skill that I teach my clients, not something that I do TO them.  So, like any skill, you can practice, and you WILL get better and better at it in a short period of time.

Myth number 2: Hypnosis is the same as being asleep or unconscious. 

This is also untrue, but a bit confusing because even the name Hypnosis comes from a Greek word that means “sleep”.  But hypnosis is NOT sleep.  Scientists have been able to measure and understand brainwave frequencies for over 90 years, and it’s easy to tell the different states of consciousness of a person based on EEG readings.  Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness that is unlike being fully alert, but also unlike being asleep, or being unconscious.  I think of it as being a place somewhere between being awake and being asleep where you may be able to hear and remember everything that was said.

Myth number 3:  The deeper the trance, the more effective it will be in therapy

There ARE various, measurable depths within hypnosis, but interestingly, studies show that beyond a very light trance, the depth of hypnosis is not correlated with its effectiveness in therapy.  In other words, when you achieve a light hypnotic state, you can experience ALL of the benefits in therapy.  In my work, I do SOMETIMES induce deeper states of hypnosis, and it’s usually for one of three reasons.  First: I may have a very skeptical person who is looking for a “wow” experience to convince them that hypnosis is real, so sometimes I try to give them that experience through a deeper trance.  Second; I may just want my patient to enjoy the nice relaxing feeling of a deeper trance. Or third: Sometimes I have a very analytical patient who constantly over-thinks rather than letting their subconscious help them after the session.  It’s possible for their over-active conscious mind to undo much of the benefit of the session.  In that case, a bit of a deeper trance where they might not recall the details of everything that was said can be beneficial.

But, in any case, those deeper states of hypnosis aren’t required for effective therapy. 

Although not relevant in psychotherapy, you may be interested to know that with lots of dedication and practice very deep states of hypnosis ARE possible. When I was in my 20s, I had oral surgery to remove four impacted wisdom teeth.  The normal procedure called for full anesthesia.  Instead, I made myself some hypnosis tapes and practiced them several times a day for several weeks.  For the surgery I utilized something called a “hypnotic coma” instead of anesthesia, and it was very effective.   That depth of hypnosis would be totally useless in a psychotherapy session. 

Myth #4 Only gullible, weak-willed or passive people can be hypnotized

In this case, the reverse is actually true.  More intelligent, strong-willed, creative people tend to be the most responsive to hypnosis because their powers of concentration are better.  The therapist plays a role like an orchestra conductor directing that concentration.  In other words, hypnosis is a skill the patient learns, not something the therapist does to the patient.  Like most skills, the more intelligence and creativity you bring to the table, the more effective you will be at the skill. Trust, and strong motivation are the most important factors for you to participate in the hypnotic experience.

Myth #5 Hypnosis allows someone else to control your mind

Stage hypnotists sometimes give the impression that they are exercising power over a subject; that they can make people act any way they want them to.  In fact, people cannot be hypnotized against their will, and once hypnotized, cannot be forced to do something that is against their will. 

What’s the first thing a stage hypnotist does….? That’s right, they ask for a volunteer!  They don’t pick people at random.  The folks who volunteer to be hypnotized in front of 200 stranger are predisposed to do whatever the hypnotist tells them to.  They are ready to perform before they even raise their hand!

The technical terms for this are “ego syntonic” and “idiosyncratic”.  First, for a suggestion to be effective, it must be “ego syntonic”, which means in-synch with the person’s basic morals, beliefs, and values.  A suggestion delivered outside of someone’s values or morals will ALWAYS be ignored, and in most cases, will bring the person immediately out of trance. 

The second suggestion requirement is “idiosyncratic”, which means “something they would commonly do anyway” (an “idiosyncrasy”).  For example, if I had a client who often twirled her hair, and I gave her a suggestion under hypnosis that she would twirl her hair, I would likely get that exact response.  However, if twirling her hair was not something she regularly did (in other words, it was not one of her “idiosyncrasies”) then I would most likely get no response at all to my suggestion, or a visual response of confusion on my client’s face.

