The Business of Mind Control?

Welcome to Mind & Needle! I’m Christina Robb, a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, certified hypnotherapist and owner of Robb Acupuncture and Wellness in Phoenix, AZ. Today, we’re diving into the FAQs I get about hypnosis in an episode I like to call, “The Business of Mind Control?” Spoiler alert: hypnosis is NOT about mind control…but we’ll get to that!

First, I want to start out by saying that what I am going to share is based on my own experience as a hypnosis practitioner and is based on the training that I received but not all practitioners are alike and another practitioner may have a differing opinion. There are a  multitude of different techniques, and each of us finds what works best for our clients.

That being said, let’s jump into the most frequently asked questions I get regarding hypnosis. 

Is hypnosis mind control? Or more often I hear, are you going to make me cluck like a chicken or bark like a dog?  If I were able to control your mind to rob a bank, I’d be a lot richer. No…hypnosis is NOT mind control. Hypnosis is actually a natural state that we all experience daily. Have you ever been so engrossed in a book or daydreaming that someone had to call your name three times before you noticed? That’s a form of hypnosis!  Some of this misconception comes about in the thought that I am doing something to you, but many hypnosis practitioners use the saying that “all hypnosis is self hypnosis”. I like for my clients to think of me as their guide, not their commander.  My job is to show you the way to heal yourself and it’s totally up to you whether you want to follow me.  I can’t make you do anything that goes against your morals, ethics or personal boundaries.

So why does stage hypnosis look like mind control? Well, it’s all about context and consent. Stage hypnotists are often looking for volunteers who appear eager, outgoing and suggestible.  People that are more likely to get into the spirit of the performance. 

The participants’ behavior might seem exaggerated or out of character, but they’re often just letting go of inhibitions—not because they’re being controlled, but because they feel comfortable and free in the playful context of the show. The hypnosis simply helps them enter a relaxed state where they’re more open to suggestions, but they’re still making the decision to follow those suggestions.

In therapeutic hypnosis, the goals are completely different. Instead of entertainment, the focus is on achieving personal growth, healing, or specific outcomes like stress relief or weight loss. You remain fully aware during the session, and all suggestions are aligned with your intentions and values. 

This kind of leads into our next question, can hypnosis help with xy or z?  I usually follow up this question with two of my own. Why do you want to change x y or z? And how motivated are you to change x y or z?  Hypnosis is NOT a magic wand.  I have no ability to make you a top tier professional golfer if deep down you have no interest in competing. I can’t get you to stop smoking if you’re only in my office because your significant other wants you to quit, but you really love smoking. YOU have to really want the change for YOU. In terms of motivation, if you’re not fully motivated to make the change, the change probably isn’t going to happen.  Like I’ve said, this is not magic and this will take work. I can help you with your confidence in a sport, but you still need to put in the practice hours. I may give homework. You have to be willing to do that homework…Don’t worry, I’m not handing out busywork to waste your time. The homework I give is practical and designed to make your progress stick!  I always give the example of the client I had early on in my career who wanted to lose weight. I asked her what she wanted to do to lose that weight and she said that she didn’t want to make any changes, she just wanted to lose weight. I asked again how she wanted to go about that… if she wanted to stop cravings, eat less, eat more veggies, get more motivation to work out, whatever. but she shot every one of those down. Now, that I am more practiced, I know that hypnosis is probably not the right solution for this person. Now, if she said, I know I need to eat better, but I’m scared to try new things and I can’t stop my sugar cravings.  THAT we can work with!  Hypnosis is amazing for so many things like stress and anxiety, fears and phobias, weight loss, chronic pain, smoking addiction and so on. You just have to be ready to put in the work!

Another question I often get is can you make me forget my crazy ex? Or that awful incident that happened two years ago? 

