Frequently Asked Questions

What is it like to be in hypnosis?

Can I be hypnotized if I don’t want to be?

Will I be able to wake up and come out of hypnosis?

Will I lose control when under hypnosis?

Can a hypnotist control my behavior or make me do something against my will?

Will I be asleep when hypnotized?

Will I reveal personal or secret information under hypnosis?

Can anyone be hypnotized?

Will I remember everything I experience while in hypnosis?

What benefits can hypnosis offer?

How deeply do I need to go to benefit?

What is it like to recall memories from earlier in my life, childhood or a past life?

Are “Past Life Memories” real?

Can hypnosis be used with children?

How many sessions will I need?

Answers

What is it like to be in hypnosis?
Most people do not recognize the state of hypnosis. They expect to become unconscious, and unless you are the one in ten who easily achieves the deep level trance, this is not at all what the experience is like. The chances are you will remain aware of everything going on around you. Many of my clients tell me that a part of them was aware of being in my office, and a part of them was somewhere else. It was like they were in two places at once. This does not mean you are not hypnotized, it simply means you are experiencing a hypnotic level somewhere between a light and medium trance. It is different for each person, but normally as you are conditioned you continue to go a little deeper each time until your "natural level" is attained.

During a hypnotic trance you may question whether you’re really in a hypnotic state. You might think to yourself, “I could simply open up my eyes right now and come out of trance...but I don’t really want to.” The truth is, you could, but the fact that you don’t really want to is a sign that you are deeply relaxed in a hypnotic state.

Also, it is natural for you to fluctuate between deeper states and lighter states during the course of your session, not unlike at night when you fluctuate between deep sleep and the lighter state of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep common during dreaming.

Many people will also experience moments when they don’t recall a thing that I’ve said, yet their unconscious mind heard everything. This is simply a sign that you have gone very deeply, and that upon coming up to a lighter level, you have forgotten what your unconscious mind heard.

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Can I be hypnotized if I don’t want to be?
No. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis and it is you who decides if you want to be hypnotized and how deeply you’d like to relax.

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Will I be able to wake up and come out of hypnosis?
Yes. No one ever becomes “stuck” in hypnosis. And because all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, you can wake up and become fully alert even in the middle of a session if you decide to.

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Will I lose control when under hypnosis?
No. Some people hear the term “trance” and assume that it means being out of control or under the control of the hypnotist. This is not so. You are always under your own control and can choose to come out of hypnosis if you want to. All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. Even though your unconscious mind is open and receptive to positive suggestion, this does not mean your unconscious mind is not paying attention. In fact, your unconscious mind is very wise and protective, with your well-being always in mind. It is always on guard to protect you.

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Can a hypnotist control my behavior or make me do something against my will?
No. Your values, beliefs and morals remain the same in or out of hypnosis. When you see stage hypnosis where people publicly act out behavior that is different than their normal behavior, it is not against their will; it is because they are willing to act silly in that situation. I am strictly a hypnotherapist and I do not use stage hypnosis.

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Will I be asleep when hypnotized?
No. The word hypnosis comes from the ancient Greek “hypnos” which means sleep, but this is a misnomer. Hypnosis is generally a very relaxed state of awareness. Some people emerge from a hypnosis session feeling unsure that they were hypnotized, because they remained aware the whole time. Their uncertainty comes from the misconception that hypnosis or trance means being asleep.

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Will I reveal personal or secret information under hypnosis? 
No. What you decide to share will be no different in hypnosis than out of hypnosis. Your unconscious mind knows what is appropriate for you to share publicly. You are always in control of the process and what you share.

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Can anyone be hypnotized?
Most people can be easily hypnotized. Remember, however, it is your willingness to participate in the process that makes it possible. No one can force you against your will. You can block it, both consciously and unconsciously, and in that case there would be little reason to continue. Once you overcome any apprehension, through understanding the truth about hypnosis, it is a simple and enjoyable experience. You will awaken feeling more relaxed, more at ease and at peace than before going into hypnosis. In almost every case, unconscious blocking can be overcome with conditioning through several sessions, or by using one of our conditioning CD's at home between sessions.

