What is Hypnosis?


Many hypnotherapists will agree with me when I say this – often when we tell people what we do for a living, we can be showered with intrigued questions and statements like..... ‘’Oooh, hypnosis? Don’t look in my eyes!”

Fuelled by previous exposure to stage and screen hypnosis, peoples intrigue and uncertainty is unsurprising.

Even though hypnotherapy is entirely different in both its approach and purpose, still it’s as if I’ve suddenly been discovered as harbouring deep magical powers shrouded in an air of mystery.

I promise you this; hypnotherapists have no such superhuman abilities.

In reality, we have studied and practice diligently.  We have mastered a specific skill set so that we are able to facilitate our clients to achieve lasting and positive change in a safe, professional and calm environment.

It all begins with trance

‘Trance’ - now here’s a mystical word! 

Yet despite its connotations, everybody enters a natural trance (hypnotic) state several times a day.  Have you ever been so absorbed in something that you were unaware that someone was trying to get your attention?  Motorists often find themselves unable to recall a whole part of their journey.  

Who hasn’t noticed the space between wake and sleep as your conscious mind quietens down to make way for rest and restoration?

The conscious mind quietens and the unconscious mind comes online.  That creative and imaginative part of you, the part that directs and influences every single behavior and function not requiring conscious thought.

So when a hypnotherapist facilitates their client into a trance state, you already know how to get there; it’s something you already do naturally at several certain and unspecific times throughout everyday life.  And just like in everyday life, when a ball bounces into the road and a driver breaks, your conscious mind quickly and easily makes itself available to attend to whatever is required in the here and now.  

Image of spiral staircase representing hypnosis

Hypnosis for Change

Since the conscious mind is quietened during hypnosis, we are able then to communicate with our unconscious to facilitate lasting change.

Direct suggestion sometimes works, and more often than not, the unconscious prefers more subtle and indirect forms of suggestion.  This can take the form of story, metaphor and skilfully formed language patterns from which the unconscious makes its own meaning around whatever it is we intend to change.

Although it may appear initially very subtle, hypnotherapy has complete potential to make deep and powerful lasting changes.

So you see, perhaps hypnotherapy does have a slight air of magic about it after all.  Unseen shifts inside which can’t quite be detected or explained.  However, this extraordinary power has less to do with your hypnotherapist, and everything to do with the power and flexibility of your unconscious working with, and for, you to get what you want.

Oh yes, and I will NEVER say ‘look into my eyes’!