Rewire The Mind – Online Therapy Courses, Coaching & Hypnosis
  • Home
  • About
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Therapy Programs
    • Anxiety Treatments and Therapy
    • Binge Eating Disorder -BED Treatment
    • Confidence Training and Coaching
    • Drink Less Therapy
    • Sleep Therapy and Insomnia Support
    • Weight Loss Therapy and Coaching
  • Freebies
    • Binge Eating Cheat Sheet
    • 101 Coping Skills PDF
    • Drink Less Cheat Sheet
    • Self-Care Tips PDF
    • Self-Confidence Cheat Sheet
    • Wheel of Wellness Printable
  • Blog
    • Alcohol/Drinking
    • Anxiety
    • Binge Eating
    • Confidence
    • Gift Guides
    • Mental Health
    • Personal Development
    • Power of the Mind
    • Self-Care
    • Stress
  • Shop
    • Term Conditions
    • Terms and Conditions – Downloads, Courses & Apps
  • Contact
3 things hypnosis cannot do

What are 3 Things Hypnosis Cannot Do?

Mental Health / Power of the Mind

Over the years hypnosis has been mythologised to the point where an average person is likely to be clueless about what it is or what it does. This is because Hollywood, stage hypnotists and TV tend to portray hypnosis as a dark art involving mind control with gold pocket watches. This is why we wanted to write about 3 things hypnosis cannot do as well as discuss that it might be able to help you with if you chose a trained therapist to work with.

This post may contain affiliate links which means that we get a commission if you choose to make a purchase through the link. This is at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure page for more information.

Hypnosis Facts Vs Fiction

In reality, it is always more fun to make something appear more mysterious than it is where entertainment is concerned. Who wants to attend a stage show and watch people with their eyes closed and being relaxed? Well nobody of course. Embellish that stage show however and use dramatic words such as sleep and suggest mind control well of course the whole thing just got a whole lot more interesting.

The fact is that hypnosis on stage vs hypnosis used to help change unhelpful behaviours or habits in the subconscious mind are two very different things. A stage hypnotist is flamboyant and wants the audience to think that they are in complete control of the people who are chosen to participate. A clinical hypnotherapist however is much more akin to a therapist who is helping people to change their own lives through interventions that find the root cause of a problem.

When you perform hypnosis you are not looking to help anyone change their life. In private practice, however, all a hypnotist does is use skills to help the subconscious and conscious mind work in harmony to improve someone’s life. To do this you need to have a client who is willing to be placed into a relaxed state so the healing process can take place and for that to happen they need to trust you.

To find out more about hypnosis and how it works read Trancework by Michael Yapko who is a leading expert in the field.

What Does it Feel Like to Be Hypnotized?

Before I talk about the 3 things hypnosis cannot do it is important to understand what it is in the first place and how it feels. One of the biggest myths about hypnosis is that when you are in it you are either asleep or in some coma-like state where a hypnotist has complete control over you. No wonder people are fearful of using hypnosis when it is made to sound like a traumatic experience. The reality is much more mundane and frankly relatively boring.

When you are in hypnosis you are in a natural state of focused attention. Your mind is completely awake but you are in a relaxed almost meditative state and your body may feel heavy because your muscles have let go of any tension. Whilst you are in this altered state a hypnotist is either able to give you post-hypnotic suggestions to help change the way your subconscious mind thinks or ask you questions whilst you are in this zone to discover what may be going on in the back of your mind.

Hypnosis is a fantastic tool for helping to change bad habits, stop unconscious urges and create positive thoughts. It is also great at helping people to feel calm and reduce stress but there are also many things that hypnosis doesn’t actually do.

3 things hypnosis cannot do

The 3 Things Hypnosis Cannot Do Despite the Myths

So what are the 3 things hypnosis cannot do? Well if you are planning to use hypnosis it is worth noting its limitations. Some people still believe that hypnosis can be used like magic and solve everything but the reality is that whilst it can be a powerful tool it is not something that is suitable for all situations and people.

Hypnosis Cannot Cure Every Physical Illness

Sadly hypnosis in many parts of the world is relatively unregulated which means that whilst there are some amazing genuine practitioners there are also a lot of charlatans in the profession purely for the money. These are the people who will take on anyone who rings up for a session even if hypnosis may not be the most suitable therapy for them. We regularly see articles or comments online from individuals making outrageous claims about hypnosis that simply are not true.

The reality is that if you have a physical illness such as cancer, a brain tumour or heart disease then not even the best hypnotist in the world will be able to cure your problem. Hypnosis does not create immediate healing for physical illnesses and it won’t be able to resolve severe medical conditions.

The issue is that when people are faced with a life-changing diagnosis or have been told they may not have long to live they are more likely to clutch at any possible treatment or therapy that they believe may help. This pushes them to use hypnosis even when it isn’t appropriate. A good clinical hypnotherapist will of course refuse to do these sessions.

