POPULAR MYTHS ABOUT HYPNOSIS Surrender Control? Myth #1: When under Hypnosis, the subject must surrender all control. This may be the easiest of the myths to refute. It is the subject — not the Hypnotist — that is in control during Hypnosis. The Hypnotist is a guide. It is the subjects who, by following the
While there are some risks involved in the use of Hypnosis, in some contexts, these have been greatly exaggerated. Milton Erickson, M.D. — psychiatrist and leading authority on Hypnosis — stated that Hypnosis itself has never been harmful in any way to a subject. However, just as can drugs or any other treatment, it can be misused. According to Dr. Erickson, it is the misuse, not Hypnosis itself, which could be harmful.