Facts of Hypnosis - A Hypnosis FAQ
The facts of Hypnosis (or FAQ of Hypnosis), is a place where I have collected together answers to common hypnosis questions - this is a work in progress.
Being hypnotized for the first time can be daunting, so the aim here is to answer any questions or issues you may have. If your question isn't answered within the facts of hypnosis below then please comment on this article and I will add any information I can provide to help you.
Is Hypnosis safe?
Over the years I have only ever come across one story that linked hypnosis with a fatality. The story alleges that a stage hypnotist suggested that the subject would feel an electric shock. Later the same evening the subject had a heart attack. Is there a connection? Well, it's almost impossible to prove either way, but bear in mind that this is the 'only' such connection made.
As to less serious and more plausible risks, hypnotists are trained to work 'ecologically' - this means that any changes made have to take into account the clients circumstances and any possible 'side effects'.
For instance, I remember reading about a client who couldn't lose weight no matter what she tried. The hypnotist discovered that the reason she kept sabotaging her weight loss was because she thought it would lead to her losing her husband!
Doesn't make sense right?
Well she thought that if she was more attractive men would start hitting on her and she didn't think she had the self-control to refuse and would end up cheating on her husband.
This is an example of the kind of issues that the hypnotist is trained to take into account to ensure that the changes are safe. Usually these ecology issues revolve around making changes to the client that will affect the people around them.
What if the hypnotist falls asleep or has a heart attack?
When I was a child I had hypnosis sessions for my eyesight. I remember spending may a session listening to my hypnotist breathing deeply while I became more and more concerned that he had fallen asleep. Of course our sessions always seemed to finish exactly on time so I guess I had nothing to worry about.
The human body is a wonderful machine, it won't let you sleep through a fire, or drown in your sleep, and during a hypnosis session if anything major happened you would wake up immediately, and if the hypnotist sneaked off quietly then you would wake up - eventually...
Will I remember what happened during my hypnosis session?
People often think that being in a hypnotic trance is equivalent to being in a coma! A hypnotic state is not as extreme as that. You will hear the hypnotists words, though you may not remember everything, and if a fire alarm goes off, you will react.
A hypnotic trance is more like those times when you're relaxed and you drift in and out of consciousness - in many ways similar to those experiences when you're driving home and realize that you can't remember most of the journey.
Can I have flashbacks from hypnosis?
Flashbacks are usually associated with LSD. The more you experiment with hypnotic states the easier it will be for you to switch in and out of them, but flashbacks are not going to occur. This must be one of the most recurring false 'facts of hypnosis' there is.
How many hypnosis sessions will I need?
The number of sessions depends upon the issue. Issues such as smoking cessation may be resolved in two or three sessions, whereas weight loss may require regular sessions to stay on top of the issue and keep motivation high. Also some issues such as confidence may have many elements that need to be resolved. The key is that you must decide whether you feel that you are making progress, and use that as your guide.
In my NLP Practitioner FAQ I discussed many of the issues that come up when choosing an NLP practitioner or hypnotist, but it's worth bearing in mind that a hypnotist should not expect you to pre-book a large number of sessions.
Further Concerns about Hypnosis? Any Missing Facts of Hypnosis?
Hopefully these 'facts of hypnosis' should alleviate any concerns, but if you have further questions, or further 'facts of hypnosis' you would like explained, then please comment on this article, or contact hypnotic planet through my contact page.
Comments