What is hypnosis?

It seems like a simple question: what is hypnosis?

However, the answer is quite complicated and people, including experts in the field, cannot agree on a definition.


Hypnosis involves a change in the pattern of thought. For my patients, I define hypnosis as "using your imagination to help yourself." However, that describes what we can do with hypnosis, rather than what it is.


Hypnosis involves a state of focused attention. Therefore, learning to focus your attention on a swinging clock, imagining a favorite place, or looking at a spot on the wall can put someone into a hypnotic state.

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In a state of hypnosis, people are more receptive to suggestions. This occurs because the conscious mind is task-focused and therefore less likely to interfere with incoming suggestions by expressing doubt or resistance to change.


Hypnosis has also been described as a trance state, in which people are semi-conscious and have more difficulty acting voluntarily than in a normal state.

an official definition

In 2014, the AmericanPsychologicalAssociation (APA) agreed with a panel of experts to provide a concise definition of hypnosis. They ended up offering four associated definitions:


Hypnosis: "A state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness that is characterized by increased responsiveness to suggestion."

Hypnotic induction: "A procedure designed to induce hypnosis."

Hypnotizability: "The ability of an individual to experience suggested alterations in physiology, sensations, emotions, thoughts, or behavior during hypnosis."

Hypnotherapy: "The use of hypnosis in the treatment of a medical or psychological disorder or concern."

The magic show experience

The concise definitions of hypnosis provided by the APA panel give us a good framework from which to understand hypnosis as clearly as possible. Let's compare this definition to what might be implied in a hypnosis demonstration magic show.


First, the magician might say, "Now I'm going to do some hypnosis," which blurs the line between a state of hypnosis and the act of inducing hypnosis.


The magician might say, "when I clap my hands, you will fall into a deep sleep." This implies that the magician will exercise some control over the volunteers in the show. Note that these magicians tend to select volunteers who seem prone to hypnosis (since some people are more hypnotizable than others). These highly hypnotizable people accept suggestions very easily, so they can appear to fall asleep when suggested to do so. However, it is important to stress that people can be in control of whether or not to accept suggestions. Therefore, the magician has no control over them.


Finally, let's remember that the magician is interested in the entertainment value of hypnosis, rather than the welfare of the volunteer. Personally, I think that leaving the impression on a volunteer that he can be controlled by a magician is not good from a psychological perspective, because the volunteer might conclude that he is weak-willed or has little power over his life. To be perfectly clear: this is not true. You are still in control of your body and thoughts while in a state of hypnosis.

empowerment

In contrast to the magic show experience, one of the wonderful features of hypnotherapy is that patients can be taught to induce a state of hypnosis in themselves, which is called self-hypnosis. Therefore, patients can learn to harness many powers of their minds through the use of hypnosis. Knowing how to do this can be tremendously empowering.