What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is like when someone helps you go into a deep, calm dream-like state where you can focus on special ideas or pictures in your mind.

What Does It Feel Like?

Imagine you're sitting in a cozy chair, listening to a gentle voice. The voice might be telling stories about clouds floating by or cookies baking in the oven. As you listen, you feel yourself getting more and more relaxed, like when you snuggle up under a warm blanket after a long day.

How It Works

Hypnosis is like giving your brain a special message that helps it pay attention to something new. A person who uses hypnosis, called a hypnotist, talks in a calm and friendly way so you can follow along. You’re still awake, just very focused, like when you're totally into a favorite book or video game.

Sometimes, people use hypnosis to help them feel better, learn something new, or even fall asleep easier. It's not magic, it’s just a special kind of focus that helps your brain listen closely to what’s being said.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A magician asks a child to count backwards from 10, and the child falls into a deep sleep and starts talking in a different voice.
  2. A teacher uses hypnosis to help students remember difficult math problems by imagining them as stories.
  3. A person listens to a calming voice on a podcast and suddenly feels completely relaxed.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity