Hypnosis - Comparing What People 'Think' to What is Actually 'Real'

11th May 2010

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The Truth About Experiencing Hypnosis

IF YOU THINK... THE REALITY IS...
It's all a matter of having a good imagination. Ability to imagine vividly is unrelated to hypnotizability.
Relaxation is an important feature of hypnosis. It's not. Hypnosis has been induced during vigorous exercise.
It's mostly just compliance. Many highly motivated subjects fail to experience hypnosis.
It's a matter of willful faking. Physiological responses indicate that hypnotized subjects are not lying.
It is dangerous. Standard hypnotic procedures are no more distressing than lectures.
It has something to do with a sleep-like state. It does not. Hypnotized subjects are fully awake.
Responding to hypnosis is like responding to a placebo. Placebo responsiveness and hypnotizability are not correlated.
People with certain types of personalities are likely to be more hypnotizable. There are no substantial correlates with personality measures.
People who are hypnotized lose control of themselves. Subjects are perfectly capable of saying no or terminating hypnosis.
Hypnosis can enable people to "relive" the past. Age-regressed adults behave like adults play acting as children.
A person's responsiveness to hypnosis depends on the technique used and who administers it. Neither is important under laboratory conditions. It is the subject's capacity that is important.
When hypnotized, people can remember more accurately. Hypnosis may actually muddle the distinction between memory and fantasy and may artificially inflate confidence.
Hypnotized people can be led to do acts that conflict with their values. Hypnotized subjects fully adhere to their usual moral standards.
Hypnotized people do not remember what happened during the session. Post hypnotic amnesia does not occur spontaneously.
Hypnosis can enable people to perform otherwise impossible feats of strength, endurance, learning and sensory acuity. Performance following hypnotic suggestions for increased muscle strength, learning and sensory acuity does not exceed what can be accomplished by motivated subjects outside hypnosis.

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