Down the Hypnosis Rabbit Hole

I have been a hypnotist for over 30 years. That dreamy-eyed, 19-year-old me thought he could educate the world on what hypnosis is and how to use it. I’ve accomplished a lot over the years, but there always seems to be an overwhelming amount of humans who still believe hypnosis is brainwashing or the work of the devil.

Before writing this article, I Googled “most asked questions about hypnosis” and the same questions that humans had 30 years ago are the same questions still being asked. The number one question being… “What is hypnosis?”

If you ask 100 hypnotists what hypnosis is, you will get 100 different explanations. In contrast, if you asked 100 dentists to explain a root canal, you would receive very similar answers from all 100. My guess is that many humans attend a weekend-long hypnosis seminar and then open a hypnosis practice the following week. Depending on the instructors, attendees may or may not be getting the correct information and guidance. Worse yet, the instructors may not fully understand what they are teaching or are teaching incorrect information.

It’s Not About Closing Your Eyes.

I attended a hypnosis convention at which the “best of the best” were giving lectures throughout the weekend on the subject of hypnotic processes, techniques, and therapies. On the first day, I attended a lecture that filled every seat in the room. This 60-minute lecture was titled “Eye Closure.” That’s right, this lecture was on how to get clients to close their eyes.

To let you in on a little secret… You don’t have to close your eyes to be hypnotized. (This is why the “Eye Closure” lecture caught my attention.)

For an hour, the lecturer provided the group with several methods to get clients to close their eyes during hypnosis. These methods ranged from suggesting to the client that their eyelids are getting heavy to positioning bright lights in the room in order to fatigue the client’s eyes.

After the lecturer completed his talk, there was a 15-minute question and answer session during which attendees were sharing their best methods for achieving eye closure. I waited until everyone who wanted to put in their two cents had the opportunity and no new hands were going up to participate. I raised my hand, and the lecturer pointed at me to share my method. I stood up, was handed a microphone, and said, “I tell my clients to close their eyes.”

A silence fell over the crowd, and you could see every brain in that room begin to smoke as if I just said the most profound phrase in history. In reality, it was just common sense. If you want someone to close their eyes, tell them to close their eyes. Going back to the dentists, the easiest way to get someone to open their mouth is to ask them to open their mouth.

Remember what I said before?... You don’t have to close your eyes to be hypnotized.

What Is Hypnosis?

Despite what the dictionary reads, hypnosis is not a noun. It is a verb. Let’s equate it to “run”; run is something you do. As is hypnosis.

On average, every human changes emotional states 4 times per hour. This is an average over a 24-hour period. This means you could change emotional states 8 times in the 3 o’clock hour and only 1 time in the 7 o’clock hour. You most likely change emotional states less often while you’re sleeping and more often in your waking hours. As an average, however, it calculates out to 4 times per hour.

There is a process that your mind goes through when changing from one emotional state to another. For example, remember a time when someone suddenly scared you. You were in one emotional state and quickly changed to a scared state. The process may have been quick, but it was there. On the other end of the spectrum, imagine becoming drowsy at night. This is a change in emotional state as well but it tends to be a gradual change from one state to another.

This process that your mind goes through when changing emotional states is hypnosis.

I know… Mind Blown!

Let’s Talk About Altered States.

I’m not talking about the altered state that happens when you drink alcohol, pop a pill, or have sex. I’m talking semantics. To alter your state means to change your emotional state. By definition, an altered state is any emotional state that you are not experiencing right now. Understand that an altered state does not have to be mystical or magical; it’s simply any other emotional state than the one you are currently experiencing.

This is the mistake that many humans in my profession make. They learn the term altered state during their training but never fully understand what that means. This is why there is a 60-minute lecture on how to get someone to close their eyes… they believe eye closure is a mystical experience. It’s not; you close your eyes every time you blink.

Since every emotional state that you are not currently in is an altered state, logic dictates that you are entering an altered state an average of 4 times per hour.

Now let’s dive deeper into the rabbit hole.

Every time that you communicate with another human, you change their emotional state and they change yours. For example, you say something funny and they laugh. That’s a change of state. Perhaps they tell you about a death in their family and you become sad. That’s a change of state.

Hence, you regularly hypnotize other humans and they hypnotize you.

Take a moment to think about that.

A Curious Thing Happens on Your Way to an Altered State.

As your mind experiences the process of changing from one emotional state to another, you become suggestible. In other words, you can be easily influenced.

Advertisers have known this for years and have been using this tool to encourage humans to purchase particular brands, like certain music, and shape how we see the world. Begin to pay close attention to commercials on television and radio. You will notice that they attempt to change your emotional state by making you laugh, surprising you, or shaming you for not calling your mom more often. After they change your emotional state, then they present their product or service. This formula works because they have made you more suggestible by changing your emotional state. Become mindful of what is being dumped into your mind.

Apple is really good at this. Over the years, their commercials have really been built to tug on your heartstrings.

I Deem You a Hypnotist.

Every time you communicate with another human, you change their emotional state. During the process of changing emotional states, your conversation partner becomes suggestible. This means that you are able to influence them to adopt new ideas, take action, go on a date with you, get that birthday present you always wanted, and much more.

This is hypnosis, and you are essentially a hypnotist.

The formula is the same for humans who come to me to help them overcome a challenge or achieve a goal. For example, suppose a human meets with me to help them become more confident in social situations. The broad overview of the interaction is… 

1. I change their emotional state.

2. My client becomes suggestible.

3. I may ask them to close their eyes, but it’s not a necessity.

4. I teach them how to be more confident.

5. I help my client rehearse being confident in their mind.

6. My client accepts what they learn without getting in their own way.

This is the same formula used by…

• Megachurches to get their congregation to dump the contents of their wallets in a bucket

• Salespeople

• Attorneys

• Doctors

• Mental Healthcare Professionals

• Your Mom

• And every other human on Earth

The difference is that most humans are not aware of how they influence and persuade others.

Now What?

Be more aware of what you say to others. Assume that they are suggestible if you are communicating with them. It’s your responsibility as a human to help make the world a better place. When you are changing the emotional states of others, use that to create positive and amazing states within them. This includes how you communicate with yourself.

Your self-talk determines how you feel and what actions you take. Be aware of what sort of suggestions you give yourself because they can change your life for the better or for the worse.

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