Shall I be aware of what’s happening when under hypnosis?

Yes. The word ‘hypnosis’ derives from Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, but most people experiencing hypnosis are far from actually sleeping. The predominant feeling of most people is that it cannot have worked and they did not ‘go under’.

People experiencing hypnosis may appear to others to be asleep, but they can think, talk, open their eyes and respond to suggestion freely. When under hypnosis, people are usually aware of their surroundings and can hear everything going on around them, including the hypnotherapist’s voice.