What is hypnosis? It’s one of the most misunderstood tools in mental wellness — and almost nothing about the popular image of it is true.
I once spoke on a panel at a Chamber of Commerce event where I donated a session as an auction item. One woman in the audience made it very clear, out loud, that she thought hypnosis was “woo woo nonsense.” Of course, she’s the one who won the auction item.
She showed up to her session still rolling her eyes a little. She left with something she hadn’t expected to find — a sense of relief she’d been chasing for a long time. Some people arrive skeptical. Almost nobody leaves feeling like they lost control of anything. They leave feeling like they finally got out of their own way.
So let’s clear up what hypnosis actually is — because the popular image of it is almost entirely wrong.
What is Hypnosis, Really?
The American Psychological Association describes hypnosis as a state of focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness, in which a person becomes more responsive to suggestion. In plainer terms: your body relaxes, your mind narrows its focus, and you become more open to new ways of thinking about a habit, a fear, or a pattern that hasn’t been working for you.
You’ve actually already experienced something like it. That feeling of “losing time” on a long, familiar drive, or getting so absorbed in a movie that you stop noticing the room around you — that kind of daydreaming or zoning out is close to what people experience in hypnosis. [2]
Hypnosis is typically guided by a trained professional using verbal repetition and mental imagery, and most people feel calm and relaxed throughout the process. [1]
Let’s Kill the Myths
Myth: You lose control of your behavior. Not true. Even though you’re more open to suggestion during hypnosis, you don’t lose control over your behavior, and you typically remain aware during the session and remember what happened afterward. [1] Nothing like the stage-hypnosis-act version of events.
Myth: It’s the same as being asleep. Also not true. It’s closer to a state of deeply relaxed, focused attention than sleep — your brain is working, just differently than it does in your normal waking state.
Myth: Only “suggestible” or gullible people can be hypnotized. No — willingness and relaxation matter far more than personality type. My skeptical Chamber-event client is proof of that.
What Actually Happens in a Session
There’s no swinging watch. Before we begin, I’ll walk you through the process and go over your goals. [1] Then I’ll guide you into a relaxed state using a calm voice and descriptive imagery — think guided meditation, but with a destination in mind. Once you’re relaxed, we work toward your specific goal, whether that’s easing pain, reducing a craving, or building a clearer mental picture of the outcome you want. [1] At the end, you’ll either come out of it on your own or I’ll help ease you back to full alertness. [1]
What Hypnosis Can Actually Help With
Hypnosis isn’t a cure-all, and I’ll never tell you it is. But there’s real, credible research behind its use for a specific and fairly wide range of things.
Habits and lifestyle Hypnosis has been used to support people working on smoking cessation and overeating [1], along with sugar cravings and other habits people want to shift.
Mental and emotional well-being It’s often used to ease stress and anxiety, including anxiety tied to fears and phobias [1] — including the kind of pre-procedure nerves people feel before a medical or dental appointment.
Performance and focus Many clients come in wanting to work on concentration, assertiveness, stage fright, or performance-related blocks — areas where a calmer, more focused mental state makes a measurable difference.
Pain and physical comfort This is one of the better-studied applications. Hypnosis may help with pain related to burns, cancer, childbirth, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, jaw problems, dental procedures, and headaches. [1]
Body regulation It’s also been used to ease hot flashes related to menopause [1], along with sleep difficulties and bed-wetting.
Medical support Hypnosis has been used to help ease side effects from chemotherapy and radiation treatment [1], typically as a complement to — not a replacement for — standard medical care.
An Important Note on Trauma
One thing worth being upfront about: hypnosis is generally not recommended as a stand-alone way to process significant past trauma. It can bring up strong emotional reactions, and there are trauma-specific approaches — like the trauma release work I do with clients — that are built specifically for that purpose. If that’s what brought you here, I’ll be writing a full post soon on what trauma release actually involves and how it’s different from general hypnosis. For now, know that the right tool matters, and I’ll always tell you honestly which one fits what you’re working through.
Is Hypnosis Right for You?
Now that you know what hypnosis is, the real question is whether it’s right for you. If you’ve got a habit you can’t shake, a fear that’s bigger than it should be, or a goal you can picture but can’t seem to reach — hypnosis might be worth exploring. And if you’re still a little skeptical? That’s completely fine. Most of my favorite success stories started that way.
