How old is hypnotism?
Since the beginning of recorded history hypnotism has been used across all cultures under a variety of names and guises to effect healing and change. In the 19th century hypnosis emerged as a science, becoming the first western form of mental therapy. Hypnotism was crucial to the work and thought of Sigmund Freud, Ivan Pavlov and numerous other figures in the history of western psychology and medicine.

Is the use of hypnosis approved by my religion?

Most mainstream religions approve of the use of hypnosis by their members for therapy and self-help.

Is hypnosis supernatural or magical?

Often the results obtained by hypnotherapy are little short of miraculous. While hypnosis often works like magic, it is not. It is a science.

Does a hypnotherapist have special powers?

The hypnotherapist does not hypnotize you. You are hypnotizing yourself through his direction. The hypnotist is the steering wheel to the client’s motor. With hypnosis all the power is within the client.

I don’t believe in hypnosis.

Modern scientific hypnotism is a recognized and respected science. Hypnosis is an indisputable and self evident fact of the human mind. The science of hypnotism is universally recognized throughout the civilized world. Any tendency toward doubt or skepticism is unrealistic and unwarranted.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind with special identifying characteristics. They are: 1.) An extraordinary mental and physical relaxation. 2.) Heightened and selective attention. 3.) Temporary passivity of the analytical part of the mind. 4.) An intense and emotionalized desire on the part of the hypnotized person to satisfy the suggested behavior.

What does the subconscious mind do?

The subconscious is the largest and most dominant part of the mind-the level you are generally unaware of. It is the seat of our memories, dreams, emotions and habits and it automatically regulates all of the functions of the body.

What is a suggestion?
A suggestion is simply an idea that reaches the mind and can originate from outside or within the individual. A hypnotic suggestion is a suggestion offered by the hypnotist to the client’s subconscious mind for acceptance.

What is a post-hypnotic suggestion?

A suggestion given during a hypnotic trance designed to be carried out in the subsequent working state.

Does “suggestibility” mean gullibility?

Suggestibility is not gullibility. It is the measure of intensity with which the brain and nervous system accept and respond to incoming ideas. In hypnosis both body and mind are more suggestible.

What is a hypnotic induction?

Induction is the procedure the hypnotist uses to induce hypnosis. It is used to relax the client’s body and clear his mind, preparing it for the hypnotic suggestions.

Can everybody be hypnotized?

Any person of normal intelligence can be hypnotized. This mental state exists and you definitely can learn to achieve it.

I don’t think I can be hypnotized.

Most people don’t think they can be hypnotized, but once they try, they find it very easy. Any normal person willing to be hypnotized and wanting the results will be a good hypnotic subject.

Can clients who are poor responders the first time become better hypnotic subjects?

Yes, repeated conditioning improves the ease and quality of their response.

Are women more hypnotizable than men?

No. Men and women are equally hypnotizable.

Can hypnotherapy be used effectively with children?

Yes. Once children have acquired the ability to use and understand spoken language they can benefit. Children generally make excellent hypnotic subjects. Hypnotherapy can be used safely and effectively with many childhood problems including, but not limited to, bedwetting, sleepwalking, fears, school, and study problems, pain control, tics and nervous habits.

Is hypnosis rare?

No. Hypnosis is just as natural a state of mind as sleep or wakefulness. Most people go into and out of this natural state of mind several times a day without recognizing they are doing so or knowing how to harness and use it.

Is hypnosis approved by the medical community?

Yes, in 1958 the American Medical Association approved the use of hypnosis. Physicians, dentists and psychologists have referred many of their patients to us for prescription hypnosis.

Is hypnotherapy a substitute for my doctor’s care?

No. While clinical hypnosis is intrinsically safe and often recommended as the approach of choice for many types of problems, it is not meant to substitute for standard health care, but to supplement it.

Will I be asleep?

You couldn’t hear your instructions if you were asleep. You are not asleep during hypnosis-your body and mind are lulled into an extremely relaxed state, allowing the power of your subconscious mind to take charge and to achieve the results which you find difficult during ordinary states of consciousness. The feeling of hypnosis is very similar to the way you feel just prior to sleep. You will hear your hypnotist’s voice finding it very easy to do as his voice suggests.

