Hypnosis Myths -Debunked!

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear ‘hypnosis’?

For most people it’s wild stage shows, people barking like dogs or taking their clothes off (my video is PG, promise!)

So I’m here to set the record straight!

​I’m answering the most common hypnosis myths I hear and separating fact from fiction ‍♀️

Hypnosis Myth #1 – Hypnosis makes you do crazy things 

So first let’s make the big distinction between stage hypnosis and hypnotherapy. 

Stage hypnosis is that funny stuff you’ve seen where they call a volunteer from a huge crowd up on stage and by the end of it they are clucking like a chicken or acting like a baby and it’s all purely for entertainment’s sake.

And I’m not saying it doesn’t work but realize that it is a show, that volunteer is the type of person who raises their hand in a big crowd of people and is likely highly suggestible and knows what they are getting themselves into. 

Once the show is done, this volunteer is going to come out of the hypnosis feeling exactly the same when it’s all over and there will be no change in them. 

Hypnotherapy is the complete opposite in that we are looking to make lasting change in your mindset, habits, behaviours that will last well after you come out of hypnosis and when you’re session is done. 

The reason we want to get you in a deep relaxed ‘hypnotic state’, to make these lasting changes, is so that we can shut off your wildly active conscious mind and access and speak to your subconscious mind, where your limiting thoughts, bad behaviours, and unwanted habits are stored. 

And during a hypnotherapy session, it is just me and you and trust me, its not a benefit to you or me if you start doing crazy things in the room. 

Cool?

Cool!

Hypnosis Myth #2 – Hypnosis Is Mind Control

Quite the opposite actually, hypnotherapy helps you to get control over your own mind. 

While your conscious mind – your awake and thinking mind – may want something very badly, for example, to eat healthy foods and work out more, it’s your subconscious mind – where habits and beliefs live – these are what are actually calling the shots on what you do on a daily basis, beyond willpower alone which can only get you so far. 

A hypnotherapist cannot ‘make you do’ anything, you don’t already desire. 

If that was the case, I probably would’ve retired after I was able to get my first client to transfer all of their money and possessions over to me!

But actually, the majority of the words I say and use within a session will be direct words and language from you,  the client, during our consultation.

The more familiar the suggestions heard in hypnosis are to the subconscious mind, the more easily the mind can accept them, take them and act upon them. 

Also depending on the type of session, clients will remember most if not all of what I say to them during hypnosis. 

And if you’re still unsure or feeling uneasy, we can record the entire session so that you know exactly what’s going on the whole time. Your comfort and results are what’s most important to me overall, so don’t feel shy or embarrassed to ask for anything.

Hypnosis Myth #3 – Hypnosis Only Helps With Weight loss & Quitting smoking

So weight loss and quitting smoking are the most common things hypnotherapy are used to treat, but they are far from the only things. 

Some other things I have personally helped clients overcome are:

• improved confidence
• improved money mindset
• get over fears
• relieve stress, anxiety & depression
• overcome procrastination
• fear of failure or success
• and the list goes on and on… 

But if you think about it, what both weight loss and smoking have in common is a change of habit.

Sometimes willpower alone, or just wanting something really badly alone, isn’t enough to help us to make that lasting change within ourselves. 

We’ve all been there before, tomorrow I’m going to start my diet for real, or tomorrow I’m going to quit smoking for good, and you may even really, really want to, but for some reason, you keep going back to those same habits….this may be because of an underlying subconscious belief that hypnotherapy can help you to overcome. 

And the way that we access these tricky limiting beliefs or unwanted behaviours is through your subconscious mind is, by getting your brain in an alpha level brain wave.

Which is similar to the feeling of just waking up in the morning or just before you fall asleep at night. So you’re awake but your active thinking mind isn’t at 100% and is much quieter, just how we want it. 

That’s also why these are great times to meditate or when I tell clients to listen to their recordings. 

How I get you in the alpha level brain wave during a session is just by getting you to become more present and very relaxed. So definitely not asleep, but just very deeply relaxed. 

The most common thing I hear at the end of a session is how peaceful, stress-free clients feel, one client even said it felt like she just got out of a massage!

In Summary

Hypnotherapy IS NOT the same as stage hypnosis and I hope I helped to bust those hypnotherapy myths and make you feel more comfortable about trying hypnotherapy yourself. 

Ready To Try Hypnotherapy Yourself?

If you’re just curious or ready to get started, please book a free hypnotherapy consultation with me.

I would love, love, love to chat more about how hypnosis can help you, to truly step into your best and higher self!