According to the current state of science, roughly 10-15% of people are extremely susceptible (the so-called "somnambulistic category", who drop into deep trance within moments), while 10-15% can only be brought into a traditional trance state with great difficulty, or not at all.
The vast majority – the remaining 70-80% – sit between the two: they can reach a medium or light trance, which is perfectly sufficient for therapeutic change and for releasing blocks.
Which category do you belong to?
Hypnosis is actually a natural state
You experience it several times a day:
- When you drive on the motorway, sink into your thoughts, and suddenly notice you have passed three exits.
- When you get so absorbed in a film or a book that you do not even hear someone speaking to you.
If you can do that, you can also be hypnotised.
Who makes a "good subject"?
Many people think that weak-willed, easily influenced people are the best subjects. This is a huge misconception!
In reality, the marks of a good hypnotic subject are quite different:
- Good imaginative ability (vivid imagination): someone who can easily visualise a beach or recall a scent gets drawn into the process more easily.
- Able to focus: hypnosis is not the loss of attention but its extreme narrowing and focusing.
- High level of intelligence: they understand the instructions and can follow the hypnosis expert's words.
- Motivation and trust: this is the most important. If they want to solve a problem and trust the professional, their subconscious becomes cooperative.
Does resistance exist?
Yes, absolutely — but resistance almost always comes from fear.
Since every hypnosis is really self-hypnosis (the hypnosis expert is only a guide showing the way), you steer the process yourself. If there is conscious or subconscious resistance in the subject, the hypnosis will not succeed.
The most common causes of resistance:
- Fear of losing control: the subject worries about revealing secrets or doing something they do not want. This comes from the distortion of stage hypnosis — in therapeutic hypnosis your inner moral compass stays active throughout.
- Distrust of the professional: if the client does not feel safe, the brain stays in an alert (beta) mode to protect them.
- Secondary gain: sometimes the subconscious resists because keeping the problem brings a hidden advantage. For example, illness secures attention in the family, or smoking is the only "break" during stressful workdays.
How can resistance be dissolved?
If someone resists, a good professional does not force the process. Instead:
- Educates: they talk the fears through until the client settles.
- Changes method: if direct instructions create resistance, the hypnosis expert can switch to another approach.
When someone arrives saying "I cannot be hypnotised", I do not see it as a failure but as a great starting point. It is a challenge for me to find the language and the pace in which their subconscious feels safe enough to open up.
