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So my wife is quite pregnant, and we're taking a hypno-birthing class. I'm fine with the hypnotism for relaxation and child birthing part of it- but I don't trust our instructor. Accordingly, I've been actively resisting the hypnosis. The most recent exercise they went through was eating a lemon in a kitchen.

My mind started to stray, as minds do, and I got to thinking of other people who are able to resist hypnosis. This led me to berzerkers, as I had recently read Sea of Trolls. Unfortunately, this got me to thinking about Khorne Berzerkers. At this point I was smirking. Then the hypnotist gets to cutting the lemon with a knife- and I'm thinking of a chainsword hitting a lemon. Finally, the hypnotist commands us to bite that lemon- and I think of the poster "When life gives you lemons, Blood for the Blood God!". At that point I begin pondering what a great guy Kharne was, and it was all I could do to keep myself from bursting out in laughter.

Fortunately, the teacher mistook my clenched jaw for the reaction of someone biting into a lemon.

I clearly need some less amusing ways to resist hypnosis. I've got 3 more of these sessions to get through, and my wife needs them. I need to not laugh- I can't even imagine how upset my 8 months pregnant wife would be if she thought I was taking our son's impending birth lightly. Any suggestions?

Why do you need hypnotism for relaxation? You're not the one giving birth I presume.

Epidural.

Reactions to hypnosis vary between people. Some are more resistant than others.

There is a theory that there is no such thing as hypnosis and the effect is caused by the subject not the practitioner.

Resist by not wanting to be hypnotized? Isn't that how it works?

RustyKnight put it best. To resist, simply don't want to be hypnotized. Mythbusters did an episode where they tested the realities and myths of hypnotism, and while it is possible (And often easy, depending on the subject) to get someone to go into a deep trance-like sleep, it's not possible to force them to do something that they don't want to.