We’re all familiar with stage hypnotists who can make their volunteers do things no ordinary human would consider doing. For example, they can make people forget their own names, make a middle-aged mother act like a stripper, or make their subjects hop around like rabbits or bark like dogs. News flash: it’s all about entertainment.

Moreover, those chosen for the performance are carefully but subtly screened by the hypnotist to be the most susceptible to hypnosis and the least likely to rebel against their commands. They have not only agreed to be hypnotized in front of an audience but have tacitly agreed in the selection process to “act out”.  And why not submit to the process since it’s all in good fun?

 Hollywood, on the other hand, often paints a dark picture of hypnotists. From the 1920 film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” or the 1962 classic “The Manchurian Candidate” to more recent films such as “Get Out” or “Hypnotic,” the audience knows that the hypnotist is evil. They are using hypnosis to take something vital from their victims: sex, money, independence, or life itself. They are masters of manipulation, using arcane techniques to turn their previously willful subjects into helpless lumps of submission.  

 Why does Hollywood turn hypnotists into villains? Again, one word: entertainment. The opposition of forces creates drama, and opposition to the hero/heroine normally requires a villain. Since hypnotism is often perceived as being mysterious, even supernatural, it is a natural fit for the dark side of casting. Therefore, evil hypnotists burst upon the screen to frighten the hell out of us. They are usually attractive, intelligent, and charismatic, but they want to steal our money, our sex, and our very souls. They mesmerize their victims, and the audience is often mesmerized as well. Evil is often compelling and yes, entertaining. We may be repulsed, but we can’t look away. 

 Therefore, the public perception of hypnosis is often distorted by these two prominent forms of entertainment. And the general reaction to hypnotists is often fear. Fear of loss. Fear of being manipulated and stripped of your autonomy. Fear of exposing your most guarded secrets, and losing your most prized possessions.

 So how does this contrast with hypnotherapy? The answer lies within the word itself. What is hypnotism, and how does this lead to therapy? The stage hypnotist is trained to do rapid inductions and elicit external responses. The hypnotherapist may use a variety of induction techniques to slow down the client’s breathing and calm the mind so that they are more receptive to positive behavioral changes. The goal of hypnotherapy is nearly always behavior change. 

Stage hypnosis moves outward. Hypnotherapy goes inward. Hypnosis is often described as a trance state, but that term evokes Hollywood fears of turning humans into zombies. The reality is quite different and far less entertaining. Calming down the brain from an excited state of beta brainwaves to a calm, peaceful state of alpha brainwaves is more akin to meditation.

 The external world closes as the internal world opens. Sometimes memories that have been locked away for many years suddenly appear. The critical faculty is bypassed as the mind becomes receptive to positive suggestions. Many of those undergoing hypnotherapy report total recall of their sessions and no loss whatsoever of their willpower. They know that they are willing participants who can stop the session anytime they wish.

 Hypnotherapists discover negative feedback loops that fuel any number of negative behaviors. There is a long list of conditions that hypnotherapy can overcome, including eating disorders, substance abuse, anxiety, insomnia, hoarding, stage fright, teeth grinding, irrational fears, phobias, panic attacks, sexual dysfunction, smoking, alcohol abuse, stuttering, skin picking, stress, etc. And that is just a glimpse. It is a very long list.

 These negative behaviors often merge with a person’s ego. For example, instead of saying “I have a negative relationship with alcohol that I am trying to change,” a person may habitually declare, “I am an alcoholic.” “I am a nicotine addict.” “I am a hoarder.” Etc. Hypnotherapy can disassociate the person’s identity from the problem state and discover a new pathway to healthy, happy living. It isn’t the most entertaining thing you’ll ever do, but it may be the most liberating.