It never fails to amaze me how many people think they are the exception to psychological laws.
For years now, I have been reluctant to tell strangers I am a hypnotist. If I am stuck next to someone on a plane for a multi-hour flight and they ask what I do, admitting I am a hypnotist, or a hypnosis trainer, almost guarantees we will talk about nothing else until landing.
If I make the mistake of mentioning forensic hypnosis and the major crime cases I have consulted on, I am doomed to unpack each case in painful, tedious detail.
I get it. To non-hypnotists, it is an amazingly interesting subject. But for those of us who have been doing hypnosis for decades, it is a real treat when we can find something else to talk about on a long flight.
Still, hypnosis is fascinating…
But when the conversation shifts to the art and science of trance creation, not everyone is equally captivated. Most people think hypnosis is an amazing career choice. But then there are always a few who cheerfully announce they cannot be hypnotized.
Often, it is said with a kind of chest-puffing pride, like the restaurateur who told me his mind was too strong for hypnosis. He was clearly clinging to the old myth that hypnosis is a battle of wills, with the hypnotist trying to overpower the subject.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I have not had a bad subject in decades. Not because I have magical powers, but because hypnosis is a consensual state. The subject creates their own trance in willing response to the hypnotist’s instructions.
And the key word is willing.
When someone follows instructions, their attention naturally turns inward, becomes more selective, and taps into all the vast resources of the unconscious mind. That is where the real changes happen.
On the flip side, if someone decides not to go into trance, they simply will not. But bragging about it, like that restaurateur did, is laughable at best and flat-out ridiculous at worst.
It is like taking an oil painting class, refusing to touch a brush, and then boasting that the instructor could not get you to paint. Your mind was just too strong.
When people really understand what hypnosis is and what it is not, trance becomes inevitable. Once they realize they are the ones in control, not the hypnotist, most of the usual objections just melt away.
Because trance happens every day.
To everyone.
When we drive, especially late at night, we get lulled into hypnosis. That is why it sometimes feels like we get home faster than we should, even though the drive took the usual amount of time.
Great speakers use hypnotic techniques all the time. Many do not even realize they are doing it. By activating emotions and directing attention, skilled speakers effortlessly lead audiences into trance-like engagement.
I once read of a reporter who stood in the rain listening to Fidel Castro speak. Imagine his shock when he realized he’d been standing there for four hours…
And let us not forget the biggest, most powerful hypnotist of all: television.
Turn on a show or a movie, and if you know what to look for in the other people present, you will spot the signs of trance almost immediately. As time goes on, the viewer sinks deeper. Blink rate slows. The face becomes expressionless. They tune out the real world.
TV captivates emotions, locks the gaze, and pulls us into another place like nothing else.
So yes, you have already been hypnotized, whether you think you are a good subject or not. In fact, the only requirement for being hypnotized is being human. It is built into how your brain works, and you do not even have to believe in it to experience the benefits.
I have been practicing hypnosis professionally for fifty years, and as an amateur for ten years before that. And you know what? It still fascinates me.
Whether I use it to power-nap on a long flight, make dental work easier, or cool down a burn, hypnosis is a tool that is always ready when I need it.
Here at Mike Mandel Hypnosis, we believe hypnosis is a life skill anyone can master, including the forty-plus students who will be joining me next month at the Architecture of Hypnosis training in Toronto.
And you can start learning hypnosis today, no matter where you are. It is easier than you think, and the benefits can last a lifetime.
- Mike Mandel
The Brain Software Syndicate (BSS) is our low-cost private community for smart, motivated people who want self improvement and development (not to become a hypnotist). It includes over $670 in courses and trainings. We drop new videos every week. Discover The Syndicate.
