Audience: Elementary and Middle School Students
Despite the stereotype of a pocket watch used to induce trance, it’s not the only way, or even the most common, to do so. [Photo via Pexels.]
Hypnosis: the mere mention of the word can conjure images of swinging pendulums, mysterious magicians, and people behaving in seemingly bizarre ways. It’s long captured the human imagination, from mystical shows to therapeutic sessions, eliciting curiosity and skepticism alike. But what is hypnosis, really? Is it just a stage trick, or is there more to it than the media presents?
At its core, hypnosis is a state of focused attention, heightened suggestibility, and deep relaxation. Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not a form of mind control. Instead, it’s a collaborative process between the hypnotist and the person being hypnotized— it can even present as a natural state of mind that we all experience to some degree in our daily lives! Think about those moments when you’re completely engrossed in a book, movie, or video game— you become so absorbed that you tune out distractions around you. That’s a mild form of a hypnotic state. You may have even heard the term highway hypnosis before– when someone is driving on autopilot, since they’ve driven a path so many times before.
Hypnosis operates through the power of suggestion, taking advantage of the mind's ability to focus and accept new ideas. This process typically involves a hypnotist guiding someone into a relaxed state through specific techniques. Once this state is induced, the mind becomes more receptive to suggestions.
The brain’s susceptibility to suggestion during hypnosis is linked to changes in neural activity. Studies using brain imaging techniques have shown altered patterns of brain activity in people under a hypnotic state, especially in areas related to attention, perception, and response to suggestions. Hypnosis functions as a way to tap into the brain’s plasticity, allowing a temporary reshaping of certain thought patterns and behaviours.
In order to guide someone into this state, a hypnotist uses something known as an induction. Perhaps the most popular example in media is the pocket watch— however, this method is more scientifically known as eye fixation. In this method, the swinging motion of any pendulum-like object is used to capture and maintain someone’s attention. As they focus on the object, their attention narrows, causing them to become less aware of peripheral distractions — a key aspect of inducing a hypnotic state. This helps bypass the analytical parts of the conscious mind, allowing the hypnotist to get to the deeper layers of the subconscious where suggestibility resides. Suggestibility refers to how easily a person’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviours can be influenced by external factors, such as suggestions from others. It’s also the quality of accepting and acting upon ideas or instructions, often without questioning or critically evaluating them. Essentially, suggestibility involves being receptive to and influenced by suggestions or information provided by others. One of the most common examples of this seen in the real world is through advertising.
Neurologically, focusing on a single point of visual stimulation can lead to changes in brain activity. Studies have shown that when individuals concentrate on a visual stimulus, activity decreases in certain regions of the brain that are associated with self-awareness and critical thinking. Other slow inductions may include methods such as visualisation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation, all of which promote relaxation.
Not all inductions are slow, however. A lot of techniques utilise faster techniques known as shock inductions or rapid inductions. Rapid inductions are most commonly used with people who are analytical, overly tired, have difficulty concentrating, or simply have the tendency to overthink things. There are four crucial steps for rapid inductions: focus, startle response, the initial drop, and deepening. Focus involves the hypnotist guiding the subject’s attention, helping them concentrate intensely on a specific object, idea, or sensation. This then allows them to enter a state of heightened awareness. The startle response involves creating a brief and sudden interruption or surprise to the subject’s normal thought processes. It could be a sudden noise, a quick hand movement, or any other unexpected action that briefly disrupts someone’s train of thought. After the startle response, the subject experiences a sense of mental and physical relaxation or “dropping” into a deeper state of hypnosis. This drop is often accompanied by feelings of calmness, heaviness, or detachment from the surrounding environment. The subject begins to enter a trance-like state where their subconscious mind becomes more accessible to be influenced by suggestions. However, this state only lasts for a few moments, which is why this step is immediately followed by deepening. The hypnotist further deepens their level of hypnosis through various techniques, helping strengthen and cement the trance state.
One of the most commonly used shock inductions is known simply as the eight-word induction, due to its ability to be simplified to only eight words. In this induction, the hypnotist asks the subject to press down on their hand and close their eyes, providing two tasks to focus attention on. While they’re doing these actions, the hypnotist’s hand is suddenly removed, invoking a startle response– however, this only lasts for about two seconds, but during this time, the subject is in a state of high suggestibility. The hypnotist then has to utilise this response to immediately follow with suggestions for deepening the trance, using this small window to help guide them down further; otherwise, they’ll wake up.
Despite how it may seem to be a mask for mind control, hypnosis isn’t something you passively undergo; it’s still your mind doing all of the work. The hypnotist tells you what to feel or imagine, but that doesn’t mean you have no say. Your mind may refuse to cooperate if you don’t understand what to do, or if you really don’t want it. When a hypnotist suggests something like your hands being stuck together, some people feel like they really are stuck, while others think it’s not working and they can still move. In reality, it’s both. Hypnosis only works if you work with it too.
Even though a lot of techniques seem like party tricks, hypnosis still has its practical applications. It’s often used as a therapy technique to assist in quitting addictions, such as smoking, and reinforcing positive behavioural changes to help break habits. It has also shown promise in managing and reducing pain, including chronic pain, acute pain, and pain associated with medical procedures or surgery. Hypnosis can be used to alter the perception of pain and influence comfort instead. Other uses include enhancing performance in certain subjects, managing phobias and anxiety, curtailing stress, and improving self-esteem. Overall, hypnosis uses a versatile and non-invasive approach in order to address a wide range of issues and support one’s well-being, making it a valuable tool for facilitating positive change and personal growth.
Bibliography:
Banyan, Cal. “Cal Banyan’s 8 Word Hypnotic Induction.” 20 Aug. 2014, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140820195718-11499261-cal-banyan-s-8-word-hypnotic-induction/.
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Lynn, Steven J., and Jean-Roch Laurence. “Hypnosis: A Brief History.” John Wiley & Sons, 2018.
Nash, Michael R., and Amanda J. Barnier. “The Oxford Handbook of Hypnosis: Theory, Research, and Practice.” Oxford University Press, 2008.
Oakley, David A., and Peter W. Halligan. "Hypnotic Suggestion: Opportunities for Cognitive Neuroscience." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 14, no. 8, 2013, pp. 565–576. doi:10.1038/nrn3538.
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