Are You Easily Hypnotized?

The easily hypnotized share common characteristics.  Photo:  John Arrowwood Hypnotherapy.

I quickly learned upon launching my study of hypnosis that some people rapidly fall into a hypnotic trance, while others fail to ever achieve a high level of suggest-ability.  

Here's a link to an interesting article published yesterday in the Los Angeles Times' Health Section that explores that very issue:

Could Hypnosis Help You?  Yes, If You Have the Brain For It

A research team from Stanford University scanned the brain of 12 individuals who are highly hypnotizable and then compared the results to scans of 12 people who are not easily hypnotized.  The brains proved to be similar in characteristics, yet those from the hypnotizable group demonstrated a higher level of activity in a region of the brain that is active when the mind is at rest.

Psychiatrist David, Spiegel, one of the authors, summed up the findings when he explained to the LA Times the easily hypnotized "can harness their minds to imagine something about themselves -- and make it so."

When performing at an event, party, festival or outing the challenge I face is how to effectively identify the easily hypnotizable when seeking volunteers.  I employ a couple of different methods which include:

1) An introductory talk to explain hypnosis, its positive benefits and how it is an effective tool for those with a strong and creative mind (i.e. artists, writers, athletes, students, etc.).  This is designed to establish comfort and trust between the hypnotist and the crowd.

2) A demonstration of the power of visualization that involves "heavy/light hands" and "magnet hands" scenarios.

I watch closely to see who in the crowd responds well and then I select them if they volunteer.  As this Stanford University research indicates, I typically choose a set of volunteers whose brains all share common characteristics.

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