I see and hear this quoted a lot, and I think it needs addressing - for all our sakes. I’ve written about this in various forms, in various places - generally in response to posts on places like Discord, FetLife, and here on Reddit, but I think it’s important enough to address directly, and publicly!

I firmly believe that the attitude of this quote is, at best, incomplete and, at worst, dangerous. Whether it's a genuinely held belief born of ignorance, a convenient one born of wilful ignorance, or simply a smokescreen for absolving oneself of the responsibility of the duty of care that comes with this kind of play, will vary from person to person.

First of all, it’s very difficult to PROVE any of this stuff - even more difficult to do so ethically. All I can base this on is what I’ve seen, heard, read, and what I’ve achieved myself (consensually, of course). Some will still disagree, but I hope this will at least get you thinking and behaving more cautiously. In other words, all this is opinion - albeit a strongly held, educated opinion.

I should probably also add that, since these opinions come from a mix of experiences, case studies, and information from a variety of sources, they are subject to change as new data comes to light. That’s just how these things work.

I believe a lot of this attitude comes from a story from Milton Erickson who tried to give someone a posthypnotic suggestion to go and slap someone else. The subject refused. That’s pretty much the story. And apparently this has been enough to convince Erickson and many other people that it is impossible to hypnotise someone to act against their own will.

The theory stands that even while in the depths of a reality-warping hypnotic experience there is always a part of us, a guardian, that is watching over us and keeping us safe and protected. And from my experience this is true…to an extent.

What is also true is that our minds create behaviours, beliefs, and connections that work against our better interests all the time. Look at any phobias, addictions, harmful habits, and neuroses that we all have. And that’s without the more extreme cases of cults, radicalisations, and psychotic breaks. Where are our guardian parts there?

Sure, if you simply give a direct suggestion that contradicts a person's moral/ethical/comfort limits and they'll likely either ignore the suggestion or take themselves out of hypnosis.

But context is crucial. A skilled hypnotist/manipulator can easily work around these natural resistances (I've seen it happen, and I'm confident I could replicate it were it not so damn difficult to do ethically). And if a skilled practitioner can do it deliberately, a hapless amateur can do it accidentally.

After all, people frequently and easily stumble past their own limits just in the context of sub/Dom space (which, I'd argue, is a form of hypnosis in itself) without the need for formal trance or deliberate suggestion.

The first time I really believed in the power of hypnosis - An anecdote:

Years ago I attended a stage hypnosis show with a friend. They were keen to be involved, but not without trepidation, “I hope it’s not going to be the sort of show where they get people to strip or anything.” My friend was not body-confident and the thought of even going shirtless in public filled them with dread. Guess how the first half of the show ended? That’s right. With my friend, on stage, front and centre, in a spotlight, stripping down to their underwear to music.

To add insult to injury, the hypnotist then suggested that my friend would apply some make-up that he provided, and spend the interval in their underwear, working the room, flirting with other audience members. Which is exactly what they did - much to my surprise - even though they weren’t on stage any more. I went to check in with them and they seemed perfectly happy, so I stepped back and just kept an eye on them.

A few minutes later, something visibly switched in my friend. Their bright, happy demeanour faded and they were left looking confused, frightened, and embarrassed. I went back over and asked if they were ok. They were not. I went to the stage and got their clothes. They got dressed and we left. Luckily I knew enough about hypnosis at that point to help mitigate the worst of the embarrassment and humiliation that they were feeling, but it taught me a valuable lesson. After all, if that can happen in the space of one "harmless" hypnosis stage show… Anecdote ends. Fade to black.

Let me put this in broader terms: Have you ever been persuaded or pressured into doing something you didn’t want to do in general life? We all have, at some point, to some level. If you can be persuaded to do something you don’t want to do OUT of hypnosis, you can damn sure be persuaded IN hypnosis. That’s the bottom line here. Those guardian parts don’t suddenly spring into action the moment hypnosis is introduced.

Hypnosis is essentially the process by which we learn new information, beliefs, and behaviours at a deep, profound, subconscious level - an evolutionary tool that we have learned to exploit for fun, healing, self-improvement, and all manner of other purposes. Generally those beliefs and behaviours are positive things, accepted with the intention of improving our lives and keeping us safe. Sometimes they carry unexpected secondary consequences.

With the right angle, approach, and use of secondary benefits, we can slip almost anything past the “critical faculty” and into the deeper subconscious. To paraphrase Archimedes: “Give me a lever long enough…and I shall move the earth”.

On this whole subject, I acknowledge things like MKUltra and George Estabrooks, albeit with a pinch of salt. There are some incredible (and terrifying) claims out there, regarding the use of hypnosis. But the reports are vague, incomplete, and largely unsubstantiated. It’s impossible to know what’s myth, what’s propaganda, and what’s pure ego-driven fantasy.

Finally, I should add that none of this is intended to put anyone off recreational or erotic hypnosis by the way. I love both. I simply want everyone who is interested in it to approach it sensibly and cautiously, and to use it in a responsible, risk-aware fashion.

Communicate, get consent, and play safe!