What is Hypnosis?

Most people answer with "no" when being asked whether they have ever been in hypnosis. However, many of them would not be able to give a valid definition of what hypnosis really is and are surprised when being told that they actually have been.

In fact we spend a lot of time every day in hypnosis without even realising it. We watch a great movie on television or read an exciting book. It takes a couple of seconds until we realise somebody had spoken to us or we give the answer without even noticing it. When this happens, the sub-consciousness takes over. This is hypnosis. How often we are doing one thing, but in our head we start already planning the next. Everybody knows the situation of driving alone in a car. In our head we already think of what we do after returning home, think of our last holiday or simply reminiscence in high school memories to the song played on the radio. Suddenly we realise that we drove some 50 miles without even realising it. Usually, people call it daydreaming, but it actually is a form of natural hypnosis.

Barry Wyke clearly showed that neurological changes take place during hypnosis. The voltage and frequency of the cerebral activity change. These changes in frequency divide the brain functions in four general states generated by the exchange of chemicals in the neural pathways. The four states are full conscious awareness (beta range, where we spend most of our waking hours), the hypnotic state (alpha range, a doorway between the conscious and subconscious), the dream state (theta range) and the sleep state (delta range). In the hypnotic state, one does not really "think" in the traditional sense, but one rather "experiences" without questioning, without critical judgement or analysis because the conscious mind is not getting in the way. These findings prove that hypnosis is not sleep, because the brain activity is twice as high during hypnosis as it is during sleep.

Dave Elman's findings show that under hypnosis the subject displays five distinct signs. Firstly, the body feels warm, secondly, the eyelids flutter, thirdly the lacrimation increases, fourthly the whites of the eyes turn pink and finally the eyeballs are going up into the head. Since these changes in the body cannot be faked, the argument of some people, that the subjects just pretend to be in a hypnotic state to please the therapist, is not valid. Mr. Elman also kept stressing the importance to have the consent of the subject, which has to be free from fear and there must be communication between the patient and the hypnotherapist in order to succeed with hypnosis.

The Oxford English Dictionary describes the word Hypnosis as follows: "A State in which a person appears to be fully conscious but can be influenced to perform certain actions or say certain things." This last part describes exactly what most people believe and see during stage shows. The Oxford English Dictionary is widely used as a reference and enjoys a good reputation. Therefore it influences the general opinion. In reality, people would not do or say anything they would not do or say in the awake state, either. Hypnosis is not a truth drug, it is as easy to lie under hypnosis as it is in a normal state. The hypnotherapist gives instructions to help the patient to heal themselves, but the patient is always in control of the situation and can wake up any time s/he likes. S/he only accepts and acts on those suggestions that feel right for him/her, that fit in their moral and value system. Therefore a person cannot be more influenced in a hypnotic state than in a normal one. However, hypnosis can act as an amplifier and help realising faster the changes a person likes to achieve. Sometimes people ask what happens if the hypnotist gets a heart attack and dies during the session. Fact is that the subject cannot get stuck in hypnosis and has to run around like a zombie for the rest of their life as some horror films suggest. They can open their eyes and wake up at any time of the session. The worst that can happen is that the subject falls in a deep relaxing sleep and wakes up refreshed and full of energy.

Many therapists agree that all hypnosis is a form of self-hypnosis. Hypnosis can be compared with a strange city one wishes to visit. It is much easier and safer to get a guide to show one around. If you encounter any problems, the guide knows what to do and how to protect you. Still the person has to walk around themselves and has their wishes of what to see and do. A therapist offers guidance to the subject, but without the subject participating and opening to the therapist, hypnosis will not be successful.