Hypnosis absolutely works. It's become somewhat of a gimmick in modern culture and downplayed, because really the implications are a bit terrifying to people.. that we are not as in control of ourselves as we'd like to believe we are. That we are highly programmable organic units.
At a low level all advertising is a form of hypnosis. At a medium level you can induce states that make people perceive things that aren't there and do all sorts of stuff. At a high level you don't even need the 'hands together' or other tricks to put people into that state, you can literally point at them and force them under - this hypnosis at a distance isn't widely known and is likely related to 'transmission' in myticism.
You can self-hypnotise yourself too. Two personal examples:
- A particular situational anxiety I developed. I remember the instant I allowed myself to fall into the self-hypnosis, I can still picture the sidewalk in my mind, and also why I allowed it to happen.
- Waking up seconds before my alarm clock is due to go off in the morning. Handy at first but became particularly irritating after awhile!
Neither of those examples required me to sit down, breath, or do anything gimmicky. I can't describe it except to say it is a subjectively felt state and I know when I'm in it. I have a weird relationship with my brain/mind
- I can trigger ASMR, stop a sneeze right at the peak, hiccups, all with intention alone. All that is related to hypnosis in the sense that our minds are far more influential, and able to be influenced, than we know.