Does hypnosis weaken the will making you a slave to the hypnotist?

Just the opposite. The purpose of the hypnosis is to help the person to have greater, rather than less, control. The idea that one can be made a slave to the hypnotist is another common myth probably coming from late show movies and novels.

Do you lose control when you go into hypnosis?

No. Emphatically, no. In hypnosis you can’t be made to say or do anything against your wishes. However, if you have a sincere desire to change, your subconscious motivations can be activated and enhanced to support rather than hinder your goals.

Can a hypnotized person be made to commit anti-social acts?

No. A person in hypnosis is not an automaton and will not violate any religious, ethical, moral, or even political values.

Can hypnosis be used as a “truth serum”?

People do not say things in hypnosis they do not want to say. A part of the hypnotized person’s mind is always in contact with reality. When confronted with an embarrassing or incriminating question the subject will either refrain from answering or awaken in defense.

Can people be hypnotized against their wills?

No. The hypnotist must have the cooperation of the client.

Is being able to be hypnotized a sign of a weak mind?

No. Most people who don’t go into hypnosis are those who have the mistaken notion that hypnosis will hurt them. Weak-mindedness or strong-mindedness has nothing to do with the ability to experience hypnosis. A weak-minded person who resists suggestions is a poor responder. A strong-minded person who cooperates is a good responder.

Are persons in a trance physically defenseless and dependent upon the hypnotist?

In hypnosis there is no impairment of mental discrimination or the ability to detect threatening stimuli. The instinct of self-preservation does not leave the hypnotized person. If a fire broke out or some other threat developed while the person was in the hypnotic state, his reactions would be similar to those prior to the trance and he would do his utmost to save himself.

Can a person get “stuck” in hypnosis?

It is impossible to get stuck in hypnosis. It never happened and it never will. A person can come out of hypnosis anytime they desire to. Have you ever seen a credible news story or article where someone got “stuck” in hypnosis?

What if my hypnotist suddenly becomes seriously ill or dies while I am in hypnosis?

Should this happen, you would not remain in hypnosis. You would come out and take prompt action just as you normally would.

For how long a time can a person be kept in hypnosis in perfect safety?

A person can be kept in hypnosis in perfect safety from a few minutes to as long a time as it takes to complete the session in progress.

Can a person become addicted to hypnosis?

Not at all. A person can resist hypnosis any time they desire, no matter how many times they have been hypnotized. Hypnosis is not habit forming as some drugs are, nor are there any negative side effects. Hypnosis is good for your mind and body.

Will I be groggy or drowsy after being hypnotized?

No. Because hypnosis provides you with a period of rest and relaxation, you will leave the hypnotist’s office rested, refreshed, and fully alert and aware, and ready to do whatever comes next.

What must I do to be hypnotized and respond successfully?

To be hypnotized there are only three things you need to do. Concentrate your mind. Relax your body and imagine what the hypnotist suggests to you is absolutely true. Hypnosis is primarily a learning experience; a learning how to let go and let the suggestions take hold without any conscious effort to help or to hinder them.

What if my mind occasionally wanders during hypnosis? Will this effect the results?

No. Even if your mind wanders occasionally during hypnosis, it is only your conscious mind that is wandering. You will continue to subconsciously hear, understand and accept the suggestions of the hypnotist.

Do I have to be deep to be helped?

Under most situations, no. It depends on what we wish to accomplish. Usually a light to medium stage is more than sufficient. The vast majority of all people can achieve levels of hypnosis needed to benefit from its use.

How do I know if I’m hypnotized?

The hypnotherapist knows because he has been trained to recognize the signs a person gives off when hypnotized. Initially, be content to simply feel pleasantly relaxed. You may not be consciously aware of the changes that take place when you go into hypnosis at first. Please do not bother yourself with whether or not you are hypnotized. If you follow your hypnotherapist’s simple instructions you’ll achieve the desired results. That is really the only important thing.

Will I remember the hypnotic session?

Some of the time you may remember, the remaining time you may experience amnesia either spontaneously or in response to a suggestion to do so. Amnesia is a natural phenomenon of hypnosis and it is a sign of a deep hypnotic state. Be thankful if you experience it. No matter how little or how much you consciously forget, your results will be equally beneficial.

