Hypnosis Facts and Fictions

Do you know the difference between hypnosis facts and fictions? Is hypnotism real, or is it just something for circus shows and con artists? The following article explains some of the truths behind hypnosis so that you can judge for yourself whether or not it might be a tool you can use for self-development and personal change.

Do Any of These Hypnosis
Facts Sound Familiar?

The air of mystery surrounding hypnosis is easy to understand. After all, hypnosis deals with the internal and invisible world of the mind - a world that most of us are taught very little about.

How many of the following hypnosis facts surprise you? Is this what you thought hypnotherapy was all about? I'd love to hear what you think in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

Hypnosis Facts & Fiction #1: Hypnosis Leaves You 'Out Of Control'.

This is probably one of the biggest myths surrounding hypnosis perpetuated largely by movies and the mass media. Typically a person is invited on stage and is then hypnotized for the world to see. Usually these shows consist of strange commands made by the hypnotist, which the hypnotized person helplessly obeys.

Reality Check:

Hypnotherapy is an effective tool known to give people more freedom, not less. It is widely used as a tool to remove subconscious barriers or conditioning that otherwise prevent us from living the way we want.

Hypnosis works so well because the person undergoing hypnosis wants to change. They want to learn and to grow past their self-limiting conditioning and beliefs. The person willingly opens their body and mind to growing in a new, or long forgotten, direction.

This is where hypnosis gets its real power from. The power comes from within. It comes from willingly and skillfully working with the powers of the subconscious mind towards a desired outcome. This is especially evident when using self hypnosis downloads - in the comfort of your own home and with no-one else around.

Hypnosis Facts & Fiction #2: Hypnosis Is Unnatural

Hypnosis isn't usually recognized as something that we engage in on a regular basis. 'Hypnosis? Who, me?! I hardly even know what the word means!'

Reality Check:

Hypnosis is a process of self-suggestion that we constantly engage in - even if we are largely unaware of it. The story of the Eagle and the chicken is a perfect example of the power of this self-suggestion (visit "I think, therefore I am" for the full story).

Although a sad example, it has a lot to teach us about how to work with ourselves and our subconscious mind. Conditioning is a process that happens to us all; using hypnosis is simply a way to harness the same power and take it back into our own hands. We have the right to free ourselves from negative conditioning. Hypnosis is a potent tool.

Hypnosis Facts & Fiction #3: Hypnosis Is All About Programming.

There is a tendency to view hypnosis as a manipulative tool with which we can essentially mess with mother nature. Why change what we have 'naturally' been given?

Reality Check:

The fact is that there is very little that is natural about most of the conditioning and programming that we receive as we grow up. We are programmed to believe things that may or may not be true. We may be treated in ways that reflect our inherent worth or demean it. We may 'learn' things about ourselves and about life that are in fact distortions of the truth.

This is the reality of subconscious programming that we are subjected to from birth. Conscious use of hypnosis comes to reverse this process where we feel it is holding us back. It is a tool for 'unlearning what we have learned' - a fond saying by Yoda, the master Jedi of the epic Star Wars series. This is how hypnosis can be used to set ourselves straight.

Rather than a tool for programming; I like to see self-hypnosis as a tool for liberation.

Hypnosis Facts & Fiction #4: 'I Can't Be Hypnotized'.

There are people that seem to take more naturally to hypnosis than others. Usually these are the people that understand the 'logic' behind hypnosis and consequently are better able to give themselves over to this internal work. Those who feel they can't be hypnotized are usually suspicious of the process because they don't have a sense of how the subconscious mind operates.

Reality Check:

Whether we call it self-hypnosis or self-suggestion, we all do it. No matter who we are, we all have a subconscious mind that is designed for conditioning. We have all been conditioned by our upbringing and environment; and we are all influenced by subconscious suggestion.

Whether we are aware of it or not; or whether we work with this consciously or not, is what differs from person to person. Our subconscious mind is influenced and shaped through the process of 'hypnosis'. It isn't really a choice. The only choice we have is whether we work this power consciously or not.

Hypnosis Facts & Fictions #5: All Hypnosis Is Made Equal.

As babies we pick up everything we are exposed to. The subconscious mind of a new born is a perfect sponge - there are no filters, or previous conditioning to interfere with absorption.

Adults are more complex. We are already full of conditioning. We resist some ideas and flow with others. We have come to believe many things that may or may not be beneficial or true. This is why effective use of hypnosis for self-change is both an art and science. Self hypnosis downloads produced by professional and highly skilled hypnotists are essential to get the best experience and results.

Reality Check:

The internet is awash with amateurish self-hypnosis products. It is important to find reputable sources that produce quality downloads that incorporate subtle psychological principles and advanced communication patterns to deliver the best results.

In Summary

The reality of hypnosis is quite different than the way it is usually perceived. In particular, hypnosis isn't about foregoing self-responsibility or handing over the steering wheel of our life to someone else. To the contrary. It is about taking more control by learning how to work directly, and effectively, with the powers of the subconscious mind.

As we slip on the earphones and give ourselves over to a self-hypnosis session, we are actually engaging in mind-body practice. We gain deeper insight into how we operate and learn how workable our mind really is. A strong sense of well-being and control are natural outcomes of such practice.

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