The Transparent Hypnotist

by Terry O’Brien

Vampires are some of the most popular supernatural characters, and one of their most salient features (aside from living forever) is their hypnotic power.

But where did that power come from? Its not in any folklore of any kind, nor is it in Stoker or any other fiction of the time. (In fact, the hypnotist in “Dracula” was van Helsing, who hypnotized Mina to use her psychic connection with Dracula to track him as he fled across Europe.) But it was definitely seen in the 1931 movie with Bela Lugosi and it is now an accepted part of the canon. So somewhere in the approximately fifty years between the publication of “Dracula” and the Bela Lugosi movie the concept of vampire hypnotism was established.

Until recently, my best guess was that it had something to do with the popularity of hypnotism as a subject of investigation for the genteel upper-class society of Victorian England and the popularity of the novel “Trilby.” Just like :”Dracula”, “Trilby” also featured an Eastern European character, a character that was a sinister hypnotist. Even the illustrations in “Trilby” played up the stereotypical “eye contact” and “hypnotic gestures” inductions. It was only natural to consider that there was some cross-fertilization between “Trilby” and “Dracula” especially on stage. The problem was in trying to prove it.

However, after talking with Michelle Bellanger, who is an expert on vampires, I was led back to “Dracula” and especially the actor who portrayed him on stage.

That actor was Sir Henry Irving. This was the actor that Bram Stoker wrote the character for. Irving was reputed to be an extremely powerful charismatic individual, both on and off stage. So much so that Stoker himself was of two minds about him: Stoker wrote himself as both van Helsing the protagonist and as Renfield the sycophant. It was that charisma, suggests Michelle, that became the basis for vampire hypnosis.

If contemporary reviews of the plays in which Irving played Dracula mentions this, or if it was written into the stage directions in copies of the script from that time period, then this becomes a much easier theory to prove. Now all it needs is the research.

Cyber Location: http://www.hypnosisinmedia.com

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

Strictly a hobbyist and student at this time.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

I want to learn it all!

But seriously, I’m not planning on making a career of hypnosis. The most I would want to be is an speaker and evangelist on the subject.

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

I really don’t do any hypnosis (except self-hypnosis). I’m hedging myself because of the legal situation in the state of Indiana, which has the most stringent (and strangest) laws regarding hypnosis in any state, and because I have very little formal training (as yet.)

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

I use it for relaxation and pain relief: I suffer from neck muscle spasms which cascade up and over the top of the head and resemble sinus headaches. Self-hypnosis helps by getting the muscles to relax while at the same time focusing on ignoring the pain. Its not always totally effective but every little bit helps.

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

My home office is a cramped former bedroom with three large desks (one business and two computer) two 6′ tall bookshelves, four filing cabinets and a closet with too much stuff.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

I am self-employed and owner of a corporate videography company: I have videotaped sports events (most recently for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the NBA D-League team) and awards programs and volunteer as a camera operator for local cable access programs. Because the business is somewhat sporadic, I also temp when possible.

When not temping, my schedule is pretty set: I’m up by mid-morning. When not actively working on a business project, I’m usually editing a personal video project, maintaining the company and Hypnosis in Media wiki websites, and writing. I usually check my email around noon and late in the evening. Sometimes I’m at a club meeting in the evening, or else I’m playing online in GuildWars.

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

I am almost entirely self-taught, although I am working with a lady who is getting her school accredited in Indiana (a Sisyphean task, it seems) and will likely get accredited through her school

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

I don’t really use any techniques, but if I would, I’d use something like the technique I had demonstrated rather dramatically on me once: it was a counting-down/counting-up confusion induction. Since I am very analytical most typical inductions take a long time to work, but with this one I was hypnotized in less than 20 seconds. Then, once I was brought out of trance, the instructor put me back under immediately by simply dropping my hand and saying “sleep!”.

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

It was the second time I was ever hypnotized.

The first time was a few years previously, at a convention where one of the guests presented a panel on hypnosis and did a group relaxation induction for the audience. It was very memorable not only because it was my first real exposure to hypnosis, the person was a true lady and someone I am proud to have befriended.

