The Transparent Hypnotist

Alas, it is a Friday without our 10 Questions. On the positive side, it means that it has been a busy week for hypnotists. I now extend this invitation out, if you would like to participate in our 10 Questions (you must be involved in hypnosis somehow) or know someone who would be a good candidate for it, please let me know and I will consider it. You can comment here or drop me an email. Even if you are a hobbyist, it still counts.

If you just check in on Friday’s, check back next Friday when there will be another 10 Questions. Otherwise, you never know, there might be something more today…

Today, I think I want to try fire walking. Anyone else?

Normally, it is quiet here when I sit down with my cup of tea (Assam) and begin the word flow. But today, my morning was filled with the chaotic (if not happy) sounds of Good Morning America. Did you watch it? Well, if not, maybe you should have.

Diane Sawyer and a team of six or seven took a dare to walk across hot coals using self-hypnosis. To do this, they prepped themselves by individually meeting with Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist at Stanford University. He used a 10 point scale to determine their hypnotize ability. Then as a group he worked with them, teaching them a form of NLP and self-hypnosis (I say NLP because that is what it looked like to me, they do not mention it on the show). After a group session, even the most cynical person said it affected them by making the day a little better. You cannot beat that!

And this morning, they actually walked across the hot coals (a few times actually). Diane Sawyer said she did not even feel the heat from the coals until the third step.

All in all, I think it was a great series about hypnosis.

So, if you are reading this - organizers of Hypnoticon - think about offering it at next year’s convention. That would be a sure fire way to totally get Ellie Blunt to commit to joining in the fun. LOL.

Have any of you, my beloved readers, ever fire walked before? If so, what was it like?

And for those who missed this morning show, here are a few clips from the whole series:

GMA and Self-hypnosis
GMA and Fire Walking

Source:
ABC News

Good morning. The Irish Breakfast tea is barely cutting through the slime of waking up today. My condition (whatever that is) appears to have gotten worse than better from my weekend retreat. So, anyone who was jealous, I have gotten my just desserts. I am off to the doctor (which I was hoping to avoid with my insurance woes).

Hang tight, though. If I am back with the daylight hours, I shall try to post something with more substance.

Until then…

What a fantastic Sunday Question! Huge thanks to Michael Raugh for being the Transparent Hypnotist’s first guest blogger! Hopefully we will see more of Michael here. And Debbie, thanks for answering the question. Anyone else, please feel free to answer it.

I am still getting my hypnotist head on for the week after recuperating in the mountains. It was quite relaxing and strange not being near a computer, no cell phone service, and no television (thought there was indoor plumbing and electricity). It takes one back to basics. So, I practiced a lot of healing self-hypnosis and guided meditation. When you come back from something like that, it is as though, on return to the everyday, everything is shiny and new.

I am contemplating this week’s poll around Michael’s question and should have that up and running much sooner than I did last week’s.

Also, my apologies for no Esoteric Saturday. I sent the post through the time cave, but it is now adrift and alone in cyberspace, its exact location unknown.

Since returning from Hypnoticon earlier this month the subject of
evangelism has been often in my mind. No, not in the religious sense;
I'm thinking more about the ways that people extend themselves to
promote an idea about which they are passionate.

What does that have to do with hypnosis? Regular readers of this blog
may recall the poll from two weeks back, 'Would You Let a Stranger that
You Just Met Hypnotize You on the Street?' That poll (to which the
overall response was a heaping 'No' with a side of 'Maybe/It Depends')
grew out of discussion, some on the blog and some off, about the
walkabout trance experience at Hypnoticon. I didn't participate in that
exercise because I felt uncomfortable walking up to strangers and
saying, "Hey, I'm a hypnotist — can I hypnotize you right now?" What I
wrote to Ellie was that the idea made me feel like a hypnotic Jehovah's
Witness, metaphorically speaking, which led to the juxtaposition of
hypnosis and evangelism.

In a way, walkabout hypnosis exercises are a method of evangelizing —
that is, publicly promoting and advocating — hypnosis. But for those
of us who aren't bold or outgoing enough to accost strangers in the
street, aren't there other ways of achieving the same end? Some
hypnotists take to radio and TV talk shows to talk up the benefits of
hypnosis; others participate in events such as World Hypnotism Day; some
volunteer their services at hospices, hospitals, and other places where
need is high and resources often low. I give a presentation on hypnosis
to the Psychology class at my childrens' high school every semester.

