Is Hypnosis Real?

As one of the most misunderstood medical practices in the modern world, hypnotism is an alternative treatment for anything from quitting smoking to treating mental illness. Is hypnosis real? Yes.

Hypnotism also has a rich history in theatre and performance. While the skeptics will dispute its effectiveness, hypnosis has been practiced for centuries.

Hypnotism is often thought of as a magician’s trick or a form of mind control. A swinging watch and the words “look into my eyes” come to mind. A trained therapist is not often associated with hypnotism. 

Practicing stage hypnotism is a versatile skill. Having a place in health care, you can learn how to be a hypnotist with educative courses. Our guide unpacks the following:

• What is hypnotism?

• What are some of the benefits of hypnotherapy?

• How to enroll in hypnotherapy classes?

Before you know it, you will be in front of an audience performing your hypnosis.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is an induced state of mind where the individual is more open to suggestions. The subject is mentally focused but has a decreased awareness of the world. 

The theory of hypnosis is often associated with James Braid (“Father of Modern Hypnosis”). It is an alternative medicine for psychological conditions, and Braid believed that hypnosis was highly valuable in treating neurological disorders.  

Indeed, modern medicine does use clinical hypnotherapy as complementary medicine — clinical hypnosis, used for a wide range of conditions, from treating chronic pain to quitting smoking.

Hypnosis has immense potential throughout healthcare, but it is not as widely practiced because of the stigma. A lot of the prejudice comes from stage hypnosis.

If you want to pursue performance hypnotism, take an online hypnosis course. A course will teach you how to practice stage hypnosis safely and entertainingly.  

What is stage hypnotism?

Stage hypnotism is the art of performing hypnosis on a volunteer for entertainment purposes. Stage hypnotism often takes place in a club or theatre. 

Hypnosis has a deep history on the stage and uses a mix of persuasion, deception, and psychology. Stage hypnosis often works by convincing the volunteer they are under hypnosis. 

During stage hypnosis, the subject is often fully aware and convinced that they are in a "trance-like" state by the persuasiveness of the performer.

Stage hypnosis predominantly works on belief. If a trained hypnotist tells you they have hypnotized you, you are unlikely to argue. Even the most skeptical audience won't tell the subject they were faking it when they believe they were in a trance.

Everyone — audience, volunteer, and performer — works together to immerse themselves in the illusion that hypnosis is at work. 

If you want to learn the tricks of the trade and start your career as a stage hypnotist, enroll in an online course today.

Does hypnosis work?

While hypnosis doesn’t have a 100% success rate, it works well for patient care. Healthcare professionals can place the patient into a state of deep concentration and focused attention. A brain activated has a greater mental awareness.

There are research suggestions that hypnosis and hypnotherapy are not just a placebo effect. Studies suggest that brain activity increases when someone receives a hypnotism suggestion.

There is plenty of research still to be done by psychiatry and behavioral sciences; hypnosis practitioners suggest it works.

Stage hypnosis is different from medical hypnosis. Although some still dispute whether hypnosis done by performers works, others who have been hypnotized on stage claim it does. 

Indeed, James Braid based his practice of hypnotism on a stage performance he saw first.

Skeptics argue that hypnotism is a form of fakery. However, there is far more to the art of stage hypnotism. It is an excellent and impressive skill. Take a course on hypnotizing someone if you are keen to perform hypnosis on stage, and see if it works for yourself.

How does hypnosis work? 

Hypnosis induces people into a trance-like state of focused attention. The hypnotized persons respond to suggestions more quickly as they're in a heightened state of focus. 

Research suggests that the conscious and unconscious minds can communicate better during hypnosis. Suggestion therapy makes the unconscious mind more amenable to guidance.

Sigmund Freud described conscious minds as the part of your brain thinking about what is happening right now. Somewhat like short-term memory, it is aware of your current consciousness in the world. A subconscious mind is long-term, and every thought and memory gets stored in one's subconscious.

Hypnosis and meditation aren't dissimilar. You enter a deep meditative state to access your subconscious. You might find that you sometimes daydream — this trance-like state is somewhat like hypnosis. 

