How Does Hypnosis Work? Understanding the Mind’s Critical Faculty

Filed under: Hypnosis Training

How Exactly Does Hypnotic Suggestion Work

In order to do hypnosis, you need to understand it first.

Hypnosis is one of those fascinating subjects that’s surrounded by mystery. It has the power to both intrigue and confuse people, with myths about mind control and hypnotists taking over someone’s will. But how does it actually work? How can a few simple words from a hypnotist lead to such powerful effects in someone’s mind?

In this post, we’ll break down how hypnosis really works. You’ll learn why hypnosis isn’t mind control and discover what makes the unconscious so receptive to suggestion during hypnotic trance.

Hypnosis is NOT Mind Control

Before we jump into how hypnosis works, let's clear up one of the biggest misconceptions out there: hypnosis is not mind control.

Despite what movies and TV shows might have you believe, no hypnotist can force you to do anything against your will. It's simply not how hypnosis works.

As hypnotists, we often get questions like:

  • "Can you make me cluck like a chicken or bark like a dog?"
  • "What if you make me reveal all my secrets?"

These questions all come from a misunderstanding that hypnosis is some sneaky way to control people’s minds. Here’s the truth: Hypnosis is collaborative. It only works if the person being hypnotized is willing to cooperate. The hypnotist is more like a tour guide, showing you the way, but you’re the one who has to take the steps.

Think about it like this: If you’ve ever seen someone on stage doing ridiculous things during a hypnosis show, it wasn’t because they were under some evil spell. They wanted to participate! They got up there because they were having fun and were willing to go along with the hypnotist’s suggestions.

People do goofy things all the time without hypnosis. Just go to a karaoke bar or an improv night if you don't believe us. Hypnosis just helps people let go of their inhibitions, but it never makes them do something they genuinely don’t want to do.

If hypnosis really could control people’s minds, there’d be lawsuits flying left and right!

Hypnotic Suggestion - Bypassing the Critical Faculty

So now that we know hypnosis isn’t about controlling people, what is it about? How does it actually work to create such interesting and often transformative experiences?

One of the key concepts in understanding hypnosis is the critical faculty—a mental filter that usually stands between your conscious mind and your unconscious. Here's a simple model to help you grasp the concept:

Beach Ball Critical Faculty Hypnosis

Imagine your mind is like a beach ball with a tiny coin balanced on top. The beach ball represents your unconscious mind, where all of your memories, emotions, habits, and beliefs are stored. It’s the powerhouse of everything that makes you you. The tiny coin, by comparison, is your conscious mind—the part of you that’s aware of what’s happening right now. It’s where you focus your attention, making decisions and analyzing things in the moment.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Between the coin and the beach ball is a coaster. This coaster is your critical faculty. The critical faculty acts like a filter, deciding which ideas get through to your unconscious mind and which ones don’t. It helps you think logically and evaluate information critically, making sure you don’t accept every single suggestion you hear.

Now, let’s talk about how hypnosis fits into this.

When you’re in a state of hypnosis, your critical faculty becomes less rigid. It’s still there, but it’s more relaxed, more permeable. This means that suggestions from the hypnotist are more likely to bypass the filter and reach your unconscious mind directly. This is where the magic happens.

Your unconscious mind is a vast reservoir of resources. It holds your habits, your emotions, your creativity, and your memories. By allowing suggestions to pass through the critical faculty more easily, hypnosis helps you tap into that reservoir and make changes—whether that’s breaking a bad habit, letting go of a fear, or building new, empowering beliefs.

However, the critical faculty doesn’t go away entirely. If a suggestion seems dangerous or morally wrong, it can reject the idea and even pull you out of trance. So while hypnosis can help you create incredible changes, it won’t make you do anything that goes against your core values.

Why Hypnosis Works: The Power of the Unconscious Mind

What makes hypnosis so effective is its direct access to the unconscious mind. Most of our daily actions and reactions come from this deeper part of the mind. When you brush your teeth, drive a car, or even have an emotional response, it’s your unconscious running the show. The conscious mind might think it’s in charge, but in reality, it’s just handling a tiny fraction of what’s going on.

In hypnosis, we can work directly with the unconscious to create changes more quickly and effectively than if we were just trying to think our way through a problem.

For example, let’s say you want to overcome a fear of public speaking. Consciously, you know it’s irrational. You’ve told yourself a thousand times that it’s no big deal. But no matter how much you reason with yourself, you still feel that wave of anxiety when you stand in front of a crowd.

That’s because the fear isn’t coming from your conscious mind—it’s coming from the unconscious. The conscious mind is great at analyzing problems, but it’s the unconscious that holds the emotional charge behind them. With hypnosis, we can bypass the overthinking conscious mind and speak directly to the unconscious, where those fears live. And that’s where real change can happen.

Hypnosis is a Natural State

Here’s the thing—hypnosis isn’t some strange or mystical state of mind. It’s completely natural. In fact, we all drift in and out of trance-like states every day. Have you ever been so absorbed in a book or a movie that you lost track of time? Or driven somewhere, only to realize you don’t remember part of the journey? That’s a kind of hypnotic trance!

When we enter hypnosis, it’s simply a matter of intentionally accessing that same state, where the mind is focused and open to suggestion. And because it’s a natural state, hypnosis is incredibly safe. You’re always in control, and you can bring yourself out of hypnosis whenever you choose.

How You Can Benefit from Hypnosis

Hypnosis isn’t just a tool for entertainment or party tricks—it’s a powerful method for personal change and self-improvement. Whether you want to quit smoking, improve your confidence, reduce stress, or enhance your performance, hypnosis can help you unlock the resources of your unconscious mind to achieve your goals.

If you’re curious about learning more or even becoming a skilled hypnotist yourself, the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy is the perfect place to start. It’s one of the most comprehensive and engaging online hypnosis courses available. Whether you're a total beginner or already have some experience, MMHA offers world-class training to help you master the art and science of hypnosis.

And you can start with a free test drive—no credit card required.

Click here to dive into the world of hypnosis and discover what your mind is truly capable of!

World Class Video Training and Certification

Learn Hypnosis Online

"I absolutely love the online course. It completely changed my life and consulting career. The information is the best I've ever seen. You guys are incredible at what you do. I love the course so much."

Jason Cyrus

Connecticut, USA

World Class Video Training and Certification

Learn Hypnosis Online

"I absolutely love the online course. It completely changed my life and consulting career. The information is the best I've ever seen. You guys are incredible at what you do. I love the course so much."

Jason Cyrus

Connecticut, USA