The hypnotic pink elephant
If I ask you not to imagine a pink elephant with mesmerizing eyes riding a unicycle, what comes to mind? Naturally, you'll picture exactly that—there's no way to avoid visualizing it, even if you try to dismiss this absurdly simple mental suggestion.
Hypnosis uses the power of suggestion, storytelling, and trance states, making it an extremely effective way to reach not only our subconscious but even the deeper parts of our unconscious mind.
Yet many myths and misconceptions about hypnosis have been fueled largely by Hollywood and stage hypnotist shows. Its abilities are often distorted by fear and misinformation, with people worrying about losing control of their minds—handing over the reins to someone else’s words. This fear stems from scenarios like being manipulated like a puppet in a low-budget performance, being forced into actions against your will in some cult or conspiracy, or falling under the influence of a sinister character.
These scenarios are usually built around the idea of embedded commands triggered by a touch, a word, or an action, causing us to behave in a zombie-like state without being aware of our actions.
Some individuals, myself included at one time, have been frightened by the thought that our innermost desires and thoughts might be exposed for all to see, leading to unbearable shame. Others are led by their religious beliefs—particularly in Christianity—to equate hypnosis with surrendering control to the devil or other evil forces.
In truth, these fears are unfounded. Entering a hypnotic state simply means going into a trance—a condition we all naturally experience throughout our day. Whether we’re driving on a highway, watching a film, or so absorbed in an activity that the world around us fades away, we occasionally slip into such states. In all these cases, we aren’t out of control or in danger; we continue on safely. Should an emergency like a fire or earthquake occur, our survival instincts would immediately pull us out of that trance. Similarly, watching a violent movie never prompts us to commit violence because our moral compass, values, and beliefs always prevail—hypnosis cannot force us to act against our will.
On the subject of the devil, it’s worth noting that hypnosis has been practiced throughout history worldwide—even in Britain by pagans and my own ancestors, the Picts, as a means for spiritual awakening and insight. It’s hardly surprising that the Catholic Church sought to defame it in its efforts to stamp out Paganism, even though modern Christian and non-Christian gatherings still incorporate trance-like states in their rituals—evident even in today’s televised evangelical mega-churches.
Leaving religion aside, the fear of losing control and being dominated by someone else is very real. While I acknowledge that conversational hypnosis exists, I maintain that for someone to gain complete control over another’s thoughts and actions would require a unique mix of ideal conditions, powerful drugs, and an extremely skilled hypnotist—a scenario that would constitute abuse. Even if such control were achieved and caused temporary damage to one’s sense of self, the effects would not be lasting.
The reality of conversational hypnosis should not alarm you. Many practitioners argue that we naturally slip into trance-like states during ordinary conversations. When someone shares a personal story, we often become so engrossed that we enter a mild trance, a result of our innate tendency to understand the world through narratives.
If you’re about to enter a hypnotherapy session or listen to a guided hypnosis track, you can set these fears aside. The therapist’s role is to help you, and trust is built before you embark on the hypnotic process. With guided hypnosis recordings, you always have the option to stop them at any point, and you can review their content beforehand if it makes you uneasy.
Although I am a certified NLP practitioner trained in the art and science of hypnosis, and currently a taking a course to become a hypnotherapy practitioner, I do not plan to work with live clients in the near future. I am deepening my training because I see hypnosis as it serves as a powerful tool for deepening my understanding of the mind and helping people, like you, discover the immense benefits of self and guided hypnosis that I have experienced over the years.
I’ve placed this post after discussions on meditation and neurolinguistic programming because I’m advocating for a form of self-development I call “meta neuro cognitive mindfulness”—a state of metacognition. Metacognition means thinking about our thinking, and while it might seem simple, truly achieving this requires delving deeper than our surface-level thoughts. I propose that by becoming aware not only of our obvious thoughts but also of our subtler, subconscious ones—which can spiral into what might be called “thought worms” that become obsessive or distracting—we can better understand their impact. Developing a “meta neuro cognitive” practice helps us recognize how these thought worms affect our moods, emotions, and even our neurophysiology. With continuous practice, you can become finely attuned to how your thoughts influence you both mentally and physically, even to the extent that your neurotransmitter activity may reinforce these patterns.
For me, the process begins with mindfulness meditation. Many mistakenly believe that the goal of meditation is to stop thinking entirely and clear the mind. In reality, it’s about becoming aware of your thoughts and mastering them, so they don’t lead you down undesirable paths. Beginners often grow discouraged when they notice themselves getting lost in thought or sidetracked.
Through mindful meditation, you start to appreciate not only your thoughts but also their randomness, their language, and their various qualities—whether creative, destructive, or even narcissistic. More importantly, you become tuned in to the emotional and physical sensations they evoke.
After practicing for a while, I suggest mapping the language, emotions, and visual elements of your thoughts to gain a clearer picture of how your mind works. If you wish, you can then use NLP and hypnosis to remap your unconscious and subconscious, redefining your internal voice and narrative. In doing so, you can break old neural pathways and forge new ones that allow you to think and feel in alignment with your true desires, rather than conforming to societal programming or past experiences. This process is a form of mastery over your mind, a mastery that hypnosis helps to embed.
I will explore the intricacies of hypnosis and the process behind it in future posts, but for now I encourage you to take a step in that direction by trying some guided hypnosis tracks.
I personally recommend the Primed Mind app—no affiliation here, but I use it often. It may be a bit pricey on an annual basis, but it offers enough tracks to justify giving it a try. When I’m at my best, I use it daily or every other day.
I also suggest checking out Michael Sealey on YouTube, where you can enjoy hundreds of high-quality, free hypnosis videos, including many designed to help you sleep.