Quick takeaways
Hypnosis Is Common: Many people experience trance-like states throughout their day, whether they're engrossed in scrolling their phones, daydreaming or losing track of time while driving. These natural moments highlight our ability to shift focus and awareness.
Co-Creative Process: Hypnotherapy is not about the hypnotist controlling your mind; it’s a collaborative process where you actively participate. Your thoughts and intentions shape the experience, making you the most effective guide in your own journey of transformation.
Myths and Misconceptions: Common misconceptions about hypnosis—the idea that it involves mind control or that you can’t return to full awareness—are far from the truth. Hypnosis empowers you to explore your subconscious and facilitate positive changes in your life, enhancing your ability to manage emotions and achieve your goals.
Hypnosis often seems to be shrouded in mystery, which is part of why I love it. Hypnosis is also shrouded in skepticism which creates a challenge for those of us who have stepped into the role of hypnotist and hypnotherapist. When a dentist tells a fellow partygoer that he practices dentistry or an attorney says that she practices law, they’re rarely met with a, is that even real? Is dentistry real? Is law real? But practicing hypnotists and hypnotherapists do, in fact, get asked, “is hypnosis real?” And the followup questions: Is it actually possible to be hypnotized? Can anyone be hypnotized?
These questions prompt us to reflect on our everyday experiences. Experiences as familiar as drinking water. As humans, in some moments, you may not realize it, but you are entering a natural trance state. The frequency and ease of entry into this state highlights the human ability to shift our focus and awareness. Here I will explore the fascinating world of hypnosis and its accessibility to everyone.
Do you ever get lost while scrolling on your phone at home, in the Bay Area? As a passenger in the car crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, do you ever find yourself staring out the window at the bay, lost in a thought? As the driver of a car going through San Francisco, do you ever find yourself arriving at your destination without much awareness of how you even got there? Is your partner ever so engrossed in the 49ers game that they don’t hear you calling? The same for your kids with cartoons?
As human beings, we find ourselves in trance off and on throughout the day. There is nothing unique or novel about this experience. To be in trance is as common as it is to breathe, to eat, to smile, to laugh and to cry. You could say that we hypnotize ourselves all the time. You could say that you yourself are the best and most successful hypnotist that you have ever worked with. So yes, I do think that it’s possible to actually hypnotize someone because I hypnotize myself daily.
Consider the countless moments each day here in the Bay Area when your mind drifts and you let go of your surroundings in Berkeley or Oakland. In these instances—scrolling your phone, watching a movie, or even simply staring out the window—your attention narrows, and you enter a natural trance state. It's effortless and familiar. It’s as if your mind has found a restful rhythm on its own. These brief escapes from the present moment are not only common, as humans, they are also deeply embedded in how we process, in how we rest and in how we refresh our minds.
Hypnosis is a purposeful and directed way of engaging this natural, everyday experience to bring about positive changes. The practice of hypnotherapy is about guiding you into a focused, relaxed state, similar to these familiar trances, where your mind becomes receptive to new ideas, beliefs and goals. In these moments, you are highly susceptible. Remember though, it’s not just the hypnotherapist leading the way—it's actually you who is guiding the experience. It’s a co-creative process, and the truth is, the hypnotherapist needs your active participation and willingness to explore your own mind.
Your intuitive insights, unique past experiences and consenting openness are vital in shaping the direction of the session. Stage hypnotists would like you to think otherwise, but that’s a whole other conversation. As the hypnotherapist, while I guide clients through the process, it is clients’ thoughts and intentions that ultimately drive the outcomes that they seek. Together, in a partnership, we create a supportive environment where the client can tap into their subconscious. Here they can discover new perspectives and initiate meaningful change. This partnership makes hypnotherapy uniquely powerful, tapping into a client’s natural ability to enter trance and opening the door to personal transformation.
Clients in Berkeley and the wider Bay Area sometimes ask me, “how will you know when I’m hypnotized?” Sometimes followed by, “do you need to be paying attention to my brain waves?” Yes, brain waves are a key aspect of hypnosis, but personally, as a hypnotherapist I don’t focus on them. When someone is in a hypnotic state, their brain wave activity typically shifts toward slower frequencies, such as alpha and theta waves. These brain waves are associated with relaxation, creativity and deep focus, which can facilitate access to the subconscious mind and enhance suggestibility. You can identify if someone is in an alpha state by observing signs of relaxed body language, such as loose limbs and a calm posture, along with slower, more rhythmic breathing. Their eyes may appear to flutter beneath closed eyelids, indicating a state of relaxation and focus, and they might exhibit altered awareness, becoming less responsive to external stimuli while being more open to suggestions.
