u/Short_Ice266

I’ve been experimenting with different meditation techniques lately, and I tried Yoga Nidra for the first time.

At first, I thought it was just another relaxation method… but something weird happened.

My body felt completely asleep, but my mind was still aware.
Not dreaming. Not awake. Somewhere in between.

After just 20 minutes, I felt more refreshed than a full nap.

I didn’t expect meditation to reset my nervous system like that.

Has anyone else experienced this state where you're not sure if you’re asleep or awake?

I recently started reading more about hypnosis and hypnotherapy, and I went in expecting something dramatic—like losing control or feeling “taken over.”

But my experience (and what I’ve learned so far) feels very different.

It’s more like a focused state of awareness. Not asleep, not unconscious—just deeply attentive in a specific direction.

What surprised me most is how much it connects to normal mental states like meditation or even daydreaming. The difference seems to be that hypnosis is more guided and intentional, usually with a purpose (like changing a habit, emotional response, etc.).

One thing I noticed people debate a lot is whether hypnosis is “external control” or just self-focused attention guided in a structured way.

From what I understand so far, it feels less like someone controlling your mind, and more like working with your own mind in a focused state.

I’m curious—what has your experience or understanding of hypnosis/hypnotherapy been like?

I used to think I was fully aware of my day—what I was doing, thinking, and deciding.

But one day, I noticed something small that changed how I see everything.

I was going through routines, conversations, even simple tasks… and later I couldn’t clearly remember actually being “present” for them.

It wasn’t that I was asleep or distracted in an obvious way. I was functioning normally—but on autopilot.

That realization hit me harder than I expected.

Now I sometimes pause and simply notice where my attention is. And I’ve realized most of the time, I wasn’t really “in” the moment—I was just moving through it.

Not dramatically life-changing overnight… but definitely a shift in how I experience daily life.

I’ve been exploring both meditation and hypnosis lately, and I’m starting to notice how similar they feel in practice.

Both involve entering a relaxed, focused state where thoughts slow down and awareness becomes deeper. In meditation, I usually observe my thoughts without attachment. In hypnosis, it feels more guided—like my focus is gently directed inward.

Sometimes I wonder if the line between them is even that clear. Could meditation actually make someone more responsive to hypnosis? Or are they just different paths leading to a similar “trance-like” state?

Would love to hear your experiences on this.

I used to think I wasn’t “getting” hypnosis because I couldn’t feel anything special.

But recently, I stopped trying so hard… and just let it happen.

Now I notice small shifts, losing track of time, feeling more relaxed, being less in my head.

It’s not dramatic, but it feels real.

Turns out, progress for me wasn’t about going deeper…
it was about letting go more.

I started meditation expecting a calm, quiet mind.

But instead, I noticed the opposite — more thoughts, more memories, more noise in my head than usual.

At first I thought I was doing it wrong because it didn’t feel peaceful at all.

Now I’m starting to wonder if meditation is actually about noticing all this, not stopping it.

Is this normal in the beginning?