The Brainwashing Myth: Why Most People Are Already Hypnotized and Don’t Realize It

When people think of brainwashing, they imagine shadowy figures using mind control to turn innocent victims into obedient puppets. Movies like The Manchurian Candidate and Get Out reinforce this idea of hypnosis as a sinister tool of manipulation. But here’s the real mind-bending truth: most people are already hypnotized — they just don’t realize it.

From the news cycle that shapes public opinion to the advertising industry that makes you crave products you don’t need, hypnosis is happening all around you. And if you’re not aware of it, you’re the one being controlled (Bargh, 2017; Pratkanis & Aronson, 2001).

The Hollywood Illusion: Hypnosis Isn’t What You Think

For decades, Hollywood has painted hypnosis as an all-powerful force that can strip away free will. But research proves otherwise — hypnosis is simply a state of heightened suggestibility, something we enter naturally every day (Lynn, Green, & Kirsch, 2003). Whether it’s getting lost in a movie, scrolling social media for hours, or driving home without remembering the trip, our minds are constantly slipping into hypnotic states (Hilgard, 1986).

Mainstream Media and Advertising: The Hypnotists You Didn’t Notice

Ever wonder why you suddenly crave a burger after watching a fast-food commercial? Or why political slogans stick in your mind long after the debate ends? That’s because marketers and media outlets use hypnotic techniques — repetition, emotional triggers, and authority persuasion — to plant suggestions in your subconscious (Harris, Bargh, & Brownell, 2009; Cialdini, 2007).

Advertisers exploit the same psychological principles as hypnotists:

• Anchoring: Associating a product with a desired emotional state (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974).
• Pacing & Leading: Mirroring the audience’s thoughts before guiding them to a conclusion (Erickson & Rossi, 1979).
• Embedded Commands: Suggesting behaviors indirectly (Banyan, 2001).

Sexual Hypnosis: The Conscious Use of What’s Already Happening

The techniques used in erotic hypnosis — such as voice modulation, NLP, and sensory association — aren’t some mystical force. They are simply a controlled, deliberate version of what already happens in real life. Romantic partners influence each other’s thoughts and behaviors all the time, whether through body language, words, or reinforcement loops (Bandler & Grinder, 1979).

The real question isn’t whether hypnosis works — it’s whether you want to be the one in control.

Once you realize hypnosis is happening to you all the time, the only question left is — do you want to be the one in control?

References

• Banyan, C. (2001). Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy: Basic to Advanced Techniques for the Professional.
• Bandler, R., & Grinder, J. (1979). Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming.
• Bargh, J. A. (2017). Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do.
• Cialdini, R. B. (2007). Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.
• Erickson, M. H., & Rossi, E. L. (1979). Hypnotherapy: An Exploratory Casebook.
• Harris, J. L., Bargh, J. A., & Brownell, K. D. (2009). Priming Effects of Television Food Advertising on Eating Behavior. Health Psychology, 28(4), 404–413.
• Hilgard, E. R. (1986). Divided Consciousness: Multiple Controls in Human Thought and Action.
• Lynn, S. J., Green, J. P., & Kirsch, I. (2003). Risk and Resilience in Hypnosis Research. Psychological Science, 14(4), 223–226.
• Pratkanis, A. R., & Aronson, E. (2001). Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion.
• Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124–1131.