So my Sunday Question for you is: what do you do to evangelize for
hypnosis in your community?

-MR

As I test out a system for having guest bloggers on this site on
occasion, I thought I would give you a heads up that this coming
Sunday, the Transparent Hypnotist will feature its first guest blogger
Michael Raugh. Michael has been an active participant with this blog since the beginning (both in comments and behind the scenes). He was also our first hypnotist to participate in the 10 Questions.

He will be either tackling the Sunday Question or whatever he deems to
write about. Please make sure to stop by and check out his post.

Location: Columbus, Georgia

Cyber Location:
www.southernhypnosis.com
www.whatsonmybrain.com

1. Are you a full time hypnotist, part-time or hobbyist?

I’m currently working part time as a hypnotist, but I’m currently in the process of opening up my full time practice “Southern Hypnosis & Consulting” and working on putting together a few workshops on how to perform “Instant and Rapid inductions” and “Hypnosis for Beginners” I currently work in the field of Real Estate Investing and Property Management, but since I work for myself it allows me the time needed to see clients and build Southern Hypnosis & Consulting as a company.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

I work with a good majority of issues, but I specialize in Smoking Cessations, Fear Removal and Sports Enhancement. I really like these three fields because the results are seen almost instantly. This provides a sort of validation for the client and even myself.

3. Is there any type of hypnosis you do not do? Why?

I’m pretty much open to anything hypnosis related. Hypnosis is a huge part of my life and being 25 there is still a lot I want to learn. Currently I am keeping myself open to all the different possibilities, but you never know. Maybe sometime down the road I’ll run across something in this profession that just doesn’t rub me right.

4. Do you use self-hypnosis regularly in your life? If so, how?

I’m a huge believer in personal development and hypnosis is one of the fastest and most effective ways to effect change within ourselves. I actually starting using self-hypnosis around the age of 17 and it has really helped me become the person I am today. I typically like to do my self-hypnosis right after I wake up, but if I can’t then I will usually do it right before bed.

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

I work out of a home office which is located in a nice quiet area of Columbus, Georgia, which is where I’m located. I wanted to keep my expenses low for the first few years until I really began to establish myself so I decided a home office would work best for my situation. I currently have one recliner which I use as my hypnosis chair, a smaller chair that I sit in to do the work, a computer desk with a large flat screen monitor where my clients watch my pre-talk video, two book cases filled with training material and books on hypnosis, management, personal improvement and many other topics and than a few calm and relaxing photos on the wall. I also hang my certifications, my client bill of rights and a disclaimer. Eventually as I pick up more clients I would eventually like to move into a actual office, but until that time comes my home office works fine for me.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

I usually wake up around 9:30am and begin doing my self-hypnosis techniques for about 15 min. After that I will work out for a little while and then hop in the shower. After a decent breakfast I head to my office to see what’s on the agenda for today. If I have a session I usually like to schedule it for 10:30am, but it really just depends on what time is acceptable for the client. If I have back-to-back clients I always give myself a thirty min. break in between each one. This allows me to take a breath, step back and get my mind ready for my next one. I will usually only see clients up to 6:00pm, but on rare situations I may fit a client in after 6:00. My motto is why change tomorrow when you can change today.

7. Where did you get your training in hypnosis and are you certified?

I have always been into hypnosis and would read whatever I could when growing up. It wasn’t until 22 that I really got serious into hypnosis and started studying it with the intent to actually use what I learned. The first real course I ever studied and completed was from one of the best hypnosis instructors and teachers in the profession, a great hypnotist by the name of Gerald Kein. I got a hold of his Basic to Advance Home Study Course from a good friend who was just going to throw it away because he could never get into hypnosis. So I took it off his hands rather then have it thrown in the garbage. This course literally changed my life and started me on my journey. Eventually after many more DVD training programs I decided to get certified with the National Guild of Hypnotist. I am currently a member in good standing and also working on my second certification with the International Hypnosis Association. I have also read and studied many different books and training programs. One of my favorite books is called Hypnotherapy by Dave Elman and Answer Cancer by Stephen Parkhill.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

That’s a good question and honestly I don’t know if I could pick just one, but if I had too I would have to say Chair Work. I find the healing this technique can produce is amazing and it’s really interesting to see the interaction between the client and the person in the other chair. This technique has many different applications so I would have to say this is my favorite one.

