Myths About Hypnosis

My hypnosis teacher, Gil Boyne, used to say there were two common reasons people gave for being afraid of hypnosis. They are: "I won't wake up," and "I will tell all my secrets." Nobody goes so deep into hypnosis that they can't come back out. Do you know of anyone who disappeared because they didn't come out of hypnosis? If there were a lot of people like this, wouldn't somebody notice? You won't tell your secrets, because you remain in control. You won't lose your inhibitions and make a fool of yourself either, if you don't want to. A persistent myth is that a hypnotist can gain control over your mind--sort of a Manchurian Candidate effect. This isn't true. A hypnotist can never make you do anything against your principles. Here's an example. A stage hypnotist convinces his subject that a glass of water is really wine. But he can't get her to drink it, because she doesn't believe in drinking alcohol. Another myth is that only people who have a weak will or low intellect can be hypnotized. Actually, many hypnotists believe that more intelligent people are the best subjects, because of their ability to focus.