Not everyone can be hypnotized. One study suggests that about 10 percent of the population is highly hypnotizable. Although it's possible that the rest of the population could be hypnotized, they're less likely to be receptive to the practice.

Is everyone capable of being hypnotized?

Not everyone is able to be hypnotized, and new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine shows how the brains of such people differ from those who can easily be.

Why does hypnosis not work on everyone?

Using MRI technology, they discovered that people who cannot be hypnotized tend to have less activity in the parts of the brain related to attention and “executive control.” ... But those who could be hypnotized had more activity in the executive-control and salience networks.