Now whilst hypnosis isn’t a cure-all for physical illnesses it can help in certain circumstances. An example might be in the case of pain management. We regularly see clients with long term pain issues that have not been helped with conventional pain relief medication. This is usually because there is a psychological element to the pain. Resolve the anxiety or stress linked to the pain and of course the level of pain will also fall.

Similarly, we do see cancer patients but never to “cure” the illness. We can however use hypnosis to help our clients to tolerate their treatment more easily. We can also help to reduce stress and anxiety associated with their illness and even help clients who may have difficulty eating or drinking. Hypnosis is also a well-known treatment to assist with anticipatory nausea brought on by chemotherapy. Whilst none of these interventions directly cure actual cancer they can help the conventional medical treatment be more effective by helping clients tolerate what they are going through.

We treat every phone call individually so we never make a decision on who we can or cannot help until we find out more about their condition and the problems they may be having because of it. A good hypnotist will look at every person on a case by case basis and then give an assessment on what they can and cannot do. Just remember we are not miracle workers or trained medical professionals but therapists who work with changing the way that the subconscious mind reacts in certain situations.

Hypnosis and Illness

Hypnosis Cannot Be Used on Everyone

TV shows and entertainment always make it look as if anyone can be hypnotized but that isn’t the case. There are some people who just aren’t able to be hypnotized no matter what. There are a number of reasons why this might be the case.

Low IQ

Firstly people with a very low IQ are not as easily hypnotizable as those with higher intelligence levels. There are not enough studies to show the exact reasons why this may be but it is likely to be due to their inability to concentrate and focus for significant periods of time.

Also, some hypnotic techniques involve more complex therapy such as regression work rather than just post-hypnotic suggestion. This requires the person participating to be able to grasp the concept so that their brain can rationalise what has been happening in their conscious mind vs the subconscious mind. If the person having the hypnosis is unable to grasp this then even if hypnosis was possible it may not achieve the desired outcome.

Unwillingness to be Hypnotized

For the most part, hypnosis is something that involves both the hypnotist and the client working together in order to solve a problem. If the client however doesn’t want to focus during the session and is unwilling to participate it is not going to be the most productive of sessions.

In most cases, the unwillingness to be hypnotized tends to be based around fear and a worry by a client that they may have their mind controlled by the hypnotist. Alternatively, they may worry that hypnosis could cause adverse reactions so they will do anything they can to prevent it from occurring. As hypnotists, our job isn’t to force someone to have something that they are afraid of instead we want to help dispel those fears so that our clients relax and then become compliant.

Age 

The fact is that hypnosis requires communication for it to work and for the person who is having the session to have a certain degree of compliance. This clearly means that age will have an impact on those that you are able to work with.

A baby can’t be hypnotized because it is physically impossible to communicate with them. Similarly, the communication problems continue until the child is at an age where they are able to discuss their problems with the hypnotist. There is no firm age as to when this will happen but as a general rule, we only tend to work with children over the age of 10. A younger child may be willing to listen or focus but it will depend on their maturity and how fearful they are of working with someone they don’t know.

Severe Mental Illness

Hypnotists, for the most part, are not doctors or behavioural psychology experts instead they are therapists helping the general public to overcome habits and unwanted thoughts and behaviours. Whilst they may deal with many different conditions it is not usually appropriate for them to work with people who have a severe mental illness.

There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly people with a severe mental illness may need specialist help from medical professionals, not generalist therapists. If hypnotherapists interfere with people who are already emotionally fragile then it is possible for them to cause severe problems.

It is also well known that people with a mental illness are more prone to self-harming and suicide therefore only highly trained people should work with them in therapy in case their sessions trigger these tendencies.

With some mental illnesses, it can also be difficult for a person to fully perceive whether what they are seeing is real or imagined. As hypnosis can involve visualisation and hallucinations it makes sense to avoid this if a person is already having a problem being able to understand their conscious mind.

who can't be hypnotized?

Nobody Can Give You Accurate Hypnosis Success Rates 

Finally the last of the 3 things that hypnosis cannot do revolves around how successful your sessions will be. We regularly get asked by potential clients can you give me a success rate for sessions when they call and think about booking. What these people want to hear is that their problem is solved in 95% -100% of cases.

Well, the fact is that nobody should be quoting those numbers because every person we have in our clinics or online has completely different problems, motivations and circumstances. Therefore no two people are exactly alike and will get the same results.

A perfect example of this might be a person who calls to quit smoking. If these people are fed up with smoking, feel motivated and are willing to follow our suggestions to switch off those automatic cravings then there is a high chance that they may quit. Now imagine this same person has been made to ring us by their partner who is fed up with their smoking. They aren’t really invested in the process and can’t be bothered to quit as they still really enjoy smoking.  Well, clearly their chances of any sort of success are low. It is impossible therefore to give a success rate number with these variables.