The second time I was hypnotized, it was by an old friend (and now a prominent hypnotist in his own right) to demonstrate hypnosis. As part of the demonstration, I was given the standard post-hypnotic amnesia suggestion. When I came out of trance, I literally was speechless. All I could do was mouth words: I couldn’t even think. Needless to say, my friend was freaked but recovered quickly and put me back in trance and removed the suggestion.

What I believe happened was the conflict between the suggestion and the way my subconscious mind interpreted it (to forget EVER being hypnotized) and the strong desire to remember the first time I was hypnotized. Once the conflict was removed everything was fine. But it was a really weird experience.

What I learned from it was the definite understanding that hypnosis is real (I even use it to convince other people) and how the mind can interpret things differently than expected.

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

There are a lot of misconceptions and mythologies about hypnosis.

Clients: just about everything you’ve ever seen or heard about hypnosis is probably incorrect. Go in to the session with an open mind and be prepared to be informed and surprised.

Hypnotists: know them and understand these misconceptions. That way you can help clients get over them or better communicate with them to further their own healing. And, if nothing else, you can adapt your session to match the client’s preconceptions and misconceptions. (I remember reading of one therapist whose client referenced a rather bad movie: the therapist immediately shifted his induction to make successful use of that imagery.)

By Mark Scher

Howdy folks, or cheerio (haha Ellie). I appreciate the opportunity to talk to “thems” that know and get some useful advice, so when Ellie asked if I would write in as a glogger while she’s on the road, I jumped at the chance.

 I noticed when my kids were young, their teachers, the good ones, typically did a lot preparation work. As they got older, they still did a lot work, but it was different. There were lectures to prepare and papers to grade.  I noticed that the constant for good teachers was heavy preparation for setting the learning stage, so the kids could actively work hard in higher grades. There were one or two that stuck with lecture,  but it was different—instead of just sitting there passively listening, I was actively caught up in the topic. It was like listening to a good story teller. “Going internal,” I would play with the material, do thought experiments, etc.. Other teachers would lecture, but they were only talking at me—no mental involvement. The “cool” teachers could talk about anything and make it involving.

 As a trainer and instructional designer, I’ve followed the path of most instructional designers and given clients what they expected. Very focused learning objectives with observable criteria (after all if you can’t measure it, how do you know learning took place?), scripts for e-learning instructors, plenty of interactions to involve learners, feedback, etc. Some of my more adventurous clients even let me pose scenarios, simulations, and ask applied questions rather than the usual recall and recognition-level queries.

 Could anyone suggest techniques for trainers teaching adults for developing mentally captivating and memorable lesson content? How can we talk directly to the subconscious to improve assimilation and accommodation of useful content?

By Gary Noble

There are others, who like Mesmer, had studied and practiced hypnosis and other mystic phenomena, (or should we call them sciences?), and were willing to share their discoveries.

Take for instance Alexander Cannon K.C.A., M.D., PH.D., CH.B., D.P.M., M.A., F.R.G.S., ETC. He authored several books including The Invisible Influence (Rider & Co.), Powers That Be (Mott Co. LTD., London), Hypnotism, Suggestion and Faith-Healing (Heinemann, London), The Power of Karma (in publication, May, 1936).

After reading the entire volume, I quote from his book The Science of Hypnotism, first printing May 1936 and published by E. P. Dutton Co., Inc. where, in the chapter named “Hypnotic Colour Science” he tells about The Great White Lodge Psyche Lamp:

This is a great secret of the “White Lodge” which as a Master-the-Fifth, I am now permitted to make known to all, but to ensure that it gets into the right hands, have placed the powers of patent in the hands of The Colour Center of Blackpool, under the direction of Mr. Roland Hunt and others.

The power of this lamp can only be appreciated by those who use it and see it used. It is used in the “Magik” of the Lodge’s three golden rules:

1. Learn to build intelligently. (See Chapter One of Powers That Be.)
2. Give the impulse through the correct word which will animate that which he (the builder) has built; the thought-form then conveys the intended idea with force.
3. Send this thought-form correctly oriented to your goal: being truly directed it will reach the objective and accomplish that which it was sent forth to do.

