Answering the Question - Is All Hypnosis Equal

The thing about hypnosis that I think many people do not understand is that there are several different forms of it. This can be frustrating as a client because it may not be clear what the session will actually be like and from a hypnotist standpoint it makes it difficult when we look at studies to know what hypnotic procedure was used to get the response.

As hypnotists we are always finding ourselves explaining to people that hypnosis is not what you see on TV. There seems to be this mythic place people want to go to, almost wanting to be put into a zombie state and come out of it "fixed." It is never this way. There may be pendulums, pocket watched, swirlies, sounds, or words. But how the hypnotist proceeds can also vary. In other words you could go to two different hypnotist and have a completely different experience for the same issue.

This ultimately means that as long as you want to be hypnotized, it is possible. Just because you may have trouble with one hypnotist, does not mean you will have the same experience with another practitioner.

For the next little while, in addition to our regular segments (Esoteric Saturday, the Sunday Question, the Monday Poll, 10 Questions, and In the News), along with happenings in the practice, we will begin to look at the various forms of hypnosis that are practiced out in the world.