In contrast, to determine if someone is in a theta state, look for even deeper physical relaxation, with breathing becoming slower and more irregular, possibly accompanied by pauses or sighs. Their eyes may be still, showing deep internal focus, and they might lose track of time, experiencing a sense of timelessness while responding readily to suggestions and accessing memories or creative thoughts more freely.
Why don’t I focus on getting someone into these specific brain waves at my hypnotherapy practice in Berkeley? There are a few reasons.
One, focusing on getting a client to a specific state isn’t necessary. Oftentimes, clients appear to get into these alpha and theta states without me even trying. I see relaxed body language and calm posture all the time. I frequently hear about the loss of time from clients when I close the session. “Wait, it’s over already?” I don’t believe that it’s necessary to focus on these brain wave states because I’ve worked with enough clients who have not exhibited these obvious markers of hypnosis, the alpha and theta wave state, and they’ve also created change in the session. At my hypnotherapy practice in Berkeley, I’ve worked with clients whose eyes are closed and their awareness is turned inward, yet they seem perfectly alert and very actively engaged, like they could open their eyes and immediately drive their car across the Bay Bridge. These clients aren’t exhibiting any obvious signs of the alpha and theta brain wave state, so are they not hypnotized? I think that they are hypnotized.
Hypnosis is a state of heightened awareness and focused attention, where individuals become more receptive to suggestions and can access their subconscious mind more easily. During this state, a person may experience deep relaxation (but they don’t have to) while maintaining an enhanced ability to concentrate on specific thoughts or images. Not focusing on these states lets us all just relax on it.
There are several more reasons why I don’t focus specifically on getting my Bay Area hypnosis clients into theta and alpha brain waves. First, I choose to prioritize a client-centered approach. I think it’s important to tailor sessions to each individual’s unique needs and preferences rather than strictly aiming for certain brain wave states, such as hypnosis for fear of flying or hypnosis for fear of driving.
Additionally, clients can respond differently to hypnosis, and not everyone may enter theta or alpha states. Focusing solely on these states will inevitably overlook the diverse ways that each hypnotherapy client experiences hypnosis. As a goal oriented Bay Area hypnotherapist, my primary goal is to achieve specific client-determined outcomes, such as reducing anxiety or getting over a fear of public speaking, rather than measuring brain wave activity during sessions.
Furthermore, as a hypnotherapist, I incorporate various techniques, such as guided imagery, breathwork, tapping and more, that lead to effective outcomes without requiring a focus on brain wave states. Lastly, clients often seek hypnosis for stress relief or anxiety management, which can be achieved by emphasizing relaxation and comfort instead of targeting specific neurological states. By concentrating on these aspects, I believe that I help to create a more inclusive and effective environment to help my clients learn to step into these new and more easeful states.
Hypnosis is often surrounded by unfortunate misconceptions that can create fear and skepticism about this incredible practice. As a Berkeley hypnotherapist, I believe that it's essential to address these myths so that people who could really benefit from hypnosis can begin to understand what hypnotherapy truly entails.
A big myth that so many potential clients here in the Bay Area ask me about is the idea that hypnosis allows the hypnotist to control the client's mind. That is so far from reality. The truth is, hypnosis is a collaborative process where the client remains fully aware and in control throughout the session. With focused attention, client’s often have more control over their internal emotional states than during the day to day lives. Instead of being manipulated or controlled, as some believe, clients are guided into a focused state of awareness where they can explore their thoughts and feelings.
Another common misconception is that once someone is hypnotized, they might not be able to come back to full awareness. This is simply not true; clients can return to normal consciousness at any time.
Ultimately, the power of hypnosis lies not just in the techniques employed by a hypnotist or hypnotherapist, but in the client's willingness to engage in the process. By debunking common myths and understanding that hypnosis is a collaborative experience, we can appreciate its potential for personal transformation.
Whether you seek relief from anxiety, a solution for a fear of public speaking or simply wish to explore your subconscious, hypnotherapy can offer a path to positive change and self-directed neuroplasticity. For one to embrace the possibility that anyone can be hypnotized, they open the door to their own healing and growth. I invite you to experience the profound effects of this unique practice for yourself.