Hypnosis has an image problem. A century of stage acts and Hollywood villains has left most people with a picture that has almost nothing to do with what happens in a therapist’s office. Let’s clear a few things up.
Myth 1: The hypnotist controls your mind
The hypnotist is a guide, not a puppet master. Suggestions only work if you go along with them. Stage volunteers do silly things because they volunteered for a show, were selected for being highly responsive, and are happy to play along in front of a crowd.
Myth 2: You are asleep or unconscious
The word comes from Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, which has caused confusion ever since. Hypnotized people are awake, usually aware of everything said, and can speak, move and open their eyes.
Myth 3: You can get stuck in hypnosis
No one has ever been permanently “stuck.” If a session were interrupted, you would either come back to normal alertness on your own within a few minutes or drift into ordinary sleep and wake up as usual.
Myth 4: Only weak-willed or gullible people can be hypnotized
Hypnotizability is not related to gullibility or weakness. If anything, it is linked to the ability to concentrate and to become absorbed in imagination. It is a stable trait, a bit like a talent, and is spread across the population: a minority respond very strongly, a minority barely at all, and most people fall somewhere in the middle.
Myth 5: Hypnosis can recover buried memories accurately
This is the myth with the most potential to do harm. Hypnosis does not work like a video replay. It can increase the number of things people “remember,” but it increases false memories as well as true ones, and it makes people more confident in both. That is why hypnotically refreshed testimony is restricted or excluded in many courts.
Myth 6: You will reveal your secrets
You keep your judgement under hypnosis. You will not blurt out your PIN, confess to anything, or share something you would rather keep private.
Myth 7: One session fixes everything
Some people do notice a change after a single session. Most benefit from several, plus practice at home. Hypnosis is a skill that improves with repetition, and it tends to work best as part of a wider plan rather than as a magic switch.
So what is true?
- Hypnosis is a real, measurable state of focused attention.
- People differ in how strongly they respond.
- It has good research support for some problems, especially pain and IBS, and weaker support for others.
- It is generally safe when delivered by a properly trained practitioner.
The truth is less dramatic than the myths, but a good deal more useful.
Next in the series: Self-Hypnosis for Beginners: A Simple 10-Minute Routine
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.