Hypnosis myths:
• You can be hypnotized against your will. You can’t.
• You’ll do things like quack like a duck or cluck like a chicken. That’s from stage
hypnosis, not clinical hypnosis (hypnotherapy).
• While in trance you can be made to do things you wouldn’t do in real life. Not so.
• It’s a tool of the devil. No. It’s just an interesting, useful, different kind of
experience that allows you to explore new options.
Here’s what hypnosis really is:
• Being hypnotized – being in a trance – involves being in an altered state of consciousness that doesn’t involve using drugs or alcohol.
• Going into a light hypnotic trance is common. Here are two examples: you are reading a good story and you really “get into” the story and an hour passes; you are driving and listening to a CD and suddenly you’re at your destination because you were lost in thought as you drove. Hypnosis distorts time.
Here’s how hypnosis can help you:
Hypnosis allows your unconscious mind – the smartest, sharpest, quickest, most intuitive part of your mind – to use new ideas to solve current problems. It is particularly useful for dealing with issues like chronic pain, habit change, anxiety and depression.