Although a subject under hypnosis does seem to take on the peculiarity of a person sleeping, they are actually very observant. Hypnosis is exceedingly complicated to describe, as nobody truly knows what is taking place inside the mind of a hypnotized subject. What we do know is that whilst in trance state the hypnotic subject becomes extremely suggestible. A subject’s attention, while they are going into hypnosis, is narrowed down slowly. Firstly, the sense of sight is lost as the subject is requested to close their eyes. A little later it is not uncommon for the hypnotic subject to lose entire consciousness of their body. Though one by one the senses are gradually slipping away, one sense is really amplified by the induction process. This is the sense of hearing. A subject put under hypnosis can often hear remote sounds that they wouldn’t be able to hear in the common waking state. This, undeniably, means that throughout the whole process the subject can easily hear everything that the hypnotist may utter. When you start inducing trance state in people you will regularly find that upon awakening the subject, they will think they could not have been put under hypnosis as they could still hear your voice. The delusion that they won’t be able to hear your voice repeatedly comes from those people who consider hypnosis to be the same as sleep. 

A person in the trance state is astonishingly susceptible to suggestion. One of the main reasons for this is that, while in the hypnotic state, you are just able to focus on only one thing at a time. For example, if I were to tell you that you are a graceful ballerina, you would immediately compare this hypnotic suggestion with what you already know to be valid, and, unless of course you are a ballerina, you would tell me I am talking nonsense. The hypnotized subject however is not able to entertain the thought that they might not be what I have suggested, as their incomplete concentration is taken up by the thought that they are in reality a delicate ballerina. The consequence, as desired, ends in the subject hopping to their feet to perform a series of pirouettes across the stage. 

The human mind is divided into two so distinct areas. The conscious mind, which is responsible for all our conscious thoughts and decisions, and the subconscious mind, which coordinates our autonomous activity. The mind can be best labeled as a computer, the subconscious as the processor and the conscious as the monitor and keyboard. Our subconscious mind is a kind of protector; it looks after our body and helps us to go on. 

Although our subconscious can do lots of tasks that consciously might be unmanageable, it also has one very rudimentary feature. Somewhere between our two minds is what we call the critical factor. This is probably best defined as a door, at which is a keeper. Our subconscious mind will process anything that enters it no matter how strange. So, as long as you can put a suggestion through the door it will be obeyed. This is precisely why hypnosis works. The guardian’s door can be uncaringly opened while we are under hypnosis or self hypnosis.