What Is Hypnosis?

Between stage shows where volunteers appear to fall asleep at the snap of a finger and therapy rooms where phobias are treated in a few sessions, hypnosis remains surrounded by mystery and misconceptions. Yet there is nothing supernatural about it: it is a natural state of mind that everyone experiences regularly, often without even noticing.

One word, three meanings

The word “hypnosis” is commonly used to describe three different things, which explains much of the confusion around the topic:

• The hypnotic state: an altered state of consciousness, different from both waking and sleep. This is the meaning behind “hypnosis is very relaxing.”
• The induction: the set of techniques used to enter that state. This is the meaning behind “doing hypnosis” or a “hypnosis show.”
• Hypnotherapy: the use of the hypnotic state in a therapeutic setting to bring about change. This is the meaning behind “I quit smoking with hypnosis.”

Clarifying this vocabulary helps: hypnosis refers to the state itself, induction to the techniques used to reach it, and hypnotherapy to its therapeutic use.

The unconscious mind, an underrated ally

If hypnosis has any effect, it is because it gives access to a part of the mind that operates continuously, without conscious will: the unconscious. It governs reflexes, emotions, automatic behaviors, and deep-seated habits, everything that is not consciously controlled. It keeps working even during sleep, and hypnosis makes it easier to communicate with it than in an ordinary waking state.

(To go further on this topic, see the dedicated page: The Unconscious Mind)

A scientifically proven state

For a long time, the question remained open as to whether hypnosis was a genuine state or simply a role that certain people agreed to play. Modern brain imaging techniques, MRI and PET scans, have settled the question: under hypnosis, certain areas of the brain activate differently than in the ordinary waking state.

The first imaging studies date back to the mid-1990s, with the work of researchers such as Amir Raz, Stephen Kosslyn, and Pierre Rainville, in the United States and Canada. They showed in particular that it is possible, under hypnosis, to reduce the perception of pain, not by “pretending,” but because the brain areas that process pain genuinely slow their activity. The scientific literature on the subject is now extensive: the medical database PubMed lists several thousand scientific articles devoted to hypnosis.

A natural, spontaneous state

Far from being a stage curiosity, hypnosis is part of the brain’s normal functioning. We enter it spontaneously several times a day, often without realizing it:

• While driving, on a monotonous road: the mind wanders from one thought to another, and suddenly you realize you don’t remember the last few miles, even though you braked, accelerated, and steered normally the whole time.
• Watching an absorbing film or series: you completely forget your surroundings, feel what the characters feel, sometimes to the point of flinching or tearing up.
• Daydreaming, staring into space, not really thinking about anything in particular.

In all these moments, conscious attention drifts away while the unconscious continues managing the essentials, exactly as in hypnosis. It is this natural dissociation between the two that makes it possible, with the right approach, to enter this state voluntarily.

The levels of hypnosis

Dr. Milton Erickson, the American psychiatrist and psychologist widely regarded as the most influential hypnotherapist of the twentieth century, distinguished three levels of hypnosis, based on how much conscious awareness remains active:

• Light hypnosis: the person stays aware of what is happening, hears and understands everything, and remembers the entire session.
• Medium hypnosis: awareness comes and goes. Some memories stay clear, others become vague or partial.
• Deep hypnosis: consciousness fades almost entirely in favor of the unconscious, sometimes with spontaneous amnesia of the session.

Contrary to a common belief, light hypnosis is more than enough for effective work, and progress is often fastest in this state, since conscious awareness remains present to actively take part. The depth of hypnosis reached varies enormously from person to person: some reach it within seconds, others need longer practice. This variability has nothing to do with any supposed “ability” to be hypnotized, see below.

Hypnotic phenomena

Under hypnosis, certain natural and involuntary reactions can appear. They are not systematic, but when they do occur, they clearly illustrate the mind’s influence over the body:

• Catalepsy: the voluntary movement of a body part, often an arm, is suspended, losing its usual flexibility and taking on a particular, sometimes “waxy,” consistency.
• Levitation: a hand or arm rises, as if moved by a force independent of the will.
• Hypermnesia: the ability to recall memories thought to be forgotten, sometimes never even consciously recalled since the event itself.
• Amnesia: conversely, the spontaneous or induced forgetting of certain elements of the session.
• Dissociation: a sense of detachment from one’s own body, as if the mind were observing the scene from outside.
• Analgesia: a reduction or suppression of pain perception in part of the body.

These phenomena vary from person to person and according to the depth of hypnosis reached, there is no universal rule. Some people experience them from the very first attempt, others not at all, without this predicting anything about their ability to benefit from hypnosis otherwise.

Can everyone be hypnotized?

This is one of the most common worries: “what if I’m just not hypnotizable?” This idea rests on a misunderstanding. In the early twentieth century, without a full understanding of the phenomenon, some practitioners relied on a single type of induction, suited to only certain personality types, which fed the belief that hypnosis “didn’t work” on everyone.

Erickson’s work showed the opposite: nearly everyone can enter a hypnotic state, provided the induction used is adapted to how they personally function. A highly visual person will respond differently than a kinesthetic one, for example, which is why standardized “hypnotizability tests,” such as the Harvard or Stanford scales, can give misleading results: they measure the ability to respond to a single fixed script, not the actual ability to enter hypnosis. When hypnosis doesn’t seem to “take,” the cause usually lies in the method used rather than in any supposed inability on the person’s part.

Debunking hypnosis

Many misconceptions still circulate about hypnosis. Here are the most common ones, and why they don’t hold up:

“Under hypnosis, you’re at the mercy of the hypnotist.” False. In light hypnosis, the most common form, the person remains fully aware and in control. Even in deep hypnosis, they remain themselves: no one can alter their will or personality against their wishes.

“You’re forced to reveal everything under hypnosis.” Also false. A person can perfectly well keep to themselves what they don’t wish to share, or even, if they choose, give an inaccurate account of events. This is in fact why testimony obtained under hypnosis is not considered reliable.

“You remember nothing after a session.” This is only true for deep hypnosis, which remains relatively rare. In light hypnosis, the person remembers the entire session if they wish to.

“You can get stuck in hypnosis.” The hypnotic state fades naturally at the end of a session, just as one naturally comes out of being absorbed in a film or daydreaming while driving.

In reality, hypnosis is simply a tool. Like any tool, its effectiveness depends entirely on how it is used and toward what goal.

What’s next?

Understanding what hypnosis is comes first. From here, several directions are possible depending on what interests you:

• Learn to practice hypnosis on yourself → What Is Self-Hypnosis?
• Discover Milton Erickson’s specific approach → Ericksonian Hypnosis
• Understand the therapeutic use of hypnosis → What Is Hypnotherapy?
• Explore the concept of the unconscious mind in more depth → The Unconscious Mind