"Hypnosis? Come on, man. Isn’t that just some woo-woo stuff?"
I used to think exactly the same thing. I was absolutely convinced that hypnosis was nonsense, or at least that it would definitely not work for me. Me and hypnosis? Not a chance.
Until that one day. That one specific experience that convinced me in an instant that hypnosis not only truly exists, but that it’s one of the most powerful tools on this planet. What happened? I’ll tell you in a moment. Because chances are you’re sitting on the couch reading this right now and thinking, “That’s all well and good, Edwin, but my brain is way too busy for this.”
Let me help you wake up from this dream. Here’s why you think hypnosis doesn’t work for you—and how it can work after all.
Watch the video:
The Biggest Myths About Hypnosis
When it comes to hypnosis, opinions vary widely. Most people have an image of it that is completely at odds with reality.
Myth 1: “You completely lose control”
Some people think that when you’re under hypnosis, you’re completely “gone.” That you lose control, that you can’t snap out of it, and that some therapist is making you dance like a puppet.
Sometimes I wish I could keep certain people under hypnosis… but unfortunately, that’s not possible. I’ve tried, believe me! But it simply can’t be done. You always remain in control.
Myth 2: “It’s the devil’s work!”
Yes, I still hear that one surprisingly often, too. That you shouldn’t open your mind, because then all kinds of demons will take over. It’s always demons, isn’t it? You never hear anyone say, “Watch out, because God himself is about to take over your mind!”
No, it’s always a bit of a hassle. If it were true, it would only fascinate me even more, but of course it’s utter nonsense.
Why did I think it wouldn’t work for me?
Before I founded the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands, I tried hypnosis myself a few times. I would lie down on the couch, attempt self-hypnosis, and two things would invariably happen:
- I got completely distracted. Just as I’m sitting there going “deep into a trance,” suddenly I’m mentally doing my weekly grocery shopping at Albert Heijn. “Hey, wait a minute—wasn’t I supposed to be doing self-hypnosis?”
- I fell asleep like a log.
My conclusion back then? “See? I’m not cut out for this at all. I get distracted way too easily, I can’t focus, my mind is too busy.”
Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve said to someone before, “Go ahead and try to hypnotize me—you won’t be able to!” And when they actually couldn’t, you’d say proudly, “See? My mind is too strong.”
Nonsense. A “mind that’s too strong” doesn’t exist in this context. If it doesn’t work, it’s almost never a matter of intelligence or willpower. So what is it, then?
The 2 Real Reasons Why Hypnosis Hasn’t Worked for You (Yet)
1. Anxiety
The biggest reason hypnosis doesn’t work is fear. Fear of losing control. Fear of not being able to snap out of it. Fear that you’ll blurt out deep secrets you want to keep to yourself. Or fear stemming from your faith or upbringing.
Sometimes that fear is hidden very deep inside. I only realized it later on my own: a deeper reason why I didn’t let go was the fear that people would find out who I really am, and that they would no longer love me.
If a subconscious belief like that is holding you back, you’re not giving yourself permission to relax. It wasn’t until I gained that insight and made a change that things became much easier for me, too.
2. You didn’t undergo hypnosis, but rather a “guided visualization”
And this is a very important point. Many therapists sell relaxation techniques or guided meditation under the label of “hypnosis” or “medical hypnosis.”
Then you’re lying back in a chair, and someone says in a soft voice: “Imagine… you’re walking along a beach. You feel the wind… you hear the waves…”
If you have an easily distracted mind, that’s where things go wrong right away:
- "Waves? Huh, I don’t hear any waves at all… oh yeah, now I do. What do those waves actually sound like?"
- "And you can hear seagulls..."
- "Seagulls?! What do you mean, seagulls? I hate seagulls—they steal my fries. Where am I even walking?"
Within three sentences, your mind has already wandered off in five different directions. And that’s not even mentioning those interminable inductions: “Relax your toes… relax your instep… relax your calves…” By the time that therapist got to my knees, I’d already traveled halfway around the world in my mind. Sure, after half an hour you’re lying there nice and relaxed, doing nothing, but you weren’t actually under hypnosis.
A guided visualization or relaxation exercise is good, but it’s not hypnosis.
The experience that changed my life forever
So how did I finally come around?
One day, I had a hypnosis experience with a rapid induction. No nonsense about beaches or relaxing toes. A direct induction. Bam! My brain simply didn’t have time to get distracted.
In no time at all, I was in a deep trance and my entire left arm was numb. The hypnotist said, “Just look at your arm.” I looked at it and honestly thought: this isn’t my arm at all. They started pricking it with needles. They could have sawed my arm off right then and there, and I wouldn’t have minded; I literally felt absolutely nothing.
Even scientific research shows that hypnosis can do this. So this isn’t just something I’ve experienced—it’s actually been studied[1].
At that exact moment, everything changed.
I was completely flabbergasted. I thought, “Wow. If this works for ME—someone who thought he was totally unsuitable for hypnosis—then it can work for anyone!”
Without that one quick, compelling experience, our Hypnosis Institute Netherlands would never have become what it is today. That one experience showed me the unprecedented power of our own subconscious.
How to Enter a State of Hypnosis Anyway (Even With a Busy Mind)
Are you also one of those “analytical types” or a trainer/coach who, during a session, just sits there thinking, “Oh, this therapist uses a nice phrase” or “Hmm, he could have handled this better”?
Then you have to actively give yourself permission. Here’s how I do it these days when I let myself be hypnotized:
- Give yourself permission: Consciously tell yourself, “Okay, Edwin, just let it happen.”
- Focus on the voice: Hypnosis is focused attention[2]. I direct my full attention—100%—to the hypnotist’s voice. I listen so intently to every word that a kind of tunnel vision sets in. Ambient sounds fade away, and—boom—you’re in it.
What should you look for when searching for a hypnotherapist?
Do you want a real transformation? Then look for a therapist who uses rapid inductions and works with direct techniques—not someone who just reads a short passage from a piece of paper about walking across a heath.
Many traditional training programs still teach therapists those lengthy, theory-based inductions. It’s all well and good that it’s evidence-based on paper, but if you, as a client with a busy mind, still see zero results after three sessions, what good does it do you?
A good hypnotherapist will give you a physical experience within a few minutes. Your eyes that can no longer open, an arm that becomes light and floats upward, or a numbing sensation. Something that makes your brain think: Wow, what’s happening here?!
When you physically feel something changing in your body, you know the change is real. Then it’s no longer a trick of your mind, but a deep transformation in your subconscious. And once you experience that, a problem you’ve been dealing with for twenty years can suddenly disappear within just one or two sessions.
Treat yourself to that transformation
Hypnosis isn’t some woo-woo nonsense. It’s not scary, it’s not the devil’s work, and it’s not magic. It’s the fastest and most direct way to connect with the part of your brain that controls everything: your subconscious.
Treat yourself to a truly great experience. It could be the decision that changes the rest of your life, just as it did for me.
Did you find this blog interesting? Leave a comment or share this article with someone who thinks hypnosis is “woo-woo”!
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