Founder's Story

The Truth About Hypnosis: What It Does to Your Brain and Why It Can Transform You in Minutes | Ep 292 with Dr. David Spiegel

16 Dec 2025

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In this episode of Founder’s Story, Daniel sits down with Stanford’s Dr. David Spiegel to unpack hypnosis with a level of clarity most people have never heard. Dr. Spiegel explains why hypnosis is not a loss of control, but an increase in control, and walks through the three core components that make it work. They explore how hypnosis differs from meditation, how it can help with stress and insomnia in real time, and the brain science that shows what changes during hypnosis. Dr. Spiegel also shares the origin story that made him commit his career to hypnosis, including a first patient experience that worked so fast it shocked an entire hospital. Key Discussion Points: Daniel and Dr. Spiegel unpack the biggest misconception about hypnosis, explaining why it is not a loss of control but a way to enhance it through focused attention, dissociation, and the ability to try being different. Dr. Spiegel contrasts hypnosis with meditation, highlighting why hypnosis works faster for people with racing minds and high stress. They explore how hypnosis can help break habits by focusing on what you are for rather than what you are fighting against, including real-world examples with smoking, stress, and eating behaviors. The conversation also dives into sleep, showing how calming the body first can quiet the mind and interrupt anxiety loops. Dr. Spiegel closes by explaining the brain science behind hypnosis, including how it turns down the internal alarm system and restores a sense of control. Takeaways: Hypnosis is not mind control, it is a trainable skill for better self control. The three pillars are focused attention, dissociation from unhelpful sensations and thoughts, and the ability to try being different by quieting rigid self narratives. For habit change, focus on what you are for, not what you are against, and use intermittent positive reinforcement by making choices that create immediate self respect rather than deprivation. For stress and sleep, start from the body up, calm the fight or flight response, and create distance from your worries by placing them on an imaginary screen. Brain imaging supports these experiences by showing reduced threat signaling and increased executive control during hypnosis. Closing Thoughts: This episode reframes hypnosis as a practical tool you can use in minutes, especially when stress is peaking and your mind feels impossible to quiet. Dr. Spiegel’s approach makes the science accessible, the techniques usable, and the impact feel immediate. If you have ever struggled with sleep, anxiety, pain, or habits, this conversation offers a way to regain control using a skill your brain already has. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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The Truth About Hypnosis: What It Does to Your Brain and Why It Can Transform You in Minutes | Ep 292 with Dr. David Spiegel

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other episodes from Founder's Story

The Truth About Founder Wealth | Ep 302 with Julian Metcalfe Founder of Pret a Manger and itsu

Why Applying for Jobs Is a Waste of Time (And What Actually Works Instead) | Ep 301 with Julia Arpag Founder of Aligned Recruitment

The Testosterone Myth That’s Costing Men Years of Their Lives | Ep 299 with Shalin Shah CEO of Marius Pharmaceuticals

The Founder Who Turns Your Body Heat Into Healing Light: 'It Goes 2 Inches Deep' | Ep 295 with Seth Casden Founder of Hologenix

Side Hustle With a Heart: How One Founder Makes Giving Frictionless | Ep 289 with Stuart White Founder of We Are Our World

He Found $500B Hidden in Healthcare Waste — And Built the AI to Fix It | Ep 283 with Raheel Retiwalla Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Boost Health AI

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