Top 10 Myths of Hypnosis
1. Don’t look into my eyes… Although looking into a hypnotists eyes can be hypnotic, hypnotists usually have their hypnotic subjects close their eyes because this helps them relax more effectively.
2. "I can’t be hypnotized, I’m too strong minded." The ability to be hypnotized has nothing to do with the perceived strength of your mind. It has everything to do with how well you are able to understand the hypnotist, follow instructions and relax. There are 3 hypnotizability levels, high (top 15% of population), mid (70% of population) and low (bottom 15% of population). Highly hypnotizable people can do it quickly (in my experience, 1-3 minutes), mid (3-10 minutes), low (10-60 minutes). Scientists are still researching why it takes longer for some and less for others but we’re still not sure why.
3. "Hypnosis is against my spirituality or religion." Hypnosis is a natural state of being where a person is focused on relaxing their mind and body. This natural relaxation lowers their brain wave state to delta and theta levels (much like meditation and sleep). In these brain wave states the subconscious is more open and receptive to suggestions. You naturally put yourself into this same state of suggestion before going to sleep every night. Is going to sleep against your religion? No it’s not. Want more evidence? Pope Pius XII made 2 allocations in 1956 and 1957 that hypnosis is acceptable for Catholics to participate in.
4. "I won’t know what’s happening and I won’t remember anything." It is possible for true Somnambulists (sleep walkers) to have no recollection of being hypnotized, much the same way a sleep walker does not remember sleep walking. However this is a small percentage of people and this usually occurs during entertainment hypnosis shows (rarely) and in therapy sessions the depth of hypnotic trance facilitates awareness and vivid memory so that the client knows what’s happening and remembers everything.
5. "I tried it once and it didn’t work." Believe it or not, when we sent rockets into space and landed men on the moon, it didn’t work the first time. When you learned to ride your bike were you able to ride the first time? Did you walk before you could crawl? Many people need to do hypnosis a few times before they get the hang of relaxing themselves. Don’t give up just because you only tried it once.