Hi, I’m Robert Nugent, and welcome to Beneath Awareness.
This site is a labour of love. I’ve been fascinated by hypnosis for more than thirty years, ever since I studied behavioural science as an undergraduate.
What hooked me then, and still does, is a strange idea that research keeps confirming: much of what goes on in our minds happens outside our awareness. We make choices and form beliefs for reasons we can’t see, and then we often explain them afterwards with stories we sincerely believe. (Michael Gazzaniga’s famous split-brain experiments, which I write about here, are one of the most striking examples.)
I’ve come to think that one of the most useful skills in life is learning to tell the difference between a fact and the story our mind has built around it. The hidden part of the mind can be our biggest obstacle, and our greatest resource. Hypnosis is one of the few tools that lets us work with it directly.
On this site you’ll find the history of hypnosis, the remarkable people who shaped it, what the science really shows, and some of the strangest and most moving stories of how it has been used. I try to tell those stories well, while being honest about where the evidence is strong and where it isn’t.
Of course a disclaimer, Beneath Awareness is about understanding hypnosis, not offering treatment. Nothing here replaces advice from a qualified health professional.
I’d love to hear from you, whether it’s a comment, a question, a story of your own, or a suggestion for something I should write about. You can reach me through the Contact page.
I hope you enjoy exploring.
Robert