“What does hypnosis feel like? I’m not sure that I can go under, I don’t think I was under last time.” I recently had a woman tell me this as we sat and discussed her previous experience and her goals. I had taken the time to patiently explain to her during our first visit that hypnosis doesn’t “feel” like anything. Still, she wanted that “feely” experience. We have several sessions mapped out as she has a sleeping disorder that spans 50+ years. She is not happy with the sleeping pills she was prescribed, but even more fearful of not having them. So, after a friend of hers suggested she try hypnosis with me, she decided to give it a go. She is highly motivated, willing to do the work I give her after our sessions. It was just that she was unsure she was going under.
I asked her what she had felt in the first session, she replied, “Very relaxed, is all.” When she got home and listened to the audios I had given her, she said she felt very relaxed again. I asked her what she thought she should be experiencing. She didn’t know, she just felt like this wasn’t it. After all, it was a familiar feeling. She could hear me during the trance portion of the session and felt as if she could open her eyes at any time.
