Hypnophobia? Thank Hollywood

Hypnotherapy is a proven method that's been used to eliminate fears and phobias for decades. While no method will ever be 100% effective, it's really quite amazing just how quickly a little hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) can do the trick.

That said, there's one little problem... what if you're afraid of hypnosis?

What a terrible position in which to find one's self. You have this fear of flying, or driving, or heights, or even mascots (yes, click the link), and you've heard hypnosis can help... but darn it, you're afraid of being hypnotized, too!

There are many good reasons people are hesitant to try hypnosis, and a lot of it has to do with Hollywood. You see, the idea of hypnosis, combined with a complete lack of understanding as to how it is produced and how it actually works... well, mix those ingredients together with a clever script, and you've got yourself a highly-entertaining movie!



One of the first things I do with nearly every client I meet is to debunk all the misinformation about hypnosis that has permeated our society thanks to some creative, yet naive writers in Hollywood. Now, I must confess that I love movies... even a few that portray hypnosis inaccurately. So here I'll discuss a few of the more recent and/or well-known movies that have used hypnosis, let you know where they went wrong, and whether they're worth seeing as well.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) (photo above)

While the 2004 remake with Denzel Washington attempted to update the story, the original was far more controversial. In fact, after the assassination of JFK, the film was withdrawn from movie theaters throughout the United States. It was banned in Eastern bloc countries until the fall of communism in 1993.

The plot involves a military officer who is captured by communists and brainwashed through the use of hypnosis. Once he is released, the officer responds obediently to every post-hypnotic command he is given by his captors, usually over the phone. They tell him to play a game of solitaire, and when he views a particular card, he becomes a mindless pawn who blindly follows their every command, including cold-blooded murder.

This is a very entertaining and creepy movie that I would strongly recommend. However, as a hypnotherapist, I must point out that hypnosis is a voluntary process that requires the cooperation of the subject. No one can be forced to do something against their will, either during or following a trance.

In this film, the hypnotist is all-powerful and the subject is completely powerless. Bottom line: you always have a choice of whether to respond or not, and will never do anything against your morals or values.



Office Space (1999)

This is one of my all-time favorite comedies. Anyone who has ever worked in an office environment will appreciate the humor here. The main character, Peter Gibbons, is so frustrated and unhappy with his job as a drone worker at a software company that he seeks the help of a hypnotherapist.

A few moments after the hypnotherapist begins the hypnotic induction, Peter is relaxing comfortably in a trance, "without a care in the world." Just then, the hypnotherapist keels over and dies on the spot. Since Peter is never officially "roused" from the trance, the plot dictates that he continues to feel wonderful for days and days... skipping out on work, asking Jennifer Aniston's character out on a date, eventually getting a promotion because he's so smooth and comfortable during an interview with some annoying consultants.

It's a great concept, and many hypnotherapists probably wish they were so powerful. I am thrilled to have this movie in my library, since what follows is hilarious stuff. However, if a hypnotherapist was unfortunate enough to pass away in the middle of a client's trance, the suggestions given wouldn't be any stronger than if the session were completed as normal.

Somehow, I take comfort knowing that I'm more powerful alive than dead!!



Stir of Echoes (1998)

Not a bad thriller. This one features Kevin Bacon as a blue-collar guy who doesn't believe in hypnosis, but allows his sister-in-law to hypnotize him at a party. He goes into a deep trance, and the next thing he knows he's awake and sweating profusely, with no memory of what has happened. Everyone is laughing and telling him what he said and did, but he looks and feels stressed out and afraid.

Later that night, he begins to see horrifying images of violence and of a dead woman or ghost. Basically, hypnosis is used as a gateway to supernatural mental abilities (a common use of hypnosis in movies, including "Donnie Darko" and "Close Your Eyes"). This is a handy tool for a Hollywood screenwriter, but there isn’t any fact behind this fiction.

Amnesia is possible following hypnosis, but it is very rare for anyone to have absolutely no memory of what happened. I have also never seen or heard of anyone drenched in sweat and panicked upon awakening. Hypnosis is a very relaxing and comfortable experience. If at any point a person imagines or experiences something frightening or traumatic, they can easily open their eyes and return to a state of normal conscious awareness.

And no, hypnosis is not, nor has it ever been, a gateway to supernatural or psychic abilities.

Bummer, huh?

Other Movies Featuring Hypnosis

•Svengali (1931); starring John Barrymore
•Spellbound (1945); directed by Alfred Hitchcock - highly recommended
•Dead Again (1991); Kenneth Branagh
•Shallow Hal (2001); Jack Black, Cameron Diaz
•Oldboy (2003); similar to Manchurian Candidate - recommended
•The Butterfly Effect (2004); Ashton Kutcher

Destroying Hypnosis Myths

“Are you going to make me cluck like a chicken?”

