It's Not Mind Control, It's Hypnosisis

Hypnosis isnt at all like what you see on TV. In fact, theres no way it can make you do something you dont want to.

- Adora Wong

What comes to mind when you picture a hypnotist? Perhaps it’s someone who can lull you to sleep with a swinging pocket watch and who has the power to make you do something against your will. But this is far from the truth.

“In reality, people undergoing hypnosis are always in control and aware of what’s going on around them,” says Jab MacCardy, Principal Hypnotherapist at The Hypnosis Clinic. “They’re simply in a deep state of relaxation.”

Altered state of consciousness

Hypnosis isn’t mind control, especially since it requires a person to work with a hypnotist to achieve a goal. However, it does involve altering the mind on some level.

“Hypnosis is the journey of tapping into the parts of your brain that are responsible for your automatic responses,” says Jab. “Just like meditation and mind-altering drugs, it’s a way to induce altered states of consciousness.”

An altered state of consciousness (ASC) is any condition that is different from a normal waking state. Dreams, hallucinations and even epileptic seizures are some examples.

Jab says the science behind hypnosis is the same behind any type of ASC. And if you’re wondering, there’s a difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy.