How does hypnotism work in reality?

There are many ways to hypnotise a person, most of them with the person's knowledge, approval and willingness. The system is simple enough in concept, (like anything else, the practise has to be learned and practiced), the hypnotist attracts the clients attention towards a monotonous stimulus, (hence the classic pendulum), this can be anything, on any sensory channel, (the most basic is one's own breathing). The client's whole focus, (more or less), is reduced to this stimulus, and all other information become less and less important.

After a while, the conscious becomes bored with this monotonous stimulus, and seeks stimulation elsewhere, within the clients mind and imagination, in other words, they enter into a trance state. There is however, another form of hypnosis, 'conversational hypnosis', which is practiced without the awareness or consent of the client, which is slightly more complicated, but much more fun.

I feel we are in a self-induced state of altered awareness, hypnotic state if you wish to call it, but a state where we are perceptive of everything we experience consciously or subconsciously, and this reality appears is real for us. Why I say a self-induced state because we chose to take part in the illusion of this physical dimension, where we experience life (as we perceive it.) In order to accept our choices, we have accepted to forget the decisions to go through certain lessons and the ‘real’ reality we came from; otherwise we would never go through some of lessons which our experiences provide.

We are participants in a ‘mind game’ where everyone is part of the ‘oneness of everything’ and we are all connected in this co-creation of life. The kicker in this ‘mind game’ is we perceive ourselves as separate from one another. Our ethnic and geographic origins help create and endure this illusion, our cultural/social values and beliefs sustain this belief, while internally our separation from our God source further strikes its nail in the lid of the coffin as we are fully sealed into each incarnation and because of our choices, a fear of death or unknown rears it head to keep us locked into our every ‘here-end-now.’

This ‘mind game’ throws twists and curves into the equation of life as it gives everyone ‘freewill’ and an ‘ego’ to make life interesting. If we were, for a moment, to step out of the identity we have created for ourselves, who or what would we be? This is where we may choose to look the other way and not look at self because deep down, there is an intuitive knowing that we are responsible for the choices we make and have made; our not wanting to see who we truly are has given our ‘egos’ free reign to push on regardless of the consequences.

I feel we will be able to gradually realize if we are in a hypnotic state when our conscious awareness has reached a level when we can accept ourselves first, others at a later stage in life and all life forms as part of the ‘Oneness;’ by then we may have become enlightened. I’ll give you five signs that you’re probably in a hypnotic state: Time distortion. You can’t check this until after you’ve completed your hypnotic session, but if you track the time length of your session and find that it took longer than it felt (20 min, but felt like 5, for example) that’s a good sign that you were in hypnosis.

Increased lacrimation. Some folks get a big increase in water production around the eyes. It can get to the point where the water pools up to the point where a tear drop finally runs down your face. Flushing/Body Heat. Some people will get a shift in the way their circulation is working. The blood comes up into the skin more, making your skin blotchy and you’ll feel super hot. Tingly Hands and Fingers. I don’t know why this happens, but one hypnotizes over 1,500 people each year, and it’s one of the most common things they report, especially first-timers. Fluttering Eyelids. If, while you’re doing your session, you notice the feeling of your eyelids fluttering, that’s a good sign.

If you had a hypnosis session, then you’d likely know that you were hypnotized due to having the feeling of waking up at the end of the session even though you were not asleep. You might also experience a sense of time distortion where the actual amount of time that passed since the beginning of the session is different from your perception of how much time has passed. You might have some or total amnesia of the session but that is not always true, sometimes you might remember the entire session. You might also notice hypnotic phenomena such as 'catalepsy'.

Your mind goes into a low level of focus when you are reading, using the computer, watching TV, listening to music, or doing other activities that require your full attention. Your mind isn’t doing anything other than what it is capable of doing. Everyone can benefit from therapeutic hypnosis. Hypnosis is a word designated to identify the process trained professionals use to assist a person in achieving a deeper level of focus than one does automatically or during meditation. This process is scientifically proven and highly effective to create desired changes in beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behavior to achieve mental/emotional and physical health and well-being on the unconscious, subconscious, cellular, and core levels.

Hypnosis is a collaborative act between practitioner and subject. It requires both of their active participation. It’s not something that can happen without you being aware. If you’re in a chair talking to a hypnotist and the session is going well, you’ve been hypnotized. Many times, you won’t notice a profound difference. It depends on the nature and shape of the trance. We routinely go into hypnotic states throughout the day, and your brain is well practiced at them. Watching TV, reading, studying, driving…my current understanding of trances is that we are never actually not in a trance of one kind or another. We have a going to work trance, an eating our dinner trance, a being with our spouse trance, a petting the dog trance…we just shift from one to the other, usually seamlessly.

Light trances can feel just like relaxation or nothing at all. Many people can enter trances with their eyes totally open a la James Tripp, one of my mentors and teachers. And they will look right at me and tell me they are not hypnotized, even though they can’t seem to move their hand from the wall or they are experiencing whatever phenomena we’ve created together for them. This is a great level of trance for creativity, performance, and focus and it feels just like relaxed alertness for most.

Deep trances, such as the ones utilized for profound trance work like the Simpson Protocol, can and do feel totally distinct from everyday consciousness. There’s a sense of going deeply within, and a removal from the “outside world.” In these states, the client may not experience any physical sensations and reflexes can be slowed or paused entirely. I have clients who come to see me just for that experience because it is so restful and wonderful.

There are shallow trances, and profoundly deep trances, and an infinite number of states in between those extremes, and ultimately, everyone experiences different trances in their own way. These are the signs that tell the hypnotist that you are in an altered state of consciousness (trance state): Absence of bodily movement and facial expression. Lower lip swelling and red eyes (if still open). Reddening of neck area and upper sternum area. Reduced heartbeat and breathing rates. As the hypnotised person, however you may only feel a sense of relaxation but your mind will be sharper as it’s not being tasked with the surrounding environment, or your bodily needs.