Hypnosis: Effects on People, Uses, and Limitations

“Hypnosis is not mind control. It is a naturally occurring state of concentration. It is a means of enhancing your control over your mind and body.”
— David Spiegel, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University

Capabilities and Limitations of Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a state in which a person’s attention is highly focused on a specific object or idea. In this state, people are more susceptible to suggestion. While awake, the mind is filled with various thoughts, but during hypnosis, there is deep concentration on a particular thought or feeling. The possibilities of hypnosis are not limitless, but it can be a powerful tool for achieving success in life.

How Hypnosis Works

When a person is hypnotized, their consciousness is either completely (in deep hypnosis) or partially (in a trance, when the person is aware they are being hypnotized) turned off. Physiologically, this is seen as inhibition of the cerebral cortex, except for one area called the “watchpoint,” which maintains rapport—the connection between the subject and the hypnotist.

In a hypnotic state, consciousness is blocked. The senses (eyes, ears, nose) still function and send nerve impulses to the brain, but this information does not reach conscious awareness because it is blocked by the hypnotist’s words. As a result, the person cannot process sensory information. Someone under hypnosis may sit with their eyes open and not notice anything around them.

At the same time, the subject may experience visions of objects that are not actually present. Central vision is activated, where images are formed in the mind not by the senses, but by the hypnotist’s verbal suggestions.

In deep hypnosis, not only is consciousness blocked from external signals (except the hypnotist’s words), but personal desires, needs, and principles are also “switched off.” The subject wants what the hypnotist suggests.

What Influences the Power of Hypnotic Suggestion

The ability to enter hypnosis or respond to hypnotic suggestion depends on three factors:

1. The environment in which hypnosis is performed. The more favorable the setting, the stronger the effect. In mass sessions with high interest, only about 25-30% of people can be hypnotized. In a quiet, dimly lit room with the subject comfortably lying down, most people can be hypnotized.
2. The personality of the subject. People can be divided into three nervous types: artistic, intellectual, and average. Artistic types are impressionable, think in vivid images, and are often emotional and suggestible—artists, singers, doctors. They are easily hypnotized. Intellectual types—those who think abstractly and analytically, like mathematicians and physicists—are harder to hypnotize. The average type is a mix, and their susceptibility varies.
3. The personality of the hypnotist. The more skilled the hypnotist, the better the results. It is a myth that hypnotists must have “mystical powers.” Only experience, knowledge, and technique are essential.

Where Hypnosis Is Used

Why use hypnosis? Hypnotic suggestion can be applied in many areas:

• Achieving success in life. Those who can win people over often get what they want, especially in relationships with superiors. Conversational hypnosis can help you persuade others, convince them of your ideas, and encourage them to do what you need.

When using hypnotic skills, it’s important to set boundaries. Conversational hypnosis can be used for:

• Career advancement—building great relationships with bosses and colleagues.
• Closing profitable deals—whether signing major business contracts or negotiating the price of a used car.
• Public speaking—hypnotic skills help you communicate your ideas effectively and keep your audience engaged (if you’ve mastered the technique).

• Improving concentration and pain relief. This is especially relevant for self-hypnosis. If you master self-hypnosis, you can focus on any task at will and manage pain or insomnia.

For pain relief, try these self-hypnosis techniques:

• “Breathing out” the pain: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and focus on the pain. Imagine its weight, temperature, movement, and appearance. Enter a light self-hypnotic state. Focus on your breathing and visualize air flowing to the pain, dissolving it. With each breath, some pain leaves your body.
• Working with the image of pain: Enter self-hypnosis and imagine what the pain looks like (e.g., a red lump). Change the image—turn the red lump green, for example.
• “Freezing” the pain: Best for minor injuries. Enter self-hypnosis and imagine cold and numbness at the pain site. Visualize the icy cold spreading through the injured area.

• Overcoming irrational fears and complexes. This is the domain of hypnotherapy, often conducted in groups or individually. Hypnosis can implant suggestions to eliminate fears and complexes, often more effectively than traditional talk therapy.

Hypnosis can help with:

• Communication problems
• Eating disorders
• Fears and anxieties
• Limiting beliefs
• Addictions (alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling)

Now you know why hypnosis is used. Apply your knowledge and skills to achieve your goals and influence those around you positively.

How Not to Use Hypnosis

Never use hypnotic skills for fraudulent purposes. Criminals use hypnosis to steal money, valuables, and possessions. Well-known “gypsy” scams often rely on conversational hypnosis to alter a person’s state of mind and commit crimes.

First, using hypnosis for fraud will negatively affect your karma—what goes around comes around. Use your skills for success, but within ethical limits.

Second, fraud involving hypnosis can lead to legal trouble. This is another strong reason to use your hypnotic abilities only for good.

Limitations of Hypnosis

Hypnosis is not as all-powerful as some believe. It has certain limitations. Here are the most important ones:

• Not everyone can enter deep hypnosis. Hypnosis does not work on everyone. It depends on the hypnotist’s skills, the depth of hypnosis, the person’s suggestibility, and the hypnotist’s authority in the subject’s eyes.
• No one can be forced to violate their core values. A hypnotist cannot make someone do something that goes against their deeply held beliefs. For example, a hypnotist can help someone overcome a fear of dancing in public, but cannot force them to commit a crime.
• Suggestions may not last after the session. When consciousness returns, it may critically analyze and reject the hypnotist’s suggestions.
• Hypnosis does not always recover memories. While hypnosis can sometimes help people recall forgotten events, it depends on how long ago the event occurred, how it was stored in memory, and other factors. If the brain blocked a memory due to trauma, hypnosis may help, but there is no guarantee the memory will be accurate. Human memory is selective and can distort or erase details, so information retrieved under hypnosis is not always reliable.

Conclusion

Understanding what hypnosis can and cannot do gives you a great opportunity to master the art of hypnotic influence. Explore more articles on the “Brain Trainer” website dedicated to hypnosis. Remember, self-development is something everyone should pursue. The ability to hypnotize is a useful skill that can benefit you in life.