That sense of wonder stuck with me. Magic, real or imagined, was a powerful thing. Fast forward a few decades, and now I'm the one working with minds. Only these days, I don’t claim to read them... I help people rewrite them.

But I get it. Hypnotherapy often gets lumped in with magic tricks, mind control, or those weird stage shows where someone ends up clucking like a chicken. And absolutely, those performances might be good for a laugh, but they’ve done us professional hypnotherapists a disservice.

Because what we do, what I do, isn’t magic, It’s science. Proven, grounded, stunning, and magnificent science.

What Hypnosis Really Is (and isn’t)

Let’s clear something up right away: hypnosis isn’t about losing control. It’s about gaining access to the parts of the mind where change is possible.

Hypnosis is a natural, altered state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility. You’ve been in it hundreds of times. Ever driven a familiar road and realised you don’t remember the last five miles? Or been so lost in a book or film that the world around you disappeared?

That’s a hypnotic state.

Professional Hypnotherapy simply uses that natural state purposefully, working with the subconscious mind to change patterns that feel stuck, heavy, or out of reach.

The Neuroscience of Hypnosis

Let’s get nerdy for a moment (stick with me, it is well worth it).

When a person enters a hypnotic state, their brain activity changes in measurable, predictable ways. Dr. David Spiegel, psychiatrist and researcher at Stanford University, put it this way:

“Hypnosis is not a parlor trick. It’s a neurobiological phenomenon.”

In a 2016 study published in Cerebral Cortex, Dr. Spiegel and his team used fMRI scans to observe brains under hypnosis. They found:

Decreased activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate
This part of the brain handles conflict processing. Turning it down reduces inner resistance and self-sabotage.

Increased connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula
This connection helps us process suggestions more deeply and align them with emotions and physical sensations.

Reduced connections between executive control and default mode networks
This decreases overthinking and self-criticism, giving people a break from their inner critic.

In plain English? The brain reconfigures under hypnosis to become more receptive to positive change.

It’s Not Just About Belief

You might think, “Well, sure, if someone believes it’ll work, maybe it does.”

That’s only part of the story.

Yes, belief helps. But clinical trials show that hypnosis works even when belief is minimal, as long as the person is willing to participate.

A meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis found that hypnotherapy had a significant effect on treating anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), pain, and even surgical recovery outcomes (Hammond, 2010).

Hypnosis isn’t a placebo. It’s a process. And a powerful one at that.

The Subconscious Mind: Your Hidden Operating System

Most of what we do, how we respond to stress, handle conflict, view ourselves, comes from subconscious programming.

Think of it like this: your conscious mind is the captain of the ship, but the subconscious is the engine room. You can shout orders all you want (“I’m not going to be anxious today!”), but unless the crew in the engine room gets the message, that ship won’t change direction.

Hypnotherapy communicates directly with the subconscious, where those old patterns and protective habits live. And when the subconscious understands there’s a better way to be safe, loved, or calm... it listens.

“But Does It Last?”

Here’s the good news! When done well, yes. It absolutely can.

Unlike surface-level coping strategies, hypnotherapy often addresses the root cause of an issue. That’s why it’s used to treat everything from phobias to addiction, chronic pain, and even trauma responses.

In one randomised controlled study, patients with IBS who underwent hypnotherapy saw improvement in symptoms for over five years post-treatment (Gonsalkorale et al., 2003). That’s not a quick fix. That’s a long-term shift.

But, look, honesty time. Hypnosis still requires commitment from the subject, hard-work, and lengthy processing to cement the changes in place. Neurological change does not happen without work, and sometimes, just sometimes, the unconscious mind does not want or is not ready to change immediately, however the hypnosis WILL take effect when it is ready.

Real People, Real Change

I’ve watched people walk into my therapy room utterly convinced they were broken, beyond help, or simply “wired this way.” And I’ve seen those same people leave weeks later with a quiet confidence, a spring in their step, and tools they never knew they had.

A woman who hadn’t slept through the night in years began sleeping soundly after just a few sessions. A man paralysed by a lifelong phobia now travels with ease. A teenager gripped by exam anxiety went on to pass with flying colours.

None of that is magic. It’s their brain, doing what it’s capable of, once it had the right environment to change.

What Makes Hypnotherapy Work?

It’s not just lying on a couch listening to nice music. it is:

Relationship and rapport
Trust between client and therapist is crucial.

Tailored suggestions
Your brain doesn’t change through generic affirmations. It changes through meaningful language it recognises.

Focus and safety
The hypnotic state helps quiet noise and fear, making space for healing.

Final Thoughts: From Magic to Mind Mastery

When I was ten, I thought my uncle could read my mind. These days, I help people rewrite theirs. I still believe in magic, but now I see it differently. It’s the magic of science. The wonder of how our brains adapt. The quiet revolution that happens when someone realises they are not broken — they are changeable.

Hypnotherapy is not mind control. It’s not a parlour trick. And it’s definitely not waving a watch in front of your face, it is a scientific, collaborative process rooted in the neuroplasticity of the human brain... and it changes lives.

If you're curious, or uncertain, that’s okay. You don’t have to believe in magic (I most certainly still do!). You just have to be open to the possibility that your mind, given the right space and guidance, can change.

And that’s no trick. 😉