Can aphantasics be hypnotized?

Hey Jerry,

I am no expert on this topic but this is a question I’ve pondered quite a bit. I personally think we have a significantly lower probability of being hypnotized by traditional means. I personally have spent a lot of time listening to audio hypnosis sessions with no noticeable affects. I’ve seen multiple aphantasics ask similar questions throughout the web. And from what I understand, visualization is a pretty critical tool for most hypnotists. The way I’ve heard neuroscientist, Andrew Huberman, who specializes in mental states (such as hypnotic, flow, fight-or-flight, highly neuroplastic, etc) and vision, he describes the process of hypnosis as guiding the subject to broaden awareness to the feelings within your body, he sound from your surroundings, and visual elements outside of your physical surroundings, in a particular manner and sequence. When this is done properly, I guess we enter a highly suggestive state, simultaneously hovering between high concentration and relaxation. I intend to look into this more and also survey about susceptibility to conspiracy theories. I hypothesize we are likely more immune to these as well. Modern conspiracy theory videos seem to be leveraging principles of hypnosis, in my opinion.

Could you describe your experience with the hypnotist?

Thanks for contacting me, Zach. I submited information to this site in April and never heard back. What follow is my innital imput. I’m pasting it here in case you didn’t see it. However I will answer you question about my expeience with the hypnotist in more detail.

After discovering that I have aphantasia, I realized why I failed at my attempts to be hypnotized and unsuccessful with meditation.

 I’m seventy-seven. It was just last year while listening to the CBC radio I heard a discussion on aphantasia. As I listened I realized they were talking about me…a person who cannot ‘see pictures in my head’. It has been my normal throughout my life and has created much frustration in my daily functioning. I thought it was the way I was born…with a lower IQ than many people. I was always poor in spelling at school, and rejoiced when computers were invented with Spell Check. Now I realize my inability to spell correctly could be related to not being able to visualize the written word. Yes, I used phonics to sound words out, but instantaneous recognition of words did not work for me.
Watching cop shows on television created a feeling of failure in me because I would never be able to describe the events at a murder scene. I might be able to tell you some general things, like the number of people involved, or their general size, but I couldn’t tell you the colours of their hair, or clothe. To this day, my wife would comment on a certain person…you know the one with brown hair. It never helped me to recognize such a person. I couldn’t tell those details about anyone I’ve meant. I could not visualize them.
       My most important revelation in discovering I’m aphantasic, is the realization why I was never successful at meditation. Most of my adult life I’ve been interested in spirituality, with particular emphasis on meditation. I’ve taken several courses, attended workshops, and meditation groups in order to receive the benefits of mediation…less stress, enhanced self-awareness, improved memory, improved sleep, pain control, decrease blood pressure, etc. All of my efforts proved elusive. I purchased visualization recordings and attended visualization groups, again with no success. I was persistent, knowing the great benefits of it.
        I realized hypnosis was a form of visualization and studied that at university. I learned to be a hypnotist, and successfully hypnotized many people. I hypnotized dozens of people to help them stop smoking, and eliminate headaches. My passion led to hypnotic regressions, both to younger ages and to past lives. I ended up writing two books on the topic (see bio). I paid professional hypnotist to hypnotize me, with no results.
       A hypnotist usual method is to suggest to the subject to visualize certain scenes like resting in a hammock, gently floating in a canoe, walking in a flower garden, etc. Most people were able to visualize these experiences making them good subjects to be taken into a hypnotic trance. As I proceeded with the hypnotic induction I realized I couldn’t visualize the experiences I had asked them to be involved in.
       My interest in psychic things, and my success at helping others to accomplish such things as telepathy, precognition, astral projection and soul travel, made me envious to want to experience these things myself. I was persistent and kept working at it but with no success.
        At the time I didn’t realize that other people really could clearly ‘see’ what I suggested and what they experienced. I thought somehow we were all the same…couldn’t actually ‘see’ pictures, but were objectively creating reality as a mind game. It was just this past year when I fully understood that I was a part of the two percent of people who couldn’t visualize…I was aphantasic. Knowing this, it was a comfort to know my failure wasn’t completely my fault. I’m less frustrated now and accept my inability to experience the ‘spiritual’ world. At the same time I know it is a reality for all of us, but not all can experience it.
       I have a friend who has a photogenic memory. My assumption is aphantasia is the opposite of that. I have never been musical in my life, I cannot sing. I always wanted to play a guitar, so a few years ago I took lessons. I learned the finger placements for the cords and I practiced jamming with a group of people for a few years (I watched their finger placements). I had to finally admit that I could not distinguish one cord from the other…I’m tone deaf. I’m assuming this is another symptom of aphantasia.
        Being aphantasia is not a pleasant thing. It creates frustration and stress. However, knowing you have aphantasia creates understanding and acceptance.

