My Suburban Life has a profile of hypnotist Wendy Kerr which is mostly a worthwhile read.

However, one section might do best to have some clarification. In the piece Kerr is quoted as saying that hypnosis is basically just focused concentration that we go into all the time. Well, focused concentration is certainly a form of trance. I would suggest that it is not really helpful to suggest that light trance is the same thing as hypnosis . . . at least it is not the same as experiential hypnosis or somnambulism which is qualitatively a very different thing at least in my opinion.

I have found that many folks who suggest that highway hypnosis, zoning out, or the like are essentially the same as hypnosis do not really have much experience verifying experiential states or somnambulism. There is a huge difference between the time dilation of losing track of time while reading an engaging book and the experience of memory loss with somnambulism and suggested amnesia or the sense of genuine immobility with hypnotic catalepsy.

Many folks who claim these states are the same genuinely do not know the difference or they do not test to confirm that genuine hypnosis has occurred.

For many such hypnotists, their success as hypnotists is harder to verify. See http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/willowsprings/news/business/x555038068/-Getting-in-the-zone.

All the best,
Brian
http://www.briandavidphillips.com