It is one of the most confusing things about anxiety. You can know, rationally and completely, that you are safe. 

Nothing bad is happening. There is no real threat. And yet your body is responding as though there is. 

Your heart races, your chest may tighten or perhaps your mind won't settle.

The answer to why that happens might just come from an unlikely place, the back of a wardrobe in a Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom from Harry Potter.

If you have ever read Harry Potter or watched the films, I wonder if you can remember the boggart.

It lives in dark spaces, the back of a wardrobe, the corner of an unused room, and it waits. 

Not because it is malicious.

Not because it wants to hurt anyone. 

But because it is doing the only thing it knows how to do.

When someone opens that wardrobe door, the boggart transforms. 

It becomes whatever that person fears the most.

For Neville, it was Professor Snape. 

For Ron, it was a spider. 

For Harry, it was a dementor. Same creature. 

Completely different fear. 

Because the boggart does not have a fixed form. 

It reaches into the mind of the person standing in front of it and finds their deepest fear, and then it becomes exactly that.

Sound familiar?

Your Mind Has Its Own Boggart

Your unconscious mind does something remarkably similar.

It knows you better than you know yourself. 

It holds every experience you have ever had, every fear you have ever felt, every moment that left a mark. 

And when it senses that you might be in danger, or even when it just thinks you might be, it reaches into that vast store of knowledge and brings your deepest fear to the surface.

Not to torment you. Not because it has got it in for you. But because it is trying to protect you.

The problem, just like with the boggart, is that it does not always get it right.

Sometimes the unconscious mind sees danger where there is none. It fires off an alarm in response to a difficult conversation, a looming deadline, a health worry, a relationship uncertainty. 

It mistakes ordinary life for something threatening. And before you know it, your own personal boggart is standing right in front of you, vivid, convincing and feeling absolutely real.

Why Everyone's Boggart Looks Different

One of the most important things about the boggart in Harry Potter is this: it is never the same for any two people.

Anxiety works in exactly the same way.

For one person, the boggart of anxiety is health, a symptom that spirals into catastrophe before a doctor has even been seen. 

For another, it is failure, a presentation, a decision, a moment of vulnerability that the mind turns into evidence of not being good enough. 

For someone else, it is abandonment, or conflict, or losing control, or the wellbeing of someone they love.

Same anxiety. Completely different form.

This is why comparing your anxiety to someone else's rarely helps. Your boggart is shaped by your history, your experiences and the unique way your unconscious mind learned to keep you safe. 

It is personal. And understanding that is often the first step toward changing your relationship with it.

Why the Boggart Keeps Coming Back

In the classroom scene, Professor Lupin does not simply open the wardrobe and hope for the best.

He prepares his students. He helps them understand what they are dealing with before they face it.

Because here is the thing about a boggart, if you just slam the wardrobe door and walk away, it is still there. Waiting. Ready to appear the next time the door opens.

Avoiding anxiety works in much the same way. When we avoid the things that trigger our fears, the fear does not shrink. It stays exactly the same size, or sometimes grows, because the unconscious mind never gets the chance to learn that it was wrong. 

That there was no real danger. That it could stand down.

Avoidance keeps the boggart alive. 

You can read more about how avoidance affects anxiety in this blog: https://phoenix-hypnotherapy.com/blog/why-avoidance-works-until-it-starts-shrinking-your-life

Riddikulus, Changing Your Relationship With Fear

The spell that defeats the boggart is not one of force or destruction. It is called Riddikulus.

The witch or wizard does not fight the boggart. 

They do not overpower it or pretend it is not there. 

Instead, they change their relationship with it. 

They find a way to see it differently, to take something terrifying and shift their perspective until it loses its grip.

Neville puts Professor Snape in his grandmother's clothes. The boggart becomes ridiculous. The fear loses its power.

You do not need a wand to do something similar.

Changing your relationship with fear, learning to see anxious thoughts for what they truly are rather than what they feel like, is at the heart of how anxiety shifts. 

Not by fighting every thought. Not by forcing yourself to feel fine. But by gently, steadily updating the story your unconscious mind has been telling.

You can also read more about anxiety and worst-case thinking in this blog: https://phoenix-hypnotherapy.com/blog/why-do-i-always-imagine-the-worst

You Already Have Your Own Magic

Here is what Professor Lupin understood that made him such a remarkable teacher: he never told his students that the boggart was not real to them. He never dismissed their fear or told them they were overreacting. 

He simply helped them find what was already inside them, the capacity to face the fear and change their relationship with it.

The pupils had their wands. They had each other. They had guidance and support and the safety of knowing they were not alone.

But the magic itself? That came from within them.

You already have your own version of that magic. The capacity for change, for healing, for seeing things differently, lives inside you, not outside you. 

It always has. Some people find their way to it through talking, through self-reflection, through meditation or movement or creativity. Some people find that they need a little guidance to access it, someone to stand alongside them as they open the wardrobe door, and for many people, that is where hypnotherapy comes in.

Can Hypnotherapy Help With Anxiety?

Hypnotherapy works with the unconscious mind, the same part of you that has been running the boggart all along.

Rather than simply talking about anxiety at a conscious level, it works with the deeper patterns that are driving the fear, updating them in a way that thinking alone often cannot reach.

Many people find that when those deeper patterns begin to shift, the boggart starts to look different. 

Less convincing. Less urgent. Still there sometimes, perhaps, but no longer running the show.

