Myth: Hypnosis is not an effective modality.
Fact: A Comparison Study Shows: “Psychoanalysis: 38% recovery after 600 sessions Behavior Therapy: 72% recovery after 22 sessions. Hypnotherapy: 93% recovery after 6 sessions” Source: American Health Magazine. Myth: Some people can’t be hypnotized. Fact: Everyone has the ability to be hypnotized. We enter a hypnotic state whenever we're engaged in a film or TV show. When the actors become the characters they portray in our minds, we are hypnotized. Whenever we are driving and daydreaming enough to miss a turn or freeway exit, we're experiencing a light state of hypnosis. Some people may have this misconception because of an unsuccessful experience they may have had in the past. People are responsive to different approaches, and if a particular approach has not been successful in the past, it's a matter of finding the way that works best for them. Integrative Hypnotists have numerous techniques to draw upon, and are trained to find a method that will work best for you.
Myth: You can be hypnotized to do things against your will.
Fact: The Integrative Hypnotist is a facilitator. He/she cannot make you do anything against your will. In fact, during a hypnotic session, you are completely aware of everything going on. If you do not like where the hypnotist is guiding you, you have the power to reject the suggestions. The purpose of hypnosis is often to do things differently than we've done them in the past. These changes are not enacted against the client’s will. Psychologist Ernest R. Hilgard’s (1977) work at Stanford University demonstrated a principle known as “The Hidden Observer”, which indicates that there is a part of the client's mind that monitors the hypnotic process and will protect them from responding in a manner that violates their ethical and moral standards.
Myth: You might reveal personal secrets under hypnosis.
Fact: You are in complete control of what you choose to reveal or conceal at all times.
Myth: A person can get stuck in a trance.
Fact: No one has ever been stuck in a hypnotic trance. Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state that we enter and exit several times during the normal course of a day. If, for some reason, the hypnotist does not bring someone out of trance, he/she will return to a fully alert state on their own
When in the state of hypnosis, our brainwaves alternate between the Alpha and Theta ranges. Any time you choose to emerge from hypnosis, you are able to simply open your eyes and become fully alert. If you practice self-hypnosis before going to bed and end in the Delta state (the slowest of all 4 brain wave frequencies), you will simply fall asleep.
Myth: Intelligent people can’t be hypnotized.
Fact: Studies suggest that people of above average intelligence who are capable of concentrating and who have a capacity for creativity and vivid imaginations make the best subjects.
Myth: A person in a hypnotic trance is asleep or unconscious.
Fact: A common misconception is that you are asleep when hypnotized. Hypnosis is neither sleep nor unconsciousness. The experience of a formally induced hypnotic state might resemble sleep physically: slowed breathing, eyes closed, muscles relaxed, activity decreased. Mentally, the client is relaxed and may be highly alert, in a comfortable state where the person can think, talk and even move about if needed. All clients are different and can experience hypnosis in their own unique ways. Some are comfortable enough with the process that they find themselves drifting in and out of a more dream-like state. In some instances they might respond subconsciously, through ideomotor signals or other methods.
Myth: I won't remember anything the hypnotist says.
Fact: Everyone experiences hypnosis differently. For some it's a state in which you are focused on the hypnotist's words and listening more carefully. For others it's more like daydreaming and your attention may drift and wander from one thought to another, at times, not paying any conscious mind to what the hypnotist is saying. Both ways are equally effective.
Myth: Hypnosis is contrary to religious beliefs.
Fact: A handful of religious sects have, in the past, raised objections to hypnosis. Most religious groups accept the proper ethical use of hypnosis for helping people. Included are: Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Mormon, and most Protestant Christian Churches, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and others. Hypnosis is not associated with any religion. A professional and ethical hypnotist respects the faith of all clients and cannot use hypnosis inappropriately to influence a person's religious beliefs.
