Why can’t I be hypnotized?
Can I be hypnotized?
I want to be hypnotized but can’t.
What type of person can be hypnotized?
Can a person be hypnotized if they don’t want to be?
As a consulting hypnotist, these are questions I hear all the time. In this article I’m going to answer each of these questions.
Where did these questions come from?
The story behind these questions comes from one basic assumption regarding hypnosis. This assumption is: “That the hypnotist does something to the individual that makes them go into hypnosis”. And, if the person does not go into hypnosis, then it must be due to the individual “not being hypnotizable”.
First, let me say that both the above statements are FALSE! Totally and completely false.
There is no such thing as the “hypnotist putting the client into hypnosis”. Professional hypnotists understand this. Unfortunately, the myth continues to be spread. So, who is spreading it?
First are the academic types. They continue to push the myth that only a limited number of people are susceptible to hypnosis. Academics have even developed a series of tests such as the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales or the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility to prove their point. Most professional hypnotists will tell you that these tests are wrong. They make the incorrect assumption that the hypnotist does something to the client. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
Next, we have people who went to a hypnotist and were never able to achieve the state of hypnosis. This group can be broken down into two subcategories.
The first are people who truly did not enter the state of hypnosis. We’ll discuss why they did not enter hypnosis a bit later in this article.
The second group consists of individuals who entered the state of hypnosis and just didn’t realize it. The state of hypnosis is just a relaxed state of focused attention. As such, some individuals may not realize that they are in hypnosis even though they are accepting and following the hypnotist’s instructions. For more on what hypnosis is like, check this article out, What is Hypnosis?.
So, what is the truth about the question, “Can I be hypnotized?”
What type of person can be hypnotized?
The truth is that just about anyone can enter the state we call hypnosis. Here are the “criteria” needed for someone to be hypnotized.
- The person must have the mental capacity to follow instructions. This opens hypnosis to most of the human population including children.
- The person must have some level of rapport with the hypnotist. Why rapport because rapport builds the feeling trust between the client and the hypnotist.
- The person must understand the process of entering hypnosis.
- The individual must be comfortable with the thought of being in hypnosis. This means that the fears, misconceptions, and mistaken beliefs about hypnosis have been dispelled and the person understands what the state of hypnosis is.
- Finally, the person being hypnotized must, absolutely must, understand that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. This is the key! So, let’s discuss this last point further.
All Hypnosis is Self-Hypnosis
Yes, you read the above correctly, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. Professional hypnotists have understood this for a long time. It’s too bad that the academics don’t understand this.
So, what do we mean by self-hypnosis? It means that you, the client, put yourself into a hypnotic state. That’s what.
How do you do this? By following the instructions of the hypnotist. What most people don’t understand about hypnosis is that the hypnotist knows the instructions. If you follow the instructions, then you will put yourself into hypnosis.
You and you alone control whether you go into hypnosis.
You control how far into the state of hypnosis you go.
You control which suggestions and instructions from the hypnotist to accept or reject.
And you control when you emerge from hypnosis.
You are always in control!
What if you don’t follow the instructions. In this case you won’t enter hypnosis. Why wouldn’t you follow the instructions? Let’s explore that next.
What Prevents Someone from Entering Hypnosis?
If a person does not go into hypnosis, then one or more of the 5 “criteria” has not been met. If the individual wants to be helped and understands that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, then the most likely culprit is fear.
Fear prevents a person from being hypnotized. Fear can spring from several different sources.
First, as mentioned above, the individual may not trust the hypnotist. This will stop the process dead in its tracks. Without trust, the client will not follow the instructions. And as we’ve seen above, if the client doesn’t follow the instructions, then self-hypnosis cannot take place.
Even if there is trust in the hypnotist, other fears may enter the picture. It could be a fear of what hypnosis is like. It could be a fear that the client will be asked to reveal deep dark secrets. It could be the fear of “being stuck” in hypnosis. And it can even be a fear of change, not knowing what will happen in the session. All these issues need to be addressed prior to beginning the session.
A good hypnotist will give the client a “pre-talk” in which the entire process is explained, and the client can ask any questions or have any concerns addressed. If this pre-talk is well done, then the issue of fear will be put to bed. You can read more about what hypnosis is like by clicking here.
If you know someone who says that they could not be hypnotized, then ask them if the hypnotist explained the process to them first. And were all their questions and concerns answered. Most of all, ask them if they were told that all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. My guess is that one or more of the above were not addressed and that is why the person did not achieve the hypnotic state.
Finally, I hate to say this but sometimes it’s just bad technique on the part of the hypnotist. Some hypnotists are still using old techniques that require 15, 20 minutes or even longer. It doesn’t take that long. My standard induction takes about 5 minutes. Most of which is moving the client from the initial light state of hypnosis to a deeper working state. If you’d like to know more about how to choose a hypnotist, click here.
Conclusion
There you have it, the answer to the question “Can I be hypnotized?” Yes, you can! It is all under your control.