Myths about Hypnotherapy (Everyone’s Heard Them!)
Despite increasing recognition by the medical establishment, popular myths about hypnosis persist, such as the belief that hypnotherapy is a truth serum, that it causes subjects to lose all free will, and that hypnotists can erase their clients’ memories of their sessions.
MYTH: You lose control.
Fact: Because you are in a relaxed state, your mind is free of that 24 hour-a-day “chatter” and therefore, you are in more control of your thoughts.
MYTH: You go to sleep.
Fact: You will hear and remember everything that I say. Statistics show that less than 10% of all clients cannot remember their sessions.
MYTH: A hypnotherapist has mind control.
Fact: A hypnotherapist cannot make you do anything against your ethics, values, or beliefs. In a hypnotic trance you cannot be made to do anything against your will.
MYTH: You will not come out of your trance.
Fact: At most you will move into a natural sleep and wake up feeling energized and refreshed. You will feel utterly relaxed and in complete control.
MYTH: Orthodox medicine condemns hypnotherapy.
Fact: Hypnotherapy is used today in doctors’ and dentists’ offices. It is used by surgeons for drugless anaesthesia and by psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors as an effective tool for mental health.
MYTH: Hypnosis is an opportunity for the therapist to program the client in a way that is harmful.
Fact: There are many misconceptions about hypnotherapy; these are often due to the actions of hypnotists who use hypnosis in their stage acts. Hypnotherapy is a practice that is led by certified practitioners who conduct themselves professionally in a safe environment with complete integrity and confidentiality.