Hypnotic depth · Six stages
The Arons Scale of Hypnotic Depth
Created by hypnotist Harry Arons, this six-stage scale gauges how deep a hypnotic state has become by what a person can actually experience, from light relaxation and eyelid catalepsy to profound somnambulism.
6 stages · Observable signs · Simple ways to test each level
Overview
What is the Arons scale?
Many systems have been proposed to describe how deeply someone is hypnotized. Some use more levels, some use fewer, and some practitioners argue there are no stages at all: a trance is simply a trance.
The Arons scale, named after its creator Harry Arons, stands out because it is easy to remember and defines each stage by what a person can actually experience, rather than by how deep they feel. That makes the stages observable, repeatable and easy to compare from one session to the next.
Whatever your view on hypnotic depth, it helps to know which experiences someone is likely ready for. That is where the Arons scale is most useful.
The six stages at a glance
The six stages
The stages of hypnosis on the Arons scale
Each stage is identified by the experiences it makes possible. The stages are often grouped in pairs: light (1 and 2), medium (3 and 4) and deep, or somnambulistic (5 and 6).
1
Stage 1 · Light
Hypnoidal
The lightest level of hypnosis. Many people don’t feel hypnotized at all and remain fully aware of their surroundings. The hypnoidal state resembles two everyday experiences: the hypnagogic state just before you fall asleep, and the hypnopompic “twilight” state just before you fully wake up. In both, the conscious mind takes a back seat.
Despite being so light, a great deal of useful work can happen here, and a trained hypnotist can easily guide someone from this state into natural sleep or back again.
What you may observe
- Relaxation and a pleasant lethargy
- Small muscle twitches, as when drifting off to sleep
- Fluttering eyelids and small eye movements
- Flushing or slower, deeper breathing
How practitioners test it
- Eyelid catalepsy: suggest the eyelids are locked shut, then invite the person to try to open them
- Watch for the classic early signs, such as eyelid flutter
2
Stage 2 · Light
Large-muscle catalepsy
Mind and body come further under the influence of suggestion. Larger muscle groups can now be affected, making phenomena such as arm catalepsy possible. Trance logic also begins to appear: the usual habit of questioning suggestions, or separating imagination from reality, starts to relax. To an observer, the relaxation is usually obvious.
What you may observe
- Arm catalepsy
- Catalepsy of isolated muscle groups
- Feelings of heaviness or floating
- Side-to-side eye movements beneath the lids, as if reading
How practitioners test it
- Arm catalepsy: a raised arm that stays rigid on suggestion
- Suggestions of a heavy or floating arm
3
Stage 3 · Medium
Aphasia
The hallmark of stage 3 is suggested aphasia: a temporary inability to say a particular word, letter or number. The person still knows the word but can’t get it out, and usually describes it as a tip-of-the-tongue feeling.
What you may observe
- Suggested aphasia
- A tip-of-the-tongue block on a chosen word or number
How practitioners test it
- Number block: suggest that the number 3 has disappeared, then count fingers together (1, 2, 4, 5, 6…)
- Stage hypnotists often demonstrate this level with “you only speak a foreign language” or “translate the show into Martian” routines
4
Stage 4 · Medium
Amnesia and analgesia
Stronger phenomena appear here, including the first genuine amnesia. With direct suggestion, a person may temporarily “forget” deeply familiar information such as their name, address or phone number, or even the names of loved ones. Light glove analgesia becomes possible: touch and pressure are still felt, but discomfort can be reduced.
What you may observe
- Strong post-hypnotic suggestions
- Name or address block through direct suggestion
- Beginning glove analgesia
- Automatic movements or automatic writing
- Vivid suggested tastes and smells
- Pseudo age regression: vividly remembering rather than reliving
How practitioners test it
- Complete loss, or replacement, of a name or address on suggestion
- Strong suggested tastes or smells
- Little reaction to a light pinch when analgesia is suggested
5
Stage 5 · Deep
Somnambulism
This is where true somnambulism begins. The word literally means “sleepwalking”, but in hypnosis it describes a clear sense of detachment of the mind from the body and the outside world. Many hypnotherapists find that clients settle around this level during a typical session.
Suggested anesthesia can become complete, making most forms of pain control possible. Positive hallucinations, seeing or hearing things that aren’t there, become possible on suggestion, and age regression may feel like reliving an event rather than simply remembering it.
