Hypnosis refers to a state or condition in which the subject becomes highly responsive to suggestions. The individual follows instructions in an uncritical automatic fashion and attends closely only to those aspects of the environment made relevant by the hypnotist. The client hears, sees, feels, smells and tastes in accordance with the suggestions given even though they may be in direct contradiction to the actual stimuli. - Grollier Publishing

Or…...

A relaxed, focused state of concentration.

Until recently it was assumed that hypnosis was similar to sleep, or that the mind was somehow unconscious. Both of these concepts proved false. There is a specific state that the brain enters during hypnosis. It is not an unusual state of mind, and may feel like you are not in a trance, or in hypnosis. For most people they simply feel relaxed. There is a change in the brain wave activity, similar to that time just before sleep when the alpha state is entered. Your brain's waking state is a beta brain wave, just as you are going to sleep it changes to alpha and then to delta and theta in deep sleep. The alpha state is a very dreamy, pleasant state. During this time the mind is very open to visualizations and creating a rich sensory experience. The more real the experience becomes in the subconscious mind during this state, the more effect it will have on your waking behavior.

Is hypnosis dangerous?

Hypnosis is a normal state of mind, one that most people experience every day. When you are deeply engrossed in a movie, driving down a long monotonous road, or listening to music that captures a mood, you are in hypnosis. We experience hypnosis every day and don't even know it. When you are in a guided hypnotic trance session, you have an observer self, which is an actual part of you that is always aware and watching out for you. This observer self has been documented as a credible aspect of our mind, that keeps us safe, even when asleep. During hypnosis you can trust that your observer self will watch over you. This is not a guide or spiritual being, is a scientific discovery of a function of our brain. During a hypnosis session you would instantly get up and leave the room if it caught on fire, even if had previously felt like your arms and legs were too heavy to move.

In fact, since hypnosis can help make us sharper and more aware mentally, it actually may help keep us safer, by making us more aware of our surroundings during the day. If your perception of what is happening around you is better, you will notice things that are happening with greater clarity and perhaps make better decisions.

Can hypnosis make me tell secrets?

Not at all! You will not divulge any information that you would not ordinarily divulge. You always have a choice, and your brain does not stop functioning or reasoning. However, you may find that you discover some inner truths about yourself, or your situation, or some self-sabotage, that you did not know about consciously. What this means is that your subconscious mind may have some inner programming going on that you do not know about that causes you to repeatedly behave in some non-productive manner. The really good news is that when you uncover these inner truths that have been kept secret from your conscious mind, your mind can no longer play that game. When the unconscious strategy is revealed, the gig is up. Your inner mind must now do it differently. The program only worked when it was in stealth mode.

Can Hypnosis make me do something against my will?

Absolutely not! This is probably the biggest myth of all. Stage hypnotists seem to make people do strange things while hypnotized, but the truth is that these people are doing these things because they have a desire to be outrageous. If the stage hypnotist chooses his subjects carefully he will have willing participants. You will never do anything, or accept any suggestion that violates your morals or values. If that was possible, all the hypnotists in the world could make you go rob the banks and bring back the money. We would be rich, and rule the world. Obviously, this is not the case.

What if I don't wake up?

No one has ever gotten stuck in a terminal state of hypnosis. It simply cannot happen. If the hypnotist left the room, you would either fall asleep and wake up naturally, or your subconscious mind would detect that there is no voice guiding you and bring you to conscious awareness.

Will I forget everything during the session?

It occasionally happens that there is amnesia for the session. Sometimes the hypnotist will suggest that you forget what transpired, but most hypnotists want you to be aware of the session. You will be aware of everything around you, and remember most, if not all, that happened in the session. Usually, you will remember it better than a conversation we had, because your mind is in such a focused state.

Can anyone be hypnotized?

Yes, in fact hypnotizability is often a learned trait. You can teach your body and mind to go into trance, and get better and better at it as you practice your self-hypnosis. Most people don't think they are hypnotized after a session. What they do notice is that some things have changed - maybe that day, maybe the next week. Sometimes the effects are subtle and sometimes profound.

The truth about hypnosis is this…

It can be the one most important tool to change the way your mind experiences your world. If there ever was a magic wand, that could help you change anything about your life, your health or your behavior, this might be it. Good Hypnotherapists know how to gently release blocks and fears, and create a new inner belief that will set the wheels in motion to make changes in the way you think, feel and behave.

We are constantly hypnotizing ourselves.

I think that sometimes we are our own worst enemy, when we call ourselves names, or put ourselves down and reinforce fears and limitations. It can get to be a habit and if you do it long enough you will develop a belief that will get the results you ask for.

For instance, if you think you have a bad memory, or believe that your memory has to get worse as you get older… maybe it is at least partly due to your constant reinforcement.