I want to overcome a bad habit but I don’t have any willpower. Will it work?

Hypnosis works even if you think you don’t have any willpower. If you were able to use willpower you wouldn’t need the hypnosis. Most people consciously accept the need for change. However, their subconscious mind, the source of automatic habits, continues the old ways despite their best conscious efforts to change. Hypnosis is a way to reach the subconscious so it can be directed to work for, instead of against, your conscious objectives. As a result, the need for conscious willpower is greatly reduced or eliminated entirely. You change naturally and easily without struggling with willpower.

What if I remember something I don’t want to remember?

Some clients fear that hypnosis may allow some painful memories or unacceptable feelings to emerge. There is no need to be afraid of your own mind. If the material is too difficult for you to deal with on a conscious level, your own protective subconscious mind will keep part, or all, of the memory in repression. You will only remember what is helpful for you to remember.

Is there a danger that if a symptom is removed with hypnotism another substitute symptom will appear?

This theory has no basis in fact. Symptom removal by suggestion is no more dangerous than by other means. When you take aspirin for a headache does another symptom appear? Psychiatrists routinely use symptom removal by drugs. A large part of the practice of medicine is symptom removal by drugs and surgery. More than any other method, hypnotherapy works to locate and resolve the underlying cause of a problem through the use of various uncovering techniques, such as age regression.

What is clinical hypnosis?

Clinical hypnosis is hypnosis that is done for the purpose of resolving problems or for the purpose of helping a person achieve goals.

What does the hypnotherapist do?

The hypnotherapist first consults with the client to determine the nature of the problem or goal. Next, he prepares the client to enter hypnosis, then tests the client to determine the pattern and degree of the client’s suggestibility. The therapist induces the hypnotic state in the client, then utilizes it to alter behavior patterns or bodily sensations or to increase motivation depending upon the purpose of the therapy. The hypnotherapist may also train the client in self-hypnosis.

What are the general approaches used by the hypnotherapist?

Depending on your situation the general approaches are: (a) A direct and immediate attack on the problem as it exists in the here and now. (b) Deriving an understanding of the reasons the problem exists and then utilizing this knowledge in the work of changing the problematic behavior patterns. (c) A combination of (a) and (b). The objective in all cases being the permanent alleviation of the problem. The approach is decided upon after all pertinent information is gathered and is adapted to the needs of the individual client.

Why use hypnosis?

We know from direct observation that all people function on at least two levels of awareness, the conscious and subconscious. These two levels of awareness are complimentary and operate simultaneously. The conscious mind is the analytical mind, the seat of our critical faculty, that filters and analyzes incoming ideas to determine their truth content. The subconscious is the part of your mind you are generally unaware of. It automatically controls most of your activities, our emotions, feelings, sensations, and habits. In comparison to the conscious level of mind, the subconscious has only limited reasoning capabilities. It believes what it is told and proceeds to act upon it as if it were true. When the analytic conscious mind is inactive and is not filtering incoming ideas, suggestions bypass the conscious mind and register upon the subconscious as true. Believing the idea, the subconscious acts spontaneously and automatically through the brain and nervous system to fulfill the suggested idea in thought and action to make it so. Hypnosis induces a temporary passivity of the critical faculty to allow suggestions; to bypass it and go directly to the subconscious. However, hypnosis is not the only way ideas can bypass the critical faculty to reach and influence the subconscious. The critical faculty of the conscious mind goes into abeyance during moments of strong emotion, confusion, physical pain, trauma, unconsciousness. Childhood is another condition that allows ideas to reach the subconscious without being filtered through the critical faculty. Difficulties can arise from false, misleading or harmful ideas subconsciously accepted as true. Whatever has been subconsciously accepted as truth becomes the critical faculty’s basis for judging all other future incoming ideas. Information to the contrary is rejected or ignored, while data that supports preexisting subconsciously held beliefs is recognized and accepted. This is why it is seldom possible to modify deeply held subconscious beliefs by appeals to conscious reason and logic. Harmful, false ideas subconsciously accepted as true result in problems that occur in life over and over affecting health, happiness, or level of accomplishment often without the person consciously recognizing what is causing the problem. Hypnotherapy is a safe, rapid and highly effective way to locate and permanently remove the negative subconscious programming that was causing suffering and artificial limitations.

