Is hypnosis safe? Side effects, risks and who should avoid it

How often does hypnosis cause harm in studies?

An analysis of hypnosis trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov found a 0% rate of serious adverse events likely caused by hypnosis and a 0.47% rate of other adverse events. The author also noted two limits: many trials did not report adverse event data, and all of the trials used hypnosis for medical conditions or procedures, not psychiatric ones.^[1]

Reviews tell a similar story. In a 2024 overview of 49 meta-analyses, eight said no adverse events or side effects were reported in any of their studies, and the authors called for better tracking of harms.^[2] Two meta-analyses in medical settings found no higher rate of side effects with hypnosis than with control treatments.^[3]

Clinicians do see problems, though. In a 2023 survey of 691 clinicians who use hypnosis, 55% had encountered adverse effects linked to it. These were generally short-lived and very rarely judged serious.^[4]

What side effects do people report?

• Headache and similar mild effects. In one study of people treated for drug and alcohol use, about 10% of participants reported mild, transient negative effects such as headache.^[5]
• Dizziness. In one IBS trial, a patient reported slight dizziness after the first session but carried on.^[3]
• Anxiety or panic. In another IBS trial, one patient dropped out after a panic attack during a session.^[2]
• Strong emotion (abreaction). Focused attention on a painful topic can bring up a surge of fear, grief or anger. This is one reason trauma work belongs with a trained clinician.

Some people are more likely to notice aftereffects. In a study of 432 students, aftereffects were linked to higher hypnotic susceptibility, more physical complaints, and more past stressful events.^[6] Expectation matters too: participants warned in detail about possible aftereffects such as headache reported more of them than participants who got no warning, though a follow-up study did not repeat that result.^[7]

Can hypnosis create false memories?

Yes, and this is the best-documented risk. In a 1983 study, researchers suggested to 27 highly hypnotizable people that loud noises had woken them the week before. Afterwards, 13 of them said the event had really happened.^[9] The American Medical Association concluded that memories recalled under hypnosis can include confabulations and pseudomemories, and appear less reliable than normal recall.^[8]

A 2025 review says hypnotic regression and guided imagery should be used with caution because they may lead to false memories.^[10] The practical rule: do not use hypnosis, from a therapist or an app, to uncover “hidden” memories. Feeling certain about a memory recalled this way is not evidence that it happened.

Who should avoid hypnosis or use it only with a clinician?

• Psychosis. A 2025 clinical review lists psychosis, especially schizophrenia with delusions of influence (the belief that outside forces control you), as the main contraindication. It is based mostly on the author’s experience rather than trials.^[12]
• Dissociative disorders, PTSD and related conditions. A meta-analysis found that people with these conditions respond more strongly to hypnotic suggestion than controls, most of all in dissociative disorders.^[11] Hypnosis may still help, but it should be part of treatment with a clinician who knows these conditions.
• Prominent histrionic personality traits. The same 2025 review lists these as a contraindication.^[12]
• A mental health crisis. Get direct help first.

You may see epilepsy on older lists of contraindications. We did not find studies showing that hypnosis triggers epileptic seizures. If you have a seizure disorder, ask your neurologist before starting any new practice.

Is stage hypnosis riskier?

The setting is different. Stage volunteers follow suggestions in front of a crowd, sometimes including suggestions to forget what happened. In follow-up interviews with 22 people from university stage shows, most described the experience positively. But five reported partial or complete amnesia, one could not break the amnesia and felt annoyed and frightened, and five believed the hypnotist had control over their behavior.^[13] In England, Scotland and Wales, hypnotism for entertainment needs a permit.^[14] For more on the difference, see stage hypnosis isn’t therapy.

How to use hypnosis audio safely

• Never listen while driving, operating machinery, or anywhere you need to react quickly.
• Take a minute to come back before you stand up or drive. Clinicians point out that fully returning to normal alertness after hypnosis matters.^[15]
• Stop the session if it brings up distressing memories or feelings. You can open your eyes at any point.
• Do not use audio to recover memories or to work through trauma on your own.
• Do not let a session delay care for new, severe or worsening symptoms.

For setup, see how to do self-hypnosis and sleep hypnosis setup. For what hypnosis does and does not help with, see does hypnosis work? Hypnova is a wellness app, not a medical treatment, and the studies above did not test it.

Frequently asked questions