I always say that each person experiences hypnosis a little differently, and that’s how it should be. We all have our own personalities, goals and desires, which manifest themselves in different ways.
So, naturally, some people fall into trance much more easily, while some may resist it. This is called hypnotic resistance – but even that can manifest itself in various ways.
Let me explain …
What is hypnotic resistance?
Hypnotic resistance is a mental obstruction that prevents someone from fully experiencing hypnosis or from exploring certain topics while being hypnotized.
When you think of someone being resistant to hypnosis, you probably imagine someone who’s unable to enter trance, or maybe they’re flat-out resistant to the concept of hypnosis. Sure, that’s the clearest form of hypnotic resistance. But often, this resistance is manifested in much subtler, subconscious ways.
Common signs
In fact, someone may not even realize they show signs of hypnotic resistance during a session. And often, only an experienced hypnotist will notice it.
Examples of subtle hypnotic resistance include:
- Your body twitching
- Hands fidgeting
- Yawning
- Coughing
- Muscle Cramps
- Needing to itch an area of your body
These signs don’t necessarily occur throughout the whole session. Instead, they tend to occur when the hypnosis session approaches certain topics or themes.
Why does it happen?
There can be a number of reasons why someone exhibits signs of hypnotic resistance when certain topics come up. Often, it’s simply because the person has never explored the topic before, so they may not yet be familiar with it or comfortable.
Sometimes it could be that the unwanted behavior causes secondary benefits, which can sometimes be difficult to let go, on a subconscious level.
In other cases, the resistance could be caused by deeper blockages related to past experiences or negative associations with certain images and concepts. In a trance state, the person may not be “awake” enough to verbalize or even recognize that resistance. So instead, the resistance manifests as a bodily reaction, like a cough.
Think of it like someone who’s fully awake might fidget or unknowingly show other signs of nervousness when they’re uncomfortable in a conversation, or a poker player who doesn’t realize he touches his nose whenever he’s bluffing.
Understanding what’s holding you back
It’s important to remember that the purpose of hypnosis is to help you. Some people do it to overcome negative habits, like smoking, while others do it to achieve unique goals, like discovering their innermost desires or enhancing their sexual wellbeing in ways they didn’t even know were possible.
The path to those goals will almost always have obstacles. This is why we talk about hypnosis as a journey. Along the way, you may encounter challenges that you need to explore further to determine why they’re there and how to overcome them.
Overcoming resistance with self-hypnosis
A skilled hypnotist can work with you to overcome your resistance, but there are some things you can do on your own as well.
Self-hypnosis, for example, can be a great way to stop yourself from subconsciously resisting certain topics and train yourself to achieve deeper and more effective hypnosis sessions.
Check out my tips on how to do self-hypnosis and the different ways you can benefit from it.
For assistance with blockage release, including moving past secondary benefits, check out General Cellular Release.