What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is simply a state of relaxed focus. It is a natural state. Each of us enters such a state – sometimes called a trance state – several times a day: example when we are falling asleep, and when we are waking up. That fuzzy, timeless state between dreaming and being awake is a trance state. When a nine-minute snooze-button seems to give you enough time to have an hour-long dream, that is a trance state.

There are many other times that people enter a natural state of trance: Driving, watching TV, listening to music, working on a favorite hobby or activity in the “flow” state. These are all “altered states of consciousness,” and all are various levels of trance. Trance is healthy, natural and common.

The truth about hypnosis is that it is not a state of amnesia or no awareness: hypnosis is a state of very heightened awareness and focus. Do not expect to feel hypnotized; hypnosis is not some zoned out of body experience. Hypnosis is like meditation on steroids; hypnosis guides you to those powerful brainwaves that can take a meditator ten years or more to access.

Hollywood has perpetuated many myths about hypnosis, and not remembering anything from a hypnosis session is one of those myths. Only under special circumstances would a person forget everything from a session.

Much more can be accomplished when a person who is undergoing hypnosis remembers everything.