Are you holding onto misunderstandings about hypnosis and how it works? Dorie Olds and I dispel the top 10 Myths about Hypnosis.
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Emmalou Penrod
I’m talking to Dorie Olds today, and she is also a consulting hypnotist. She has been working in this capacity for 20 years. And she and I both agree that there are a lot of myths about hypnosis, a lot of misunderstanding. So Dori came up with her top 10 List of myths about hypnosis. Dori, welcome.
Dorie Olds
Thank you. I’m very happy to be here today.
Emmalou Penrod
And I love what you did, coming up with this list. I agree with the list, with all of the myths you listed. Let’s start with number 10.
Dorie Olds
Myth number 10 is through hypnosis, you will be able to recall everything that ever happened to you.
Emmalou Penrod
Yes, doesn’t that just sound too good to be true?
Dorie Olds
Too good to be true. You have one hypnosis session. And suddenly every single thing that happened to you, you have instant recall. And you remember everything?
Emmalou Penrod
You know, and I can see why some people might think that. Your subconscious mind is a big computer that stores everything that’s ever happened to you. But there’s some discretion in how and when that information is given. Some of it you don’t need to know, right?
Dorie Olds
Yeah. And I’ve had people coming in for sessions, that have misplaced their wedding ring, or they hid some money in their house and can’t remember where they put it, or they needed to recall an event like an accident. They had an accident and they forgotten things that they did, the things that they want to remember, and hypnosis can help with that. So for those specific areas, when someone’s coming in, you can have memory of those ideas. And will you suddenly remember everything that ever happened to you? That’s not in my experience that that happens.
Emmalou Penrod
That’s a good thing. That would be overwhelming. All right. So needed information. Yes. And you’ve done it, right.
Dorie Olds
Yes. Yes. And it’s been very helpful. So Myth number nine is you will become dependent on the hypnotist.
Dorie Olds
Oh, wow.
Dorie Olds
Well, they’re afraid that as they go to the hypnotist that they’ll have to keep going and they’ll become dependent on that person. And they can’t live their life without that hypnotist.
Emmalou Penrod
Boy that is scary! You know, I take the approach, I want to teach them the skills and let them use them themselves. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. And when you learn how to manage your mind, there’s a lot you could do on your own. Have you found that to be true?
Dorie Olds
Yes, and there is a place when you need a hypnotist. I call it facilitated hypnosis, where you aren’t objective on your own behalf. You aren’t seeing things clearly. You need some help in that place. And then other places where you can use that self-hypnosis and continue your journey. You’re helping yourself. So definitely both parts are needed. And it’s about empowering you and living your life and having what you want not becoming dependent.
Emmalou Penrod
Yeah, it’s about motivation. And I totally agree,
Dorie Olds
Myth number eight is hypnosis is like a magic wand. It is an instant cure.
Emmalou Penrod
You feel the pressure of that one.
Dorie Olds
A lot of pressure there. And there’s been some amazing things that have happened with hypnosis that it may seem like that. Like wow, that seemed like I had a magic wand or a silver bullet or something. And yet when you understand the process, you see where that power, where the magic wand really is. And I really like that explanation.
Emmalou Penrod
Yeah, it isn’t the hypnosis, it’s the power of your own mind. To me, it’s like hiring a fitness trainer. And, you know, they can outline the diet, the exercise plan, but you’re the one that’s going to be doing the work. So I consider myself a guide. I’m helping the client navigate through their mind, but they’re the ones doing the work and it is the power of their mind and their willingness to be open to that, that brings about the magic wand, the miracle effect.
Dorie Olds
I totally agree. And that facilitator, I consider myself as a facilitator, and facilitate means to make easy. So with the facilitator with you, with your clients, with me, with mine, we are helping it make it easier for you to have that change. And yet it depends on where you are and what the situation is and what your mind, where you are with your mind, and your perceptions as to how easy or hard that is. There’s a lot of factors in there. And I agree the magic wand is that person’s mind and that person’s essence. That’s the magic wand.
Emmalou Penrod
People are unique. Each person is unique. What may only take one or two sessions for one client may require several more for another. It really is an individual matter.
Dorie Olds
Yep, that’s totally true. Okay, so Myth number seven. People who get hypnotized are weak minded. People cannot be hypnotized, because their will is too strong, and disciplined, so that in a way, there’s two different myths kind of put into one. That if you can get hypnotized, you’re weak. But if you can’t be then you’re too strong minded and disciplined.
