Yes, Hypnosis is Real, and Everyone Experiences It.
Have you ever been completely absorbed by something to the point where you lose sense of time? Have you ever attended a concert or watched a movie and found yourself totally lost in the experience? Have you been to a religious or political event that induced an emotional state and response? Have you ever driven somewhere familiar and upon arriving at your destination, realized you were on autopilot and don’t remember much about the journey? Have you ever fallen asleep at night? Have you woken up in the morning?
All of these are examples of a hypnotic state.
A common hurdle I face as a Certified Hypnotherapist is the misunderstanding of what hypnosis is, and whether people “believe” in it or not. Hypnosis is a natural state of mind, and we all enter into a state of hypnosis daily, but most people’s ideas of what hypnosis looks like comes from movies or stage hypnosis shows. But hypnosis isn’t magic, there isn’t anything to believe in, just as there isn’t any reason to doubt if tiredness is real, if feeling inspired is real, if feeling frustrated is real. Yes, hypnosis is real and everyone experiences it.
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis, at its bare bones, occurs when the conscious mind is diminished, either by being overloaded or completely relaxed. The conscious mind is the part of the mind that controls logic, reasoning, willpower, decision making, critical thinking, and analysis. We use our conscious mind to engage with what is directly in front of us at any given moment. If you are deciding what to order at a restaurant, you are using your conscious mind. If you are working on solving a problem, you are using your conscious mind. But the conscious mind only makes up about 12% of our mind’s capacity. The subconscious mind holds the other 88%. The subconscious mind is constantly taking in and sorting data in massive quantities that the conscious mind couldn’t possibly keep up with. There is only so much information the conscious mind can handle at a time before it is overloaded. When it is overloaded, the conscious mind enters into a fight/flight response and becomes disabled. When this happens, the functionality of our logic, reasoning, critical thinking, all of this is subdued. Another way to induce surrender of the conscious mind is deep relaxation. If you are having an anxiety attack, the conscious mind is taking a backseat. If you are in a deep meditation, the conscious mind is taking a backseat. Hypnosis is the state of mind you enter when you are either overloaded in the conscious mind or are completely relaxed. Either way, the conscious mind is diminished.
How does hypnosis work as a therapeutic modality?
The subconscious creates its belief system based on its known experiences. Hypnosis creates an optimal state for the subconscious to create new beliefs. Normally, when the conscious mind is active, it processes the data it receives through a filter, which associates this information in a way that aligns with what it already knows to be true about the world. All of the experiences and associations we’ve ever made are stored in this belief system, which is the underlying programming of our subconscious mind. So when new information is coming in, it is seen through a particular lens that processes this information coordinated with our current belief system. If the data coming in matches with what you already believe to be true subconsciously, then the data is added to your belief system as reinforcing those beliefs. If the data is incongruent with what the subconscious believes to be true, it is ultimately rejected by the filter. While we can try to make a significant change in our life just using our conscious mind (i.e. willpower), it will be a struggle, take a lot of time, or fail completely unless we change the underlying programming (belief system) of the subconscious mind.
In a hypnotherapy session, a qualified therapist leads the client through a process which subdues the conscious mind and the filter that separates it from the subconscious. With the conscious mind and filter suspended, the therapist is able to make suggestions directly to the subconscious, creating a new known experience. The subconscious mind does not know the difference between a real or imagined scenario. By creating an imagined experience for the subconscious mind that aligns with the goal of the client, we are adjusting that subconscious programming, the way the client knows the world and themselves to be, and it becomes easier to create new behaviors when the client returns to a cognitive state.
Just like with learning anything else, repetition plays a big role in the subconscious learning something new. Especially in situations where a hypnotherapist is addressing long-held beliefs and creating healthier, more productive ones. It takes repetition to create and strengthen this new story. A client should not expect a single hypnotherapy session to address their presenting issue. Usually 6-12 sessions minimum will be recommended at first. But keep in mind, often when we are working on a particular presenting issue, we may discover an even deeper belief that is influencing the more obvious conflict, which means we need to address that belief as well. For example, a fear of flying is a common issue that people use hypnotherapy to overcome. But if the fear of flying is associated with a more subconscious fear (often fear of death), the therapist must also address this. Additionally, some people choose to continue with hypnotherapy indefinitely because it feels good, and because they find there are continuously challenges or beliefs they face that can be improved through working with a qualified hypnotherapist.