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You all know how it goes, right? The hypnotherapist cues their client ‘You’re now feeling very sleepy, and your eyelids are becoming heavier…but are you really?”
While just about everyone is susceptible to hypnosis, the difference between humanity and hypnosis is that some people will enter into the trance state much more quickly than others.
It’s also quite certain that hypnosis requires a great deal of curiosity doubled with open-minded thinking. Even so, it’s important to remember that everyone goes into different levels of trances every day.
If you doubt the truthfulness of this statement, think about how you read a book, and then it feels as if time just flew by or when you miss your turn when driving because your mind was neither here nor there.
These are just some of the obvious symptoms of being in a hypnotic trance. Daydreaming is the perfect example of a deep hypnotic state.
In the psychological world, hypnosis induces a deep state of relaxation. All you need to do is to allow your voice or the voice of a hypnotherapist to lead you into that deep, relaxed state.
In this state, the brain registers lower brain waves forcing you to feel light with a very pleasant floating sensation. The big question now becomes whether you can tell if someone is actually faking hypnosis or not.
Well, you can tell that someone is in a deep hypnosis state or that they are about to enter a deep hypnotic state if they do not exhibit any of these features.
1. No Fluttering Eyelids
Fluttering eyelids is one of the most obvious signs of a hypnotic state. While clients are not usually aware of the things that are happening in their bodies during hypnosis, the eyes flutter unconsciously as they get absorbed into the hypnotic process.
The fluttering of the eyes is often very rapid.
In some cases, the fluttering of the eyelids and the movement of the eyes beneath your eyelids take place consequently, but there are cases where only one of these physical features manifest.
The eye movements are also common in people who have been hypnotized. The absence of these features means that the person under hypnosis is only faking it.
2. Change in pulse
If you want to know if the person you are trying to hypnotize is faking it or not, one of the most obvious signs you should look out for is a change in their pulse rate.
Often, at the beginning of the hypnosis session, most participants of hypnosis have a sped-up pulse rate, especially when they enter the deep subconscious state. The increased pulse rate is common for most of the first-time hypnotized individuals.
The pulse rate will, however, slow down as soon as the hypnosis deep state sets in. The changes in pulse rate are quite visible in the neck area.
3. Tensed up muscles
One of the most common characteristics of a deep hypnotic state is deep relaxation in muscles. The relaxation can be seen through the smoothing out of facial lines and features.
While anyone could have been hypnotized without being fully relaxed, the truth is that you can only let go of your conscious mind and your active thoughts when your body fully relaxed.
Without a notable relaxation/ release of your facial muscles, it’s likely that the person undergoing hypnosis is only faking it. Keep in mind that deep relaxation, as seen through facial muscle and posture, is indicative of what’s happening deep in their mind.
If these signs are missing, it’s quite likely that you could be dealing with someone faking their hypnotic state. The other muscular phenomenon you should be aware of is the twitching of muscles.
While the twitching is only subtle, it’s one of the subtlest signs of a true hypnotic state. In a relaxed state, the body will have tiny involuntary muscle spasms.
4. Watering Eyes
If you want to know if the person under hypnosis is faking it or not, you might want to look out for watering eyes as a potential symptom of deep hypnosis. Eye-watering is common, with individuals getting hypnotized for the first time.
You could tell if the person under hypnosis is being hypnotized or not by asking them what they feel. If they are crying, assure them that the reaction is normal abreaction, and they shouldn’t be scared.
5. Catalepsy
Catalepsy refers to an inability to move the body or some body parts voluntarily. The reason for this is the absorption into the hypnosis process, as well as the hypnosis experience.
Note that catalepsy doesn’t manifest in everyone. The other sign to watch out for is abreaction, which is characterized by shaking among other involuntary body movements, which signify a deep release of emotional or physical pain.
6. Change in Skin Pigmentation
One of the other signs of deep hypnosis is the change in the pigmentation of the skin.
Such a physical change cannot be faked by anyone, meaning that if you are trying to detect if someone is faking the hypnotic state or not, you should check if they have changes in their body or not.
Conclusion
An individual who depicts most, if not all, the features above is most definitely not faking hypnosis. However, when all these features are missing or if they appear too invariant or irregular, then it’s likely that the individual is faking it.
Something like an involuntary change in skin pigmentation, eye movements, or muscle twitching cannot be faked, at least not easily.