Signs of Hypnosis

young woman in hypnosis

How will I know that I’m in hypnosis?

The short answer is: You probably won’t. Hypnosis differs from our regular everyday mental experience in life only by varying degrees, depending on the depth of hypnosis you enter. It’s a similar state to our normal waking thoughts and actions, but similar to being in a daydream type of state. In hypnosis, you’re still conscious and alert, it’s simply that your focus has shifted. However, there are certain physical characteristics that are associated with hypnosis which your hypnotist can observe and use to guide you toward the change you desire. Below, you will find some signs of being in a state of hypnosis.

Muscular Relaxation

While hypnosis does not require muscular relaxation to be effective, it is a common feature of the typical hypnosis experience for most clients. Facial muscles, as well as the neck, arms, and legs, all tend to relax at least a bit during the hypnosis session. Sometimes, the relaxation during hypnosis is profound.

Breathing Rate Changes

During hypnosis, the breathing rate of the client will usually either slow down or speed up. In addition, not only the rate can change during hypnosis, but the depth of the breath as well. Often, a client’s rate and depth of breathing during hypnosis will vary depending on the content of their visualization and/or the type of exercise we perform while in hypnosis during the session.

Lower Jaw Slackens

In hypnosis it’s also quite common for a client’s jaw to drop downward, almost as if they were to have a 10 pound weight hanging from their chin. If you’ve seen a comedy hypnosis show a the Fresno Fair, you have already likely seen this sign of hypnosis in action. Perhaps their head was leaning to the side or back, with their mouth agape. When I see this in my office, it tells me the client has entered a very comfortable depth of hypnosis.

Lacrimation

After the hypnosis session is complete and I emerge someone from their trance, they usually open their eyes and are surprised to find that their eyes are a bit watery. Sometimes they even have slight tearing noted during the session, unrelated to any emotional experience. Their eyes can also be a bit red for a few minutes, as if blood-shot. This is all normal, common, and resolves quickly after the hypnosis session. The experience is comfortable and most importantly, totally normal.

Snoring

I have yet to have a woman snore during hypnosis with me. But men? Absolutely. And while there is an ongoing debate about he efficacy of hypnotic suggestions when we are asleep, I choose to error on the side of keeping my clients alert and responsive to my suggestions. About one out of every twenty men will relax so much, that if their head tilts just right during hypnosis, they will snore! Most of them usually aren’t actually asleep, for when I check to see if they are alert and ask them to perform a request, such as to move their finger, most of the time they do so without much delay. This further demonstrates that during hypnosis, the client is always aware and in control on either a conscious or subconscious level.

If you’re interested in knowing if hypnotherapy can help you, call one of our offices in Fresno, Bakersfield, or Modesto to speak with Mr. Banks.