Can a person pretend to be hypnotized?

Certainly a person can pretend to be hypnotized. In Hypnotherapy or Motivational Hypnosis, or Consulting Hypnotism it does not make sense for a person to pretend to be hypnotized, but it can happen in Stage Hypnosis.

In Stage Hypnosis, the hypnotist tests the audience to determine who could choose to volunteer. These tests aim to determine who can enter hypnosis very easily.

In hypnotherapy or motivational hypnosis or consulting hypnotism it does not matter if the client or patient takes a little time to enter hypnosis. In Stage Hypnosis the hypnosis is looking for volunteers who enter in hypnosis very fast and easily.

A person who has ideas or has seen hypnosis presentations can pretend to be hypnotized. A hypnotist can often detect who pretends, but sometimes not. In my personal experience when I have attended stage hypnosis presentations by hypnotist friends I have seen people fake in the initial tests to be chosen as volunteers. Until now, the stage hypnotist has been able to detect these people who pretend and not choose them as volunteers or send them back to the public if they had already chosen them.

But sometimes, even hypnotists with a lot of experience, do not realize a person is pretending.

If you search for videos of America’s Got Talent on YouTube you can find the videos when Howie Mandel was hypnotized by Chris Jones and when Chris Jones tried to hypnotize Michael Bublé.

Let’s start by saying that it is difficult to judge a TV program and especially the calls of reality, which often have nothing of reality. On TV, everything is generally prepared.

But assuming that everything that happened was real … Chris Jones, a very experienced show hypnotist, failed to detect the deception of Michael Bublé.

Obviously Michael Bublé attitude and action at that time showed much lack of professionalism. Obviously he wanted to excel and impress at the expense of the prestige of Chris Jones.

Like Michael Bublé there are people who go to stage hypnosis presentations, in order to show off, seek to be chosen as volunteers and pretend during the whole presentation.

Fortunately, there are not many and they can be detected. In the case of Chris Jones and Michael Bublé it was more difficult, because probably Chris Jones never expected a childish attitude, arrogant and very unprofessional Michael Bublé.

There are many people who say … I am very intelligent, very analytical … I cannot be hypnotized.

Which is false, an intelligent, analytical person can enter into hypnosis.

Nor is it true … the more intelligent, the easier to hypnotize. As far as I know, there is no scientific evidence to show a direct correlation between intelligence and ability to enter into hypnosis.

Hypnosis is total concentration. It is totally focused concentration. Concentration totally focused on something, someone, a goal. Therefore if you can concentrate, if you can imagine … you can enter into hypnosis.

Do you mean that if a person does not enter into hypnosis is because he is not intelligent or is stupid or has no ability to concentrate?

No. What I am saying is that there is no scientific proof of a direct relationship between hypnosis and intelligence. Nor is it true that only naive, ignorant or very low level of intelligence are easy to hypnotize. None of the extremes.

In principle if you can imagine, concentrate and visualize you can enter into hypnosis.

Of course a person can also pretend to enter into hypnosis … I think if Chris Jones had had more time he could have detected Michael Bublé’s childishness.

In the end, who pretends is the one who makes a fool of himself, demonstrates his ignorance about hypnosis.

Blessings and Peace Profound,

Olivier Hidalgo

NLP Hypnosis Centre.

London, Ontario. Canada.