I’ve heard that one or two sessions will be all that is necessary. Is this true?

The number of sessions needed depends on several factors and only a profile of your problem or goal can better determine this. For instance, what do you want to do with hypnosis? How long have you had the problem? How intense is the problem? Different people improve at different speeds. While hypnosis is not always a “one shot magic wand”, it is actually the fastest and surest way known to make lasting positive changes.

Do you offer private one-on-one sessions?

Yes, I have extensive experience doing individualized therapy. In nearly two decades of professional practice, I have logged over 30,000 hours of private, clinical hypnosis sessions.

Can hypnosis be used in groups rather than private sessions?

Yes. However, in private sessions we are dealing with your individual problem and not that of many people. It is usually most effective one-to-one, although comprehensive multiple session small groups like ours are generally the most effective type of group hypnosis.

I see many groups going around and they are in town for one night at a time. How effective are they?

They are generally not very effective because there isn’t any stability or reinforcement and again they are not geared to your individual situation. This is also the problem with buying a tape or tape set that is supposed to be a cure-all.

What is self-hypnosis?

Self-hypnosis is hypnosis self-induced. The person may also make suggestions to himself. This is called auto-suggestion.

Can I use self-hypnosis instead of hypnosis?

Some changes you can make without a hypnotist. Other changes require a hypnotist. You can easily move a chair alone. To move a large table you need someone else on the other end to help you.

Does it really work?

Yes! Absolutely, positively yes! Scientific research has solidly documented the effectiveness of clinical hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy works directly on the source of the difficulty to permanently resolve it. This is why hypnosis is highly effective with many problems that have stubbornly resisted all other helping approaches.

Why does hypnosis work?

Hypnotherapists are clinicians interested in getting results. While many theories exist, the clinical hypnotherapist has no need to know why hypnotism works, only how to use it for maximum effectiveness.

Because I know somebody who tried hypnosis unsuccessfully, I don’t think it will work for me.

It is true that hypnotherapy does not work for everyone, but it does work for most people. The person, the time, the place, the circumstance and the hypnotherapist are all different, so in all likelihood the outcome will also be different.

I don’t think I can be hypnotized because others have unsuccessfully tried to hypnotize me.

There are many variables that may have affected your past hypnotic experiences. Be sure to consider all of the details and circumstances surrounding your past “failure”, rather than concluding that you were not hypnotizable.

Do you offer a guarantee?

A multitude of variables affect human behavior. No one can ever totally predict or guarantee it. Just as physicians, psychotherapists, educators, and other professional people helpers cannot guarantee the efficacy of their services, nor can the hypnotherapist. Your best guarantee is to follow the recommendations you are given by your hypnotherapist and in so doing there's an excellent chance you will achieve the success you desire.

Do the changes brought about through hypnotherapy last?

Yes, because hypnotherapy involves retraining and reeducation. When new positive habits of thought and behavior are firmly established they tend to be self continuing and self reinforcing just as the unwanted patterns were.

Why use hypnosis for habit control?

Once the conscious mind has mastered new learning, the subconscious comes into play allowing us to perform the task without conscious effort; freeing our conscious mind to attend to, and learn, other things. Habits are, for the most part, useful to us. In doing many things automatically, we save a great deal of time and effort. Occasionally we find ourselves with a habit pattern that we would like to modify of eliminate. We may try to change on a conscious level. However, our subconscious mind, the source that governs our automatic habit patterns, causes the habit to persist despite our best conscious efforts to change. Hypnosis is a way to reach the subconscious so it can be directed to work for, instead of against, your conscious objectives. Hypnosis works directly on the problem with little or no need for using conscious willpower.

What is hypnotic age regression and why is it used?

Did you ever have a problem that occurs in your life, over and over, but you don’t know why? Hypnotherapy uses age regression to uncover forgotten events, release repressed energy and resolve subconscious conflicts, as well as, to correct faulty ideas accepted by the subconscious mind in the past. Age regression is also used to access and restart consciously forgotten strengths and abilities.

Frederick G. Sam, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist / Certified Master Hypnotist

Located in the Wilkes-Barre / Kingston / Scranton area of Northeast Pennsylvania