Hypnosis Questions and Answers:

What is hypnosis? Hypnosis is a process used to induce a trance state. 

What is a trance state? A trance state is heightened focus. Here are some examples from doing a search on Google:

Daydreaming: You lose yourself in thoughts, fantasies, or memories while not being aware of your surroundings. 

Highway Hypnosis: You are driving for a long duration without consciously remembering specific details along your route or how you arrived at your destination. 

Zoning Out: Where you are so focused on an activity that you become oblivious to other stimuli. 

Being Lost in a Book or Movie where you become so engrossed in the narrative that you forget about your surroundings. 

Can you make someone go into a trance state? No hypnotist can make you go into trance. Just as in the examples of zoning out, daydreaming, or getting lost in a book. Nobody can make you do that. It is something you do naturally but in hypnosis, we are attempting to induce the trance state artificially.

What is the hypnosis process (session) like? It varies with each hypnotist but I have two main processes I use. Keep in mind sessions vary and proceed according to what the client needs and the amount of time booked. 

• Mary Lee Labay process:  Each session is unique but I will typically guide you to relax and to focus your attention inward. I will suggest on the first stop you “go” to your safe space in your mind and describe it to me (real or imagined) which will begin to draw you into a lite trance state. There will be more stops along the way but eventually, you will take over and drive the process by answering my non-leading questions such as, “What happens next?”, “What else are you experiencing?”, “What does that remind you of?” Then, when the session is coming to a close, I will guide you out of the trance state by counting backwards. You will then awaken refreshed and alert. Afterwards, you will have an opportunity to discuss the experience or keep it to yourself. These sessions rely on verbal interactions between the hypnotist and the client. 

• Simpson Protocol: This is typically a two part session and can vary. These sessions have minimal verbal interactions between the hypnotist and the client because we are relying on the client’s finger signals for communication. 

  • Part One: I will guide you to relax, set up ideomotor finger responses in order to communicate to your Superconscious mind, identify issue(s) SUDS (Subjective Units of Distress Scale) scale, address issue(s), work to achieve SUDS results of 10 positive or as high as possible, receive some question responses telepathically, create anchors for self hypnosis trance states (Peace, Deep, and High) then emerge from trance. Afterwards, practice going to those states on your own. You will have an opportunity to discuss the experience or keep it to yourself.

  • Part Two: Because ideomotor finger response and anchors for trance states were already set up, the session moves quickly to work on additional areas similar to how we did it in Part One. 

  
  

Can you get stuck in trance? No. Do you get stuck in the trance state when you are daydreaming or experiencing freeway hypnosis? No. There have been times where a person does not want to come out of trance because it feels so good they don’t want to leave. For the purpose of this discussion, this would likely occur near the end of the session and the client could be left in trance only if they refuse to come out (they have free will). They would simply come out on their own or fall asleep and wake up out of trance. This has never happened to my client during a session. 

While in trance, can the hypnotist make you do something you don’t want to do? No - you are always in control but you are more suggestible in trance. This may conflict with what you have seen regarding stage hypnosis. Be assured that those on stage are not being controlled to do things against their will. Yes, they are more suggestible in trance, but with their free will, they decide in what way, how or if they will do what is being requested. 

Can hypnosis be used to forcibly "program" or brainwash someone? No. While hypnosis can be used therapeutically to help people change, it doesn't provide a hypnotist with total mind control or the ability to make someone do things against their will. Although you are more susceptible to suggestions in the trance state, you are in control of your actions and thoughts and can stop the session at any time. 

What is Past Life Regression? Reliving an experience from a previous lifetime. Sometimes this spontaneously occurs during hypnosis and other times it is intentional. If you believe in reincarnation, then it is likely that you might think the possibility of experiencing a past life is real. If you don't, then you will likely think it is fake. I do know that those that have a past life experience typically find it amazing and beneficial as it relates to the question/issue being addressed in the session.

Are you a good candidate for hypnosis? To have the best hypnosis experience you need to be open, willing to be guided by the hypnotist, to focus your attention where you are being asked to focus it, you will need to let go of being analytical (what am I experiencing?, is this really happening or am I making it up?), have an open mind, and lastly, to trust that your higher part of yourself will take you to where you need to go inwardly to accomplish the purpose of the session.

If you are interested in working with me, please book a Free consultation session on my website by going to the Free Call tab of RewindAndReset.com Thank you!