To accomplish these three golden rules, the great rule of the Lodge must be obeyed in order that the rule may obey you. It is wrapped up in one word, SECRETIVENESS: Jesus Christ the great sage of two thousand years ago, when He cured the sick said: “Go thou thy way and TELL NO MAN.” He knew that the telling of it to others would make the rule non-operative, and the cure of sickness would not be permanent. All the great men in history have brought their plans to fruition by being secretive about them: to even mention them to your nearest friend causes them to lose their effect. For those who live in doubting castle, I counsel them to try practicing this law as I have directed, knowing that it will be proved to the hilt.

The following rules are subsidiary and are directed towards the training of the right thinking against wrong thinking (as the East puts it: to prevent the disciples from the harmful force of the Black Magic.)

1. View the world of thought and separate the false from the true, retaining only the true.
2. Learn the meaning of illusion (see Chapter One of Powers That Be which fully explains this), and in its midst locate the golden thread of truth: the real meaning of truth.
3. Control the emotions of thy mind and soul, for the waves that rise upon the stormy seas of life engulf the swimmer, shut out the sun as he sinks and so render all his plans futile.
4. Discover that thou has a mind, and a dual personality, and to use the duality of thy mind.
5. Concentrate on the principle of thought-power and be master of thy mental world.
6. Learn that the thinker and his thought and that which is the means of thought are diverse in their nature, yet one in ultimate reality.
7. Act as a powerful thinker and learn the error of selfish thought, and that what-so-ever man wishes for another he wishes for himself. Think success to another and success also comes to the thinker.
8. Picture the thought-form before constructing it and ascertain its goal and verify its motive.
9. Think only good of others: if thou canst not say good of another never say evil of them, for as thou speakest of others so do others speak of thyself. Bar fast the doors of thought to hate and pain, to fear, jealousy and low desire. Take heed lest thou fall!
10. Watch close the gates of thought. Physical life is mostly centered on the plane of concrete life, and so thy words and speech will indicate thy thought. Pay close attention to these facts.
11. Speech has a triple nature: idle, selfish and hateful words. Idle words if good it matters naught, but if evil the speaker is sooner or later adversely affected thereby. Selfish words sent forth with strong intent build around its speaker a wall of separation and loneliness. Hateful words spell ruin to the speaker of them, for he falls into the grip of their doisonous fangs: and these words kill the flickering impulses of the soul, and cut at the very root of life itself, bringing in their train the Angel of Death. All thoughts, words and deeds sent out to others sooner or later return to their owner with increased power.
12. Never ask another to do anything that thou thyself wouldst not do. “Don’t trouble trouble “till trouble troubles you, you’ll only double trouble and trouble others too.” The secrete formula is OM MANI PADME HUM. If spoken between the hours of midnight and two of the clock in the early morning, under the deep red ray or infra-red ray, the thought sent out by him is most potent for good or evil according to the mind of the commander.

These are the twelve so-called “Laws of Magik” which in the East is not associated with conjurors and jugglers, but with real science as many have borne witness thereto. This Great White Lodge of the Himalayas is the remnant of the Great University of Atlantis, which was sunk by the selfish powers of mankind about the year 254,666 B.C.

This Great Seat of Learning knows secretes which are ours for the searching, for the power of study, for the ability to learn the power of persistent concentration (practically unknown in the West). It is in this ancient University that the real science of colour, sound and perfume values and their hypnotic effects are fully known and understood.

I felt it necessary to give this introduction to my Lodge before describing its physic lamp, lest anyone might not appreciate its value and therefore never even inspect it and test it out to his own advantage.

The author continues to describe the room in which the magnificent lamp is housed. Its colours are mostly black, indigo and blue with some red panels with golden edges. Each part of the room is described in detail, as are the pieces of furniture.

Dr. Cannon next describes the Lamp. He talks of a globe 12 inches in diameter and composed of seven strips or bands of colour, some being red, some being violet and some being orange. I cannot give out the order of color for fear of someone possibly creating this magnificent lamp. There is a mechanism (clockwork) to drive it so as to turn in a special way. He compares the drive to a unit he adopted for his psychostethokyrtographmanometer drum (the “thought-reading machine”). He claims the use of the lamp for an hour a day soon straightens out permanently those bent on negative poles and so ensures health, one of the secrets of happiness in this short and fleeting earthly life.

