How is my consciousness different when I am under hypnosis?

How is my consciousness different when I am under hypnosis?

John McGrail, C.Ht. (Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist) gives expert video advice on: Is hypnosis legitimate, or is it just something you see on TV or on stage?; Has hypnosis been tested in a clinical setting? and more...

The easiest way to describe how your consciousness is different under hypnosis is to think of how you feel when you watch a really, really good film. How is your consciousness different? It's not. You're there. You're aware but there's an awful lot in your environment that you're not paying attention to and I guess if you were to say hypnosis is an altered stated of consciousness, that's what it's like. You're aware of what's going on. You know that if you wished to you could instantly open your eyes and come out of the trance state, so your consciousness is altered in this way under hypnosis. You're extremely relaxed as a whole. You feel very, very focused and very, very calm and the brain quiets itself if you will. The conscious inner-critic, that part of our mind that says no, no, no, I can't do this, I'm not good enough, tall enough, smart enough, sexy enough, whatever enough, shuts off for a little while. It's delightfully relaxing and most people after a hypnotherapy session have a sense of well-being. I could almost say sometimes a euphoric feeling when they're finished. I often say it's like drugs without a hang over and it's not addictive.