This is a question i get almost daily. And one that I have spent years leaning into. Why do we all have the same question when its such a natural part of our day to day? It is not something widely talked about and brings about the mysticism of being “hypnotized” for the first time.
What is hypnosis and how do I know if I can even be hypnotized?
Well…hypnosis is nothing mystical, not really. Though it can be a really fun conversation starter. You go in and out of the hypnotic state at least twice a day. But often, you are experiencing it more often than that. Do you watch Tv, movies, scroll on your phone, or even play video games? Then you are familiar with the hypnotic state! Do you daydream or mentally check out from time to time? Those can also be hypnotic states. Gym session where you “zone in” or sports where you feel like something is propelling you. Crafting where time disappears? Hypnotic states. You are zoned in beyond your normal day to day awareness.
You see, our brain does this process of hypnosis automatically. Its the “conscious” process of using hypnosis that is unfamiliar to us. So we do not typically understand it.
So take a moment to think if you have ever caught yourself in a moment where you disappeared from what’s around you. someone talking to you and you didn’t hear them? Playing a game or phone scrolling and you missed something happening?
Yea, you have officially hypnotized yourself. Kind of fascinating, huh?
So yes, almost everyone CAN be hypnotized. Now each person is unique in HOW they experience hypnosis. How deep into a hypnotic state do you go or how hard will it be for you to allow this process consciously? Well, that is unique to you. How will you know what part of that sliding scale you fall on? You experience it for yourself for the first time. And the person hypnotizing you matters as well…results will vary.
First of all, and almost the most important…do you feel safe with the person putting you under the hypnotic state? I don’t mean…”you would trust them with your life,” but do you get an initial gut feeling of “its ok to go through with this, even if I’m nervous and do not know what to expect?” Because the person matters. If you are going with someone and your gut feeling says something is off, your conscious mind will not allow you, most likely, to let go enough to fully enter the hypnotic state. Which might skew your first impressions of hypnosis. You might just think it doesn’t work for you or your not hypnotizable. And that is not always the case.
Also, the hypnotists ability to work with you and anything that might affect the hypnotic process helps. Do you have ADHD and have difficulty concentrating? Do you have a lot of trauma and that’s why your coming. Do you have narcolepsy? Do you have PTSD? Are you very left brain and extremely logical? These are concerns i hear often from people who say they were told they cannot be hypnotized or do not think they can be. Once we work through the particulars, they are often just as easy to hypnotize. It just takes working with these parts of the mind, rather than against them.
Do you experience the hypnotic state differently than others? Many do not take into consideration each persons unique ability to experience altered states. Some people are more visual but others are more “knowing” in the information that might flow or how they feel during the process. Some feel more bodily sensations and others “hear” or “smell” more dominantly during the process. Some have the conscious mind more present while others have a good blend of conscious and subconscious. Understanding how different parts of your own mind work in tandem, help understand how you experience these kinds of states. As well as how you can build your ability to strengthen these states and use them to assist you in different areas of your life.
And then there are blocks of the conscious and subconscious mind. Some people have built up natural blocks within their mind that the hypnotist will have to take a moment to work their way through. This is not always the case but can come up when working with trauma, inner child work and past life regressions.
This can come up in many different ways and no two people are alike but it has a theme and when this comes up, you want someone who is willing to help you work through them, not force your way through them. Forcing through natural protections can have a negative effect and shut you down even further to any future work and assistance. But walking you through them in real time can help you in the future if more come to the surface that you decide you no longer need.
Each person is unique and so each persons experience with hypnosis can be unique. If yours do not look or feel like what someone’s you read about. It does not mean its a failure. Only that, you will discover exactly how you experience an altered state such as hypnosis and can make it uniquely yours. Using it to address the things you are ready for. It is not a one size fits all, but more life different flavored candies. Everyone has different flavors and types they prefer and so variety is the spice of life. Hypnosis can be experienced in many ways and can be fitting to exactly what you need. The only way to know, is to try it.
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