Photo Credit: Nicolas Hoizey
Just because you can’t remember something, a face, someone’s name doesn’t mean it’s not still hanging around in your brain, able to be retrieved through hypnotism.
That’s because our brains appear to have a limit of what’s considered fully formed memory and hypnosis lowers that limit (though how it does this is still unknown).
Fragments and half-processed memories that your brain’s retrieval system may not recognise when you’re in a conscious state can be recognised under hypnosis as recognisable experiences.
“It gets rid of your internal monitoring”
However, with your threshold temporarily lowered, your mental guard is down andyou’re prone to suggestion – for example:
“Cluck like a Chicken”
and more likely to remember statements from the hypnotist as your own memories.
Let me know in the comments below if you’re tried hypnosis.
