Hypnosis: Separating Fact from Fiction – Debunking the Top 5 Misconceptions

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy, despite a long history rooted in science and medicine, are still widely misunderstood. This is often fueled by fictional sensationalised depictions. It is important for anyone considering hypnotherapy to dispel these myths, because misunderstandings can actually make it harder for them to respond to treatment.

Here, I explore what clinical hypnosis and hypnotherapy are really about, dispelling some common misconceptions.

Misconception 1: Hypnosis is Sleep, Unconsciousness, or a Special Trance State

One of the most persistent misconceptions about hypnosis is that it involves a state of unconsciousness, sleep, or a unique "trance."

Historically, James Braid, the founder of hypnotism, coined the term as an abbreviation for "neuro-hypnotism," meaning "sleep of the nervous system". However, Braid later expressed regret that the term was open to misinterpretation. He noted that fewer than one in ten patients who benefited from hypnosis actually passed into a state of oblivious sleep. Modern research overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that hypnosis is not sleep — electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings show different characteristics compared to natural sleep.

From a contemporary perspective informed by psychological science, many researchers reject the concept of a special or abnormal "hypnotic trance". Instead, hypnosis is best understood as a state of heightened suggestibility. This heightened responsiveness is facilitated by a specific mind-set, which involves factors like focused attention, expectation, imagination, and motivation.

Most people remain fully aware of everything that is said and done during hypnosis. Due to misplaced expectations about what hypnosis is some clients can mistakenly believe they were not hypnotised because they were aware the whole time. However, awareness is the norm. The feeling sometimes described as "trance" can more acutely be described as mental absorption or a state of mental abstraction from external surroundings.

Misconception 2: You Lose Control or Can Be Made to Act Against Your Will

The theatrical presentation of stage hypnosis, which often involves sleight of hand and illusion, has led many people to fear that they will be coerced into behaving ridiculously or losing control.

This is unequivocally false in clinical hypnotherapy. Hypnosis is a collaborative process in which the subject retains full control over their behaviour. You are always in control and can refuse to accept any suggestion you do not want to think about or imagine.

Many hypnotists emphasize the slogan: All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. The therapist acts as a guide or instructor, but the effects are created by the client’s own imagination and mental activity. The idea that effective hypnosis relies on the "power and prestige of the hypnotist" (a remnant of Mesmerism) is incorrect; in fact, the important variable is the subject, not the therapist.

Misconception 3: It’s a Magical, Instantaneous ‘Quick Fix’

People may seek hypnosis believing it provides a magical solution to their problems, expecting to be passive recipients who are magically reprogrammed.

The truth is that therapeutic change requires active engagement and effort from the client. Hypnotic procedures are tools used as an adjunct to a broader program of therapy. While hypnotherapy is often one of the briefest forms of psychological therapy, averaging around 4-5 sessions for many issues, it is not instantaneous in the vast majority of cases.

In modern approaches like Cognitive-Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH), clients are taught that psychological disturbance often results from negative self-hypnosis - negative thinking and imagining accepted without critical evaluation. Therapeutic hypnosis aims to reverse this through active, constructive self-suggestion and practice, often using self-hypnosis as a flexible coping skill. Clients must be motivated and committed, as they are responsible for generating suggestion-relevant imagery and behaviour.

Misconception 4: Hypnosis Guarantees Accurate Memory Recall

A crucial misconception, particularly relevant in legal and forensic settings, is the belief that hypnosis enhances the accuracy of memory or reliably recovers repressed traumatic memories.

Research has consistently shown that ‘hypnosis does not improve accurate recall of factual information’. More seriously, using hypnosis to recover memories carries a ‘real risk of producing confabulation or false memories’. Hypnotic subjects are highly susceptible to the subtle expectations and demands of the hypnotist, which can lead them to relax their criteria for distinguishing actual memory from fantasy. This issue has received high-profile attention in the ‘Recovered Memories’ debate.

Misconception 5: Hypnosis is Inherently Dangerous

Despite the ‘spooky’ connotations popularized in culture, hypnosis itself is generally considered a benign procedure.

Where adverse reactions occur (such as headaches or confusion), they are usually transient and are typically not due to some special property inherent to the hypnotic state, but are often explicable in terms of general psychological effects or misuse of the procedure. The risks of hypnotherapy are comparable to those inherent in psychological treatment generally.

The source of great anxiety for some is the fear of being ‘stuck’ in hypnosis. This widely spread belief among the lay public is a myth; subjects will spontaneously awaken in a short time if left alone.

A successful therapeutic experience hinges on having a clear and positive understanding of the process. Hypnosis is not magic, sleep, or mind control; it is a collaborative, evidence-based tool that utilises focused attention, expectation, and imaginative skills to facilitate desired cognitive and behavioural changes.

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