What IS Hypnosis? (Hypnosis vs Phenomena)

With Hollywood making hypnosis look scary & Stage Hypnotists making the “clucking chicken” routine the most referenced cliche, the average person associates hypnosis with either scary mind control or nonsensical silliness.

The good news is if you’re reading this, you now know the truth which is that any reaction someone gives to a Hypnotist’s command is NOT hypnosis (rather hypnotic phenomena).

Think about it like this: If you drink until you’re buzzed, it wasn’t the alcohol that made you express your thoughts more freely (you consciously chose to do that). However, alcohol helped lower your inhibitions to feel more comfortable to say/do what was already on your mind.

Same difference with hypnosis.

Hypnosis is merely the tool that helps lower your inhibitions so you fear/care less about the judgement of others and feel more comfortable/ confident/ free to express yourself (since the fear of someone’s judgement is why we typically hold back from saying/doing what we want around certain people).

Therefore, just like alcohol will increase the likelihood that you’ll make decisions you wouldn’t normally agree to in a more sober/strict state, hypnosis opens you up to freely express yourself however you see fit when a Hypnotist gives you a command (framework).

For Example: If you’re more likely to dance while buzzed than sober because of nerves/judgement, you’ll be just as likely to dance when a Hypnotist sets the environment to feel as open/ fun/ care-free as they helped you feel via hypnosis.

So, while “hypnosis” helps you relax and let go, you still have control but are more likely to respond verbally or physically to a Hypnotist’s commands. If you do respond, it’s because the hypnosis helped you feel safe, open up and use your creative personality to bring their command to life (by dancing for example) which is known as “hypnotic phenomena”.

For a more detailed (and visual) explanation of what hypnosis is: Watch Our Free Lesson