Whether you are looking to lose weight, stop anxiety, feel more confident or stop a bad habit the complexity of your case is going to make a difference. Don’t expect hypnosis to give you absolute certainty before you book because the reality is that isn’t likely. Instead, increase your chances of success by being motivated and ready to try anything and choosing someone to help who has considerable experience and who is knowledgeable about your particular problem.

hypnosis success rates

So What Can Hypnosis Do?

Whilst we may have spent considerable time talking about the 3 things hypnosis cannot do there are also plenty of things that it can help with. Hypnosis is an amazingly powerful tool to help people overcome problems by tapping into the power of the unconscious mind.

In most cases, the reason why our clients have problems is that the unconscious mind is doing something automatically in the background which the conscious mind is unaware of. This subconscious process usually starts in childhood and then keeps on running and producing automatic thoughts or behaviours years later. This may be because of a big traumatic event or due to a series of smaller unpleasant or embarrassing experiences. As we grow older we forget about the original events or do not associate them with our problems today so our minds never update and alter the old thoughts, habits or behaviours.

Hypnosis is a great tool as it can work on updating these old automatic thoughts in two ways. Firstly through the use of positive associations and suggestions under hypnosis to create change. An example of this might be a hypnotist suggesting to someone under hypnosis that flying will now be pleasant and relaxing. For some people, these suggestions are enough to dampen the negative strong emotions and replace them with positive ones.

Self-hypnosis downloads can help you to do some of this work yourself. Just buy one of our audios that addresses your particular problem and start using it to see if it changes your outlook and conscious mind. We have guided meditations and self-hypnosis audios to help with everything from anxiety to weight loss.

Secondly, exploratory hypnosis can be used to find out the reason for the automatic behaviour in the first place. This is done usually by going back through a clients memories to find out the first time a problem may have started. By helping the client to remember what caused their problem therapy can now be aimed at the actual problem instead of guessing.

List of Things Hypnosis Can Help With

There are so many things that hypnosis can help with that it can be difficult to list them all. Remember as we said earlier most hypnosis specialists will have a core of basic problems that they deal with regularly and perhaps some specialisms that are more unusual. Here are some of the main issues you could expect a hypnotherapist to work with.

Anxiety Related Issues

Anxiety problems are one of the biggest areas that people work with because nearly everyone has one. From simple fears and phobias to more complex issues such as panic attacks hypnosis can help calm down the mind to help it think more rationally and feel less fear.

  • OCD
  • Fears and Phobias – Flying, Claustrophobia, Spiders, Heights, Emetophobia, Fear of Animals
  • PTSD
  • Social Anxiety
  • Generalised Anxiety
  • Panic Disorder

Self Hypnosis for Anxiety Download Program

Shop Online

Food Hypnosis

Hypnosis for food problems doesn’t just involve weight loss but a whole host of complex issues including eating disorders.

  • Weight Loss Hypnosis
  • Binge Eating
  • Bulimia
  • Orthorexia
  • Picky Eating/Selective Eating
  • Anorexia
  • Sugar Cravings
  • Emotional Eating

ultimate weight loss self hypnosis program

Shop Online

Confidence

We could all do with a little extra confidence at times but some people suffer from a lack of it more than others. Hypnosis can help to boost confidence and self-esteem when you need it the most.

  • Public Speaking
  • Low Self-esteem
  • Stage Fright
  • Job Interviews
  • Relationship Confidence
  • Confidence at Work
  • Driving Confidence

Self Hypnosis for Confidence & Self-Esteem

Buy Now

Addictions

Addictions are never just about the problem itself. Problems such as drinking too much or gambling are about escaping reality or managing stress. Hypnotherapy can help you to find out what might be the underlying problem.

  • Gambling
  • Drinking
  • Shopping
  • Drugs
  • Gaming

how to stop alcohol cravings self-hypnosis download

Drink Less Download

Medical Related

As we discussed earlier hypnosis can help with illness but not always directly. If you have an unusual medical condition talk to your hypnotherapist first to see if they believe they may be able to make a difference.

  • Fear of Hospitals
  • Worries about Treatment
  • Pain-related Issues
  • Problems Eating
  • Fear of Needles/Injections
  • IBS Hypnosis
  • Fibromyalgia

Childbirth and Fertility

It is well known that reducing stress can assist with fertility making hypnosis the perfect tool to use if you are having problems conceiving. Once you are ready to give birth hypnobirthing is a way of helping you to feel calmer and more relaxed in labour.

  • Hypnobirthing
  • Fertility Hypnosis

Sleep/Insomnia Hypnosis

We can all experience problems with sleep at times but then our inability to get a good nights rest interferes with our health or stress levels then hypnosis can help to switch the mind off so it can relax.