Two parts of the brain show more significant brain activity during hypnosis: 

1. The anterior cingulate cortex, in charge of decision-making, becomes less active. 

2. The prefrontal cortex links to thoughts and actions, and a weakened prefrontal cortex makes you more susceptible to suggestion.

Because of its suggestive power, hypnosis is a good form of complementary and alternative treatment to cognitive behavioral therapy. To learn more about the power of suggestion in hypnosis, teach yourself with hypnosis training.

Is hypnosis dangerous?

The next biggest question after asking “is hypnosis real” is whether it is dangerous. Many people are skeptical about the safety of hypnosis. As with any medicine or therapy, there are side effects. However, these are often only a risk of medical hypnotism, and stage hypnotism is usually very safe.

Hypnotism can induce a headache, drowsiness, and dizziness. Hypnotherapy has been through clinical trials; only those with a medical education use hypnotism as a medical treatment. 

Some research suggests that hypnosis causes behavior changes during sensationalist hypnotism. While other medical practitioners believe hypnotism is not a form of mind control and is not powerful enough to change someone’s behavior against their will.

Influencing someone without their conscious consent creates ethical questions. A person might divulge personal information while they are unaware of their surroundings. Proper training can help you practice hypnotism ethically with the consent of a volunteer.

People fear the dangers of hypnosis, and gaining trust is crucial for performing hypnosis on people. However, if you are practicing stage hypnosis, the subjects are volunteers and are well aware of the risks. 

To learn how to safely hypnotize someone, sign up for one of many online hypnotherapy training courses or personal development courses.

What are some myths about hypnosis? 

Hypnosis has been a stage performance since the 18th century. Entertaining and scaring people for hundreds of years, many myths and misconceptions have formed. The history of hypnosis is full of legend and fears. 

In the 19th century, neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot worried that the sensationalist attraction of hypnosis lessened its medical value.

Many people are skeptical about hypnosis, both on stage and in medicine, because of its misconceptions. Here are some common myths:

Myth 1

Milton Erickson believed that people resisted hypnosis as they feared mind control. An unwilling patient or volunteer will struggle to succumb to hypnotic suggestibility. The audience might question, “Is hypnosis real?”

Learning hypnosis through a training course will teach you how to find the right volunteers to perform stage hypnotism successfully. As a stage hypnotist, it is all about choosing the most suggestible person.

Myth 2

Another myth is that the subject under hypnosis falls asleep. While it is true that the subject can fall into a “trance-like” state, they are not asleep, and instead, they are deeply aware of their mental state and unaware of their peripheral surroundings, like daydreaming.

Myth 3

Some people believe that hypnosis only works on some people, and hypnosis can usually work on anyone of any level of intelligence, as long as they are willing. 

Furthermore, it is less a black and white divide of who is hypnotizable and who is not, but rather, some people are more suggestible to some guidance than others.

Myth 4

That you are unable to control your actions through hypnotism is also false. A hypnotist can’t make you jump off a cliff. Someone under hypnotism still voluntarily acts. Their conscious mind might not be aware of the decision to act, but they will not do anything adverse. 

Myth 5

“Hypnosis is magic” is based on science, and psychologists and scientists have well researched the art of hypnosis. 

Hypnosis is not as scary as many people believe. With the proper training and careful practice, you can be a believable stage hypnotist and start deconstructing these myths.

What is hypnosis used for?

Often hypnosis is thought of as entertainment value. Hypnosis is the act of inducing someone into a hypnotic state, and Hypnotherapy is the practice of using hypnosis as a treatment. 

Some research suggests that hypnosis performance works as a cancer treatment. Rather than curing cancer itself, hypnosis and behavioral therapy can help with pain management. 

A certified clinical hypnotherapist uses hypnosis and Hypnotherapy for a variety of things, including:

• Treat post-traumatic stress disorder. 

• Help patients deal with stress management. 

• Help people that have bipolar disorder. 

• Treat eating and sleeping disorders.

• Treat dissociative disorders and mental health.

• Relieve stress and anxiety.

• Complement cognitive-behavioral therapy. 

• Treat pain control and irritable bowel syndrome.

