There is a saying amongst hypnotists that says “All hypnosis is self-hypnosis”. This refers to the fact that, contrary to popular belief, hypnosis isn’t really something that the hypnotist does to his client. Rather, you should see the hypnotist as a guide, someone that shows the client how to go into a hypnotic trance.

The reason that this is the case is that a hypnotist actually has to be good at going into a hypnotic trance so that the client can follow him or her into the same state. Human beings automatically look to match each other’s emotional and mental state, think of how you quickly get into an upbeat mood when you arrive at a party or how a sad friend can bring you down as well. Basically the better someone is at putting themselves into a hypnotic trance the better they can lead someone else into a trance as well.

Now the funny thing is that there is another meaning to the saying “All hypnosis is self-hypnosis”. This is that a large part of a clients experience of a hypnotic trance is down to their expectations. If you want to say it differently you could say it’s down to how well a person can imagine or pretend to go into a hypnotic trance.

To be honest when I first learned this I felt a little cheated. Could hypnosis really just be a matter of pretending and using your imagination. But the thing to remember is that for the brain there is no difference between pretending to do something and actually doing something. The exact same neurons are used in your brain when you imagine throwing a ball as if you really were to throw one. In the same way pretending to go into a deep trance is exactl y like going into one for real.

All this highlights how important it is to expose yourself to as much hypnosis as possible, go to hypnosis sessions, listen to hypnosis MP3′s and read up on how to lead others into a trance. The more you have these kinds of experiences the more you’ll be able to put yourself into trance more easily.