I get asked a lot about the problems that hypnotherapy can be used for, but sometimes it is easier to answer what hypnosis cannot be used for. This is a segment from http://www.johnarrowwood.com/2011/hypnosis-and-nlp/archives/articles/914-what-hypnosis-can-and-can-not-do that answers the question nicely:
With all the touting of what hypnosis can do, you might be inclined to ask, “is there anything hypnosis can’t do?
The answer is yes. There are two things that hypnosis can’t do. The first is, it can’t be used to defy the laws of nature. If something is impossible, hypnosis does not make it possible. If it is just difficult, or if it requires being in a particular state of mind in order to do it, then it can facilitate it, but it is not magic. You have to know what state of mind is the right one in order to accomplish whatever it is, and you have to know the right things to say or think in order to get into that state of mind. That is the power and benefit of the hypnotist: They understand the relationship between words and state of mind. If you need to get into a particular state for whatever reason, they can help to get you there.
You are always in control.
The other thing hypnosis can’t do is make you do something against your will. Hypnosis is an entirely interactive and voluntary experience. You are guided into an altered state of consciousness through words. You have to do or imagine what the words say or it will not have any effect. And at any point, if you don’t want to be in that state of consciousness any more, you don’t have to be. You can snap back to normal in an instant. If the hypnotist tells you to do something, and you don’t want to do it, you won’t do it! If you are asked a question that you do not want to answer, you don’t have to answer! You can even lie, if you want… it’s not a truth serum. You are always in control.
True, there are people who understand what makes people tick, and they are master manipulators, and can seemingly make people do things that they wouldn’t otherwise do. But that is not hypnosis. That is manipulation. You must not confuse the two. And hypnotherapy is all about empowering you to accomplish your goals, not tricking you into doing things that are not in your best interests.
With all the touting of what hypnosis can do, you might be inclined to ask, “is there anything hypnosis can’t do?
The answer is yes. There are two things that hypnosis can’t do. The first is, it can’t be used to defy the laws of nature. If something is impossible, hypnosis does not make it possible. If it is just difficult, or if it requires being in a particular state of mind in order to do it, then it can facilitate it, but it is not magic. You have to know what state of mind is the right one in order to accomplish whatever it is, and you have to know the right things to say or think in order to get into that state of mind. That is the power and benefit of the hypnotist: They understand the relationship between words and state of mind. If you need to get into a particular state for whatever reason, they can help to get you there.
You are always in control.
The other thing hypnosis can’t do is make you do something against your will. Hypnosis is an entirely interactive and voluntary experience. You are guided into an altered state of consciousness through words. You have to do or imagine what the words say or it will not have any effect. And at any point, if you don’t want to be in that state of consciousness any more, you don’t have to be. You can snap back to normal in an instant. If the hypnotist tells you to do something, and you don’t want to do it, you won’t do it! If you are asked a question that you do not want to answer, you don’t have to answer! You can even lie, if you want… it’s not a truth serum. You are always in control.
True, there are people who understand what makes people tick, and they are master manipulators, and can seemingly make people do things that they wouldn’t otherwise do. But that is not hypnosis. That is manipulation. You must not confuse the two. And hypnotherapy is all about empowering you to accomplish your goals, not tricking you into doing things that are not in your best interests.
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