Emmalou Penrod
And I’ve heard people brag, “Oh, I’ve never been hypnotized. I can’t be hypnotized.” What do you think of that claim? When someone says I have never been hypnotized?
Dorie Olds
Well, they’re obviously unaware of their life process. Have they ever believed something, something someone’s told them? Have they watched television? Have they watched commercials? There’s all kinds of ways to be hypnotized. And what our job is to dehypnotize for those areas where someone doesn’t feel good enough about themselves or think they aren’t worthy, or they’re not worthwhile. All these places that people, their self image is low, that’s being hypnotized, and believing those ideas, and then we dehumanize for those ideas. And then we’re bringing in the truth, the new ideas, that you are always good enough. You do matter. You have a purpose. All of those things that build that strong sense of self, we bring those in. So we’re dehypnotizing and hypnotizing in the same session.
Emmalou Penrod
And I want to I want to bring up, you tried a technique with me, Dorie, replacing “I’m not good enough.” That somehow gets ingrained in us when we’re little. And remember, children are very susceptible. They believe anything an adult tells them. And adults may not even realize what they’re doing. But they can send this program to the child, program the child to believe that they’re not good enough. They’re not smart enough. They’re not whatever. And you used a technique that, and again, we were working together. So it was the power of the human mind. But you were able to reverse that from “I’m not good enough,” to “I’ve always been good enough.” That was awesome! Really impressive.
Dorie Olds
That’s very important. So if someone says, “I’ve never been hypnotized,” You can say, “You never were a child, I guess. I guess you never were child.” Because we do. It doesn’t even have to be a direct suggestion. It could be a comment that someone makes and I don’t even know that you’re taking it wrong. And then it’s going in that person, it’s going into a negative. So it doesn’t even have to be that you said a negative. But that person can. It just travels that way until it turns into one inside them.
Emmalou Penrod
Advertisers use it all the time. If you ever bought something you thought, why did I buy this? Have you ever become so absorbed in something you’re doing that if another person wanted to get your attention, they’d have to shake your shoulder or call your name several times. We’re allowing people to be hypnotized on purpose, with a goal, with a reason. And it’s not weak willed because you’re in control the whole time. You were working with me. I was in control. I did not give up any control.
Dorie Olds
You are always the chooser. The person being hypnotized or being worked with is always the chooser. You’re always, you have the say. And I have a story about a television. I was came home one day in the evening, turned on the news, and was sitting in an alpha state, kind of a dozing. I wasn’t totally asleep, but yet I was below beta, which is that hypnotic state. And I remember that the anchor person was a woman and said, “The flu is going around. You are you are going to get the flu.” And it wasn’t COVID. It was before COVID. But it was a cue. And I remember feeling that go in, feeling that suggestion go in and accepting that suggestion because I was in a hypnotic state. And then sitting up and saying, “No way.” And I had to sit and work with myself for a few minutes to get that out, because no, I didn’t want to get the flu. And then a few days later they said, “Well, we were right. All these people got the flu.” Well, they probably did. A lot of it came from the hypnosis. People just accepted that not realizing that suggestion went in. And it took me a few minutes, just take that out again and say, “Absolutely not. No way am I getting this flu.”
Emmalou Penrod
Yeah, you had to combat that suggestion.
Dorie Olds
I had to on purpose take that out because it went in really easy because I was in the alpha state. And that’s one of the dangers of watching television and sleeping, because you don’t know what’s going in when you’re sitting in front of the television. You don’t know.
Emmalou Penrod
And I’ve heard of authority hypnosis. You know, we look at the newscasters, we give them some authority, medical staff, I understand that they need to be very careful about what they say to their patients. Maybe years ago, stroke, patients were told, “You’ll never walk again.” And it became a program in their mind. And now I think, hopefully,
Dorie Olds
They’re waking up to their power because people do seek an authority figure. And that’s one of the places, as we both know that, when there’s an authority figure, that’s more likely that suggestion will go in, and that we will believe what that person says. But then we need to watch. Be careful where there’s authority figures in our life. And say what is real? What isn’t real? What am I? What am I taking in? is it accurate?
Emmalou Penrod
Especially now, that is critical. Love that one, Dorie.
Dorie Olds
It is critical. So Myth number six, hypnotists have special powers.
