One of the most commonly asked questions we get asked by new clients is “can I be hypnotized? can hypnosis work on me?”
A lot of the doubt around this question stems from prevalent misconceptions around hypnosis.
There is a common assumption that hypnosis is something that just certain people can achieve, a gift that you either have or you don’t. There are often cited statistics like 10-15% of people are highly susceptible to hypnosis.
Sometimes this sense is exacerbated by past experiences with hypnosis. A person may have seen a hypnotist in the past, not had the experience they hoped for, and concluded that the problem with them. Or they may have been to a stage hypnosis show and seen some people get called up to the stage while they found the performer had no effect on them.
Let’s dive deeper to understand if, indeed, you can actually be hypnotized.
The truth is, most people can be hypnotized. There are a variety of factors that can affect people’s individual experiences with hypnosis. It could be your specific mental or emotional state on a specific day. It could be past experience with hypnosis. It could be your rapport with the hypnotist – you need to be able to trust the hypnotist before you can consider their suggestions.
Hypnosis is a skill, that you can get better at with practice. And it’s true that some people might have a natural affinity for it, just like some people seem to be able to sit down at a piano and start playing. Skills that can help with hypnosis are having a rich imagination and an openness to trusting others.
But even if you don’t feel like you have these traits, hypnosis is a skill that most people can learn. There is a distinct difference in the nature of sessions I conduct with new clients and the sessions I have with them after we have met for a few times (see my article on how many sessions I recommend to potential clients).
Why Hypnosis Could Still Work for You
Here are a few more words of encouragement I have for you if you’re considering hypnosis and are worried based on apst experiences or assumptions you have about yourself:
Each hypnotist is different
Just like when looking for a therapist, you might need to meet with a few peopel to find the right fit, hypnotherapy is very similar. It needs to feel right, and it can take some trial and error to find the right fit. (Which can suck if you’re in distress and looking for relief, I know). Even in our clinic, we have multiple practitioners on staff because we know that no one person is a right fit for everyone. I tell people “if you have even one session with me, that should tell you if we’re a good fit for working together”.
There are different kinds of hypnosis.
Hypnosis is a very broad modality, similar to how “therapy” has many different kinds of techniques. Hypnotherapy can range from more cognitive and behavioral approaches, to more experiential and psychodynamic ones (at Navya we’re closer to the latter style). Hypnotists also have different approaches in how direct they are – some offer direct instructions like “you will” and “when I say X, you’ll feel Y”. Others, like our clinic, prefer to use suggestions, like “you might find” or “consider trying”. Different modalities will feel different to your needs.
A live hypnotist is different than recordings
My first experience with hypnosis was through guided meditation recordings, and I found them very beneficial (some of the best naps I have ever taken!). However, nothing beats working with a live person. Some people have experimented with guided hypnosis recordings and haven’t found them effective, or have struggled to even stay focused during the recording. (This is particularly true for ADHD clients)
When you are working with a real human, they are responding in real time to where you are at, and can quickly realize if you’ve tuned out. Having a real person guiding you is also more grounding, and I have found that clients have much deeper and more effective sessions when working with another person versus just listening to a recording, which will always be at least somewhat generic. This is true even if they have told me that they often lose concentration during guided recordings.
You can address your struggles with hypnosis during the session
This is key – if something isn’t working for you, bring it up to your hypnotist! We are trained in a variety of approaches and styles, and can try something different if the first approach doesn’t work for you. I had one client who shared with me that she had aphantasia – should couldn’t visualize things in her imagination. So I modified my instructions to not include the sense of sight and instead moved to other senses like touch, smell, or a felt presence. She had struggled for years with guided meditations that were all about visualizations, and was also relieved to have a name for the specific mental phenomena she was experiencing.
Similarly, if there is an emotional component that is preventing you from diving fully into a hypnotic state – maybe there’s something on your mind, or you don’t feel like you can trust the current situation, the hypnotist can address that as the topic of the session. Sometimes talking or addressing a challenge for a few minutes in a session can help you move past it and have a fruitful experience.
Don’t use stage hypnosis as a metric
This is true for almost any conclusion you might draw around hypnosis: stage hypnosis is a completely different geared around entertaining others. There may be many reasons why one person gets on stage and starts dancing like a chicken, and why others choose to remain glued to their seats from the safety of the audience. When you go to a hypnotist for a personal session, you have 60 to 90 minutes (we find that longer sessions usually work a lot better) to address your specific challenge in a way that works for you. You can come as you are, bring your preferences and needs to the table, and know that whatever comes up for you will be contained in a professional and respectful manner.
Ready to see if hypnosis works for you? Get in touch today to book a short intro call and ask any additional questions you might have about the process.
