I'd say mindfulness is something usually practiced by yourself, while hypnosis is put upon you by someone else
@Emily619 Some argue that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis though, just that sometimes people have people guide them with it, but then the same happens with guided meditations. I agree there's a stereotype of alone vs. by someone else, but not sure it equates with reality in terms of what's most common.
Having little knowledge of either I would have guessed that maybe in hypnosis the focus is on being open to suggestion—even in self-hypnosis. While in mindfulness the focus is on being open to your own awareness—even in a mindfulness class where a teacher is telling you what to do.
It's controversial, though. Renowned hypnotherapist Michael Yapko wrote a book about how the two are linked: Mindfulness And Hypnosis
See also: Is There a Link Between Mindfulness and Hypnosis?
I know a hypnotherapist who runs mindfulness groups, and she has always given me the impression that she thinks of them as quite distinct.
@AffyAvo
@RarelyCharlie Huh, that's interesting about the hypnotist you know. I met with a hypnotist once, as I was considering some treatments but never actually went through with a session, just had the consultation meeting. He had described hypnosis as a particular state of consciousness, basically we can become hypnotized watching tv or reading a book - basically when really into what we're watching. We didn't discuss mindfulness/meditation though. I would imagine that with meditation one could easily enter into a hypnotic state, with mindfulness though, there should be more awareness of what is going on around us? Ie. If eating while watching tv, with mindfulness there would be awareness of the eating process along with the program, when hypnotized there might be little awareness regarding what's being eaten, sensations related to that, etc. one moreso zone's out to what else is going on, the focus is all about what's on tv.
I saw this as a good discussion question - so feel free to pop in, whether this is something you know lots about or not 
@AffyAvo I have witnessed people being hynotized. They become highly suggestible and do what the hypnotist suggests. People who are very hypnotised may not remember what they did during the hypnosis. To me hypnosis seems to be an asleep state. Hypnotism is where another person or yourself conditions your consciousness to accept suggestions from another or yourself. I once hypnotized myself into experiencing eating an apple. I could easily imagine something that had no reality.
Mindfulness on the other hand is a highly awake state where you learn to focus your attention where you direct your awareness. It can be to your breathing or what your senses detect. It can be to other people. It is an unconditioned state of awareness where you are in the driver's seat and are more in touch with what is happening in your environment. It is a way to not be hijacked by thoughts and suggestion and experience what is around us without the heaviness of beliefs and pre judgments. In fact in Mindfulness "we do not judge the judging" according to Jon Kabat Zinn in the video about mindfulness and non judging.
Hope that helps.
@soulsings Thanks! It would be interesting to work with a hypnotist just to experience that state with someone who guides it as a career and compare it to other situations. Sadly here, when doing it for therapeutic reasons I found the costs to be quite high.
Do you think meditation can work both to enter a hypnotized state and one of mindfulness? Or how would you fit in meditation into the hypnosis vs mindfulness?
@AffyAvo well I am finding meditation to be an awakening practice to find more of who I really am. To me meditation and mindfulness are very close.
But whatever people found beneficial would be a fair choice in my mind. If you want more info about mindfulness, let me know.
Mindfulness is the awareness of one's thoughts, emotions and feelings... Whether its good or bad... Positive or negative... It just tell the state of consciousness about being awared.
Whereas, hypnosis is a technique either performed by self or the other person which may or may not be a proffesional in which correct seed of thought is implanted into the mind to grow a beautiful plant of good quality and what u all need to implement in life... There are different techniques of hypnotism but basically the principle one is meditation... In which we are mindfully awared of our conscious being and use meditation for our self improvement... These could be done by self or cud be taken help of guided commentries or proffesionals.. !!!