What Can Hypnosis Really Do?

What we can definitely conclude is that hypnotherapy is not a panacea or cure-all. It is very effective, especially for those who are susceptible to it. For such people, it can be something to use throughout life, much like meditation or yoga, to enhance wellbeing.

For some people, unfortunately, it will not work at all. It is thought that hypnosis is highly effective for approximately one out of every seven or eight people, and that it will not work for approximately one out of every seven or eight people.

For those for whom it does not work, reasons can include lack of confidence in the hypnotherapist, resistance due to fear of losing control, or in some cases brain damage. For the majority of people, however, hypnosis works to varying degrees.

What is certain is that you cannot know what hypnosis can do for you unless you make a serious effort with the method. As with most things in life, the more you put into it, the more you get out.

Hypnosis as a skill

Hypnosis must be viewed as a skill. It becomes more effective the more it is practised. Like any skill, its effectiveness varies even after long experience.

The reason hypnosis is unpredictable is that the subconscious mind itself is unpredictable. It may work in conjunction with the hypnotherapist’s suggestions, or it may operate out of synchronisation with them.

For this reason, be cautious of any hypnotherapist who claims very high success rates. While success can vary between practitioners, hypnosis is still not fully understood and outcomes cannot be predicted with confidence. Find out what hypnosis really is and isn’t.

Working with the subconscious mind

Any problem involving the subconscious mind must be addressed at that level. This includes phobias, fears, anxieties, depression, bedwetting, and similar issues.

The task is to introduce appropriate suggestions into the subconscious mind and observe whether they work. If they do not, it is not a matter of giving up, but of trying different routes, techniques, and suggestions.

Milton Erickson, regarded as the father of modern hypnosis, stated that if one technique did not work, he remained confident that another eventually would.

Bedwetting as a learned skill

With bedwetting, the issue is viewed as a skill that has not yet developed — specifically, controlling the bladder during sleep.

If bedwetting is not being used as an attention-seeking behaviour, appropriate suggestions can help the brain and bladder coordinate more effectively at night. Since the issue may have existed for many years, it is reasonable that improvement may take time.

Resistance and habits: the example of smoking

It is a mistake to assume that the subconscious mind will always respond to suggestions. Smoking provides a clear example.

A person may consciously want to stop smoking and work with a hypnotherapist to create appropriate suggestions. These may be reinforced through recordings. However, the subconscious mind may resist, prioritising the immediate reward of nicotine over long-term health.

This resistance can occur because the subconscious mind feels insecure without the habit or believes something important is being lost. For some smokers, cigarettes are perceived as a “best friend” or source of comfort.

To counter this, I ask clients to generate at least ten alternatives to smoking, such as exercise, drinking water, tea or coffee, healthy eating, or social connection. The subconscious mind must be convinced that there is enough in life to support becoming a non-smoker.

Is hypnosis unique in what it can do?

The short answer is no. Other methods can be effective, including nicotine patches, gum, medication, acupuncture, and willpower. What matters is finding the method that works best for the individual.

Many smokers seek hypnotherapy after other methods have failed. In these cases, hypnotherapy becomes effective and leads to recommendations through word of mouth. Find out some of the other practical uses of hypnotherapy.

Gate Control and pain management

Hypnosis is commonly used for pain control through the Gate Control Theory, which proposes that the brain can block pain signals when necessary.

This is often observed in sport, particularly contact sports such as boxing, rugby, and martial arts, where pain may not be felt until after the event.

Hypnosis as a natural state

Hypnosis is now widely recognised as a state people experience daily. When watching television, people often become absorbed and unaware of their surroundings — a trance-like state.

Other common hypnotic states occur when drifting into sleep or waking naturally in the morning. Since hypnosis lies between wakefulness and sleep, this is entirely natural.

Because hypnosis is such a normal state, there is little to fear. With practice, people can start learning self-hypnosis techniques to use it deliberately to create positive change.

What we still don’t know about hypnosis

Despite its effectiveness, we still do not fully understand how hypnosis works. Research has expanded significantly, particularly in the USA and Australia, with studies now conducted in laboratories and clinics.

One example comes from a burns centre in Montreal, where hypnosis was used to reduce pain and scarring. In one case, visible scars healed following suggestion, while scars covered by clothing did not — demonstrating both the power of the subconscious mind and the importance of precise suggestion.

Hypnosis and memory

Hypnosis does not provide photographic memory. Memory under hypnosis is no more reliable than ordinary memory and may even be less accurate.

Highly hypnotisable individuals may report false memories with great confidence. This has led to serious consequences, including false accusations of childhood abuse, giving rise to the concept of False Memory Syndrome and the formation of the False Memory Society.

This highlights the ethical responsibility of the hypnotherapist.

Reframing: hypnosis and choice

Reframing helps people see problems differently and recognise choices where none seem to exist.

This idea originates with Viktor Frankl, whose experiences in concentration camps led him to develop Logotherapy, described in Man’s Search for Meaning.

Frankl emphasised that survival depends on recognising multiple choices, even in extreme circumstances.

Reframing in hypnosis

In hypnosis, the problem is clearly identified along with the feelings attached to it. If resistance appears, the question becomes: what purpose does this behaviour serve?

Rather than allowing parts of the mind to argue, the goal is cooperation between them. New behavioural pathways are explored that must be at least as effective, immediate, and available as the old behaviour.

At least three alternatives are identified and tested over several weeks. These alternatives are refined as needed.

Choice as a principle of change

An NLP saying summarises this well:

If you think you have no choice, you are dead.
If you think you have one choice, you are a victim.
If you have two choices, you have a dilemma.
So choose to have three or more choices.

Final analysis

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are gaining increasing respectability as more is understood about their therapeutic effects and realistic applications.

After more than a century of use by doctors, dentists, therapists — and less seriously on stage — hypnosis deserves to be taken seriously as a legitimate therapeutic tool.