2 Hypnotic Questions

When sharing the practice of self-hypnosis with an individual, or performing at a party, gathering, group event or fundraiser, I typically give a a five minute pre-talk to establish comfort with the concept of hypnosis.  There are just so many misconceptions about hypnosis -- what it is, how it works and what to expect.

Here are the two most frequently asked questions:

1.  Can anyone be hypnotized?  The answer here is a BIG "yes" as long as a person is open to it.  All of hypnosis is self-hypnosis.  A person could never be hypnotized if they didn't not want to be and they would never do something when hypnotized that was inconsistent with their morals or belief system.

For instance, if you are a Republican you could never be hypnotized to vote Democratic.  You could never be hypnotized to a commit a crime.  Well...you get the picture.

I have found that people who are creative, athletic, intelligent, academic and/or active in the arts and music are often excellent hypnotic subjects.  That's because they tend to be able to quickly achieve a deep level of focus and concentration.


2.  What does it feel like to be hypnotized?  This is a tougher question to answer because the people I've worked with and performed for have shared a mix of rather unique descriptions.  One person described it as "being in a dream and drifting outside their body."  Another individual who is an active runner compared it to the feeling they achieve when they're in a zone, often referred to as a runner's high.

Personally, I feel a strong sense of focus and creativity when practicing self-hypnosis.  This is the reason why I use self-hypnosis prior to an important presentation at work or before sitting down to write a blog post.

You'll have to give hypnosis a try as I am interested in hearing your thoughts on this second question.

The hypnosis experience is different for each individual.  Image source:  TreatmentSolutions.com.