What you may observe
- Amnesia afterwards, even without suggestion
- Suggested anesthesia
- Positive hallucinations in any sense
- Age regression experienced as reliving
- Unusual post-hypnotic suggestions carried out
- Eyes rolling upward; they may partly or fully open
How practitioners test it
- Profound catalepsy
- Strong positive hallucinations
- Vivid, first-person descriptions of past events
- Suggested anesthesia
6
Stage 6 · Deep
Profound somnambulism
The deepest stage on the Arons scale. In addition to everything possible at stage 5, people can experience negative hallucinations: not seeing or hearing something that is actually there.
What you may observe
- Negative hallucinations
- Profound anesthesia
How practitioners test it
- The “invisible hypnotist” demonstration
- Complete suggested anesthesia
Beyond the scale
Beyond the Arons scale: the Esdaile and Sichort states
Some hypnotists describe levels of depth beyond stage 6. They are not part of Arons’ original scale, and in most cases they are only reached through significant, deliberate effort by a trained hypnotist.
Hypnotic coma
The Esdaile state
Named after James Esdaile, a Scottish surgeon who reported performing many operations using mesmerism in India in the 1840s. In this state the person stops responding to suggestions, because the experience is so comfortable that they simply ignore the hypnotist.
Practitioners describe automatic, whole-body anesthesia that does not need to be suggested, and a waxy, pre-catatonic catalepsy: when a limb is moved or firmly “set”, it stays in place or springs back to where it was set.
Ultra-depth
The Sichort state
Described as an even deeper state, reached from the hypnotic coma. It is characterized by complete relaxation of the skeletal muscles and the deep abdominal muscles, with anesthesia continuing.
Proponents claim that, working through the subconscious, it can speed physical healing, strengthen the immune system and balance the hormonal system, and it has been promoted for use during surgery, particularly abdominal procedures.
A note of caution: the Esdaile and Sichort states are described mainly in practitioner literature and have been studied very little. The health claims made for them have not been established by controlled research. Hypnosis can be a helpful complement to medical care, but it should never replace medical anesthesia or treatment.
The research
What the research says about hypnotic depth
The Arons scale is best understood as a practical guide for hypnotists rather than a scientific measurement. Research on hypnosis raises several points worth knowing:
- Responsiveness is not a single dial. Studies suggest hypnotic responsiveness is multidimensional, shaped by expectation, social context, rapport and the specific suggestion, rather than by one “depth” setting.
- Phenomena don’t always follow the ladder. Experiences the scale places at deeper stages, such as analgesia, amnesia and age regression, are reported by people across a wide range of hypnotizability, and can often be elicited with tailored suggestions or practice.
- Researchers measure something different. In the lab, hypnotizability is usually measured with standardized tools such as the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale and the Harvard Group Scale, which score how many test suggestions a person responds to.
- Modern models focus on attention and control. Cognitive and neuroscience research tends to describe hypnosis in terms of focused attention, dissociation and changes in top-down control, rather than a fixed ladder of depths.
None of this makes the Arons scale less useful in practice. It remains a simple, memorable way to gauge what someone is ready to experience next. Just treat it as a map, not a measurement.
FAQ
The Arons scale: common questions
What is the Arons scale?
The Arons scale is a six-stage scale of hypnotic depth created by hypnotist Harry Arons. Each stage is defined by observable experiences, from eyelid catalepsy at stage 1 to negative hallucinations at stage 6.
What are the six stages of hypnosis on the Arons scale?
Stage 1, hypnoidal; stage 2, large-muscle catalepsy; stage 3, aphasia; stage 4, amnesia and analgesia; stage 5, somnambulism; and stage 6, profound somnambulism. They are often grouped as light (1 and 2), medium (3 and 4) and deep (5 and 6).
What is somnambulism in hypnosis?
Somnambulism is the deep level of hypnosis at stages 5 and 6 of the Arons scale. People often experience amnesia afterwards and can respond to suggestions for anesthesia and hallucinations.
Do you need deep hypnosis for hypnotherapy to work?
No. Useful work can happen at every level, including the lightest. Many common goals, such as relaxation and habit change, do not require a deep state.
Can everyone reach deep hypnosis?
Responsiveness to hypnosis varies from person to person. Research suggests a minority of people are highly hypnotizable while most respond moderately, and rapport, expectation and practice all affect what someone experiences.
Is the Arons scale scientifically validated?
Not in the way research tools are. It is a practitioner’s guide based on observed phenomena. Researchers use standardized scales, such as the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, to measure hypnotizability.
How receptive are you to hypnosis?
Take the free Trance Receptivity Index to explore how you tend to respond to hypnotic suggestion.
This article is for education only. Hypnosis is not a substitute for medical or psychological care. If you are considering hypnosis for pain, a medical procedure or a health condition, talk with a qualified professional.