Guided Sleep Meditation for Insomnia

Shop Online

Anger

The calming impact of hypnosis can help to diffuse anger.

Children’s Hypnosis

Children’s hypnosis can be useful for many common childhood issues. It is not usually suitable for very young children.

  • Bullying
  • Bedwetting
  • Separation Anxiety
  • Problems at School
  • Tics

Sexual Problems

Hypnosis can help with everything from erectile dysfunction to vaginismus.

Habits

Habits can be hard to break but hypnosis can help make it easier to stop them.

  • Thumb Sucking
  • Nail Biting
  • Skin Picking
  • Hair Pulling

Relationship Issues

Love and relationships are a big area for hypnotists.

  • Jealousy
  • Infidelity
  • Divorce
  • Break-Ups
  • Mistrust

Stress Management

We all suffer from stress at times but sometimes too much stress causes bigger problems such as insomnia or mental health issues. Hypnosis for stress can help you to find better ways to manage your lifestyle to diffuse the problem.

self hypnosis relaxation and stress reduction

Shop Online

Exams/Tests

Hypnosis can help you to prepare for exams as well as assist with memory and concentration.

Motivation/Procrastination

If you are a procrastinator and want to get motivated then hypnosis can help to spur you into action.

Depression

Finally mild to moderate cases of depression may be helped with hypnosis.

More Articles About Hypnosis

Hypnosis to Stop Overthinking – Solutions to Quieten The Mind

Hypnosis to Forget a Memory

Manifestation Hypnosis – Using the Law of Attraction to Reach Your Goals

Hypnosis for Studying and Exams

Hypnosis for Motivation and Energy

*This site is owned and operated by rewirethemind.com. Rewirethemind.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Martina McKeough
Martina McKeough
Senior Qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist & Business Owner at Rewire The Mind
Martina is the founder of Rewire The Mind and a Senior Qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP Practitioner, Coach, Mentor and Blogger. As featured in The Telegraph, The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Mail and Other Major Publications.
Martina McKeough
Latest posts by Martina McKeough (see all)
  • A Limiting Beliefs List – Find Out What’s Holding Your Back - January 15, 2023
  • Why Talking To Your Subconscious Mind Before Bed Can Change Your Life - June 8, 2022
  • Creating a Lavender Self-Care Kit - May 7, 2022
Summary
What Are 3 Things Hypnosis Cannot Do?
Article Name
What Are 3 Things Hypnosis Cannot Do?
Description
Discover The 3 Things That Hypnosis Cannot Do. Learn About the Limitations of Hypnosis As Well As What Conditions It Can Help.
Author
Martina McKeough
Publisher Name
Rewire The Mind
Publisher Logo
Rewire The Mind
Tagged: 3 things hypnosis cannot dohypnosis facts vs fictionhypnosis success rateslist of things that hypnosis can help withwhat can hypnosis do?what does it feel like to be hypnotized?

Post navigation

Previous PostNext Post

You Might Also Like

  • limiting beliefs list

    A Limiting Beliefs List – Find Out What’s Holding Your Back

  • talking to your subconscious mind before bed

    Why Talking To Your Subconscious Mind Before Bed Can Change Your Life

  • hypnotherapy in Nottingham

    Hypnotherapy In Nottingham

Freebie – Stop Binge Eating Cheat Sheet

Stop Binge Eating Cheat Sheet

Freebie – 5 Steps to End Anxiety & Panic

Free Anxiety and Stress Management

Freebie- Drink Less Quick Start Guide

Get your free drink less cheat sheet

Recent Posts

  • A Limiting Beliefs List – Find Out What’s Holding Your Back
  • Why Talking To Your Subconscious Mind Before Bed Can Change Your Life
  • Creating a Lavender Self-Care Kit
  • Hypnotherapy In Nottingham
  • 50 Positive Trading Affirmations To Create a Success Mindset

Categories

  • Alcohol/Drinking
  • Anxiety
  • Binge Eating
  • Confidence
  • Coronavirus
  • Food Hypnosis
  • Free Inspirational Phone Wallpapers
  • Gift Guides
  • Mental Health
  • OCD
  • Personal Development
  • Power of the Mind
  • Quotes
  • Relationships
  • Self-Care
  • Self-Esteem
  • Sleep
  • Stress
  • Uncategorised
  • Uncategorized
  • Weight Loss

Archives

  • January 2023
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019

Let's Connect

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Martina McKeough Hypnotherapist, Coach and NLP Expert
  • Copyright Rewire the Mind 2019

    Please note that all content on this website and blog is subject to copyright. No part of our content may be copied or reproduced without prior permission.

  • Contact

    Registered Business Address

    36 Main Street, Farndon,
    Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG24 3SA

    Tel: 01636 650 521

  • Privacy Policy

    Disclaimer

    Terms and Conditions

© Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved. Powered by Launch & Sell.