Hypnosis is a natural state of human consciousness involving focused attention, reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion. It is not a form of sleep, loss of consciousness, or mind control, as often depicted in entertainment. Instead, it is a genuine and well-researched psychological phenomenon—a tool for accessing the subconscious mind to facilitate change.
Definition: A State of Focused Consciousness
Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation and highly focused concentration, often referred to as a hypnotic trance. It is a natural state that every person experiences daily. Examples include being so engrossed in a book that you don’t hear someone calling your name, “zoning out” while driving on a familiar highway, or the focused state experienced during deep meditation. The term itself, derived from the Greek word hypnos for “sleep,” is a misnomer. During hypnosis, you are awake, aware, and in control; your mind is simply focused inward, temporarily tuning out external distractions.
Is Hypnosis Real? The Scientific and Clinical View
Yes, hypnosis is a real and legitimate psychological phenomenon, recognized as a valid therapeutic tool by major medical and psychological bodies for decades. Modern brain imaging studies using fMRI and EEG have provided objective evidence of its effects. Research studies show that during a hypnotic state, the brain exhibits distinct changes in activity. Although the effects of hypnosis vary among individuals, some of them include decreased activity in the parts of the brain involved in self-monitoring and mind-wandering, and increased connectivity between the prefrontal cortex (our executive control center) and the insula (an area involved in mind-body awareness). This demonstrates that hypnosis is a unique and measurable state of brain function.
The Mechanism: How Hypnosis Works
Hypnosis works by temporarily relaxing the conscious, analytical mind to allow for direct communication with the subconscious.
Bypassing the Critical Factor
Your conscious mind has a function often called the “critical factor” or “gatekeeper.” Its job is to analyze incoming information and reject suggestions that conflict with your existing beliefs and habits. A hypnotic induction—the process of guiding someone into hypnosis—uses techniques of relaxation and focused attention to gently bypass this critical factor.
Communicating with the Subconscious
Once the critical factor is relaxed, the subconscious mind becomes highly receptive to new, positive suggestions. The subconscious is the part of your mind that stores your deep-seated beliefs, long-term memories, emotions, and automatic behaviors. By introducing new, resourceful ideas directly to the subconscious, it becomes possible to re-pattern old habits, change limiting beliefs, and alter perceptions (such as the perception of pain).
Can Hypnosis Be Dangerous?
The state of hypnosis itself is not inherently dangerous. It is a natural state similar to deep meditation or daydreaming. You cannot get “stuck” in hypnosis; if the practitioner were to leave, you would either drift into natural sleep and wake up later, or you would simply become fully alert on your own. Furthermore, you will not do or say anything that violates your core moral or ethical values.
The potential risks associated with hypnosis are almost always related to the skill and ethics of the practitioner. An untrained individual might give unhelpful or poorly worded suggestions. An unethical practitioner could potentially misuse the state of rapport. For this reason, it is essential to seek a certified and reputable professional, especially when dealing with therapeutic issues—for instance, at primexaos, as a certified hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner, I offer professional hypnosis and hypnotherapy services, including self-hypnosis lessons.
Hypnosis vs. Hypnotherapy
It is important to distinguish between the state of hypnosis and its therapeutic application.
- Hypnosis is the state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility or the practice/process of inducing the state of hypnosis. It is a tool.
- Hypnotherapy is the therapeutic use of the state of hypnosis by a trained and certified clinical professional. It is the application of the tool to achieve specific, agreed-upon goals, such as overcoming phobias, managing chronic pain, or breaking addictions.
Using an analogy, hypnosis is like a scalpel—a precise tool. Hypnotherapy is the surgical procedure performed by a qualified surgeon who knows how to use that tool safely and effectively.