This book is a wealth of information for the hypnotist who wants to learn from the old masters. It includes the techniques used and mastered by Lloyd, Tuckey, Bernheim, Grossman, Liebeault, Erskine, Binet and Fere, as well as the Bernheim-Coue Method.

There are chapters on the theory of hypnotism and chapters on methods of hypnotizing.

Egregiously late again, I still owe Ellie and you a Monday post.  It should have had something to do with Memorial Day, I suppose, but that’s not quite where my heart is.

I mentioned my girlfriend, Julie, in posing the Sunday Question.  She’s back home now, 500 miles away, hopefully still smiling as much as I am.  Which has me thinking about how hypnosis comes in handy in the oddest ways.  Yes, even with a long-distance relationship.

Julie is a kinesthetic type, meaning her mind tends to represent and recall data in terms of body sensations.  Because her mind naturally leans that way, Julie is very good at recalling and even reproducing sensations of touch, texture, and warmth — she can even hallucinate them with very little prompting.  Which makes it very easy for me to send her a warm hug, for example, by posthypnotic suggestion.  It’s still not the same as physically being there with her, but it makes her feel good and I (being an auditory type) get to enjoy hearing her sigh when she feels it.

Skype is our friend, of course.  The call quality is generally outstanding and the price is unbeatable (free).  People who use computer voice chat also tend to do it with headsets, which eliminates the problem I mentioned before about dropping the phone.  I’ve talked with other hypnotists who’ve done whole sessions over Skype with distant clients and gotten very satisfying results.  No surprise, then, that another powerful way to connect is to do a form of guided visualization (or the kinesthetic/auditory equivalent) over that voice connection — with a little hypnotic help, we can create a shared space where we can sit together, cuddle, and talk.  It’s quite nice, and again adds to the feeling of connectedness that’s so hard to sustain across multiple state lines.

I could go on, but I didn’t clear this topic with Ellie beforehand and it would be dangerously easy to drift into Too Much Information. ;^)  So instead let me just suggest that those of us who work with people in relationships, or who are in relationships ourselves, take a few quiet minutes and ask, are we making the most of the tools we have at hand, for ourselves and for our clients?

<MR>

Hypnosis has so many applications within modern medicine that it I often think most hospitals should have a hypnotist or two on staff.   The effectiveness of hypnosis for managing pain has been well documented, but there is a lot more than just that going on in an average hospital that could keep a staff hypnotist busy.

Case in point:  the well-known Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, test.  It’s a pretty intimidating procedure.  You lie down on a sliding table, get inserted into a narrow tunnel inside a huge round machine, which then begins to make loud chunking noises all around you — while you’ve been admonished to remain absolutely still.  Some patients are so unnerved by the noises, or by the close confines of the tube, that they panic and technicians have to pause or redo parts of the test.  In extreme cases the patient has to be sedated to keep them calm long enough to take the images.

A few weeks ago a dear friend of mine was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam of her pelvic region.  She was fairly experienced at being hypnotized and wondered whether I could give her some suggestions that would help her to remain still and calm during what she knew from prior experience would be a relatively unpleasant process.  Of course, I told her.

We arranged a Skype voice chat for the evening before the test.  I took my friend into hypnosis and we walked through the procedure in her mind:  arriving at the hospital, changing into the usual little gown, getting on the table, being slid into the machine, hearing the noise, etc.  Then I used the noise, which she could remember from prior MRI sessions, and made that noise a trigger for her body to become totally relaxed and still.

My friend got through the exam quickly and easily.  The loud clunking of the machine, which had been unnerving and startling to her before, became a welcome trigger into a state that made the imaging time pass very quickly for her (hooray, hypnotic time distortion!).  I won’t claim that hypnosis made the MRI experience pleasant, but she did feel pretty good during most of it.  And the test results were happy ones, so everything worked out well.

<MR>

(TM) Twentieth Century Fox Corporation

This Sunday Question is posting late, I know. Like many others this weekend, I have company at the house and it’s made for a highly enjoyable but slightly hectic day.

