This article attempts to address the most common fears and misconceptions
concerning the process of hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

Is hypnosis "mind control?"
Not at all. No one under hypnosis can be induced to do anything against his or her will. One of the primary jobs of the subconscious is to protect and help you survive both physically and emotionally. Whatever moral and ethical codes you hold in a normal waking state will still be in place under hypnosis. You can actually lie when in hypnosis, if that’s your social inclination.
Your subconscious mind was formed when you were about age five. Just as you cannot be made to do anything against your moral code, you will not say anything that is embarrassing and will not reveal more than you are comfortable doing. Usually, if a hypnotherapist's suggestion conflicts with a client's value system, the client simply brings him or herself up out of hypnosis; they just "wake up." You, the client are in complete control at all times.

What about those stage hypnotists that make people do strange and silly things?
The "control factor" is still zero. Think about it: we've all seen or heard about those stage shows--we all have expectations about what happens in them. The people who will do well as volunteers are the people who do not expect to be transported to another realm. They stay with it and follow the hypnotist's instructions, even when they're not sure if it's working. You can-not simultaneously BE the show and SEE the show! You have to pick one and stick with it!
Anyone who volunteers is agreeing to play the part, whether they consciously admit it or not.
For some, hypnosis (like alcohol) is a convenient "excuse" to act out and not take responsibility for their behavior.

How much will I remember?
You'll remember everything and everything you experience or everything you need to remember (unless for therapeutic purposes the hypnotist feels that remembering would be detrimental, (i.e. you remember a traumatic death). However, because most clients receive a great deal of information, it may take days, weeks, or months for the conscious to really process the information. As with any experience, it's not unusual to lose the subtler details with the passage of time.

How can I tell if I'm hypnotized?
Many of us experience a "trance-like" state while being given a boring sermon at church, listen-ing to some good music on the radio, reading a gripping novel, or even while watching TV!

Can I "get stuck"?
No. Again, hypnosis is a very natural and normal state and cannot hold anyone against his or her will. If a client were to go so deep as to enter a truly unconscious state (a very rare occurrence), they would simply go into natural sleep and awaken when they were rested. It is impossible for anyone to be "left or lost" in hypnosis.

After hypnosis, a person awakens naturally, just as they do after sleep! If the hypnotherapist were to leave before counting them awake, the subject would eventually realize that the session had ended and would awaken on their own. During the session, if there were an emergency, or the subject no longer wished to participate, they could easily awaken themselves at any time and simply stop.

Can hypnosis hurt me?
In over two hundred years of recorded hypnosis history, there is no documented case of any-one being hurt with hypnosis. Hypnosis can only be used in a positive way. If anyone tries to give you suggestions against your morals, religious beliefs or anything you feel strongly about, you could instantly emerge from the state of relaxation on your own. Are their deceitful hypnotists? Of course, just as there are deceitful priests, rabbis, doctors, politicians, police, etc. etc. Get a referral from a trusted source. Ask about the hypnotist’s credentials.

Is hypnosis a 100% consent state?
If at any time you want to emerge from the state of hypnosis, for any reason, you will instantly, naturally open your eyes and become fully alert. No one can keep you in hypnosis against your will.

What if I am under a doctor's care or taking medication?
If you have any questions about whether or not hypnosis will help or conflict with a present medical condition, ask you GP. Many general practitioners perform hypnosis.
The interesting reaction of hypnosis on medication is that, over long periods of time, it tends to "potentate" medication, which means if you're currently taking medication, after a series of hypnosis sessions you may find that you need less amounts of it, or a lesser strength of the drug. Hypnosis can often complement traditional medical care and better or more informed doctors favor it. It can act as an adjunct to medical treatment. The mind, body, and emotions are all connected—it’s difficult to find anyone who would argue this fact. Therefore, there are few is-sues that cannot be at least significantly improved/relieved through the regular use of hypnosis.
Generally, there is a positive effect from hypnotherapy. When pain and trauma is released from the unconscious mind and the physical body's stored stress is also released from your cells. Your unconscious mind holds our keys to health, happiness, and self-empowerment!

Why don't more people use self-hypnosis or get hypnotherapy sessions?
One possible reason is that hypnosis appears very simple. So simple, that when people first try it, they think it's too easy to do any good. So they stop, thinking either it doesn't work or they're not doing it right. In truth, an activity does not need to be complex in order to be beneficial. Our society is very geared toward DOING. Most of us are not comfortable with just BEING.

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