Hypnotherapy: A Handbook.McGraw-Hill Education (UK) 2012. While hypnosis can be used to enhance performance, it cannot make people stronger or more athletic than their existing physical capabilities.While people often feel that their actions under hypnosis seem to occur without the influence of their will, a hypnotist cannot make you perform actions that are against your wishes.Research suggests that people who are highly suggestible are more likely to experience a reduced sense of agency while under hypnosis. People do vary in terms of how hypnotizable and suggestible they are while under hypnosis, however. Despite stories about people being hypnotized without their consent, hypnosis does require voluntary participation on the part of the patient.Research has found that hypnosis does not lead to significant memory enhancement or accuracy, and hypnosis can actually result in false or distorted memories. While hypnosis can be used to enhance memory, the effects have been dramatically exaggerated in popular media.However, this effect is generally limited and temporary. Posthypnotic amnesia can lead an individual to forget certain things that occurred before or during hypnosis. However, hypnosis can have a significant effect on memory. While amnesia may occur in very rare cases, people generally remember everything that transpired while they were hypnotized.
