Final answer:
Hypnosis is a state where individuals are subject to heightened suggestibility, can perform tasks without hypnosis if sufficiently motivated, cannot be forced to act against their will, and the process relies heavily on their responsiveness to suggestion. It is not a method to increase memory accuracy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nature of hypnosis can be understood by debunking popular misconceptions and exploring empirical research. Firstly, feats performed under hypnosis can often be executed by motivated individuals without the need for hypnosis, suggesting that hypnosis does not imbue superhuman abilities. Secondly, hypnosis does not increase the accuracy of memories, challenging the myth of its use in forensic situations to reliably recover memories. Thirdly, it is a myth that hypnosis can force individuals to act against their will; while under hypnosis, people are still in control of their behaviors and can resist suggestions that go against their morals or beliefs. Lastly, the effectiveness of hypnosis largely depends on the person's responsiveness to hypnotic suggestion, rather than the skill of the hypnotist.
From a scientific perspective, there are two main theories describing how hypnosis works: the dissociation theory, which posits that hypnosis is a dissociated state of consciousness, and the social-cognitive theory, which views hypnotized individuals as fulfilling the social role expected of them. Both suggest alterations in consciousness but frame the experience in different contexts.