I have seen stage shows where people who were hypnotized did a lot of crazy and silly things. Will that happen to me?
Absolutely not! When a person goes up on the stage to participate in an entertaining show of hypnosis, they have a certain contract in mind. They know that they are going to be asked to do a lot of silly things and they agree to do that at some level of their mind. If we were to bring the 'star' of the show to my office for a sleep problem, they would not respond to any suggestions that they had responded to when they were in the entertainment setting. The context in which the hypnosis is taking place and the understood purpose of the hypnosis in the individuals mind always determine the type of responses that can be elicited. You cannot be caused to do anything in hypnosis that you would not ordinarily do. And of course, in a clinical setting, all suggestions would pertain precisely to the goal of your gaining more and more control in your life!
