The Transparent Hypnotist

I have a new client. There is a hesitancy that I have read into her emails. She is terribly nervous about seeing a hypnotist for the first time (understandable). I answer all her questions as best I can and I hope for the best. She responds by requesting a session to work on releasing family issues. She writes that she feels bad about everything and everything in her life that does not turn out well is all her fault. And her words break my heart and I feel the pain in her lack of self-esteem.

We go through the usual price of sessions correspondence. She decides she wants to set up multiple appointments (I offer a price break for multiple sessions). All is ready for the appointed time.

A few days before the scheduled session, another email from her pings into my in box. She wants to know when she has to decide on the multiple session thing. I tell her she can decide after the first appointment and I can spread out the payments between the sessions (I do not think I can be too much more flexible). Her response to this is that she will let me know later because she may be laid off soon and money will be an issue. This I understand, however - this says it all - the sessions may be the first thing she cuts out because they are one of her more frivolous expenses.

Uh huh. I guess personal peace and feeling better is not “priceless” but trivial. Sigh.

Cough. Sputter. Cough. Do I really have to get my engine going today?

No, not me, but these are the inner personifications of my car and its aging issues. With its current ickiness of not particularly wanting to start, it is now at the car doctor. And so the waiting begins. Rather than pacing the service station like a worried parent, here I am.

Sadly, whenever this sort of thing happens, I find myself fiddling with my finances and slightly missing the stability of a 9 -5 job working for someone else. I play the mental gambling game - how much will it be? I could go as far as $300, but after that…Ah the perils of self-employment. Being a hypnotist is no different from any other job when it comes to business, so it seems.

Like a person with a toothache that has slightly subsided, I feel for the pain with my figurative tongue. Ouch. I decided to give the BillsIQ quiz a go and see how my financial planning for the future is going. I actually got a “b” grade, so obviously, I need to do a little better (being the over achiever type), but at least I feel I can have the car repair done. Credit counseling has been something I have avoided, but the quiz is like a painless form of it. I have learned that I need to be more diligent in making my monthly payments (yikes, that’s where it really hurts) and spend more time thinking about the potential of one day retiring. That seems so far off, though, it is hard to wrap my mind around it when there are so many other expenses. And…I kinda like what I do…but…

Yep, when I touch my tongue to that sore tooth, it still hurts. Darn.

Well, it has been over a week since the festivities of the National Guild of hypnotists had their convention. Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but Michael did and here are some excerpts from his emails (I have his permission to do this) about the conference:

The highlight for me was, once again, Gloria Constantas.  In addition to giving an expanded version of her “Verbal Impact” presentation she also did a session on “Hypnotic Rejuvenation.”  Pragmatist that I am, I went to that expecting something new-agey and on the edge of credibility. Instead I was happily surprised at the content and message Gloria had to impart.  She started, as she always does, by challenging our existing mindsets.  This time it was with a short demonstration of the powerful effects of visualization.  She discussed with the class many of the so-called signs of aging such as memory loss, wrinkles, physical deterioration, slowing down, and then challenged us to consider to what extent those “inevitable” symptoms are caused by our expectations rather than by the body just wearing out.  And then, to the delight of my practical heart, she talked about a study done in California of 7,000 people that found seven common life habits of long-lived people:  they sleep 7-8 hours a night, they eat breakfast, they never smoke, they stay active — all things that hypnosis can help motivate someone to do.  It was a brilliant presentation.

Bernard Yam gave two very interesting talks that discussed aspects of hypnosis in terms of hard scientific data.  In one he discussed the science of sleep and how hypnosis has been demonstrated effective in helping people to sleep more easily and better.  In the other, called “Answering the Skeptics,” he cited and discussed a number of formal research studies, many of them quite recent, that when taken together prove pretty conclusively that hypnosis is a real state, that people responding to hypnotic suggestions are actually experiencing the phenomena suggested rather than lying to please the authority figure.  Bernard received an award from NGH for his work and is an all-around cool guy.