• Weight loss.

Hypnotherapy is perhaps most often associated with weight loss. Patients that suffer from obesity can change certain behaviors that help them lose weight. Similarly, medical professionals use Hypnotherapy to encourage someone to stop smoking. 

Hypnosis is also used on the stage to entertain people and create a performance. Some might suggest this use of hypnosis is not as essential as the medical practices. 

Yet, what is the point in being healed if we are not supposed to have fun? Stage shows and performances are vital to happiness and survival.

Traditionally associated with magicians, today, hypnosis is used in comedy performances. The stage hypnotist uses psychology to choose the right volunteer cleverly, who accepts suggestions and is easy to persuade.

Stage hypnosis relies on the volunteer’s belief and willingness to perform, as well as the hypnotists’ talents. You can learn how to be an excellent stage hypnotist with a course on online hypnosis training. 

Can a hypnotist help you forget things? 

We fear mind control, whether on the stage in front of hundreds of people or a certified hypnotherapist’s office. Or, rather, we fear that we won’t be able to control what the clinical hypnotherapist will encourage us to do. 

In a hypnotic trance, the unconscious mind can reveal repressed memories that the conscious mind has forgotten. Through guided relaxation and focusing attention, we can access hidden memories.

However, hypnosis can also get the unconscious memory to create false memories. A suggestion that you remember something that did not happen might create a false memory, and helping people recall repressed memories might risk creating a fake memory.

On the flip side, can hypnosis help you forget? Not exactly. You cannot erase a memory with hypnotism. However, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, you can edit or adjust a painful or traumatic memory. 

By adjusting your negative associations with memory, hypnotherapy can change the stress and emotion that stem from it. 

A stage hypnotist won’t recall repressed memories from their volunteers or conduct a therapy session. Using hypnotherapy to treat someone’s memory is done by a trained psychologist or clinician. After all, what is entertaining about dragging out someone’s trauma?

How to become a hypnotist? 

To learn hypnosis, take a hypnosis course. Online hypnotherapy training or a short course in the field of hypnotherapy is available online. Courses usually involve practical workshops, independent study, and written work. 

Certified clinical hypnotherapists undergo years of hypnotherapy training to learn hypnotherapy and get practitioner training.

Once you have your hypnotherapy certification, you can join the American Hypnosis Association. If you are interested in the clinical use of hypnosis, join the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. You can also start learning hypnotherapy at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute.

There are also online hypnotherapy science courses. These courses help you gain national accreditation in the field of advanced hypnotherapy training. 

Learning stage hypnosis takes less time, and you don’t need a medical background. There are many accredited online hypnotherapy courses for the stage. If you have already started practicing hypnosis at home, you can take development courses to improve.

Where to study hypnosis? 

You can study hypnosis with education courses in stage hypnosis. Certification programs and training sessions will prepare you to perform hypnosis in front of an audience in no time.

Courses for Success offer a Stage Hypnosis Online Certificate Course. Learn how to use hypnosis in a performance. When you complete hypnosis training online with one of the certification courses, you receive a  hypnosis certificate.

Courses for Success offers distance learning hypnosis courses. There are student resources and courses available 24/7 for your successful completion.

The training program consists of how to charm your audience, use persuasion techniques, and apply these techniques to live hypnotherapy. It will teach you a suggestibility test to find the right volunteer to aid your performance. If you have the attention to achieve the training and certification, you will get a hypnosis certification.

These program courses and continuing online education in hypnotism will soon have you using the power of your hypnotist's suggestions to entertain.

Why Courses for Success? 

Courses for Success offers over 10,000 online courses, all of which aim to help you in your personal development and career progression. Not only that, but you can also study them anywhere and at any time, and take them at your own pace, too.

You don’t need career diplomas or specific experience to get started. From our coding courses and trading courses to design courses and developer courses, every course we offer will help boost your prospects, no matter who you are.

Beyond just the education itself, students will be issued a certificate online after completing each of the learning courses they do. Our stage hypnosis courses are no exception. Industry leaders recognize our online stage hypnosis certificates and you could make a name for yourself by signing up for a Courses for Success short course today.