Is hypnosis a good thing? This might seem like an unusual question, coming from a hypnotherapist such as myself, eh? Many people seem to assume that hypnosis is a good thing, and I want to suggest today that perhaps this is a misconception that needs correcting…

If we look at the notion of autosuggestion and self-hypnosis, or even just look at the idea of having an internal dialogue that affects who and how we are, we can note the effect that certain thoughts, ideas and beliefs can have upon us when repeated inside our own head.

If I was to continue thinking “life is crap and existence is futile” whilst listening to my old Smiths LP’s (those are vinyl records to those born into the digital age, we used to listen to music on them) and insisting that my bedroom be dark and gloomy whilst thinking that sort of thought over and over to myself.  That thought and self-suggestion can affect my feelings and subsequent behaviour in a way that may not be viewed as very positive.

Did that sound like the voice of experience?  😉

Though likewise, when we are convinced that we are capable and we think to ourselves “I can do this, I am happy” then things lighten up inside of us and we feel and behaviour in a very contrasting manner altogether.

So it depends on the kinds of suggestions that we absorb, that we focus upon, that in turn can influence and affect our lives in a variety of ways.

My point is this, hypnosis per sé is not inherently a good thing. Many people perceive it as something which is good. Is it correct to think that? Suggestion can be used by us and other people to help, hinder or even harm and so hypnosis is not innately a good thing, is it?

It does of course have the potential to be incredibly good and the work I see being done in my own consulting rooms and by many hypnotherapists and wonderful colleagues around the world is testament to that. When it is applied skilfully and intelligently, it can be a wonderful thing, but I think to assume it is a good thing per sé, is not really the case.

The realities that people experience while hypnotised are affected by their perspective, their beliefs, their values, what they consider acceptable behaviour and so on and so on. Therefore, the decisions we make, the thoughts we think and cognitions we experience can be seen as (at least in some part, self-suggested) and as I explained earlier on, the things we suggest to ourselves are often not what we’d consider to be good.

So there you have it, a slightly different notion for the day… Is hypnosis actually a good thing? I think if it is in the right hands, then it can be.