Stanford's Brain Imaging Study

In a landmark 2016 study published in Cerebral Cortex, Stanford researchers scanned the brains of 57 people during guided hypnosis sessions. The results were remarkable—they discovered three distinct hallmarks of the hypnotic state:

Why Does Hypnosis Work So Well?

To understand why hypnosis is so effective, you need to understand how your mind works. Your subconscious mind drives approximately 95% of your thoughts, behaviors, and actions. It's the autopilot that runs your life—managing your habits, emotional responses, beliefs about yourself, and automatic reactions.

Here's the problem: when you try to change using willpower alone, you’re asking your conscious mind to fight against your subconscious programming. When the conscious and subconscious minds are in conflict, the subconscious will always win. That’s why willpower can only take you so far.

It's like trying to change your computer's operating system by just clicking the mouse harder. You need to access the deeper code.

Hypnosis gives you safe and direct access to change that code.

During hypnosis, we bypass the critical factor of your conscious mind and work directly with your subconscious mind. This is why you can achieve in a few sessions what might take months or years to accomplish through conscious effort alone. It's not magic—it's neuroscience.

Research shows that hypnosis enhances your brain's natural neuroplasticity, making it significantly easier to break old patterns and build powerful new ones. You're essentially reprogramming your mental software for success.

Common Myths vs. Reality

Myth: "You lose control during hypnosis"
Reality: You remain fully in control. You won't reveal anything you don't want to share, and you can choose to come out of hypnosis at any time. In fact, you're better able to choose your words because you're more relaxed and less influenced by anxiety or self-consciousness.

Myth: "You can get stuck in hypnosis"
Reality: This only exists in movies. The worst that could happen is you might fall asleep, and if that happens, you'd simply wake up naturally. Your hypnotist ensures you remain at the ideal level throughout the session.

Myth: "Only weak-minded people can be hypnotized"
Reality: Actually, the opposite is true. Anyone with normal intelligence, the ability to follow simple instructions, and a willingness to participate can experience hypnosis successfully. In fact, highly intelligent people often make excellent hypnosis clients because they can focus deeply.

Myth: "Hypnosis is just relaxation"
Reality: While hypnosis sometimes can include deep relaxation, it's far more than that. Your mind remains active and alert, capable of problem-solving, processing information, and making profound changes at a subconscious level.

About the Author

Ana Felice is a Certified Consulting Hypnotist with the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), the world’s largest and most respected hypnosis organization. With over a decade of ongoing training and experience, she specializes in helping individuals release subconscious blocks so they can achieve their personal and professional goals with greater ease. Holding advanced certifications in transformational hypnosis from both the U.S. and Europe, Ana combines deep subconscious work with practical techniques to create real, lasting change—often surprisingly quickly. Through Pacifica Hypnosis, she empowers clients to let go of limitations, reduce stress, cultivate healthier lifestyles, and experience a lasting sense of peace and alignment.