Ask ten people what hypnosis is and you will get ten answers, most of them borrowed from films and stage shows. Swinging watches. People clucking like chickens. A mysterious figure saying “you are getting sleepy.”
The reality is quieter, more ordinary, and more interesting.
A working definition
Hypnosis is a state of focused attention and reduced awareness of your surroundings, in which you become more responsive to suggestion. That is close to the definition used by the American Psychological Association’s hypnosis division, and it has three parts worth unpacking.
Focused attention. Your mind narrows onto one thing: a voice, an image, a sensation. It is similar to being so absorbed in a book that you do not hear someone call your name.
Reduced peripheral awareness. The background fades. The hum of the fridge, the itch on your ankle, the to-do list — they are still there, but they stop demanding your attention.
Increased responsiveness to suggestion. In this state, ideas such as “your arm feels heavy” or “that craving is fading” tend to be experienced as real and automatic rather than as something you are deliberately imagining.
What it feels like
Most people expect to feel “under.” Instead they report something much more familiar: deeply relaxed, a little floaty, aware of everything being said, and able to open their eyes at any time. Many first-timers finish a session convinced it did not work because they never lost consciousness. They were never supposed to.
You have probably been in a similar state without calling it hypnosis: driving a familiar route and arriving with no memory of the journey, or losing an hour to a film.
What is happening in the brain
Brain imaging studies, including work from Stanford University, have found measurable changes during hypnosis in highly hypnotizable people. Activity drops in a region involved in noticing what else is going on around you, and connections change between areas responsible for planning and for body awareness. In short, the brain looks like it is doing what people say it feels like: concentrating intensely while worrying less.
Hypnosis is not sleep. The brain activity of a hypnotized person looks like that of someone awake and attentive.
What hypnosis is used for
In clinical settings, hypnosis is used alongside other treatment rather than instead of it. The strongest research support is for:
- Chronic and procedural pain
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Anxiety around medical and dental procedures
- Hot flushes during menopause
It is also widely used for habits, sleep, confidence and stress, where the evidence ranges from promising to mixed.
What it is not
- It is not mind control. You cannot be made to do something that goes against your values.
- It is not a truth serum. People can lie, and misremember, under hypnosis.
- It is not a guaranteed fix. People vary a great deal in how strongly they respond.
The takeaway
Hypnosis is a natural mental state that a trained practitioner helps you enter on purpose, and then uses to help you change how you experience a sensation, a habit, or a feeling. No watch required.
Next in the series: 7 Hypnosis Myths That Refuse to Die
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, speak to a qualified professional before trying hypnotherapy.