Some people might know a thing or two about hypnosis, while others might think it’s all just a bit of fun. But there’s much more to it than stage shows or cheap entertainment. Hypnosis is a science. It’s also an ancient one.

City Hypnosis was set-up over 15 years ago by Aaron Surtees, a professional hypnotherapist and mind coach. He studied Sociology, Psychology & Health BSc (Hons) at the University of Southampton and is one of the UK’s most experienced hypnosis and hypnotherapy practitioners. His extensive experience and high standards have helped him achieve a 92% success rate across all treatments. Today, he’s sharing 5 things you didn’t know about hypnosis.

• It doesn’t put you to sleep – Despite what many people think, hypnotising somebody doesn’t involve putting them to sleep. In fact, if you do fall asleep during a session, there’s a good chance that you’ll miss out on its benefits. Hypnosis works by encouraging patients to enter a deeply relaxing physical and mental state. As the conscious mind begins to unwind, it lets down many of its barriers. The therapist can then communicate with the unconscious mind, which is the source of most of our anxieties, fears, and insecurities.
• It’s not magic – Hypnosis isn’t magic. In fact, it’s a scientifically valid process that has many practical uses. Among its many benefits, studies have shown that hypnosis can help people overcome crippling additions, cope with phobias and social anxiety, and build a positive sense of self-worth. Through the power of suggestion, hypnosis enables people to take control of their mental and emotional lives. Once hypnotised, people become much more receptive to positive ideas and suggestions. These new ways of think or acting are then expressed through post-hypnotic suggestion. In other words, people act out the positive suggestions that were planted into their subconscious minds.
• It only works if you want it to – Hypnosis works through the powers of suggestion and positive persuasion, which means that the subject must be open to the idea of receiving new information. Hypnosis is about positive change. Again, this means that the subject must be willing to change. Hypnosis is not about coercion, control, or manipulation. So if you don’t want to be hypnotised, then it simply won’t work on you.
• It started in ancient Egypt – Hypnosis can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt, which makes the science of suggestion around 4,000 years old. The Egyptians built “dream temples” to help people suffering from physical and mental problems. The sick would be put into a trance-like state and encouraged to tell a priest about their dreams. The priest would then interpret their meaning and uncover the cause of the issue.
• You’re always conscious – The unconscious part of your brain takes care of all the stuff you do automatically. This includes the real basics like breathing and where you put your car keys, to more complex emotional reactions to familiar and unfamiliar stimuli. The conscious mind is the thinking part. It reacts to and evaluates unconscious messages. Sometimes it even challenges them, especially when they conflict with long-term objectives. So in a sense, it’s only through conscious reasoning that we can understand our unconscious drives. The same idea applies to hypnosis. The therapist doesn’t speak to the subconscious directly. Instead, they make positive suggestions to a more relaxed and flexible version of the conscious mind, which then has its own internal dialogue with the subconscious.