Can I be hypnotised?
If you are motivated, patient and have a good imagination, you could enter a deeper trance than most people.
How do I know I’ve been hypnotised?
Because you recognise the unique state of relaxation and awareness from your own experience as an altered state, even without special demonstrations. Such altered states include daydreaming, ‘losing yourself’ in music, driving ‘automatically’ for miles and ’sleeping in’ where you linger between consciousness and sleep. The more you practice this recognition, the easier it gets.
Would I do things I wouldn’t normally do?
No
Can I be hypnotised without my consent?
No
What if hypnosis doesn’t work?
Because the therapist and the client are both working together to achieve the same goal, you get out of it what you put in. Although willpower is not really involved, being willing to learn and understand can overcome any impatience or ‘magic’ thinking, leading to change.
What do I have to do in order to become hypnotized?
To become a good hypnotic subject, you need, first of all, to keep an open mind. You should ignore the half-truths and gossip from well-meaning friends and relatives who might deride your decision to try hypnosis. When you arrive for your initial visit, you should listen and observe everything you can to ensure the best possible chance of success for your hypnotic induction. You should have complete confidence in your therapist. Finally, have faith in your ability to co-operate fully and to relax. In other words, arrive for your appointment expecting to be hypnotized-and you will be.
Once you set this “stage” for yourself, you will need only to listen to your therapist’s voice and to follow all the simple elementary suggestions. For example, your hypnotherapist may tell you that your eyelids are getting heavy. It is imperative that you think, believe, and even feel your lids getting heavier at that time. If you cannot feel it, try imagining that you do. With just a little experience, you will be able to ‘pretend” almost anything. Later, as you permit yourself to feel most of the sensations that are suggested, this pretence will not be necessary.
How will I feel in a trance?
You will feel relaxed. You will be aware of everything, including sounds, and be quite able to think in your normal way. However, this type of thinking won’t mask your subconscious response to suggestions, and going deeper.
How do I find a good hypnotherapist?
1. Check out their level of expertise and qualifications. Since the practice of hypnotherapy is not regulated, it is recommended that you ask your prospective hypnotherapist about their qualifications, organizational membership and experience – after all, you wouldn’t ask your butcher to perform a triple heart bypass on you when a medical surgeon was available, just because the butcher was cheaper… or would you?
2. Only proceed if you have a good rapport and sense of trust with the therapist. After all, they may be about to help you identify deep personal issues. Would you want the butcher to know about your first disappointing sexual experience?