How can somebody hypnotized?

Answer 1

Common characteristics of someone in hypnosis are: profound physical relaxation & immobility; there may be involuntary twitching of muscles because they're relaxed. If eyes are open, they tend to be glassy/ unfocused; pupils will tend to dilate, & may not respond by contracting when a light is shined in them. Commonly, the whites of the eyes will appear slightly reddened (due to dilation of small blood vessels), & it's not unusual for the eyes to water (relaxation of tear ducts). The facial expression will tend to be fixed/ mask like; jaw may be slack; skin tone may be paler than normal, or flushed.

The pulse will probably be slow & regular, but it may speed up in some cases. Deeper breathing than usual is common, & sometimes there may be audible exhalation "sighs".

When eyes are closed, most hypnotized people manifest rapid eye movements of one form or another - may be side-to-side, up & down, or generalized. In deep hypnosis, it's not unusual for eyes to invert - ie roll up into the head - and some subjects may experience spontaneous penile/ clitoral erection.

Most hypnotized people are responsive to suggestions, playful even, but the degree of responsiveness will vary considerably between individuals. Some simply remain passive & immobile, listening to suggestions but not doing anything. Others, however, will be very responsive: they'll answer questions; stand/ walk around; experience positive & negative hallucinations suggested to them (eg smell, see, taste, hear things that are not there, or fail to see things that are there!); manifest limb paralysis/ whole body catalepsy; repeat actions instructed (eg circling their hands), and even experience partial or total anesthesia - eg be insensitive to a needle being passed through the skin of the back of the hand.

There are no completely reliable indicators of hypnosis, but most responsive subjects will manifest at least two of the above signs, & probably more. Generally, if the subject becomes visibly relaxed & immobile; shows no wish to move unless instructed to do so, and has either a fixed facial expression with pupil dilation, or with eyes closed there is REM, then it's pretty certain they're hypnotized.

Answer 2

Someone in hypnosis is usually very immobile; the face will appear expressionless - features may seem to "smooth out", and the skin may either look paler than normal, or in some cases there may be slight reddening/ flushing.

The eyes, if open, will be glazed, and the pupils usually dilate considerably; there may be watering of the eyes, and frequently there is a slight reddening of the whites of the eyes caused by dilation of small blood vessels. The person may seem to be staring blankly into the distance, but in some cases the eyes roll right up into the head so only the whites are showing.

If the eyes are closed, there is usually rapid flickering of the eyelids, and if the eyes invert (roll up) there'll be a slight "bulging" effect visible on the eyelids.

Hypnotized people are generally very relaxed, and if sitting or lying down, it's normal for there to be occasional slight twitching of the hands and limbs, especially as they become more relaxed. If sitting upright or standing, the person's head will typically drop forward or to one side as they enter a trance.

They may exhale quite audibly from time to time (sighs), and frequent swallowing and tongue licking are also commonly seen in deeply hypnotized individuals.

Generally, when speaking or moving someone in hypnosis will act more slowly and ponderously than they normally would, and they tend to be very literal, doing exactly what is suggested to them.

Answer 3

Bottom line - you can't. If someone really wants to pretend to be hypnotized, there are few totally reliable signs that this is so.

That stated, generally, there are some good indicators of someone being in hypnosis that are quite hard to fake in a sustained and convincing way.

First, the face will often appear unusually "flattened", or "regular" - ie features seem abnormally even; there may be some blushing, or more likely, skin tone will be paler than usual. Generally, the body will be very immobile; there is marked lassitude, a distinct disinclination to move. There are often small muscle twitches - often of hands, forearms, fingers, or cheeks.

Second, there is often more swallowing than usual, and frequently the jaw will be slack/ mouth open. The person may sigh or exhale involuntarily from time to time.

Third, eyes will often water a bit, and if open there will be a reduced blink rate, and the person's gaze will be very distant/ unfocused, as if staring blankly into space. Eye whites will tend to redden slightly. Almost invariably, the pupils will dilate considerably. If eyes are closed, there will usually be rapid eye movement - very visible on eyelids; either up/ down or from side to side, and sometimes a general "rolling" movement. Sometimes the eyeballs invert - ie roll right up into the head; usually evident because the eyelids will appear to bulge slightly. If someone exhibiting this is told to open his/ her eyes, and when they do so the eyes remain inverted (so only the whites are showing) then s/he is definitely hypnotized!

Generally, a hypnotized person is very literal minded, playful, and disinhibited. Responses to questions/ instructions will tend to be slower than usual, and the tone of voice will tend to be slightly different from their usual speaking voice. So, if s/he speaks and responds exactly as normal this MAY be an indicator that he/ she is not really hypnotized, but just playing along or faking. Deeply hypnotized people often experience spontaneous penile/ clitoral erection, but will not really be aware of this, so if signs of such are evident (bulge in clothing!) but there's no distress/ embarrassment on the person's part, you can be fairly sure that they're in a very deep trance.

None of the above are 100% reliable indicators of an hypnotic trance, but generally if a number of these features are evident then there's a very high probability that hypnosis has been induced.

Answer 4

Read a book about it.