It’s important to first acknowledge that hypnosis is a natural state of being, which we all achieve daily without being consciously aware of it or giving it a name. The bridge between being awake and being asleep is what we call hypnosis.
That answers the question of who can achieve hypnosis. We all can, and we all do. But it’s the degree to which we can benefit from this altered state which varies tremendously, as well as the concept of being able to achieve that state at will.
Some people are naturally more suggestible than others. This contributes to the varying depths of susceptibility that we see regularly. The degree to which we will accept hypnosis, and the depth of the altered state that we can reach, will depend on our natural susceptibility to suggestion. Some people are more likely to take suggestion on board, consciously or not, and apply it in their inner world.
I agree with a point often made by other experts in the field, who state that our level of susceptibility, and our ability to achieve a deep state of hypnosis, are not that relevant in terms of being able to benefit. In other words, there is no level of failure in hypnosis. We can all benefit to a degree that is entirely dependent on each of our own individual factors. These factors of course include things we cannot control, like our individual characteristics. But aside from these natural differences, the more important variables really come down to each person’s motivation and their level of commitment.
Individuals who are regularly able to make the time to listen to their self hypnosis recordings or go to their hypnotherapist will experience a greater degree of benefit than anyone who only half-heartedly commits to it. If you don’t motivate yourself to the use of self hypnosis, then there is no benefit. Hypnosis is not magic; it requires a level of commitment, however small, to make positive changes in your life. This is true of any type of therapy.
Your attitude plays a large influence on the effects of hypnotherapy. If you seek to disprove the theory of hypnosis, you will certainly not enter into hypnosis with the open mind that is required to achieve higher susceptibility. Or if you are overly focused on analyzing the results rather than enjoying them, you will put up unnecessary barriers which will certainly impede the process and influence the degree of benefit that you can possibly achieve.
The best advice I give to anyone who is interested in using self hypnosis to achieve changes in their life, is to just relax and go with the flow. Let it all happen naturally and don’t challenge it. The more conscious effort you make the less response you’ll get from your unconscious mind. It really is as simple as that.
As a hypnotherapist who uses hypnosis, and witnesses its effects daily, I can say with confidence that I see no reason why anyone can’t benefit from self hypnosis to some degree. And it’s that degree that is ultimately entirely up to each of us. If you make the effort to use hypnosis and have an open mind, then the possibilities are endless. Your attitude is the key to successful self hypnosis.