Why hypnosis sometimes fails

Hypnosis is a super fun phenomenon to pull off for someone, but sometimes it fails to bring someone under hypnosis. What can that be due to and what can you do about it? In this blog, I explore that question in more detail.

There are several reasons why hypnosis sometimes succeeds. Generally, it is due to the qualities of the hypnotist, but there are a few things that the hypnotist must be aware of in the hypnotized person that must be resolved in order for the hypnosis to work

Through the hypnotized

Certain characteristics in the person being hypnotized can cause the hypnosis to fail initially. This usually has to do with the beliefs people hold about hypnosis.

Thinking too much about hypnosis

When people are put under hypnosis, they may start overthinking the process. They become very focused on how it feels, and because those feelings sometimes don’t match their expectations—such as a fear of losing control—this can trigger all sorts of thoughts, such as

"Is this under hypnosis now?"

"Am I already under hypnosis?"

"But I just get everything."

Because as a hypnotist you don't know what the hypnotized person is thinking, it is important to find out during the preliminary interview how a person thinks about hypnosis and to eliminate any misconceptions. For example, it is important that one knows that they are in control and will never do anything they don't want to.

Then when you put them under hypnosis, deepening words that take away the relaxation and critical thoughts help. These can be words such as:

"Exactly."

"Good for you."

"Right."

"Let Go."

These words can help make hypnosis succeed and deepen.

Fear of hypnosis

Fear of hypnosis can also cause hypnosis to fail. Show hypnosis has unfortunately created some beliefs in people that can make you afraid of hypnosis. Then when they do decide to go for hypnotherapy, this fear can cause them to not become really docile because they are afraid of losing control or not being able to follow along with what is happening, for example.

Even in the case of fear of hypnosis, it is important to gain your client's trust. Initially, for example, you can explain that this hypnosis is without an audience and is aimed at solving his/her problems.

As with thinking too much about hypnosis, it is important to know how people think about hypnosis and to clear up any misunderstandings.

You can also put him under hypnosis first so he/she can experience the feeling and get out again without performing therapy so they know it's really not scary. Maybe that's a good way to still get the docility for inducing hypnosis initially, without having to face emotional problems they want to solve right away.

Then you can do it again, but with all the therapy techniques.

By hypnotist

Sometimes it is also down to the hypnotist when hypnosis fails. There are a number of things a hypnotist can forget or do wrong that cause the hypnosis to fail.

Does not check docility well

Even before the hypnosis is induced, something can go wrong that causes the hypnosis to fail. This is because the docility of the person you are going to hypnotize must be really good. This is why you always have someone perform a few commands and he must follow them exactly as you want him to. With this you control the docility of your client to you.

If you don't pay close attention to this, you may just start hypnosis too early, which means you won't have that docility enough either.

Impatience

This brings us right to the second problem you may experience as a hypnotist, impatience. Some people are easier to bring under hypnosis than others. When you have someone in front of you who is difficult to bring under hypnosis, patience is a virtue.

Sometimes you just have to take the time to deepen and deepen and deepen and deepen and deepen and deepen hypnosis. With some people this works in 5 minutes and with others it takes you half an hour.

But the perseverer wins!

Does not verify that hypnosis is properly induced

Then, once you have induced hypnosis and pay attention to hypnotic phenomena, the temptation is to move right on to techniques to help someone with their problem. This is very awkward because sometimes you just aren't sure.

To know properly if someone is under hypnosis, it is important to check. For example, with an arm levitation or other technique by which you can tell that someone is under hypnosis.

Checks to see if someone is under hypnosis

What techniques are actually available to see if someone is under hypnosis? Well, you can choose from:

• Armlevitation
• Magnetic Hands
• Hand-stick technique
• Stiffening of the arm

Armlevitation

Arm levitation is a technique you learn at a seminar or the hypnosis showcase. This is one of the simplest ways to verify that someone is under hypnosis. You then give the suggestion that one hand is lighter than the other and it gets lighter and lighter. The nice thing about this suggestion is that the hand, with arm, will come up. How far it rises is different for everyone, but if something happens you know your client is really under hypnosis and you can begin therapy.

Do allow the arm to drop back down before sitting with an arm raised for half an hour.

Magnetic Hands

Another check to see if your client is well under hypnosis is that the hands are drawn together like magnets. This "magnetic force" is so strong that the hands get closer and closer together and at some point are really stuck together because of the "magnetism."

So you have your client try to take their hands off, but with the suggestion that they will find that it doesn't work.

Then, when this actually fails, you know your client is well under hypnosis and you can begin therapy.

Hand-stick technique

One technique that is very-very similar to this is the technique of sticking your client's hand to a surface. For example, this could be the treatment chair, a table or the wall or something similar.

In this video I demonstrate the technique with my son, although children are very easy to put under hypnosis.

Stiffening of a limb (usually the arm)

Don't have something available to stick the hand on or have a client missing an arm or something? Then you can also suggest that the limb has become completely stiff and the knee or elbow, for example, can no longer be bent.

In all of these checks to see if the hypnosis is properly induced, you are actually checking to see if your client's conscious mind is still in control of the body or if now it is mainly the subconscious mind that is at work. In addition to these 4 examples, there are many other ways to check hypnosis in your client. You will learn these during the training of the Hypnosis Institute Netherlands.

Are you curious about hypnosis and how you can use it to help others—or even yourself? Then come to a hypnosis workshop to learn in just one day how hypnosis works and feels, and how to determine if someone is under hypnosis. The workshops are held in Wormerveer and in Zwolle.

Don't just want to learn an induction, but know right away how to make someone feel at least one good feeling with hypnosis? Then come to a seminar or register for one of the trainings. The trainings are held in Wormerveer, Zwolle or can be taken online.