JMT HYPNOSIS

 

Frequently asked questions

 

Will I be unconscious and not remember anything whilst being hypnotised?

 

One of the most common misconceptions about hypnosis is that a person is  sleep or they will not remember anything. This is not the case. Hypnosis is about narrowing down a person's attention, to the point they enter an altered state of awareness, where they become more suggestible.

 

This altered state is described as being between wakefulness and sleep, and people can experience heightened levels of sensory perception, i.e. images or sounds.

 

I don’t think I’m very suggestible, will hypnosis work for me?

 

Hypnosis will work on most people. Indeed, there are many natural occurrences of hypnosis, such as reading a good book or driving somewhere, and before you know it, you've arrived at your destination. This is evidence of your attention narrowing down and your conscious mind switching to an unconscious mode. 

 

In relation to suggestibility, psychological research has found that a majority of people are suggestible to hypnosis but this may depend on culture, gender and whether they actually want to be hypnotised. There are a number of suggestibility tests that I carry out to ascertain clients suggestibility which are used by a majority of hypnotherapists. I have found that most people are susceptible to hypnosis although some are more so than others. However, there are some people who may not be suggestible especially if they are suffering extreme stress. Also people suffering psychosis, drug or alcohol problems may find it difficult to become suggestibility. 

 

I don’t want to lose control so will hypnosis work for me?

 

This is a common concern which clients often raise when contemplating hypnosis. This is perfectly understandable. 

 

Once again there’s a common misconception that people will lose control which maybe linked more to what people have seen on television or through hearsay i.e. the ubiquitous urban legends of a friend clucking around a stage or eating an onion and thinking it was an apple. 

 

When someone is under hypnosis they have not lost control. Whilst it is true that your conscious mind may have narrowed your subconscious mind; which many theorists maintain actually drives all our behaviours, is very alert. No one can do anything which is against their core values.

 

Moreover, a hypnotherapist will always explain to the client at the initial consultation what hypnosis is and more importantly, what it's not. This also involves exploring any questions or concerns they may have in relation to control. 

 

I can hear sounds around me whilst under hypnosis, is this normal?

 

Once again there is a misconception that people will be completely unconscious and thus not hear or remember a thing. It is true that you may hear things either outside or in the hypnotherapists room whilst under hypnosis. These sounds have often been reported as appearing as though there in the distance or sound ‘dream’ like i.e. woolly or hazy. This is quite normal. 

 

Is it true the more hypnosis you have the deeper you go into a trance?

 

Yes, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting this is the case. Indeed, many of my clients actually relay back to me that the last thing they heard was me counting them down into hypnosis and then counting them out. This is normal and because you may not recall everything does not mean hypnosis does not work. Remember it is the unconscious mind which is the controlling factor and which is the alert part during hypnosis.  

 

I can’t relax, will hypnosis work for me?

 

Yes, hypnosis can work even if you can’t relax. Hypnotherapists adopt a number of methods in which to induce hypnosis. The most common is the progressive muscle relaxation which involves the hypnotherapists getting you relaxed by suggesting your muscles are unwinding and relaxing. This method has been found to be effective for people who cannot relax as the suggestion itself can trigger an unconscious message to relax which may override your conscious memory.

 

There are other methods that can be adopted. Some people are very analytical and the  hypnotherapist may use what is called a confusion technique. This involves presenting a whole series of individually differing, contradictory suggestions, apparently all at variance with each other, differently directed, and requiring a constant shift in orientation by client. For example, in producing a suggestibility test such as hand levitation, suggestions are directed to the levitation of the right hand are offered together with suggestions of the immobility of the left hand. Shortly, the client becomes aware that the hypnotist is apparently misspeaking, since levitation of the left hand and immobility of the right are then suggested.

 

The traditional fixed point or swinging watch (usually pen these days), can also be adopted and is highly effective with people who find it hard to relax too. This involves moving a pen, light or getting someone to concentrate on a spot on the wall and ask them to concentrate as their eyes begin to fatigue. This can be effective to people who do find it difficult to relax. It has also been found to be more effective with men.