“Only if you want to.”

Let me tell you, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve had that exchange…

Here we are, forging our way into the 21st Century… we carry our ten thousand “favorite” songs around in our ipods, NASA is blasting probes into comets just as in those horrible (horrible) movies from 1998, scientists are able to clone anything that moves, and an overwhelming majority of the civilized world still thinks hypnosis is something that causes you to behave like a fool in public.

I’m here to bust up a few myths for all of you interested in gaining some enlightenment. Today...

MYTH #1: The hypnotist controls his subjects.


Hypnotized people can wake up anytime they want.

The Truth: The hypnotist’s subjects cooperate with him.

Stage hypnosis shows can be highly entertaining. Unfortunately, they also do a great job of convincing people to NEVER allow themselves to be “controlled” like those morons on stage. Truthfully, no one can be hypnotized against their will. One must willingly follow instructions to be hypnotized.


Enjoying a comedy hypnosis show.

Once a person is relaxing in a nice, deep trance, those nervous feelings of self-consciousness can disappear for a while. Think about it… relaxation is the exact opposite of tension. You can’t be both at the same time. Once a person is relaxed, as long as the hypnotist doesn’t suggest anything that is against that person’s moral code (ex. “kill the guy sitting next to you”), they’re more or less willing to follow along.

Hypnosis loosens up inhibitions… almost like a couple of stiff drinks. The difference is that afterwards, instead of feeling worse, you feel great.

Context has a great impact on what a person will do in a trance. For example, if a client seeks my assistance to stop smoking, and in the middle of the session I throw in a suggestion that he’ll have a strong desire to wash my car on his way through the parking lot, he has the presence of mind to ignore that bogus suggestion (though I often wish it did work that way).

Those people on stage know they’re up there to have a good time. They know they’ll be asked to do strange things. Remember, they volunteered in the first place. They weren’t dragged from their seats and chained to the stage.

A hypnotized person arguably has more control than normal, since his mind is free from distractions and focused on the moment. At any time while hypnotized, he is able to awaken and return to a normal state of awareness. However, most people find that it just feels better to hang out in a trance for a while.

So remember, when you see a magic show it’s not really magic that’s happening up there... we all know that. In a hypnosis show, the illusion often being presented is that the all-powerful hypnotist controls his subjects like puppets on strings.

The truth is much less impressive, yet makes for an equally entertaining show.

Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Puddy-tat?

I didn't really believe it until I saw it for myself.

I was halfway through a comprehensive training program to become a clinical hypnotherapist, and although I was learning amazing techniques and had benefited personally from hypnotherapy in the past, I was naturally curious as to whether it would work for me.

One day as we were having lunch, a classmate mentioned to me that she had a paralyzing phobia of cats that she had been suffering from for thirty-two years.

Above: the Terrifying, Fear-Inducing Feline

I mentioned that I had been learning some techniques outside of class, and that I may be able to help her. Naturally, she was skeptical. After all, I had no previous experience curing anyone of anything, and she had been suffering from this intense phobia since she was nineteen years old.

After some prodding, she eventually agreed to come to my house and do a session. In my own estimation, this was done out of courtesy on her part, and not out of faith in my abilities.

Now, the interesting part about this story is that I happen to live with two cats. So before she would agree to come over, my friend insisted that my cats be isolated in another room, and placed in their cages.

When she arrived at my home, she had a wide-eyed glare that was similar to what you see in horror movies when the babysitter goes outside to investigate a strange noise. I assured her that the cats were locked safely away, she came inside and we got to work.

A short while later, after I brought her out of hypnosis, I calmly asked her if she would like to meet my cats. She thought it over a moment, nodded and said "okay." We walked into the adjoining room, let the cats out of their cages. She held them in her arms and started to cry... tears of joy.

In that moment, I knew that seeing was believing... but I discovered something even more significant: that you don't always have to see before believing.

A couple weeks later, she told me she was thinking about adopting a kitten of her own. No kidding! Here's what she had to say, in her own words:

"Hi Sean,

I finally got to show my family that I could be in the room with a cat and when they saw me holding one they just could not believe it... my husband and children were absolutely in shock!

They could not believe it, and after only one session. Wow!!

I made believers out of them!!

Thank you so much!"

-Ja Spruill
Atlanta, GA

To hear me speak in more detail about how hypnosis can help to erase fears and phobias, check this out: PODCAST: Fears & Phobias