Emmalou Penrod
Oh, don’t you wish that was true? I want the power to clean my house. No, and we don’t. We’re just people.
Dorie Olds
Yes, we are people, we are in our own process. We have places where we need help. I say everybody needs a hypnotist, including the hypnotist. Because we all need someone to work with us and help us in our own areas. But one of the reasons why this one has come about is because, in the olden days, and maybe it’s still happening now. I haven’t been to a hypnotist stage show for a while. But where the hypnotist says, “I’m in control and controlling your life. I’m the one that has the power.” And that was all very dramatic. And it makes it fun. And all the words are really powerful. And yet the truth is, it’s always with that person, that person always is the chooser. No matter if you’re on a stage show, or wherever you are with hypnosis, you are always the chooser. And that’s one of the reasons why, because stage hypnotist in the past have said, “I have special powers. I can control you.”
Emmalou Penrod
And I remember I grew up with all those movies where the hypnotist was the villain.
Dorie Olds
Yeah.
Emmalou Penrod
And they could even hypnotize someone to harm someone they loved. And that’s just not true at all. Yeah. I also know some stage hypnotists, and they’ve told me, they’re screening the volunteers very carefully. They’re looking for those people who are eager to get up on stage and quack like a duck.
Dorie Olds
Yes, the ones that are. You have to be willing. And the people who are willing are the ones that get on stage. And they’re the ones that are, it’s gonna work for them. And they’re allowing it to be exactly, and they’re the ones that want to be there. And those hypnotists are sending back to the audience the ones that aren’t working as well, and aren’t as easily following their instructions. And the people are choosing. The ones on stage are choosing to go through that experience. And if anyone hasn’t had that, it is pretty amazing. I have had that experience, to let yourself have that experience of doing something totally outside of what you normally would do. And you would definitely want to go to a show that’s done by a hypnotist who is honoring of you. Sometimes some of the shows are kind of raunchy and low energy. I wouldn’t go to those kinds, but there are other ones that are good. And it is fun to have that experience to be able to have that of doing something totally outside of the box that you’ve never done before. And there’s a feeling of freedom with that.
Emmalou Penrod
Yes. And remember, no one can be hypnotized to do something that violates their moral code. You can’t hypnotize me to rob a bank because it just doesn’t work that way.
Dorie Olds
Correct. Yes, you are the chooser. If I say something in a session that is kind of off for that person. . . I’ll give you an example. I did a session to a woman who was wanting to exercise more and so she was going to go in, get out of her car, go in the door and do exercise first thing, you know, take care of maybe go to the bathroom or do a few things and then go right in and exercise right there at that time. And I forgot to ask her which door. And instead of just saying a door, I mentioned a certain door and I could tell she started coming up out of the hypnotic state because I’d used the wrong door. And I had this come to me, which one to use. So then I immediately began to say the correct one, and then she relaxed back down. I was doing the correct door for her, and it worked out. But she wasn’t going to accept the wrong door. And she was coming out of hypnosis. So that’s the power that individual has. If it’s not right, they’re gonna, you just pull yourself out of hypnosis. You don’t have to wait for me to do it for you. You can say, “No, this isn’t working, this isn’t what I want.” And you come out, you’ll be out of that hypnotic state. Okay, so Myth number five, hypnosis is not an effective therapy, medical or otherwise.
Emmalou Penrod
I was impressed, through the National Guild of Hypnotists, the research they provide. There have been a number of studies demonstrating, I read several on anxiety, any issues related to anxiety, smoking cessation, weight loss, that groups where hypnosis was used were much more effective than just talk therapy, your usual program. Hypnosis is used very effectively in childbirth. And they’re finding, again, comparing a control group and a test group, that women who are trained in HypnoBirthing report much more calm, comfortable, and sometimes even pain free births. It’s amazing.
Dorie Olds
If not just as good, it’s really good for the pain relief. And I know two people personally, who have told me that they got permission from the hospital. They got permission from the insurance company. They got permission from the doctors to actually use hypnosis rather than anesthesia for two surgeries, actual real live surgeries that did the hypnosis instead of anesthesia. It worked out really well. They had the surgeries work successful, and it totally worked. So that’s one way, another place is to use that anesthesia. This is where each person needs to check in for themselves and say, here’s a medical condition. Where do I use hypnosis for this? Where do I use the medical doctor? What kind of doctor? You need to find those answers for yourself. Sometimes maybe using hypnosis instead is the right thing. And sometimes it’s using that traditional medicine or whatever that procedure is medically and then having hypnosis help you through that. Using it as a pre and post session for your surgery so that you heal well, and you’re doing well. I know I’ve done cancer patients who are working in the cancer center. I’ve had them call me and help them with their symptoms from chemo, help them get through their treatments, not replacing the treatment but help them get through it. So this is where it’s an individual thing. And we’re not suggesting that you replace hypnosis with a doctor. It’s like each person has to see what is the right thing for me in this area.