From an early age I've been interested in ESP etc. Later I discovered that ESP could be acieved with menitation. Not only ESP by such things as 'astral projection', soul travel, chanelling, contacing your spirit guide, etc. I bought books on how to meditate. I practiced but didn't have any success. I connected meditation with hypnosis, or guided meditation. I bought many guided meditation tapes and listen to them...no results. I then contacted a medical doctor who did hypnosis. He tried his best to hypnotise me, but no success (but I still had to pay him). I met friends who were also interested in hypnosis and exchanged sessions...many times...no success. However, I was succesful in hypnostising the friend. I went to a weekend conference with a professional hypnotist as a speaker. He clained he could hypnotise anyone. I approched him at the conference and he agreed to do a session with me. His method was to visualize a teenage event...my first car...and attempted to get me to talk about it. I couldn't 'see' anything to tell him (I only mentioned a few things I remembered). He took my hundred dollars and appoligized. I continued with guided meditation tapes until a years ago when I heard about aphantasia. It was a releaf to know why I couldn't be hypnostised, but a disappointment becasue I wanted to experience the benefits of meditation.<p>Since I was successful in hypnotising people, I continued with it. I started to regress people to younger ages, and then to past lives. I ended up writing two books about it. I helped recreate wonderful experiences for others, but no direct experience for me. </p><p>If you are interested I converted my first book to an ebook, and offered it for free. Here is the address for it:    http://www.notunique.ca/content/bm~doc/we-are-not-unique-a-discussion-on-spirituality---jerry-jordison.epub</p><p>Jerry Jordison</p>

Mr. Jordison, I have visited Your site: www.notunique.ca to download your ebook (succesfull). I would like to read Your second book to. Where to obtain it? Your site responds with Testing 123.

Hi;
I am new to this Aphantasia idea. It would seem to explain a lot.
Like some of you, I never learned to spell adequately as the visualization
techniques used to teach it were wasted on me. I can not visualize a face,
not even my Mothers. I have come to realize that I too would make a
particularly lousy witness.Among other things, I am a trained Hypnotherapist.
Which is why I am replying to this thread. My mentor was a particularly gifted
therapist. In her technique you start the session with a few unimportant
questions, the purpose of which is for the therapist to learn what is the
“dominate sensory mode” of the subject. You note if a person uses
answers containing phrases like “I can see” (visual), “I feel” (kinetic or touch),
“It sounded to me like” (auditory), or “it just did not smell right” (olfactory).
Then you would tailor the session to match their dominate mode. In the
session you watched eye movements, changes in skin tone, breathing,
etc to gain clues as to if you were having success, and build on it when
you did. So, in my humble opinion, those of you who had a Hypnotist
just assume visualization would work well with everyone, well, there’s your problem.
It is also the basis for the view of Aphantasia I am leaning toward: that there may
well be several versions of Aphantasia. Consider this. Just because you can not
visualize well, does not mean that your dominate mode will be the same as
anyone else who can not visualize well. Perhaps you are primarily an auditory
person while I am primarily a kinetic person. It would do me little more good
to try and rely on auditory ques to learn, or be hypnotized, than it does for you
to rely on visualization. As I said, I am new to all this, so there is no
guarantee that I am not completely wrong in this. But, I would propose an experiment;

1. Self analize what is the mode of experiencing the world that has the strongest resonance with you
2. Find a “Guided Hypnosis” or “Guided visualization” that you generally like and “translate” it to your more effective mode using "felt", or "heard", or "moved" instead of "saw".
3. Record this translation in your own voice, or get someone who has a good storytelling voice to record it for you.
4. In a dark space, or with a sleep mask on, in a relaxed posture, give this translation a try for at least 15 min a day for a week and see what happens.Alternately, you could seek out a form of meditation that relies on other than visual ques. If you can find it, there is an excellent book (probably out of print now) titled “Richard Hittleman’s 30 Day Yoga Meditation Plan” that is a sampler of many different meditation techniques using some differing modes.

