Question:

When I roll my eyes upwards as far as I can go, so only the whites of the eyes are seen by others, my eyelids flutter. Does this mean I am in an hypnotic state now, and I can affirm suggestions to myself? Apparently it’s called the spiegel eye roll.

Answer:

The Spiegel eye roll is a tool associated with hypnotisability, not hypnosis itself. It’s something used to test for how hypnotisable you are, it’s not hypnotism per se (and it’s not even that good a test if you ask me), but it can on occasion pop somebody highly susceptible into hypnosis. Think of it as a susceptibility indicator rather than a method of induction.

Eyelid flutter (and lacrimation, which often goes with it) can be an indicator of hypnosis, but it’s not a guarantee of it. I’d suggest you get together with an experienced hypnotist/hypnotherapist for a session or two and that will give you a much fuller picture of what’s going on and if you are entering a hypnotic state or not.

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