Hypnosis Myth #3: “Hypnosis is Dangerous”
Perhaps based on the mis-perception fostered by stage hypnotists that someone else takes charge of you in trance, a surprising number of people are worried about whether hypnosis is “safe”. they think they will become robots or mindless automata!
There are always very much active participants in hypnosis, although as they get more comfortable, many people like to trust and let go of their day to day mind, and let the wider intelligence manage some of those pesky details like how to become more confident, whilst in a deeply relaxing state of hypnosis.
Is hypnosis harmful?
The easiest way to think about this is to answer this questions: “Would you be worried if you found yourself daydreaming? Is it safe to daydream?”
“Would you be worried if you found yourself daydreaming? Is it safe to daydream?”
As long as you are not flying an airplane or driving a car, daydreaming is usually pretty safe, isn’t it?
When you are in a “formal clinical trance” you are actually in the “twilight” state that you get in just before you drift off to sleep (hypnogogic state) or wake up (hypnopompic state). It’s very similar to daydreaming. Your mind wanders, and releases tension, it has free creative reign to learn and make new associations.
This is actually an essential part of good mental health!
In fact, in a formal trance, you are hyper-aware. And you can decide to accept or reject suggestions if you don’t like them. Again, that it is a good thing!
Of hypnosis as used in a formal clinical hypnotherapeutic setting, Milton Erickson once wrote:
“Suggestions must be acceptable to the subject, and rejection of them can be based upon whim as easily as upon sound reasons.”
Want to know how babies learn so fast? Ever been curious about how toddlers and young kids learn to speak and walk?
Answer: they are in a trance.
Studies show that young children spend more time in the Alpha and Theta brainwave states than adults. They literally have a more expanded awareness (trance) state. This means that information is just absorbed. They are like sponges, absorbing without the critical filters of the mind that we develop. This can be a very good thing when the information that is going in, the suggestions, the encouragement is life-affirming.
It’s time to see that you can chill out. In fact if you think you can’t, then you’ll want to pay special attention to Hypnosis Myth #4: “I’m always stressed – I can’t relax”