Aug 20, 20182 min
Will I be able to wake up afterwards? I want to
make sure I will be awake enough to talk to my
family and doctors.
You will have no problem “waking up” at the
end of the hypnosis. You will never be asleep,
you will just feel relaxed, calm, and focused.
I don’t think I’m very hypnotizable (e.g.,
because I’m too nervous, because I have too
strong a mind, I need to be in control, etc.).
You do not have to be “very hypnotizable” in
order to benefit from hypnosis. In fact,
research has shown that almost 90% of
patients benefit from hypnosis 11. This means
that the vast majority of patients benefit from
hypnosis, regardless of their level of
hypnotizability.
I don’t think that I will be good at hypnosis.
All I am asking for is your attention and
concentration. If at any point, you want to stop,
you can just let me know. But most people find
hypnosis to be relaxing and pleasant, so you
might find this enjoyable.
I saw a hypnosis stage show (or something
similar, e.g., a show on television), and the
subjects did all kinds of embarrassing things,
like singing and dancing. I don’t want to do
anything like that.
Our intent is to help you relax and to feel
better during the course of cancer treatment,
NOT to embarrass you. And you should also
know that you CANNOT be made to do
anything you do not want to do during
hypnosis. Hypnosis is not mind control, it is
just a tool you can use to help yourself feel
better.
Will I have to do what you say?
No! During hypnosis, we will offer you
suggestions. Hypnotic suggestions are quite
literally just suggestions. They are not
commands, orders, or magic spells. They
simply allow your mind to expect better
outcomes. At any time during hypnosis, you
can speak to me, stop the session, or refuse to
accept a suggestion. It’s entirely up to you.
Source: Hypnosis for Cancer Care: Over 200 Years YoungGuy H. Montgomery, PhD,1 Julie B. Schnur, PhD,2 and Kate Kravits, MA, RN, HNB-BC, LPC, NCC, ATR-BC3