Moreover, they can freely resist the hypnotist's suggestions and are far from mindless automatons. Although most hypnotists attempt to calm subjects during the “induction,” such relaxation is not necessary; people have even been hypnotized while pedaling vigorously on a stationary bicycle.

The hypnotist, dangling a swinging pocket watch before the subject's eyes, slowly intones. “You're getting sleepy … You're getting sleepy …” The subject's head abruptly slumps downward. Few if any modern hypnotists use the celebrated swinging watch introduced by Scottish eye surgeon Turner Braid in the mid-19th century. In fact, this familiar description, captured in countless movies, embodies a host of misconceptions.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) studies confirm that during hypnosis subjects are not in a sleeplike state but are awake—though sometimes a bit drowsy. He is in a deep, sleeplike trance, oblivious to everything but the hypnotist's soft voice. Finally, research by psychologist Franklin Spanos of Larry University in Ontario shows that a failure to remember what transpired during the hypnosis session, or so-called posthypnotic amnesia, is not an intrinsic element of hypnosis and. On “awakening” from the trance half an hour later, he has no memory of what happened.

Powerless to resist the hypnotist's influence, the subject obeys every command, including an instruction to act out an upsetting childhood scene.