Myth #6 a hypnotized person might not be able to come out of a trance

It’s actually more difficult to induce and maintain a trance state than it is to slip out of one.  In my sessions, I use trance termination procedures that usually include counting and a finger snap to gently bring the client back to an alert state, but even if I just left the room, the patient would either come out of the trance, or drift to sleep, and then awaken naturally. 

I can illustrate with a drastic example from my own life.  Earlier, I mentioned that I used hypnosis instead of anesthesia for oral surgery.  The hypnotic coma I induced was by FAR the deepest level of trance I’ve ever experienced.  I had given the surgeon and his staff verbal instructions about how to alert me when the procedure was over, but (quite frankly), I think they assumed the hypnosis wouldn’t work, and that I would ask for anesthesia once the procedure started… so they didn’t really pay attention to the instructions I gave them. 

When they were done working, I heard them talking like they were three rooms away.  I could hear the surgeon asking his assistant if she remembered what to do. Neither of them did.  They started talking AT me loudly “hey, are you in there?”  “hey, can you get your self out if this”.  When I think about the panic in their voice now, it’s kind of funny, but at the time I was pretty offended. It took me a few minutes, but I talked myself up from the trance.  Had I not heard them, I would have eventually fallen asleep and then woke up after a nice nap.

 As a side note, my recovery from that surgery was remarkably trouble-free and quick, which I attribute both to not having to recover from anesthesia, and to post-hypnotic suggestions for pain management and healing that I put into my recording.

Myth #7 A hypnotized person will give away secrets

The only place hypnosis is used to extract secrets from unwilling subjects is movies, TV, and other forms of fiction.  In life, a hypnotized person is aware of everything that happens during hypnosis and afterwards unless the person is given and accepts a specific suggestion for amnesia.  As I mentioned before, I sometimes have very analytical clients who unravel the benefits of hypnotherapy after the session.  In those cases, I might give a mild amnesia suggestion, so they can experience the benefits of hypnosis.  Hypnosis can help clients discover, or express what they want or need, but it can’t force them to reveal secrets unwillingly, which is inline with our previous discussion of suggestions needing to be ego syntonic.

Myth #8 – Hypnosis is a quick, easy cure-all

This particular myth is interesting for me to talk about because I DO find the results of hypnotherapy to be so remarkable.  If they weren’t, I wouldn’t be so passionate about using it.  The often-dramatic results of hypnotherapy help to reinforce this myth. 

But the point is, hypnotherapy isn’t magic that dissolves all problems with no effort.  As a Certified Addictions Counselor in the 90s, I used hypnosis a lot to help my clients with addictions.  I know if you asked them, they would say that hypnosis helped a ton with their process.  Some of them even told me they couldn’t have done it without hypnosis, but THEY did a LOT of HARD work and overcame a lot of obstacles to achieve and maintain sobriety.  Hypnosis does NOT get the credit for that dedication and hard work!

When I worked in a brain injury clinic, most of my clients had chronic pain from accidents.  Again, hypnosis was often critical in HELPING them manage pain, but they also had to do their stretching and physical therapy, be careful about their posture, and avoid activities that flared their pain up.  I think one of the best things hypnosis gives chronic pain sufferers is a feeling that they have the power to control their pain.

Well that’s it for the 8 myths of hypnosis. 

Before we part though, I’d briefly mention one other thing:  The federal government and most states do very little or nothing to regulate hypnosis.  In most states, ANYONE can adopt the title of “hypnotist” and advertise that way.  When I discuss “Clinical Hypnosis” or “Hypnotherapy” in this video, or on my site, I’m referring ONLY to the use of hypnosis by a professional who is qualified to treat patients in other ways as well, and who chooses to get the additional training to use hypnosis as an adjunct to their clinical practice. 

When used in this way, the effectiveness and safety of hypnosis is recognized by professionals and scientists across the globe including: the British Medical Association, the American Medical Association, the American Dental Association, the American Psychological Association, The National Institute of Health, and many others. 

As I said before, if you have questions reach out to me.  If you are interested on meeting for a free consultation, you can sign up right on the website. 

Thanks for watching, and have an awesome day!