people differ in their ability to experience hypnosis. About 10% to 15% of the population can experience all or most hypnotic suggestions, even the most difficult ones. 

Different type of behavior patterns may be induced such as directing the patient to recite a specific sentence whenever anyone says out loud the special word. The person is completely aware of the conditioned action but it is very difficult, if not impossible, to restrain from doing it. Sweating, loss of coordination and full lack of concentration plagues the patient until he/she performs the programmed action.

An object may be set to be perceived as invisible and it will be fully ignored and evaded during the period of suggestion. Experiments may be performed with a coffee mug, induced to be invisible. If the mug is put on top of a page with writing, the patient will only read the parts not covered by the mug. Even though the sentences may make no sense, nothing is seemingly wrong to the suscepted. It is difficult to suggest an object be invisible, yet stay tactile. Usually the object is completely ignored by all senses. Thus, the mug in the example will reportedly not exist, even when the patient is touching it.

Lots of people believe that someone who can be hypnotized is less intelligent. But individual differences in hypnotizability are not related to personality characteristics, nor are they related to gender, age, or any other such variables. Hypnotizability is related to a personality characteristic called ‘absorption’. This basically means the ability of the individual to become involved in events. For instance, if you’re one of those people who gets caught up in reading a book, even though the television is blaring, or gets swept away by a movie, then you are probably quite, if not highly, hypnotizable.

Also, highly hypnotizable people are more likely to have a strong imaginative life. In fact, an influential hypnosis researcher once referred to hypnosis as ‘believed-in imaginings.’ The bottom line here is that because of these abilities to become absorbed, hypnotisable individuals are very talented at taking the hypnotist’s suggestions and creating complex experiences that seem utterly compelling and totally genuine.

More information about the benefits of post-hypnotic suggestion in Underground Hypnosis Course.