You do not have to keep slamming the wardrobe door.

If anxiety, overthinking or fear has been affecting your daily life and you are ready to explore what your own magic might look like, hypnotherapy is available in Cheltenham, Gloucester and online.

And for further reading, this article on the Hypnotherapy Directory explores the topic in depth: www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/articles/why-do-i-always-imagine-the-worst

If you would like to explore how hypnotherapy could help you, you can book a free no-obligation consultation here 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my anxiety feel different from everyone else'

Just like the boggart takes a completely different form for every person who stands in front of it, anxiety is shaped by your own unique history, experiences and the way your unconscious mind learned to protect you. 

Two people can have very similar lives and yet feel anxious about completely different things. This is not a flaw, it is simply how the mind works.

Why do I know my anxiety is irrational but still cannot stop it?

Anxiety comes from the emotional part of the mind, not the logical part. Emotion and logic speak very different languages, and when anxiety fires off an alarm, no amount of rational thinking can fully override it. 

Knowing something is irrational and feeling it are two very different experiences, which is why telling yourself to calm down rarely works.

Why does avoiding things feel helpful at first?

In the short term, avoidance works. It removes the immediate discomfort and the nervous system calms down. 

The problem can be that each time something is avoided, the unconscious mind receives confirmation that the situation was genuinely dangerous, which makes the fear stronger, not weaker. 

Over time, the list of things being avoided tends to grow and the world as you know it starts to shrink and get smaller and you end up putting more restrictions on your life.

Why do I feel anxious even when nothing bad has happened?

The unconscious mind does not always need evidence of real danger to fire off an alarm.

It works on patterns, associations and past experience. 

If something in the present moment reminds it, even unconsciously, of a time when something felt threatening, it can trigger an anxious response even in perfectly safe circumstances.

Can anxiety really change, or is this just how I am?

Anxiety is not a fixed part of your personality. It is a pattern the mind has learned, which means it can be unlearned. 

The unconscious mind is remarkably adaptable when it is given the right conditions and the right support. 

Many people who have lived with anxiety for years find that it shifts significantly, not because they forced it away, but because the underlying pattern changed.

General FAQ's

What is hypnotherapy and how does it work?

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic approach that works with the unconscious mind, the part of the mind where habits, patterns, fears and emotional responses are stored. 

By accessing this deeper level of the mind in a relaxed, focused state, hypnotherapy can help update the patterns that drive anxious responses, rather than simply managing symptoms at the surface.

Is hypnotherapy the same as stage hypnosis?

No. Clinical hypnotherapy is nothing like what you might have seen on television or at a stage show. Nobody is made to do anything against their will and you remain fully aware and in control throughout. Most people describe the experience as deeply relaxing and very natural, similar to the feeling of being completely absorbed in a book or a daydream.

Will I be unconscious or lose control during hypnotherapy?

You will not lose control. Hypnotherapy works in a natural daydream like state where the mind is relaxed but directed toward a specific outcome.

Most people remain aware of what is happening throughout, though some drift into a deeper state, which is completely natural and a sign that the mind is very receptive. Either way, you are safe throughout and return to full awareness gently and easily.

Do I have to believe in hypnotherapy for it to work?

You do not need to believe in it completely, but being open to the process does help. 

Hypnotherapy works with the natural processes of the mind rather than anything mysterious or supernatural. 

Curiosity and a willingness to try are usually enough.

How many sessions will I need?

This varies depending on the individual and what they would like support with. Some people notice meaningful shifts within just a few sessions. 

Deeper or longer-standing patterns may benefit from more time. 

A good hypnotherapist will discuss this with you honestly during an initial consultation rather than committing you to a fixed package before understanding your needs.

Is hypnotherapy suitable for everyone?

Hypnotherapy is suitable for most people. It is generally not recommended for those experiencing certain psychiatric conditions, so if you have any concerns it is always worth discussing these during an initial consultation before beginning.

What does a hypnotherapy session actually involve?

Sessions typically begin with a conversation about what you would like to work on and how you have been feeling. The hypnotherapy itself involves being guided into a relaxed, focused state, usually through breathing and visualisation, and then working with the unconscious mind through suggestion, imagery and other techniques. 

Sessions usually last around an hour.

How is hypnotherapy different from counselling or CBT?

Counselling and CBT work primarily at a conscious level, exploring thoughts, feelings and behaviours through conversation and structured exercises. 

Hypnotherapy works with the unconscious mind directly, which is where the patterns driving those thoughts and feelings are actually stored.

Many people find hypnotherapy helpful when talking therapies alone have not produced the shift they were hoping for.

About the Author

Lesley Ford is a multi award-winning clinical hypnotherapist based in Cheltenham, specialising in anxiety, overthinking and emotional overwhelm. With over 25 years in the holistic field and training in clinical hypnotherapy and NLP, Lesley works with clients at the Isbourne Centre in Cheltenham, as well as online across the UK.

You can find out more about Lesley and how she works here: https://phoenix-hypnotherapy.com/about-us/about-lesley-ford-6819585

Something to ponder

The boggart is not evil. 

It is not trying to destroy anyone. 

It is simply doing what it was made to do, reflecting fear back at the person standing in front of it.

Your unconscious mind is not your enemy either. 

It is doing its best with the information it has. 

But sometimes it needs updating. 

Sometimes it needs to learn that the wardrobe is safe to open, that the fear does not have to win, and that you have everything you need to face what is inside.