I like to explain hypnosis this way:

Hypnosis is like dancing.

That’s right–dancing.

Some people have a natural talent for dancing. The first time they step out on the dance floor, they do amazing things. With training, they become the Fred Astaires, the Barishnikovs, of this world.

Most people don’t have that kind of talent, but they can still dance, and they can get better by working with a dance instructor, someone who shows them the steps and walks them through the process.

Of course, you can dance on your own, or you can dance with a partner. When you dance with a partner, you might let that partner lead, especially if your partner is a dance instructor. Of course, if you don’t like the dance steps, you don’t have to follow. If your dance instructor tries to teach you the two-step, when you really wanted to learn salsa, you don’t have to go along with it.

Trance is the same way. (Notice how “trance” and “dance” rhyme. Funny, huh?) You can trance alone, or you can trance with a partner. You can allow a trance instructor—we usually call them “hypnotists”—to lead the way. You might be a natural trancer, one of those people who goes deep, very fast, the very first time. Or you might be like most people, able to learn trance quickly when you have a good instructor. And just like in dance, if you don’t want to go where the trance instructor leads, no power in the world can make you go there.

Oh, and did I mention that it’s fun?

See, I told you it was like dancing.