Hypnotherapy FAQ

Most misconceptions about hypnosis come from the stereotyped images of stage performers and movies. In clinical reality, these myths usually revolve around a single concern about control — either the fear of losing it, or the unrealistic hope of enhancing it. Here are the myths I hear most often, and what actually happens in the room.

1. 01

   Myth The hypnotist can force you to do things against your will.

   The reality Your critical reasoning and social judgment stay fully intact throughout hypnosis. The hypnotist does not dominate or impose their will on a helpless subject. In fact, Dr. Milton Erickson argued that hypnosis acts as an impediment to antisocial behaviour, rather than a way to facilitate it.

2. 02

   Myth You can get "lost" in hypnosis and fail to wake up.

   The reality It is the subject who produces and ends the trance, not the hypnotist. In the rare cases where a person resists "awakening", it is usually passive resistance — occurring when the operator has ignored the person's needs, or tried to end the trance at an inopportune moment.

3. 03

   Myth You will be asleep or unconscious.

   The reality Hypnosis is not sleep; it is a state of intensified focal awareness. You are awake, aware of your environment, and fully capable of hearing the therapist. All-comprehensive amnesias are actually quite rare.

4. 04

   Myth Hypnosis is a passive "magic bullet".

   The reality Many people expect a quick fix that requires no effort — like taking an aspirin for a headache. But hypnosis is an active, cooperative process. You are not a passive recipient; you actively contribute your own internal associations and resources to achieve change.

5. 05

   Myth You cannot lie under hypnosis.

   The reality Hypnosis does not function as a lie detector or truth serum. People can lie just as easily in a trance as in a waking state — and sometimes more effectively, because the physical relaxation of a trance makes the usual physical cues of lying harder to detect.

6. 06

   Myth Only highly suggestible or gullible people can be hypnotized.

   The reality Gullibility has no correlation with hypnotic responsiveness. Because critical reasoning is maintained during a trance, Dr. Erickson asserted that "anyone who can be socialized can be hypnotized".

7. 07

   Myth Hypnosis weakens the mind.

   The reality Allowing yourself to be hypnotized does not make you more susceptible to outside manipulation. Instead, clinical hypnosis can strengthen the personality by expanding your cognitive flexibility and imagination.

8. 08

   Myth Psychotic or schizophrenic patients cannot be hypnotized.

   The reality Hypnosis is not restricted to mild habit issues; it can be used effectively across all diagnostic categories. Research indicates that acute schizophrenic patients display nearly the same patterns of hypnotizability as healthy subjects.

9. 09

   Myth A trance might uncover secrets that the patient cannot handle.

   The reality While a trance can occasionally help recover a repressed memory, a competent therapist can safely guide you through whatever emerges. Hypnosis is no more likely to cause distress or uncover overwhelming material than other modalities like Gestalt techniques or psychoanalysis.

10. 10

    Myth "I am completely unhypnotizable."

    The reality Traditional standardized susceptibility scales (like the Stanford Scale) treat hypnotizability as a rigid, unchanging trait. The Ericksonian view is that hypnosis is a fluid, natural state of focused awareness. Everyone has the capacity to experience it — though each person experiences and responds to it in their own unique way.

11. 11

    Myth Highly intelligent people are not hypnotizable.

    The reality There is no negative correlation between intelligence and trance capability — in fact, the opposite is true. Highly intelligent individuals often make excellent subjects, thanks to their ability to concentrate and visualize.

12. 12

    Myth Hypnosis accesses or increases supernatural "psychic" powers.

    The reality Hypnosis is a clinical tool based on normal psychological principles, not ESP. It is also not a portal to "past lives"; any spontaneous regressions to previous lifetimes are a product of the pre-existing belief systems of the patient and therapist, rather than the trance itself.

13. 13

    Myth Hypnosis is a perfect tool to reclaim lost or forgotten memories.

    The reality The belief that hypnosis works like a flawless recording played back on demand is false. Using hypnosis to force memory recovery can lead to distortions and False Memory Syndrome.

14. 14

    Myth Hypnosis can increase mental capacity beyond natural limits.

    The reality Hypnosis can lift self-limiting beliefs or clear cognitive blocks that inhibit you — but it cannot fundamentally increase your baseline capabilities, such as granting a photographic memory.

15. 15

    Myth The hypnotist needs special aids or gadgets.

    The reality Swinging pendulums, flashing lights and twirling discs are completely superfluous. You can enter a trance just as easily by using your imagination to fixate your attention. Comfort is created by you, not by a special reclining chair.

16. 16

    Myth Suggestions only last a specific period before wearing off.

    The reality Suggestions do not require regular "booster shots". Experiencing hypnotic change is a form of learning, like learning to ride a bicycle: once you establish a solid reference experience of achieving your therapeutic goal, the change can be permanent.