That is actually something that the experts do not agree on and continue to study. Hypnosis is a different mode of thinking, where a person's attention is more narrowly focused, the imagination is more vivid, and the person is more open to suggestions. Hypnosis does not depend on any power of the hypnotist. The only power at work in hypnosis is the power of the person who enters hypnosis. Not everyone is good at entering that kind of mental state and this is the main limitation on its use.
Most patients report that being hypnotized is very comfortable and relaxing.
Under hypnosis you are still conscious and aware of everything that happens, but your mind is more focused and you may feel a sense of things just happen by themselves without any effort on your part. At EVMS, we study the use of hypnosis for medical problems. Research shows this is a highly effective form of treatment, improving the symptoms of more than four out of five IBS patients. In our current study we are trying to understand better how this type of treatment has such a beneficial effect on the functioning of the intestines. Even though we may not always know how hypnosis treatment works its wonders, clinical hypnosis is a medical and psychological treatment method worth considering for many health problems.