I’d be interested to see how/if any of this works for others, especially you kenetic types like me.

“It occurred to me if a person reacts to kinetic, instead of visual (or taste and smell) clues then a guided visualization or guided hypnosis tape wouldn’t work very well. You would need to have someone (hypnotist) to be present to touch you…to hypnotize you with physical manipulation.”

That had also occurred to me. However, I am not sure that it is an issue. If I were to try an induction with you (or you with me) that instructed the subject to “imagine a red ball” we know that would not work. If, however, I were to instruct you to “imagine the feeling of holding a ball. Now imagine you toss the ball over your shoulder”. I am guessing you would be able to describe the shape of the ball (round or football) and the texture, etc.

Perhaps I could suggest a classic and simple kinetic meditation technique. Sit comfortably in a darkened, quite room. Focus your attention as completely as you are able on your breathing. Breath in through your nose slowly. Then breath slowly out through your mouth. Follow the feeling of the air with your mind as it travels in, around, and out. If any words show up in your mind, refocus on your breathing. Do this at least 5min a day for a week.

I, personally believe that hypnosis is a meditative state. And meditation is simply non-directed hypnosis. Once you are able to enter the meditative state with little trouble, consider that your induction. Then you could try a recording of instructions coached in kinetic terms to deepen your state, and finally, to achieve a goal. Keep the goal simple to start. Something like remembering the texture of a toy you had as a child.

Good luck.

Hi DKB, thanks for sharing. I’m curious, do you possess any other type of mental imagery? Can you imagine feeling or movement? Or taste or smell or sound? I’m fully aphantasic, although I do think your script of following the breath could be an effective induction.

There was a study that was measuring flickering light-induced illusions, and found aphantasics not only were less prone to illusions & incapable of complex illusions, but also that the stronger your visual mental imagery, the more susceptible you were to altered states. They float the possibility this may have to do with the heightened excitability of the neurons in the visual cortex in people with lower imaging abilities – that because our neurons are already in an excited state, we aren’t experiencing a transition from low to high excitability and, therefore are resistant to altered states of consciousness.

Btw, I’m working to encourage some labs studying hypnosis to look at aphantasia & hyperphantasia!

Hypnotherapy is also an extremely safe procedure. The therapist will not play with a client’s mind or make a client do something improper or embarrassing, as seen on TV. Particularly when we talk about disorders like smoking, overeating, nail biting or similar issues, the client will not actually be fully hypnotised. They will experience meditative-like state and be able to move, itch and open their eyes if they wish. Been under smoking hypnosis brisbane

It is illegal to guarantee a treatment outcome including hypnotherapy.  However the majority of clients respond very well to hypnotherapy and experience the sustainable benefits rapidly.  If you are committed to the change you desire, are open and positive about hypnotherapy then your sessions to achieve your goals should be successful.  Hypnotherapy like hypnotherapy for weight loss brisbane in case in our place is not a magic pill administered by the qualified clinical hypnotherapist, it is your subconscious that does the work.  You have the power to change your mind.

I have tried hypnotherapy and it was a waste of time an money.  To be clear, the therapist I went to had an extensive background dating back to the 60’s.  He founded many schools and was awarded several honors in his field of work.  But, he was utterly incapable of hypnotizing me because his techniques were all founded on visualization of <enter said thing> as a means of pulling people deeper into their subconscious.  We tried several times and in the end, he wrote me off as being unwilling to participate in the process.  I wrote to several other hypnotherapists afterwards and was very upfront about my lack of visual experience, all of them wrote back saying their work depended on my ability to visualize and as such they would not be able to work with me.