Hypnotism is surrounded by myth and misunderstanding. Find out what really happens during hypnosis, as well as its uses.
Hypnotism is misunderstood by most people who aren't familiar with its practice. While many people feel that hypnotism is entirely fake, others believe it to be so dangerous that they refuse to be submitted to it out of fear of being controlled by another person. In reality, the truth is that hypnotism is neither of these.
Is Hypnosis Real?
This is the simplest question to answer about the subject: Yes. Hypnosis, both for entertainment by magicians and hypnotherapy are both real, and are scientifically observable phenomenon with repeatable experiments. As such, hypnosis, unlike other tricks used by mentalists, is a legitimate experience. Nevertheless, hypnotists will often use someone specifically planted in the audience for more spectacular hypnotic actions.
While on a stage hypnosis is often faked for dramatic effect, a good stage hypnotist uses both real and fake hypnotism during a show. Hypnotherapists, however, use actual hypnosis with their patients, and do not use hypnosis as a form of entertainment, but instead as a way to break down some emotional walls and inhibitions that naturally occur when in an unaltered state of consciousness.
Can Anyone be Hypnotized?
A more difficult question. In theory, anyone could be hypnotized given enough time. Many people who could not undergo a hypnotherapeutic session or be hypnotized by a stage magician have undergone a light hypnotic state. It is a feeling similar to being "zoned out," in which case, most people have been in a state much like hypnosis.
While anyone can be hypnotized, no one can by hypnotized by another person without at least subconscious acceptance of being hypnotized. One of the key aspects for hypnotherapy is a sense of trust between the individual undergoing the therapy and the therapist. Without this strong bond of trust, only a very light hypnotic trance can be created, one which is not deep enough to work on serious personal issues.
In fact, it is even possible for a person to hypnotize him or herself to varying degrees. People have used self-hypnosis for problems ranging from weight loss to smoking to mild insomnia. Self-hypnosis can also be used to engender positive traits, like trying to be happier throughout the day, or being more confident in front of a crowd.
Is Hypnosis the Same as Mind Control?
If mind control is defined as "the ability for someone to completely control another person's thoughts or actions," then no. That kind of mind control exists largely in science fiction and conspiracies, and is only similar to hypnosis to the untrained eye. While it may appear to the outsider that a hypnotized person is completely under the domination of the hypnotist, reality is a far more complex matter.
In reality what is happening between a hypnotist and the person being hypnotized is a sort of agreement. When someone agrees to be hypnotized, their mind is open to suggestion, and the hypnotist exaggerates their sense of suggestion by putting them in a state of altered consciousness. While hypnotized, some people feel they can "wake up" at any point in time.
When a person is in this suggestive state, they will do things normally far beyond their normal inhibitions. However, hypnosis cannot do something if their will is strong enough against it. A person who is pushed beyond the threshold will quickly wake up, and the hypnotic state will quickly be broken. The deeper a hypnotic state, the more suggestible a person is, but pushing suggestions too far on an individual will break the trance.
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