Common Myths and Misconceptions about Hypnotherapy
I love watching movies.
Like really great books, they take me on a journey that allows me to get a taste of wildly different experiences. If someone were to take a video of me watching a movie, you’d easily see how immersed I get in the story as my face contorts and body tenses in response to each scene.
I’m a fan.
That doesn’t stop me, though, from recognizing the downside to this form of media; that though it is a form of entertainment, the repercussions of this highly addictive and enjoyable distraction are that many lies, misconceptions, and unhealthy messages get embedded into our brains whether we consciously believe them or not. That’s partially due to the fact that when we get lost in a movie, we are often in an alpha brainwave state, soaking those messages deep into our minds. But I digress.
I could easily go on for far too long about the obvious sexism, racism, classism, ableism, etc. being reinforced, but that’s not what this article is about.
This is about dispelling the many myths and misconceptions about Hypnotherapy that movies, unfortunately, keep fortifying.
Myth #1: Hypnotherapy is Sleep
Nope! I want to backslap the next screenplay writer that carries this myth forward with characters yelling, “Sleep!” to render another person unconscious.
You DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT need to sleep or be unconscious to experience hypnosis. There is also no blacking out, no forgetting, and no amnesia.
Myth #2: Hypnotherapy is a Truth Serum
Nope! If this were true, wouldn’t we have tons of billionaire hypnotherapists running around?
A hypnotherapist cannot make you say anything you don’t want to say. You can lie all you want if that’s what you want to do.
Myth #3: Hypnotherapy can make you Rob a Bank or Kill Someone.
Nope! Just like a hypnotherapist cannot make you say something you don’t want to say, they cannot make you do anything you don’t want to do. Period.
But what about during Stage Hypnosis, when people are doing all sorts of crazy things, like barking like a dog or yelling, “You can’t handle the truth!” whenever someone claps their hands?
I know it seems like they’re doing things they don’t want to do, but believe me, they do…and they’re having fun doing it.
Myth #4: You can get Stuck in a Trance.
Nope! In all the hundreds of years of Hypnotherapy, never once has anyone gotten stuck in a hypnotic state.
Although, I will take this opportunity to point out that from the moment you are born and up until the age of seven, you are constantly in a hypnotic state, or theta brainwave state. However, let me just repeat that you cannot get stuck in a trance.
Myth #5: If you can be Hypnotized, it means you have a Weak Mind.
Nope! You can be a highly intelligent, imaginative person and still be hypnotized.
Myth #6: Only certain people are Hypnotizable.
Nope! That’s like saying only some people can meditate. Sure, it may seem easier for some, but the truth is that the hypnotic state is a state that all of us go in and out of all day long. In fact, recent studies have shown that every 90 to 120 minutes, we pass into a brainwave state identical to hypnosis (see my article about How Hypnosis Works to read more about those brainwave states).
Myth #7: You have to be absolutely still in order for Hypnosis to work.
Nope! Move around. Adjust your position. You can scratch, sneeze, cough, and open your eyes and still be in Hypnosis.
Myth #8: If you’re thinking during Hypnosis, it’s not working.
Nope! (Tired of me saying that yet?) It’s very, very likely you are going to think conscious thoughts throughout your session. You can absolutely think thoughts while in a hypnotic state. Just like you may think thoughts while meditating, you can think thoughts while in hypnosis.
Myth #9: Hypnosis is not for me.
Nope! Okay, okay, maybe it’s not everyone’s jam, but don’t you want to try it before you make that decision? If so, I’d love to be your guide!
I hope you found this helpful in removing some of the false ideas you may have had about Hypnotherapy, like the idea that cheesy 80’s music plus Will Ferrill will not only make you a badass at martial arts, but also make you kill someone (Zoolander). Nuh uh. Nope. Never. It’s pretty funny, though.