Simple answer to that is no. Our conscious mind will inevitably take over and remind us of significant events. More than that, we learn from our past experiences, both good and bad. They shape who we are. Take for instance the time your curiosity got the best of you and you couldn’t resist touching that red hot stove just to see if it was actually hot, and you ended up with a painful reminder that, yes, it definitely was.. That experience absolutely sucked and your hand hurt for a long time after BUT it taught you to never touch the stove again when it was hot. Now, let’s say I actually did have the ability to make you forget…now that hard-earned learning goes to waste. The memory of that pain, keeping you from ever touching the hot stove again is gone and your curiosity might get the best of you again, causing you to touch the red hot stove…again. When it comes to these situations that we would just rather forget, the better way to deal with those past traumas is to change the way we react to them and the way they affect our daily lives. We use hypnosis to convince our brains to accept positive learnings and release negative emotions and reactions.  Our brains are absolutely amazing but sometimes we need to train them to react appropriately. 

On to the next question which is what will I feel? Now this question could mean two things, what will I feel during the appointment and what will I feel after? And the answer to both of these questions is, it depends. During hypnosis, some people feel floaty and otherworldly, while others just feel deeply relaxed.  Both experiences worked equally well. My suggestion when going in for hypnosis is to try and get rid of any preconceived notions of what the session should feel like.There’s no right or wrong way to experience it and don’t worry that you’ll “do it” wrong because you can’t.  As long as you’re open to the experience and can follow simple instructions, you’ll be totally fine. 

As for what you’ll feel after the session, this also depends. Immediately after the session you’ll often feel super relaxed. The changes you’ll feel will depend on what we’re working on. A lot of times it’s what you don’t feel. For instance, you don’t feel that 3 AM urge to eat sweets. With a lot of the athletes I work with, they don’t feel that anxiety before a tournament. It’s funny how a lot of times, people don’t even realize the hypnosis worked until they really look back and see that it totally did.

Question # 4?? I think?

Can anyone be hypnotized? Or sometimes people tell me, “I’m too strong-willed to be hypnotized.” My response is simple: If that’s how you’re coming to me, then yes, you’re absolutely right—you can’t be hypnotized. Hypnosis isn’t something that happens to you; it’s something you actively participate in. As long as you’re open to the process and can focus, most people can achieve a hypnotic state. Some individuals may naturally slip into it more easily, but the real keys are trust and a genuine willingness to engage in the experience.

“Let’s do a little imagination exercise together!”

1. Set the Scene:
   “If you’re driving or multitasking, pause for a moment—but only if it’s safe to do so. Now, close your eyes if you’re able, and let’s tap into your imagination.”

2. Guide the Visualization:
   “Picture yourself holding a bright yellow lemon in your hand. Feel its cool, slightly bumpy texture against your fingers. Now, imagine taking a knife and cutting the lemon in half. Hear the knife slicing through, and notice the juice spilling onto the cutting board.”

3. Engage the Senses:
   “Now, lift one half of that lemon up to your nose. Inhale deeply—smell that zesty, citrusy aroma. Imagine squeezing it slightly, feeling the juice drip down your fingers.”

4. The Final Step:
   “Finally, imagine taking a big bite of that juicy lemon. Feel the tartness hit your tongue, your cheeks tighten, and maybe even your mouth start to water.”

5. Bring Awareness:
   “Open your eyes. Did your mouth water? Did you feel that tartness as if you’d actually taken a bite? If so, congratulations—you just experienced how powerful your imagination is! That’s a big part of how hypnosis works: using your mind’s natural ability to create real physical and emotional responses.”

And the final question I’m going to answer today is can hypnosis really be done virtually? Can I get stuck in hypnosis if for some reason we get disconnected? Yes, hypnosis can safely be done virtually. If for some reason we get disconnected, you’d simply come out of the hypnotic state on your own after a short while and can call me back to continue the session. There is no way for you to get stuck in hypnosis.

I hope this answered some of your questions regarding hypnosis and hypnotherapy and I hope it dispelled some of the myths.  If you want to learn more or schedule a free consultation, please visit my website at robbwellness.com (that’s robb with 2 b’s).  Thanks for listening to Mind & Needle.

Please check out some of my other episodes for more info on hypnosis and chinese medicine and get free guided meditations