I have heard many conflicting things about hypnosis.

Many people wonder if hypnosis is dangerous, fake, or maybe even a scam perpetrated on hapless and unsuspecting victims. Others wonder what is the difference between a hypnotist and a hypnotherapist.

I hope the following brief explanation helps demystify hypnosis and opens the door to the possibility that hypnotherapy can really help you.

Is it real or staged?

Hypnosis as used by street hypnotists and stage hypnotists is 100% real if performed by a talented, ethical and honest hypnotist. It is usually only done for entertainment purposes.

Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, involves undergoing hundreds of hours of highly specialized training and internships to learn how to successfully treat clients in a quiet, calm, and private setting without (hopefully) discomfort.

Hypnotherapy is for defensive and vocational self-improvement and is used to treat a number of problems such as fear of flying, stage fright, improving confidence or self-esteem, eliminating procrastination, smoking cessation and 143 other problems.

Will I get stuck in hypnosis?

No one can get lost in hypnosis (you would just fall asleep and wake up later as usual) and no one can force you to act against your ethics or morals to do something you don’t want to do. Hypnosis is NOT mind control.

What is hypnosis: Hypnosis is a focused state of consciousness that relaxes you and allows the hypnotherapist to work on a subconscious level to help you make positive improvements in your life. A certified hypnotherapist is a highly qualified behavior modification specialist or counselor.

Will I remember?

Hypnotherapy is a “behavior modification guided by self-improvement.” About 95% of the time you are definitely AWARE of what is happening during hypnosis and can open your eyes at any time if you wish.

Sometimes (perhaps 5% of the time) for a specific purpose, you may be taken to the deepest level of sleepwalking hypnosis where you have no recollection of what occurred upon awakening. Most of the time this is not necessary.

In hypnotherapy you will NOT blurt out anything about any skeleton in your closet or any embarrassing details. Hypnotherapy does not inject some kind of truth serum into your psyche!

Isn’t hypnosis a form of mind control?

The kind of CONTROL gained over another person that can occur through hypnosis can ONLY be achieved with the use of other coordinated efforts and tactics: sleep deprivation, drugs, hallucinogens, electroshock, and other highly invasive antagonistic procedures.

Mind control or the creation of “sleepers” can only be achieved by using these other strategies in conjunction with hypnosis. Hypnotherapists are not covert specialists for government “black ops” out to get you.

I hope this helps “demystify” some of the misunderstandings surrounding hypnosis. We all go through hypnosis daily when we fall asleep and when we wake up in the morning. Hypnosis is a “suggestible” state of mind and it is quite natural.

If this short article has proven to be of any value to you…

So I hope you share this with others. I truly believe that hypnotherapy is the most effective way to quickly and naturally help others and bring relief to anyone suffering from limitations, fears, phobias or doubts.

The effects of hypnotherapy can be long lasting, as well as quite liberating and empowering!