How Does it Feel to be Hypnotized?

Even though a subject put under hypnosis does seem to assume the characteristics of somebody asleep, they are essentially quite observant. Hypnosis is extremely difficult to illustrate, as nobody truly knows what is hapenning inside the brain of a hypnotized subject. What we do know is that whilst in hypnosis the subject becomes pretty suggestible. A subject`s attention, while they are going into trance state, is narrowed down gradually. Firstly, the sense of sight is lost as the hypnotic subject is asked to close their eyes. After a while it is not surprising for the hypnotic subject to lose complete awareness of their body. Though one by one the senses are little by little slipping away, one sense is considerably amplified by the process of induction. This is the sense of hearing. A subject under hypnosis can frequently hear distant sounds that they wouldn`t be able to hear in the standard waking state. This, obviously, means that during the course of the whole process the subject can hear all that the hypnotist may utter. When you begin to induce hypnosis in people you will often find that upon awakening the subject, they will consider they could not have been hypnotized as they could still hear your voice. The delusion that they won`t be able to hear your voice repeatedly comes from those subjects who suppose hypnosis to be the same as sleep.

A person in the hypnosis state is exceedingly susceptible to suggestion. One of the reasons for this is that, whilst in the trance state, you are just able to concentrate on one thing at a time. For example, if I were to tell you that you are a delicate ballerina, you would straightaway compare this hypnosis suggestion with what you already know to be accurate, and, unless of course you are a ballerina, you would tell me I am talking nonsense. The hypnotised subject though is not able to entertain the thought that they might not be what I have suggested, as their restricted concentration is taken up by the thought that they are in fact a pretty ballerina. The result, as desired, ends in the subject leaping to their feet to perform a series of pirouettes across the stage.

The human mind is split into two astonishingly distinct areas. The conscious mind, which is responsible for all our conscious thoughts and decisions, and the subconscious mind, which organizes our autonomous activity. The mind can be best called a computer, the subconscious as the processor and the conscious as the monitor and keyboard. Our subconscious mind is a type of guardian; it watches over our body and helps us to persist.

Even though our subconscious can do countlesstasks that consciously might be impossible, it also has one so basic characteristic. Somewhere between our two minds is what we call the critical factor. This is probably best illustrated as a door, at which is a protector. Our subconscious mind will process anything that enters it no matter how weird. So, as long as you can push a suggestion through the door it will be obeyed. This is indeed the reason why hypnosis works. The guardian's door can be haphazardly opened while we are under hypnosis.

Milos Pesic is a professional hypnotist who runs a highly popular and comprehensive
Hypnosis and Self Hypnosis web site. Also visit his Hypnosis
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