This does, on the other hand, bring up a question that I get from time to time: “So, do you hypnotize your kids to do their homework?” No, I don’t, though I have to admit to a certain level of temptation in that area. ;^)

Joking aside, there are certainly times when it comes in handy to be a hypnotist. Today my girlfriend Julie accidentally touched a hot pan handle in the kitchen and received a small but painful burn. We did all the usual first-aid things — a bag of frozen broccoli applied immediately for a form-fitting cold pack, for example — but when it came to the pain I was without any of the usual topical anesthetics that people normally stock for that. Instead, I used hypnosis to remove the pain and gave her suggestions for rapid healing (something that worked marvelously for my teacher, Marcia Proctor, when her daughter had a burn on her face) and all was well.

It occurred to me during all this that I have never used hypnosis with a family member. I’ve taken my children to Marcia in their younger days and have, once or twice, induced trance in someone with a family member around (usually a quick demonstration), but nobody in my immediate family has ever asked me to hypnotize them. I wonder whether they believe I can do it, since they’ve known me for so long as just plain Michael the computer geek and dad.

So with all that in mind, my Sunday Question for you is:

Do you use hypnosis on members of your own family? If not, why not?

<MR>

There is really nothing too esoteric about today’s post. I know, I know, I promised another Mesmer moment, but it will wait. Instead, I would just like to give a head’s up about the upcoming week. It is another week of Guests post. Exciting stuff!

So here is the run down:

• Michael Raugh will be covering tomorrow’s Sunday Question, as well as posts for Monday and Tuesday.
• On Wednesday, Gary Noble with share his thoughts on Dr. Cannon and the Great White Lodge Psyche Lamp.
• Thursday feature’s a new personality to the blog - Mark Scher. He is not a practicing hypnotist, but he introduced me to Erickson’s ideas. Hmmm…
• Friday’s 10 Questions will be with Terry O’Brien, who will also do an inspired piece on vampires and hypnosis.
• And Frank Murphy will cause more speculation with the Sunday Question.

I may pop in and out, as I am on travel for the duration. Please comment on the post and encourage our bloggers. I’ll release the comments whenever I get a chance.

Here is to a great weekend and week ahead.

Location: Midlands in England

Cyber Location: www.sleep1.co.uk

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

I’m a full time electrician and a full time hypnotist, at least as full time as it can be!! A lot of effort goes into marketing as I ‘cure’ most issues relatively quickly and don’t rely on multiple sessions from one client.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

I don’t specialize in any particular type of hypnosis, I will tackle pretty much anything I’m asked to. If there is a case that I am unsure about, I research it before visiting the client. I do lots of fun stuff when I go to the pubs with mates - partly because I love it, and partly because it creates a marketing opportunity.

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

So far there is no particular type of hypnosis I won’t do, or at least attempt, and don’t anticipate there ever being. My whole personality is of a positive one so I don’t understand why I, or anybody else would stay away from a certain aspect of it.

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

I don’t like the term ’self-hypnosis’. Hypnosis is merely the giving and accepting/acting on of suggestions. Therefore, I don’t use self hypnosis, but I do give myself suggestions constantly throughout each and every day, as we all do. I think a lot of it works in conjunction with my strong will power and positive attitude.

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

I am a mobile hypnotist. The world is my office!! I don’t have clients to my house. I go out and visit them wherever they want and do a lot of stuff in pubs on the spur of the moment, if somebody has a problem that can be sorted in five minutes, and I have the tools to fix them, why can’t they be sorted out over a drink? I ridicule the idea that therapy has to be done in a nice comfortable setting where peace and quiet is essential, in a reclining chair with nice little candles and soft music etc. What rubbish!! This is only so because the therapist thinks it is.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

I go to work as an electrician at about 7:30 am and get home about 6 pm most days. During the day I probably get just 1 call from a potential client. When I get home, If I haven’t gone direct to a client, I reply to my emails and messages on forums and networking sites, which takes far too long!! I then spend a bit of time on my website which is being further developed, ( www.sleep1.co.uk ) and go and see clients if I have any for that day. If I don’t go for a sneaky pint then I go to bed - boring eh!!

