For someone who’s seen hypnosis stage shows or watched hypnotism movies, hypnotherapy can be a scary thing. Thankfully, nowadays, through online research and articles, many people usually have some expectations about hypnosis and hypnotherapy. We may have an idea of what hypnosis feels like but still, we don’t really know much about what hypnosis doesn’t feel like. Here are a few myths about hypnosis that are not necessarily true:

You won’t lose your mind control

If you’ve ever watched the movie “Get Out”, you probably think that hypnotized people blindly follow the hypnotist’s suggestions. Think about it, if that was the case, wouldn’t hypnotherapists be the most powerful people around the world? So, what’s going on during hypnosis?

In daily life, the conscious mind is always alert to be able to filter the information entering the mind constantly. This is a necessary unconscious process to distribute energy optimally and to use the brain efficiently. However, this process can also be taking awareness away from goals and important problems. During hypnosis, although the conscious mind is still aware, it is not on high alert. Therefore, the filtration of ideas and information is not as strict as a fully alert state. The mind is mostly focused on relaxation and calmness which allows the subconscious mind to be more open.

You won’t be paralyzed under hypnosis

Many online resources depict hypnosis as a bodily experience. Some videos show the subjects not being able to move certain parts of their body or not being able to move at all. Let’s make it clear, it is not what it seems like.

Although hypnosis is mostly a mind experience, dissociation from the body is very common. Dissociation usually happens due to a deep state of calmness and relaxation, just like when we sleep. In other words, if the person really wants to move their body, they could but they just won’t because of the deep relaxation that they are feeling.

During hypnosis, all bodily senses are put to rest so that the mind can really focus on the suggestions. This rest and calmness may feel like dissociation at times.

You won’t be asked to do “weird” stuff under hypnosis

Stage shows are known for making people act like they won the lotto, bark like a dog, or speak like a 3-year-old. They all sound pretty embarrassing and intimidating. It almost feels like you never know what to expect under hypnosis. The truth is, this only applies to hypnosis stage shows and never to a hypnotherapy session.

The difference between a hypnotherapy session and a hypnosis stage show is that during a hypnotherapy session, the client’s goals are communicated to his/her subconscious mind and on a stage show, a light state of hypnosis is induced for entertainment purposes. Even on a stage show, it is estimated that most of the time participants follow the hypnotist’s directions not because they are hypnotized but because they are personally crowd-pleasers.

You won’t lose your consciousness

You may ask, what about not remembering some parts of hypnosis when you are hypnotized? Amnesia is a common experience that can occur during hypnosis and it is actually very normal. Amnesia during hypnosis usually happens when the person is in a deep hypnotic state. A deep hypnotic state is not always used but it is required in areas such as hypnotic analgesia or past life regression therapy.

This doesn’t mean that you lose consciousness at any point. Loss of consciousness actually never happens in hypnosis. It is more about being so focused on your imagination that it almost feels like dreaming during sleep.