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How does hypnosis work?

Hypnosis works by inducing a deep level of focused awareness and bypassing the analytical part of the mind.

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Why is this helpful? In a non-hypnotic state, the analytical part of the mind acts as a comparison mechanism. When new information is presented to the mind, the analytical part compares that new information against what it already believes to be true or false. This is a protective function.

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This is also why changing thoughts, beliefs, and habits through sheer willpower alone is so difficult. We often already believe we cannot or will not change, so thinking about making the change happen using willpower alone is ineffective. Hypnosis is effective because with focused awareness, the analytical part of the mind is bypassed and new, healthy, and beneficial suggestions can be made directly into the subconscious without the comparing mechanism rejecting them. The result is that the change we want to achieve in our life is accepted by the subconscious mind as true, enabling us to quickly see positive results.  

Can anyone be hypnotized?

Anyone who is both able and willing to follow instructions can be hypnotized. 

Are hypnosis and hypnotherapy the same thing? 

While the terms hypnosis and hypnotherapy are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing.

Therapy is generally defined as anything done to move an individual toward health and wholeness. In order for therapy to occur, therefore, an individual must be diagnosable as not being in a state of health and wholeness (i.e. they have a disorder, illness, or injury, as diagnosed by a medical or licensed professional). Hypnotherapy, therefore, is the applied use of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. When a hypnotist uses hypnosis to help a client with a diagnosed issue, they are doing hypnotherapy. When they use hypnosis to help a client with an everyday issue, they are doing hypnosis. 

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Some states in the U.S. regulate the use of the term therapy. In those states, a person can only call themselves a hypnotherapist if they are in a licensed profession. In Washington state, anyone who practices hypnosis professionally must be a registered hypnotherapist.

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Interested in reading more?

Click HERE to read a U.S. Government article defining and discussing hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

Click HERE to read the U.S. Government's definition of hypnosis & hypnotherapy career education training. 

Will I remember what happened during the session?

Yes! You will be conscious and alert the entire time during the session (unless you fall asleep!). Your conscious mind is always paying attention, even when it's relaxed.

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One way to think of it is like a conversation you might have with a friend - are you conscious and aware during the conversation? Yes. Does that mean you can remember every word that was said verbatim? No. But can you remember most of what was said, and the key points? Yes. The important difference with hypnosis is that it's the subconscious mind that we're working with. So even if you can't remember something from the session with your conscious mind, it doesn't impact the subconscious mind's ability to positively affect change.  

Do you guarantee results? 

Just as a teacher cannot guarantee that you'll learn, and a lawyer cannot guarantee that you'll win your case, I cannot guarantee that hypnosis will solve your problem. That said, millions of people around the world have experienced profound transformation as a result of hypnosis. The type, severity, and duration of an issue, the deepness of the desire to change, and the willingness of a client to follow instructions are some of the factors that may cause variation in individual results.