I’m afraid I can’t be Hypnotized?

Typically when I hear that phrase it is an obvious indication that the person asking the question or making the statement does not understand what Hypnosis is. To address this, I will usually go back to explaining what Hypnosis is by employing the four different explanations we covered earlier. This usually makes it easier for the person to understand that yes, they too can be hypnotized. After explaining what Hypnosis is, “I am afraid I cannot be hypnotized” generally means that the subject is afraid that they will either not understand or cannot learn.  I assure you (and them), that if they can learn anything like Math or English, then they too can learn this process as well. You may learn it quickly or it may take some time. Some people think they cannot be hypnotized because they are either far too intelligent or not intelligent enough, always one extreme or the other, when the truth is that individual intelligence does not reflect one’s ability to learn this process. So neither being intelligent or unintelligent will directly affect their ability to be hypnotized. Others think they are too strong willed. What that really means is they are afraid of change or to surrender to control, which is an entirely different statement than being afraid that they can’t be Hypnotized.  Again, explaining to them what hypnosis truly is will make it easier for people to understand that they can be hypnotized. I find the more confident a person is, the more willing they are to give up control for a brief moment, knowing that they can get control back at any time. So the more confident a person is, the easier of a subject they are. Students in the military are always in the ‘taking- instruction- mode’, and as a result tend to tend to be some of the best and easiest subjects.