Question:

Can someone be hypnotized through a computer screen, or does eye contact need to be made for hypnosis to work?

Answer:

Eye contact is not a requirement for hypnosis. In fact, the ‘Mesmer Stare’ (where a hypnotist uses intense eye contact to induce a trance) is practically never used as an induction nowadays.

As I’ve commented on in other answers, remote hypnotherapy sessions are very common now. Before the COVID-19 lockdowns, there were very few people offering it, but it’s very unusual for a working hypnotherapists not to offer virtual sessions now, especially since most people are used to conferencing via Zoom or similar platforms. In fact, some people do it exclusively and no longer take on in person clients.

I may be reading the question incorrectly, but it seems you are worried about ‘falling under somebody’s control’ don’t worry, real-world hypnosis has very little in common with what you see in movies and on TV shows. In real hypnosis, both the hypnotist and the hypnotee work together to make the hypnosis happen, and the hypnotee is always in control. At no point do they ever become a mindless zombie that will do whatever is asked of them without question. Real hypnosis empowers the person being hypnotised. It gives them control over their life rather than taking it away.

So yes, you can be hypnotised through your computer screen, but this is a good thing, not something to worry about.

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