5 myths about hypnosis..Part 2
Hypnotherapy is a powerful way to make change, reinforce positive habits or behaviors and connect you with your deepest self. Thanks in large part to the appeal of entertainment hypnosis (television, stage shows and movies,) many people honestly think that they become out-of-control zombies when they go into trance. Nothing can be further from the truth.
Last week in the first part of this article, we examined the first two of five myths and misconceptions about what happens in a hypnotherapy session: loss of consciousness and loss of control. This week, we will dispel the last three myths so you can be confident that you can make profound change through the practice of hypnotherapy.
Misconception #3- You will reveal secrets that you want kept hidden when you are in hypnosis.
As we saw last week, hypnotherapy is a partnership between you and your therapist. The hypnotherapist is trained at assessing the need for hypnotic “depth” and will help you reach the stage of deep relaxation and focused awareness that is necessary to access the subconscious mind. But again, you are aware of what’s going on at all times and you reveal what you are comfortable sharing.
Your hypnotherapist won’t slip into a murky corner of your mind and expose something you’d rather keep private. This is a therapeutic process and forcing you to share something that you didn’t want to would be counterproductive and unethical. So, your secrets are safe with you!
Misconception #4- You have to be weak-minded or feeble to enter the hypnotic state.
This is a fear-based misconception that again distorts the role of the hypnotherapy process. Somehow people have gotten the impression that the intellectually weak are the only people susceptible to hypnotic trance and that people who are bright and focused “can’t” be hypnotized. One of the things we know is that people with different ways of processing information enter the trance state differently, but any good hypnotherapist knows how to connect with your particular informational style and help you access the hypnotic state.
Those who have studied hypnosis is depth tell us that the opposite is actually true. People who are intelligent and in good control of their mind make excellent subjects for hypnotherapy because your intellectual engagement in the course of your hypnosis makes the likelihood for a successful outcome all the stronger.
Misconception #5- You can get stuck in the hypnotic trance.
While the trance state is a powerful one that allows us to access the subconscious mind and make incredible changes, the truth is that everyone comes out of hypnosis. For some people it’s as easy as opening their eyes, for others a hypnotherapist can facilitate a happy return to full waking consciousness. But, being stuck in some half-state…forget about it!
Come on in!
In this brief look at the common misconceptions about hypnotherapy we’ve seen that the process is a cooperation between therapist and client, that your active participation is essential and that the hypnotic state (often similar to a daydream) is a wonderful experience.
