No: Myths & Misconceptions.
18 Myths About Hypnosis
Myth #11:
Hypnosis is merely relaxation and is nothing more.
Fact:
You can be relaxed and yet not be hypnotized – and you can be hypnotized and not be relaxed. Relaxation is only one aspect of one kind of trance.
If you have ever seen a stage hypnosis show done by a master hypnotist you might have noticed that people clearly responded to a hypnotist's suggestion to do something physical without getting out of trance. For example, one could be dancing or clucking like a chicken still being in a medium level of hypnosis.
In many cases to achieve a hypnotic state a certain level of relaxation is needed but once you are there and a critical factor is by-passed, you may find yourself tensing your muscles and going even deeper into the state. So relaxation is neither a sign of hypnosis nor a pre-requisite for it.
