Second Trances Hypnosis

About Hypnosis

There are nearly as many definitions of what hypnosis is as there are hypnotists. Here's mine:

Hypnosis is a communication process that brings about
a highly focused state of mind in which
a person becomes receptive to suggestion.

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Being in hypnosis is a perfectly natural thing. Every single one of us goes into trance states every day. If you've ever been so absorbed in watching a movie that two hours go by in what seems like an instant, you've been in hypnosis. If you've ever driven to a familiar place and gotten there without remembering exactly what happened along the way, you've been in hypnosis. Every day when you make the transition from being awake to being asleep, and again when you wake up from sleep, you pass through a state of hypnosis.

I like movies and books as much as the next guy, but even in these theoretically enlightened times the entertainment industry still clings to a slew of ideas about hypnosis that just aren't true. For instance:

Hypnosis is not sleep

A person in hypnosis may look asleep because her body is very relaxed and still, but the person is fully aware of everything happening around her and can respond to people and events if she chooses. It's very common for people to emerge from deep hypnosis and say, "I didn't feel hypnotized; I heard everything you said."

Hypnosis is not fake

In 2004 a research team in the UK discovered that people in hypnosis showed increased activity in multiple areas of the brain including the left frontal lobe and the anterior cingulate gyrus. This proves that hypnosis is not just social compliance or a folk tale, but an actual state of consciousness with unique and identifiable characteristics. (If you're curious, feel free to read the article on newscientist.com.)

Hypnosis is not mind control

When you are in hypnosis, you are in complete control of your mind and your body. Every suggestion that I give to a client in hypnosis is examined by a part of the mind called the hidden observer. If the suggestion isn't compatible with your personal ethics, or seems dangerous or unpleasant, the hidden observer throws it out. It doesn't matter how deeply into hypnosis you go or how often I repeat a suggestion; hypnosis can never compel you to do anything against your will. If it could, I'd be the richest guy in Laurel already and my kids would always keep their rooms clean.

Hypnosis is not dangerous

In over 4,000 years of use, nobody has ever gotten stuck in hypnosis or been harmed by spending time in hypnosis.

And finally, perhaps the biggest myth of them all:

Hypnosis is not something that I do to you

Almost everyone who reads about hypnosis has heard the expression all hypnosis is self hypnosis. That's not just propaganda put out by hypnotists to make people feel safe, it's the truth. You cannot be compelled into hypnosis, and once there you cannot be compelled to stay there; you have to want it and you have to allow it to happen. It's your mind, not mine. All I can do is provide an environment that makes it easier for you to enter hypnosis and then help you to get there. Once you've experienced hypnosis yourself you won't even need my help to get back into trance whenever and wherever you choose.