What does hypnosis feel like?
Everyone is unique and experiences the hypnotic state slightly differently. Most people are aware of everything being said to them, whilst at the same time they feel very pleasantly relaxed. External sounds may drift into the background as the patient becomes more and more interested in their own inner world. Time may seem to pass more swiftly than the clock indicates, or vice versa. A minority of people go into deep trance, during which parts of their body may feel pleasantly numb. All normal sensations will return on waking from trance.
Most hypnosis clients describe the state as extremely pleasant, deeply relaxing, and euphoric. The most common feelings reported by hypnosis clients include the following: deep relaxation; a slight tingly or numb feeling; a feeling of heaviness or a sensation of floating; a desire to swallow more obvious than when fully conscious; slight body twitches; eye fluttering; and a noticeable change in breathing. Generally speaking, the client hears and remembers 50-100% of what is said during the session and is very aware of his own body and breathing as well as of the temperature and sounds in the room. Most people (about 90%) are actually more aware when hypnotized. Some people go deeply into hypnosis that they have no memory of the session but most clients hear and remember most of the hypnosis experience. COMMON FALLACIES OF HYPNOSIS Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not sleep or a state of unconsciousness. While hypnotized the client generally hears and remembers much of what is be
When in a trance you feel more mentally and physically relaxed. It is a very pleasant experience, and you can tell that you are still in control. You can still hear exactly what is going on around you, unless you choose to drift your attention away. You become aware that you can easily stand up, talk, or move whenever you want. A lot of people (me included) when they first experience a hypnotic trance move their fingers or hands in order to test whether they can move at will. Sometimes a patient can be a little difficult to wake up. This is not a sinister thing as it has been portrayed. No one has ever been stuck in trance. It is more a case that a patient just “can’t be bothered” to wake up as it feels so pleasant. However they soon become bored and will wake up pretty soon. One trick the old hypnosis pro’s use is to tell the patient that they are charging for the time. It’s amazing how quickly they then wake up!