Emmalou Penrod
I agree. And I personally know of hypnotists who work directly with a dentist within a dental clinic or a cancer clinic, specifically with that concern. Again, working with medical professionals.
Dorie Olds
Myth number four hypnosis will only work on certain people.
Emmalou Penrod
And I think that goes back to the only the weak-willed. And there are some some men who like to think, “Oh, this only works for women.” I think it works on anyone who is open. Anyone who’s ready for change, and is open to the possibilities.
Dorie Olds
Well, I look at it in the place of, what you’re doing is using the four brainwave patterns, beta, alpha, theta, delta, and everybody has those four brainwave patterns. And that is one reason why the children are more susceptible is they live in that alpha delta on an ongoing basis until they are about eight. As I mentioned earlier, when I sat in that chair and went in that dozing state, I went from beta into alpha. I was in a trance state where hypnosis works beautifully where suggestions go in beautifully. So if someone tells me they can’t be hypnotized, which brainwave pattern, are you missing? Which one don’t you have? And I doubt that there’s anybody that is missing those or very few people that are missing those brainwave patterns. So if you have the four brainwave patterns, you’re going to have that susceptibility for those suggestions. It’s just part of being human.
Emmalou Penrod
Very well put. Excellent.
Dorie Olds
Myth number three, you can get stuck in hypnosis and be unable to wake up, unable to work. I would use the word to emerge because it’s not going to sleep. And it’s not about waking up, but you’re going into a trance. And you are emerging from that. So I would say, unable to emerge. I’ll use that word.
Emmalou Penrod
Isn’t that like saying you’ll fall asleep and never wake up?
Dorie Olds
Yes.
Emmalou Penrod
As long as your heart is still beating, you will wake up,
Dorie Olds
If you’re in a coma, and there are certain medical conditions that if they have that it happens. But yes, a healthy person, free of that coma state, yes, you are going to emerge from that place. And if I were to do a session with you, and then just leave you, and just walk away, put you in hypnosis, you’re in a chair, relaxed, just walk away, two things would happen. You would either come up on your own and just go, “Oh, what happened there? And where did that person go? And what am I doing in this chair?” And then get up and go about your normal day or you would fall asleep. And then you would sleep for however many minutes, maybe ten maybe an hour, however many minutes, and then you would wake up. So you wouldn’t be coming up from a hypnotic state, you’d be coming from a sleep state. Those are the two things that would happen.
Emmalou Penrod
I agree. And I’ve heard of someone saying, “Oh, we were at a stage show. And this girl couldn’t come out of hypnosis.” And that is not accurate, unless she didn’t want to.
Dorie Olds
Yes, yeah. Didn’t want it when sometimes when someone doesn’t want to, you need to be more firm and so that stage hypnotist, if that happened at that show, then the hypnotist would be more firm and say, “Yes, you are now coming up.” Because maybe they didn’t want to, to come up and that was their choice. Yeah. But I’m telling you, you would not stay in there.
Emmalou Penrod
There’s no getting stuck in it. Just like you don’t have to worry about going to sleep at night. You will wake up in the morning, as long as the heart is still beating, you will wake up.
Dorie Olds
You will wake up you will emerge from that sleep state. Okay, Myth number two. I have never been hypnotized before.
Emmalou Penrod
Okay. Yeah, this about the strong willed or weak willed mind. You’re right. were hitting it. We go in and out of hypnosis several times a day. So politicians, advertisers, just the routine of the highway.
Dorie Olds
Yeah, highway hypnosis, watching a movie, getting involved in a movie, getting involved in a computer where someone comes behind you and they’re talking to you, but you don’t hear them because you’re in a trance state. And until they touch your arm, it’s like, “Why don’t you listen to me?” and you didn’t even know they were there. And you didn’t realize you weren’t hearing them because you were in a trance state. Multiple times, 20 times a day, you can be in that trance state where you are where hypnosis can happen.
