9 Misconceptions of Hypnosis

Dr. Milton Erickson and the therapeutic relationship | Seaview Hypnotherapy with Rachel Gillibrand at Weston-super-Mare

Extracted from Dr. Erickson - Functional Hypnotherapy:

1) You cannot learn medical, dental, Psychological or clinical hypnosis work from a stage hypnotist.

2) Learning Hypnosis, it requires a great deal of study effort and sincere work.

3) Hypnosis is a very special phenomenon in all human living.

4) Hypnosis does not work miracles, it is a sincere and honest earnest discipline of learning and effort, and anything accomplished depends upon work and attention that is given to the task in hand.

5) Most people think becoming hypnotized means that you must become un-conscious, you do not need to be unconscious at all. Hypnosis allow you to utilize your abilities to hear, to think, to feel, to understand and it does not require unconsciousness.

6) Hypnosis is a co-operative phenomenon.

7) Now, suggestibility as the uncritical acceptance of an idea and the scientific definition is the capacity to respond to ideas.

8) Talking and telling secrets, there is no miraculous disclosure of secrecy. Everyone who practiced Hypnosis or Psychotherapy knows how it is extremely hard to get the patient who comes to you seeking therapy who wants to till you everything, and yet who is reluctant to tell it to you. Hypnosis can aid them to till what they need to till but hypnosis can not force anybody to tell something that they do not wish.   

9) The fear of not awakening from the hypnotic trance, that is not true because when the client goes for the trance they have the full control to go into light or deep trance and their ability to getting awake is in their full control. So, it is not possible that the client who in the trance will remain in the trance and not be able to awake from the trance.

Dr. Milton Erickson