hypnosis
I think of hypnosis not as something human brains are intrinsically capable of, nor as a roleplay/social construct, but a sort of cargo cult. The hypnotist is like an instructor who, rather than understanding the mechanics of the skill he tries to teach and explaining them clearly, simply repeats phrases and actions that have often worked in the past.
hypnosis
This may work for many people, but it leaves no option when the stock phrases don't click. The hypnotist may shrug and say "I guess you're not very hypnotizable", or give a recording and hope the subject gets it on a later attempt.
And, when it does work, the subject may not learn the actual skills involved, and still depends on the cargo cult ritual.
hypnosis
I believe that everything a hypnotized person can do is a skill that one can learn. A lot of it is imagination and knowing how to use metaphor to affect and observe one's mind. There are also distinct "mental actions" that can be controlled like a muscle, and "inner senses" that can be as clear as the external ones. And some physical actions affect the mind. None of these require hypnosis, but they're all associated with it, and trying to model them as one thing doesn't work.
