Can I be hypnotized? Let's ask a hypnotherapist

A fair question, which will elicit different responses depending on who you ask. Some people will immediately reply, oh no way, nobody can control me, I have a strong mind. Others are the exact opposite and quite like the idea of hypnosis and its possibilities. Of course there are also the individuals who are not quite sure yet and are perhaps reticent.

The differences in opinion stem from the many misconceptions about hypnosis and hypnotherapy including myths that hypnosis is used for evil, to try and obtain dark secrets, is against one’s religion, is an attempt to control you or, that it's not even real. The cause is to be found in history and the entertainment industry.

How about a short historic recap; Once upon a time there was this fellow called Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer. His last name may remind you of a familiar word. In essence he called his process 'animal magnetism' and asserted people were cured by HIS innate ability to cure them. A sort of transference only he could deliver. Mesmer caught the attention of French king Louis XVI who assembled a special panel to investigate these claims. Benjamin Franklin, US ambassador to France at the time, was a member of the panel and concluded Mesmer’s results were not because he was especially gifted but, were a product of the 'imagination' of the people attending his seances. Discredited, Mesmer was exiled and animal magnetism, later referred to as mesmerism, was debunked. Decades later, renowned Scottish surgeon Dr. James Braid, studied the psychology of suggestion and named the process hypnosis. In short hypnosis got off to a rocky start in Western civilization even though it had been used by ancient cultures for thousands of years.

I also think it important to consider the influence of Freud’s legacy in the world of mental health. Interestingly enough Freud embraced hypnosis as a legitimate tool. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the most skilled hypnotherapist as is revealed by his early work. Ultimately because of his inability to understand hypnotherapy completely, he turned against it. With his tremendous impact in the mental health industry and its structures, well... let’s just say: it explains a lot. I will say the majority of psychologists and MD's today have a better understanding of the value and possibilities of hypnosis, acknowledge it’s benefit and often recommend it. As a hypnotherapist I am fortunate to be able to work with a multitude of these professionals and thoroughly enjoy the cooperation.

Adding the influences of false narratives told by television and film over time have inevitably led to people drawing different conclusions and having different beliefs about hypnotherapy.

So where does that leave you, Can YOU be hypnotized? Simply put: everybody can be hypnotized, even you. Let me explain:

Fact is; hypnosis is a state. A natural one at that. As human beings we can experience many different states every single day. We can be energized, focused, awake, asleep, and so much more. Hypnosis quite literally is the state between awake and asleep. It is the brain activity referred to as Theta.

Think about the moments you come out of sleep when you're not quite awake but you’re also aware you are not quite asleep either... THAT'S hypnosis. Same thing in the evening. Right before you fall asleep, that drowsiness when you begin to drift off, THAT'S hypnosis.
You never really have a full awareness of exactly when you fell asleep. You have an approximation at best. How about that time when you're driving; you arrive at your destination and you can't quite remember certain aspects of the drive... guess what? Yes, that's hypnosis and the examples are truly endless. Hypnosis happens…

In short: everybody experiences hypnosis at least twice a day whether you know it or not or believe it or not, it still occurs... This state was a part of you since the day you were born. Nobody had to teach you how to fall asleep or how to wake up, it’s innate. Quite simply, if you can fall asleep and wake up, you can be in hypnosis and be hypnotized. The mind naturally recognizes the hypnotic state as being safe and allows it to happen.

It doesn't matter whether you are a skeptic, an avid believer or you're not quite sure where you stand on the subject, we all experience hypnosis albeit differently but that is irrelevant to the state itself. Just like five hours of sleep may be enough for some while not nearly enough for others.

Now that we have established that your belief in hypnosis doesn't play a part in your ability to be hypnotized, it's simply a part of your mechanism since the time you were born. What does play a part is whether or not you WANT to bring about change. And there lies the rub. Allow me to illustrate with an example:

A few years back I had a gentleman reach out to me to quit smoking. My estimated success rate for smoking cessation is around 95%. I attribute a big part of that success to a very diligent screening process. There can be a lot of pressure on someone to quit even if they don't really want to. Pressure from family, doctors, society etc. I tend to ask a lot of questions before scheduling a quit smoking session to determine whether they have decided to quit for themselves or because somebody else wants them to.

One gentleman was adamant that he really wanted to quit. I spent over an hour on the phone with him, because I was not entirely convinced of his motivation. Long story shorter, I agreed to schedule. We went through the motions, put him in hypnosis (there was tangible evidence of the state) and after just a few minutes in hypnosis, at the exact time where I began to give suggestions around quitting, he opened his eyes and said: No this is not for me, I don't want to quit... and that was it. Even if just moments ago he was adamant he was ready, he now acknowledged someone else wanted him to quit and it wasn't aligned with what he wanted for himself. He liked smoking!

What does this mean? If your logical, conscious mind doesn’t want to change, it will be very difficult and some would say impossible. It does not take away from the possibility for those that DO want to. You do not have to know how. You do not have to believe or even understand, you just have to want it. With that in mind, the sky is the limit.

Of course another way to indicate that this whole hypnosis thing isn’t a fad is the increasing amount of clinical studies conducted and the tangible and measurable experiences of others who have shared their story:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/happy-in-hypnosis-sherman-oaks?osq=happy+in+hypnosis

If you have come to a fork in the road and are contemplating whether hypnosis can assist you. It definitely is not a matter of CAN I be hypnotized. The question is: What would you LIKE to accomplish?