9. Worse moment ever in a hypnosis setting that ended up being a valuable learning experience.

When I first started to learn hypnosis I did a lot of stage hypnosis type stuff. Well one day I used hypnosis on a friend and made him forget his name. Since I was caught up in the moment I forgot to tell him he could remember his name. I discovered later on that he had a job interview and had to wait for his name to be called. Well since he forgot his name he didn’t realize his name was being called and he never got the job. I felt awful and learned that hypnosis can be a powerful tool for change and never abuse it because the moment you do it will come back to bite you. The moment I discovered it which was the next day I reversed the amnesia.

10. Any words of advice to potential clients or other hypnotist?

My main advice is to never stop learning and never stop practicing. Hypnosis is a amazing tool for change and we have only discovered a small percentage of the potential of hypnosis. We are living in a time where hypnosis is starting to become accepted by the main stream so we must treat it as a profession. We must always strive for the highest degrees of credibility and professionalism or we risk losing our rights to practice this amazing art. The more we study and learn the better we will be able to take hypnosis to the next level and show the world that change is nothing more then a state of mind. I also would like to give a word of advice to all the young hypnotists out there. Understand that there are other people and hypnotists out there that know more then you do. Seek these peoples out and learn everything you can. For the moment you think you know everything is the moment you undo everything. Strive to be the best at what you do and great things will follow.

Another day and this illness lingers. I cannot seem to sleep at night, but as soon as the sun comes out, off to dreamland I go. If this seems a little disjointed this week, you know that I am operating with cotton in the brain.

I am happy to report that #3 on my favorite five throat soothers worked brilliantly for me yesterday. My voice stayed strong, perhaps better than it does during my normal healthy times. I do suspect it is an acquired taste, though.

It has made me wonder about proper voice care during sessions in general. I find that many times, my voice will crack or grow hoarse during a session. I have added a humidifier into the mix and always keep water handy (coffee and caffeinated teas also seem to make it worse). No one has ever mentioned it as a problem, but still it has me curious. Does this happen to anyone else who has a job that involves speaking for a period of time? If so, what do you do to remedy this?

I was once told it is because one of my Chakras is blocked. How does one unblock a Chakra?

So much for feeling better. I have stayed home for two days, but I have a few things I cannot put off today, so in a bit, off I go to the office.

With this in mind, and trying to keep my voice from doing odd things during my sessions, I have become desperate and am looking up homeopathic remedies as a solution.

Now I present to you - Ellie’s favorite five throat soothers.

1. Honey and lemon juice. Mix a bit of these two together and take a teaspoon every so often, letting the concoction sit in your throat.
2. Cinnamon. Boil a teaspoon of coarsely, powdered cinnamon in a cup of water, along with a pinch of pepper and two teaspoons of honey. I suspect you drink it down for relief.
3. A tea made out of (you guessed it) lemon and honey, along with apple cider vinegar, and Cayenne pepper. Basically, boil a plain cup of water. Then mix in a teaspoon of the vinegar and one of the honey. Add a pinch of cayenne and the juice of 1/4 of the lemon and there you have a delightful drink. You can have up to four of these a day.
4. The Tylenol Fix (and no this is probably not what you think). Rather than just taking two and calling me in the morning, this requires one to mash up one Tylenol into a fine powder. Add a few drops of water to the powder until it has a mud-like consistency. With a finger, spread this paste on the back of your tongue. (Yuck).
5. Yoga. It always comes back to yoga, does it not? Based on the lion pose, one does not need to do the whole pose. Rather, just stick out your tongue as though you are trying to touch your chin with it. When it seems it can go no farther, stretch it out just a little bit more, giving it all you have got. If you do it until you almost gag, you know you are doing it right. And that is it. Do this a couple times a day.

Sources:
Health911.com
Home Remedies
About.com
Thrifty Fun
Associated Content

*Yes, I have to put in a disclaimer here. The above information is just that - merely information. Ellie Blunt and The Transparent Hypnotist do no claim that any of these are cures or even recommend their use. Again they are what they are, information, and you as the reader may do with them what you will, realizing the author of this post is held harmless.

Huge apologies for not keeping this blog as active as I should have yesterday. For those who come to answer the poll questions, you will see a new poll this afternoon. I fear that I managed to attracted some not so favorable germs this past weekend (and not in some pleasant way). They have turned against me and have created a bit of a fog in my head.

So, check back this afternoon for a new poll and maybe a post with a little bit better content. Till then…