Frequently Asked Questions About Hypnosis

How does hypnosis work?

Hypnosis is a state of focused attention in which we deliberately reduce some of the mental activity competing for our attention and become more absorbed in a particular idea, experience, or internal process.

In everyday life, much of our behavior is automatic. We respond according to patterns the mind has learned over time: expectations, associations, emotional responses, internal narratives, and habitual ways of interpreting situations.

Hypnosis creates an opportunity to work with these patterns more directly.

Rather than simply talking about a desired change, hypnosis can involve focused attention, imagery, suggestion, emotional rehearsal, and imagined future experiences. This allows a person to explore and strengthen different ways of responding.

I think of hypnosis less as losing control and more as temporarily reorganizing attention so that an established pattern can become more flexible.

What does hypnosis feel like?

There is no single hypnotic feeling.

Some people experience deep physical relaxation. Others remain mentally alert and simply feel unusually focused. You may notice that outside sounds become less important, imagery becomes more vivid, or that you become deeply absorbed in what you are thinking about.

It can resemble experiences we already have naturally: becoming absorbed in a film, driving while thinking deeply, reading for a long time without noticing the surroundings, or becoming completely immersed in music or imagination.

You do not need to feel “tranced out” for hypnosis to be useful.

What is hypnosis used for?

Hypnosis can be used to work with behaviors and responses that have become automatic.

A person may consciously understand that a fear is irrational, that vaping is harmful, or that they are prepared for a presentation—and still experience an automatic response that contradicts what they consciously know.

This is where hypnosis can be particularly interesting.

The work may involve changing associations, rehearsing new responses, examining internal narratives, strengthening motivation, reducing anticipatory fear, or helping the mind build a different expectation of what happens next.

I work with hypnosis in areas including confidence and performance, smoking and vaping cessation, weight and eating behaviors, habits, fears and phobias, relationships, sexual confidence, stress and other behavioral patterns.

Is hypnosis the same as meditation?

They can overlap, but they are not the same.

Both can involve focused attention and reduced engagement with outside distractions. Meditation, however, often emphasizes observing thoughts and experiences without trying to change them.

Hypnosis is generally more directional. Attention is organized around a particular outcome, experience, suggestion, behavioral rehearsal, or change in perspective.

A simple distinction is:

Meditation often trains you to observe the mind. Hypnosis can be used to actively work with what the mind is doing.

Will I lose control during hypnosis?

No. Clinical hypnosis does not require surrendering control or becoming unconscious.

You can hear, think, speak, disagree, move, or stop the process. In fact, hypnosis depends on your participation. You are not an empty vessel receiving instructions from a hypnotist.

The more useful way to understand hypnosis is as guided self-regulation of attention and experience.

This is also why stage hypnosis can create a misleading impression. Stage performances are designed for entertainment and involve selection, expectation, social dynamics, willingness to participate, and performance. They should not be confused with therapeutic hypnosis.

Can anyone be hypnotized?

People vary in how readily and deeply they experience different aspects of hypnosis, just as people vary in imagination, concentration, absorption, and responsiveness to suggestion.

However, hypnosis does not require a special personality or an unusually suggestible mind.

In my work, the more important factors are usually attention, willingness to participate, curiosity, and the ability to engage with the process.

Analytical people can often do very well with hypnosis once they understand what is happening and stop expecting hypnosis to feel like losing consciousness or control.

Can I be hypnotized against my will?

This question is more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Hypnosis itself is not mind control. In a clinical setting, you remain capable of evaluating what is being said and choosing whether to participate.

At the same time, human beings are constantly influenced by suggestion, repetition, authority, emotion, social pressure, expectation, advertising, algorithms, narratives, and the behavior of other people. Influence does not require a formal hypnotic induction.

For this reason, I prefer to teach clients how attention and suggestion actually work rather than presenting hypnosis as something mysterious.

Understanding these mechanisms can make us more discerning about the influences we accept—not less.

Will I remember what happened during hypnosis?

Usually, yes.

Most people remain aware of the session and remember what was discussed and experienced. Hypnosis is not the same as sleep or unconsciousness.

Attention may become highly absorbed, however, so some parts of the experience may feel less prominent afterward—similar to becoming deeply absorbed in a book, film, or long conversation.

How many hypnosis sessions will I need?

There is no universal number because different patterns have different histories and functions.

Some focused behavioral goals may respond to a very concentrated intervention. Others benefit from several sessions, particularly when the behavior is connected to multiple emotional, relational, or lifestyle patterns.

For example, I often work with smoking and vaping cessation in one intensive session, while areas such as weight management, confidence, relationships, or more complex behavioral patterns may benefit from a series of sessions.

My goal is not to keep someone in therapy indefinitely. It is to identify the pattern, work with it efficiently, and give the client tools they can continue using independently.

I also provide a recording for continued reinforcement and teach clients how to use self-hypnosis on their own.

Does online hypnosis work?

Yes. Hypnosis does not depend on being physically present in the same room.

The essential components—focused attention, communication, imagery, suggestion, rehearsal, and the client's participation—can all take place online.

For many clients, working from their own environment can actually make the process comfortable and convenient.

I work with clients both online and in person in New York City.