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Will I remember everything I experience while in hypnosis? 
Most likely, yes. However, we respect the wisdom of your unconscious mind, in that you will not remember something consciously if you are not ready to handle it. I usually give a suggestion that you will remember everything of value, as your conscious mind can handle it. You also always have the option of taping your session, so you can listen to it later in a conscious state. If you are very tired when you are hypnotized, you may fall into a natural sleep, not hypnosis. In that case you will not remember.

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What benefits can hypnosis offer?
Here are just some of the many ways you can benefit from
hypnosis: stop smoking, lose weight, improve memory and self-confidence, increase motivation, gain confidence with public speaking, manage stress, improve relationships, create success, release fears/phobias/unwanted habits, relieve insomnia and sleep problems, release limiting beliefs and negative emotions, improve sports performance, accelerate health, prepare for surgery, post surgery recovery, learn self-hypnosis, and more.

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How deeply do I need to go to benefit?
Whether you are in a light state of hypnosis or go very deep, the suggestions will still be effective.

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What is it like to recall memories from earlier in my life, childhood or a past life?
If you have chosen to explore earlier memories or past lives, it is important to know that you will not remember anything you are not ready to handle. The wisdom of your unconscious mind protects you and will block anything that you are not ready to remember. So relax and know that your unconscious mind is your friend; in fact, its primary function is to protect you mentally and physically. Unless you are among the 20% who naturally go very deeply in hypnosis and relive the memories more vividly, you will probably recall old memories (from childhood or past lives) very much the way you recall any memory during your normal waking state.

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Example: If you want to know how you will re-experience or recall an unconscious memory, close your eyes for a moment and think about any event that has happened in the recent past. Now relive that memory in your mind. How are you re-experiencing it? Are you seeing it? If you see it, do you see it as a full-motion movie, or more like snapshots or still photos? Chances are if you are a visual person, you are seeing it like a series of still photos. If you are not visually oriented and are more auditory (hearing oriented) you may simply “know” what it was about, or hear a series of words or ideas in your mind. If you are more kinesthetic (feeling oriented), you will have an overall feeling about it, an emotional reaction or a sense of what the memory is. And sometimes you may relive a memory as a combination of any of these modalities. So the way you recall everyday memories is similar to the way you will recall earlier unconscious memories. Don’t expect your recall to be a like a Steven Spielberg color movie, because that is not how most of us remember in hypnosis.

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Are “Past Life Memories” real? 
There are several ways to interpret past life memories. Some people believe in a literal sequence of physical lives through which the soul incarnates in order to grow in spiritual knowledge and wisdom. In this interpretation, the soul carries with it memories from every life, especially memories of significant events that may have literally defined a particular lifetime. In hypnosis, such memories can sometimes filter in through the unconscious mind. Another interpretation is that the individual unconscious can receive impressions from the Collective Unconscious. In this case, a person in the present may feel as if they are touching another person’s life in the past. In addition, sometimes it appears that these memories may be genetic or genealogical, in other words, what may seem like a personal memory from a past life may be more of a cellular memory of an ancestor. Still another interpretation is that the human mind is a repository of a vast number of archetypal images, assembled from constant exposure to the culture and history of humankind. From this mental archive, one’s imagination may sometimes create very detailed stories that subjectively feel like another life. Regardless of which interpretation is true, the remarkable thing is this: in hypnosis, the vivid recalling of a “past life” very often has immediate healing and illuminating power. Why this happens is a matter of opinion; that it does happen is self-evident to the client.

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Can hypnosis be used with children?
Yes. Children are natural hypnotic subjects. Most children age 5 and up can benefit. Children naturally walk around in a state of hypnosis and imagination at least 75% of the time. They are open to positive suggestion.

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How many sessions will I need?
This will be discussed over the phone before you book your appointment, and/or during your first session. Together we will decide what you are comfortable with, and what is realistic to achieve your goal. Depending on the purpose of your visit, sometimes one session may be enough, such as when releasing a negative emotion like anger, fear or sadness. I also offer a personalized hypnotic session that is taped for your continued reinforcement at home. Old patterns and issues may take three to six sessions. Sometimes people choose to keep it open-ended, reassessing as we progress. One thing is certain: hypnosis is therapeutically fast and safe, and the benefits are lasting. My philosophy is to give you the most benefit, in the least amount of sessions.

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