A Dream About Hypnosis, Aphantasia, and Why Discernment Matters in Healing

Last night, I had a dream that I went to see a hypnotherapist.

I suspect it was sitting in my subconscious because lately I've been noticing the rise in hypnosis and hypnotherapy, both as a profession and as a modality people are seeking for healing.

The dream left me unsettled.

I woke feeling groggy, almost as though I had been under an anaesthetic without knowing it.

As someone with aphantasia, that feeling was particularly confronting. I may not visualise in pictures, but I live very much through my felt sense the subtle inner knowing, sensations, and embodied awareness that help me make sense of myself and the world around me.

In the dream, it felt as though that connection had been switched off. It was as if others somehow had access to what was within me, while I had been left in the dark. The feeling was one of vulnerability and even violation, as though a part of me had gone missing.

I woke with a deeper appreciation for something I already hold strongly:

Working with someone's inner world is a privilege. It should never be approached lightly.

The Desire for Quick Fixes

As humans, we naturally want relief from our pain. We want to avoid discomfort, remove symptoms, or replace what feels broken. Sometimes healing modalities can unintentionally appeal to this desire for a quick fix.

We can begin to look for something that will simply make the anxiety disappear, remove the belief, or erase the pattern. Yet many of our beliefs, emotional responses, and protective patterns exist for a reason. They developed in response to our experiences, our environments, and the ways our nervous systems learned to survive.

When we rush to remove something without understanding its purpose, we risk applying a band-aid rather than engaging in true healing.

The Body Speaks a Language of Its Own

This is why I am so passionate about working with the soma.

The body holds a language of its own.

Our subconscious is not merely a collection of thoughts hidden somewhere in our minds. It is often expressed through our bodies, through sensations, impulses, emotions, tension, numbness, and protective responses.

The body tells a story.

Emotions, beliefs, and patterns can be understood through learning to listen to this embodied language.

This doesn't mean that modalities like hypnosis or regression therapy are inherently harmful. Rather, it highlights the importance of discernment.

Who is holding the space?

How deeply do they understand trauma?

Do they understand the nervous system?

Do they know how to work with what surfaces if difficult memories, emotions, or sensations arise?

Do they understand that every person's inner landscape is different?

Respecting the Inner Terrain

I often think of healing through the lens of inner terrain.

It's a little like vaccines. The intention may be logical and beneficial, yet each person's body and immune system can respond differently. We don't all have the same history, biology, sensitivities, or capacity, which means we cannot always predict exactly how an individual will respond.

I believe the same principle applies when working with the subconscious and the nervous system.

An approach that is profoundly helpful for one person may feel overwhelming, dysregulating, or simply not be the right fit for another. Our histories, experiences, protective patterns, and nervous systems all shape how we process and integrate what emerges.

Working with someone's subconscious, memories, emotions, and body requires humility.

It requires skill.

It requires an understanding that healing is not simply about accessing information. It is also about knowing how to safely support, process, and integrate whatever surfaces.

The deeper I work in this field, the more I realise that healing is less about techniques and more about relationship, relationship with ourselves, with our bodies, and with the person entrusted to guide us.

A Call for Discernment

My dream reminded me that our inner world is sacred.

Whether you are considering becoming a practitioner or seeking support as a client, ask questions.

Be curious.

Discernment matters.

Safety matters.

Experience matters.

And perhaps most importantly,

remember that your body is not something to override or bypass. It carries wisdom, protection, and a language all of its own.

True healing is often not about getting rid of parts of ourselves. It is about learning to understand them with compassion, curiosity, and care.

As Christians, we are reminded to approach all things with both openness and wisdom. Scripture encourages us to

"test everything; hold fast to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and to "guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23).

Healing invites vulnerability, and vulnerability deserves wisdom. Our bodies, minds, and hearts are sacred gifts from God. We are called not to live in fear, but neither are we called to abandon discernment. We can approach healing with open hands and wise hearts, trusting that true restoration honours both our humanity and the sacredness of our inner world.