Emmalou Penrod
And the difference is when you come to see a consulting hypnotist, you are choosing it. You have a goal in mind, a purpose rather than an advertiser, someone else choosing for you.
Dorie Olds
Yes, you’re coming in with, this is what I want. And my job, as you, as we are hired by you, we are your employees in that moment, to give you what you’re paying for. That’s our job, to help you to have what you want. And that’s our only goal is to help you have what you have decided you want.
Emmalou Penrod
Totally, totally agree with that one.
Dorie Olds
Yeah, and then again, we are what we’re doing is dehypnotizing those things that have gone in unknowingly. And so, if someone says I’ve never been hypnotized before, I say perhaps you haven’t been in a facilitated hypnosis session with a hypnotist. That may be true. And so you may be having a new experience in that way as you come in with your purpose with what you want. Having a new experience that may be true, but that you have been in other ways hypnotized. That’s our job to help take away, dehypnotize all those places that are running you around.
Emmalou Penrod
And that no longer serve you.
Dorie Olds
Never did serve you.
Emmalou Penrod
Yes, yes.
Dorie Olds
Number one myth in hypnosis, people can be made to say or do things against their will. And we’ve covered this in a little bit too.
Emmalou Penrod
Yeah, yeah, the people on stage are choosing.
Dorie Olds
They’re choosing to be there. They’re choosing to be on the stage. They’re choosing that hypnotist and again I mentioned earlier be aware of what kind of shows that person is doing and what kind of things they are about before you get on the stage so you understand what different actions you might be asked to to be involved with. Or I’m not sure if I’m saying the words right be participating with and that is something that you are okay with.
Emmalou Penrod
I have seen some stage hypnotist who did motivational shows. They were just trying to get you to realize that you could move beyond your fears and reach your goals. And that can actually be empowering.
Dorie Olds
Very empowering. And that’s a really good place to be when you’re with that hypnotist. And again, mentioning what we just mentioned earlier, Emmalou and I, we are here to serve you. We are here to do what you are wanting. So you’re not going to be coming into a session with either one of us to say or do things against your will. We’re going to say, “What do you want? Let me help you have that.” And we are there to help you have what you want. And so coming in with a facilitated session with images that you have an appointment with, we’re going to do what you’re paying us for. That’s our job. So definitely, you’re not going to do things that are against your will.
Emmalou Penrod
And we went into this because we want to help people. You know, I when I discovered how powerful hypnosis is, as a tool for releasing past trauma, changing habits, learning to believe in myself. Your mind is amazing, right? Would you agree the human mind is, that’s what it’s all about. That’s the amazing tool.
Dorie Olds
In 2000, it was suggested to me that I become a hypnotist, and which I did. But in the beginning, I had these same fears, I had the same concerns. I don’t want to mess with someone’s mind. I don’t want to be doing any harm. I had all of these that I had to go through and get my own education on so that I felt comfortable with doing hypnosis. And so these are very common. They’re common because of our cultural experience. And no shame, or any blame or any anything for having these myths just being aware that they are myths.
Emmalou Penrod
Okay? I agree. I agree. Dorie, thank you so much for coming up with that list. And all of the wisdom and knowledge you’ve gained in your years is great. I just enjoy talking to you. I feel like I learn so much from you.
Dorie Olds
I feel the same. I learn from you everyday. And you haven’t had the years experience that I’ve had. And yet I see that as a nothing. Because we each have experience in different areas and different ways, whichever perception or life experience. And so I’m definitely not comparing. You have this many years, I have this many years. I just look at you and say thank you for sharing because I learn from you every day. It’s just, I just learn from you. So we’re gonna go there.
Emmalou Penrod
And we’re both in it to help people. Feel free to reach out to either one of us if there’s any way we can help overcome fears, improve self esteem, let go of past trauma, break old habits, form new ones.
Dorie Olds
Yes, it is a great, it’s amazing. And I absolutely love it. I use it for myself every day and when I need to have a facilitated session for myself, I go to another hypnotist, because where I need help and where I, self-hypnosis is, I’m not objective enough for self-hypnosis. So I say everyone needs a hypnotist, including the hypnotist.
Emmalou Penrod
Good point. Good point, Dorie. Thank you so much. And you have a great day.
Dorie Olds
Thank you, and you, too.