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

I did some training at a local school of hypnotherapy, but didn’t like the fact that I was spending most of the time sitting around discussing the other peoples’ grandchildren or new carpets. I was also teaching more of the course than the trainer was, which annoyed me, and I didn’t like the attitude of hypnotherapy in general, too many do’s and don’ts and cans and can’ts, most of which I went away and proved wrong. So I went away and practiced, practiced, practiced and taught myself. I developed my own style based on those that inspire me, and learnt from mistakes made by both me and others. I have trained with 2 people who share my enthusiasm and attitude for hypnosis, and who, like me, like to prove all these cans and cant’s wrong. These 2 people were my inspiration, check them out…Jon Chase and Anthony Jacquin. In my opinion, they are the best around!!(after me!!). I am not registered with any ‘governing body’. What is the point? I understand that it assures potential clients, but if you can’t do that yourself, isn’t it time for a rethink? You may as well actually invest the money in marketing, which is probably all these agents do. I am certified, but I don’t like any certification system in general. You do a course and get a certificate. It proves you attended the course. It doesn’t prove any knowledge or competence. My certificates, if I bother to collect them, go straight in the bin. I prefer to use my reputation.

I am Frank Murphy, I am a hypnotist, I can help most people with most issues, use me or use another I don’t mind, but use a person because of their competencies and personality, not because of an outdated sun bleached certificate hanging on their wall that just acts as an ego boost!!

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

All hypnosis techniques are fabulous!! At the moment I am working on ‘covert hypnosis’,- hypnotising people with no formal induction, this is a fabulous technique, we all use it - we just don’t realize it, but if we perfected it for any circumstance, half our job would be one before we ’started’!

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

I’m sure this will be relevant to most when they read it…. my first abreaction! The client broke down in floods of tears and I panicked thinking I’d offended her!! I learned from that!! Now I provoke and use abreactions rather than fearing them.

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

Many!!
Don’t believe, or do things just because you are told them, you become a robot. Go out and prove/disprove them. If somebody tells you that something can’t be done, go out and do it. We are all born with the same thing in between our ears, if one person can do something, then the whole world can do it, so don’t put yourself down, be what you want to be, do what you dream of doing, and say what you want to say!

Yesterday I mentioned doing a post on the “AH HA” moments and psychologists, so as promised here is the skinny

The first time I knowingly hit an “Ah Ha” moment with someone else, I actually had no idea. In fact I felt terrible about it. It was during a group session and I had not gotten very far in the process. We had done a basic progressive relaxation (relaxing body parts from the top of the head to the tips of the toes). Then I even did the standard (maybe not so creative, but often effective, stairway of relaxation as a deepener - on each step the object is to go into a deeper state of relaxation). At the bottom of the stairway, one would get to place of complete tranquility, a sanctuary. There was nothing in my words but peace, relaxation, and suggestions for obtaining more of each.

But, this was to be a moment of abreaction (so early). I noticed one of the participants sobbing away in the background. I did suggestions for the rest of the group to allow the sounds in the room to fade into the background. Then I had them concentrate on doing a countdown to 100 internally. Quietly, I moved over to the crying man and put a tissue in his hand. He opened his reddened eyes and whispered that he would like some water. So, I escorted him into another room, gave him a glass of water and asked him to wait before leaving. Then I continued the session for the others.

At the end, when everyone else had left, I sat down with the now composed gentleman. I asked what he experienced and he told me the stairs led him to a place of great sadness, where once he reached the bottom, he saw his deceased grandmother in a coffin. And then he repeated several times that it was just so sad. I asked him if he wanted to try doing a one on one hypnosis session and either work through that or take a different approach to the original reason he was there. At the time he said he would let me know.

Enter my relationship with his psychologist. She called me a few days later to give me a follow up. She wanted to let me know that the misery he had experienced in my office had led to a big break through for him. They had talked about it and it led to his dealing with grief he had never allowed himself to experience before. At the time of his grandmother’s death, his had been living with her as his parents had died when he was very young. This led him into a world of instability (governmental bodies got involved and it was all very unfortunate). In turn, he had felt great relief at being able to finally loosen his disappointment from losing his grandmother.

This was similar to the other case I had, where the client had a breakthrough with childhood issues during a weight loss session. I think it is the group sessions that make these abreactions more difficult and harder to see any “ah ha” moments. When doing individual sessions, they seem to happen pretty regularly.

But anyway, that is one of my very positive psychology stories.

I’d love to hear about your “Ah ha” moments?