Hypnosis: What is it really?

For most people, when they think of someone who has been hypnotized they think of someone who is in an unconscious state and does strange things they wouldn't normally do in a conscious state of awareness. According to scientific research, when a person is in the state of hypnosis, they are actually awake and usually aware of their surroundings. There are many myths and misconceptions associated with hypnosis that people aren't usually fully aware of.
One myth that surprises many and surprised me as well is that the person being hypnotized is actually aware of their surroundings. Most people believe that the person has no idea of what's going on and is in an unconscious state of mind. In actuality, people are fully aware of their immediate surroundings.
Another common misconception is that people usually do odd, strange things when they are under hypnosis. Usually the person being hypnotized feels pressure to do out-of-the-ordinary things and that's why they behave the way they do. Also, many stage hypnotists sometimes whisper commands into the volunteers' ear to do certain things. People can actually resist hypnotic suggestions at their own will that's how conscious of a state they're in.
A hypnotist came to my high school for our senior party and brought about 20 volunteers up onto the stage. Within a few minutes, all the volunteers already seemed to be hypnotized. They were all doing things they wouldn't normally do and it almost seemed like they weren't in a state of hypnosis. I find it kind of funny how everyone seemed like they were in an unconscious state of mind but in reality they were really conscious and aware of their surroundings. Next time you go see a hypnotist show, you'll hopefully better understand what is really going on in the volunteers head.