Hypnosis – What It Is And What It Is Not

Hypnosis and its arm, hypnotherapy, have been the focus of a lot of misconceptions created by popular imagination. Some consider them to be occult whereas others reject them as pseudo science. Some of the common misconceptions linked with hypnosis and the reality behind them are given below.

Hypnosis has no link with any sort of dark arts. It borders more on the science of psychology and is very simple to practice for anyone who is willing to learn it. The genuineness of hypnosis is doubted even by individuals who have seen it casting its spell on subjects. They say that hypnotised people allow practitioners to perform well in their art by not exhibiting enough mental strength to block the effect of their words. But that is not true at all. Hypnosis can in fact be successfully practised on people who are mentally tough and are trying hard to block the spell.

Another notion about hypnosis that people have invented without reason is that it is an alternate state of consciousness. An individual under hypnosis does not get shut off from the external world, but stays completely aware of the happenings around him. During the hypnotic state, the subject calms down completely and is therefore able to focus fully on the inputs provided by the practitioner.

Another myth, which has been circulated by some scientists, claims that hypnosis can be applied on merely 5% of humans. The scientists are somewhat true in their own way, because they attempted hypnotising the group by the same hypnosis method without considering individual differences in nature and temperament. People differ in their natures and personalities, and hence there have to be different hypnosis techniques to suit the temperaments of different people.

Many people consider hypnosis to be a variant of meditation. But while hypnosis is a communication technique, meditation is all about a state of mind and generally has nothing to do with communication. Similarly, a period of trance is also sometimes equated with hypnosis, which is not correct. The person doesn’t interact to achieve a state of trance, on the other hand hypnosis is not possible without communication.

Another myth is that bodily and behavioural changes in an individual are not attainable through hypnosis training or hypnotherapy. Hypnosis certainly cannot transform the body in unnatural ways. However, it can guide the body to a healthy shape through behavioural changes like eating in a controlled manner, and giving up smoking and other addictions by ensuring a high level of inspiration in a person.

Undergoing hypnotherapy is a fine way to lead a richer and fulfilling life, and hence one should not pay heed to the misconceptions, and go for hypnotic sessions with an open mind.

Find out more about hypnosis course or hypnotherapy course and uncover its benefits to your profession.