What is your opinion on hypnotism/hypnosis?

Do you think that hypnotism really works? I’ve met some people who don’t even believe it works at all; I’ve not even talking about it in terms of therapy, just in general. I came across a comment about how a person is an “idiot” if they “fall for it”.

I have been hypnotized before. It was in senior year during a psychology presentation in late ‘08 and I volunteered to be hypnotized. It worked for me. It was like falling asleep. After I was “snapped out of it”, I couldn’t really remember what I had done, but people told me I had picked up a shoe as if it were a phone and had a “conversation” with my mom and a few other things and that I was pretty funny. There were some hazy memories of those things, but it was like one of those vague dreams. I really didn’t remember it.

I’m interested in hearing from people who have actually been hypnotized of course, but those who haven’t I want to hear from too. What has been your experience? What do you think of it?