Why does it look like mind control when someone is under hypnosis?

Mar 29

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Question:

Why does it look like mind control when someone is under hypnosis?   Niall Wade

Answer:

The reason people confuse hypnosis with things like mind control is that most people only see examples of hypnotized people in movies and on TV.  But those people aren’t really hypnotized; they’re actors pretending to be hypnotized.

Many years ago, when hypnosis first became popularly known, plays and books started distorting hypnosis to use it for dramatic purposes.  The hypnotist became a villain, often a wizard or vampire, who would use his “powers” to make the other characters do evil things like murder.  The actors’ faces look almost frozen, zombie-like — just like you think they would be if they were actually under someone else’s control and their own mind and will power have been taken away.  But this is all pretend.

If you want to see someone who is actually under hypnosis, you’ll notice that at stage hypnosis shows, people are usually slumped over in their chairs and they look like they are sleeping.

But in no way can any hypnotist or hypnotherapist ever make someone do anything that they personally believe is wrong.  A person’s moral, core beliefs are sacrosanct and cannot be affected or changed.  You can also never be made to do something that would hurt you personally.  Hypnosis consists of suggestions and the subconscious mind will always reject the dangerous ones.


About Susan Franzblau

A hypnotist since the age of twelve, Susan began by hypnotizing friends to relieve physical pain. She then used hypnosis to help people with anxiety and panic attacks. When she realized that hypnosis was her vocation, she decided to get a professional education in hypnosis and ultimately graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, the first nationally accredited college in hypnotherapy. After discovering that guided imagery is proven to be the most effective technique for helping people cope with stress, acute anxiety, and Post-Traumatic-Stress Syndrome, she has become a master level guided imagery therapist. Certified Pre- & Post- Surgery Hypnosis Certified Past Life Regression Advanced studies Post Traumatic Stress Disorders Smoking Cessation Weight Management/Healthy Living Pain Management Stress Control

Posted on March 29, 2012, in Basic Questions About Hynotherapy. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.

  1. Eden | June 7, 2012 at 11:04 am

    Interesting… Do you ever have people who actually fall asleep on you? Does the slumped position affect their mood the way sleeping in the wrong position can?

    Reply
    • Susan Franzblau, C.Ht. | June 7, 2012 at 2:11 pm

      Yes, people occasionally fall asleep. If they’ve come to me to help them sleep, I let them and still give suggestions about how this is normal sleep and they’ll be sleeping this way tonight and from tonight on. People usually “slump” in comfortable ways. I do get worried about that and will ask if they’d prefer to lean back. It happens mostly when I’m not using my recliner so I make sure I have something I can use as a pillow to make them comfortable.

      Reply
      • Eden | June 7, 2012 at 5:15 pm

        Ah! Makes sense. And it’s nice that you can use this as a way to integrate the experience into their real life experiences.

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