I've seen people on stage do really odd stuff!

Yes we've all seen that!

Entertainment hypnosis relies on compliance, expectation from the audience and perception of what the audience expects. In fact, if you should choose to go to an entertainment hypnotist, you may be going with the express intention of having fun and being asked to do silly things. Those people who would not want to do silly or suprising things at a show like this, would simply refuse to do so.

It is important to realise that in the clinical hypnotherapists practice you will be in control at all times. You will probably remember all that happens, even though you should feel very relaxed.  You will always be treated with the utmost respect, and your confidentiality will be safeguarded.

To understand why we would not step outside of our normal boundaries while in a hypnosic state it is important to understand that within each human being there is a protective mechanism of ethics, values, beliefs and identities, which protect you as an individual. It would be as crazy to suggest that you would ever lose control of those values, as crazy as it would be for the hypnotherapist to suggest that you would go and rob a bank and bring back all the money!

Hypnosis could be likened to the feeling you have when you are lying in bed in the morning, no need to get up, with a feeling of calm, comfort and relaxation, that feeling of "I can't be bothered to get up just yet", but you can still hear everything going on around you although you choose not to take notice and it doesn't bother you at all. So hypnosis is not a loss of control; instead it is rather like having a deeply relaxed journey that guides you to your inner resources.