It appears from the program that NGH is now positioning itself as the organization for beginner hypnotists.  Almost every one of the included one-hour sessions was geared toward “all levels” of audience, meaning you didn’t need to have much experience with hypnotism to understand the material.  Talks for experienced hypnotists, even among the extra-charge 2- and 3-hour sessions, were few and far between.  I have nothing against offerings geared toward the beginning hypnotist, mind you, but the lack of advanced options seems to suggest that once you reach a certain level of skill in hypnotism NGH has little to offer.

Thanks for the comments, Michael!

Have you ever had one of those weekend’s when Monday arrives, you think you have your week all figured out, but not really. Monday settles in with its newness and everything seems off-kilter - well, that’s Ellie Blunt’s frame of mind at the moment.

But, maybe keeping on track here will help. This is the latest hypno news…

The Good

Fibromyalgia is always an interesting subject, especially in regards to hypnosis. Fibromyalgia is one of those tricky maladies for people to deal with because there seems to be no physical cause of pain. According to a study done by the University of Birmingham and University College London, hypnosis can help those who suffer with Fibromyalgia lessen their pain. (The Birminghampost.net)

Good interview with stage hypnotist André the Hilarious Hypnotist. (Tonight)

Good article about Shan Huaihai, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, who practices hypnosis in China. (Shanghai Daily)

The Bad (as in totally cool)

How completely clever! So, you won’t quit smoking to save your own life? Ha, but apparently you will if you want to affect certain forms of artificial youth. Interesting - appealing to one’s vanity. According to an article in the The Austin American-Statesman, some plastic surgeons are refusing to do surgery on clients who smoke. Once the clients become non-smokers, the surgery is ago. Nancy Irwin, a hypnotist, says she gets quite a few clients coming to her that have been referred by plastic surgeons.

Have you been keeping up with the Olympics? Many of us cheered Michael Phelps’ victories, but did you cheer Vincent Hancock and his win of a Gold Medal in Skeet Shooting? Did you know that this young man uses hypnosis to keep it together under pressure? Daniel Vitchoff, a performance coach and sports psychologist, worked with the American team to help them have peak mental awareness for their competition. (The San Francisco Chronicle)

The Ugly

There was an odd blip in the Taipei Times about forced sexual acts that had been perpetrated upon a few women. The men were acquitted because there was no “violence, coercion, threats or hypnosis.” What? Hypnosis? The writer of the article, Johnny Neihu, mentions that this reference must have to do with rohypnol. It sounds more like the writer also questions the usage of hypnosis here, but it is the court’s use of it that is appalling.

Yesterday I mentioned the movie The Tracey Fragments. As I sit here contemplating it, I cannot help but get tangled up in it, like when the sheets of the bed ensnare you into a fabric wrestling pose after a night of restless nightmares. Probably to a vast majority of people, the whole hypnosis thing is ancillary. It is used as most literary devises are, an exaggerated concept to illustrate a point (the point being what in the case of the movie?).

Hypnosis gets the same bum rap that Cinderella’s evil step-mother received (as did Hansel and Gretel’s). Maybe in the world of escapism, things have to be a little larger than life? Maybe it is a case of black and white, right and wrong, where evil is really evil (though good is now often tinged with humanity). Maybe that is all that really reaches us?

So, my question for today is:

Is it all right to exaggerate something (even perhaps creating an illusion of reality) for the sake of art ? Lets take it a little deeper, even, is it okay to maybe, to slightly misrepresent something to make a point?

A few weeks ago, the blogisphere buzzed about an odd, little movie called the Tracey Fragments. Upon looking up its synopsis, I noticed hypnosis played a small role in it and so I added it to my list of “must sees.” When I finally got a hold of it, I happily sat down to watch it, expecting a “nice movie” (like Lars and the Real Girl). Well, this was not a “nice, little movie.” It was something quite different.

In some ways it is rather brilliant - like the David Hockney Polaroid collages - more psychological than esthetic. The movie is literally fragments. Each scene is comprised of several fragment films that equal a whole. One literally has to piece it all together.

Basically, it is the story of a person who has disassociated herself from something terrible. This is where hypnosis comes in - Tracey (a teenager) hypnotized her little brother into believing he was a dog. Unlike the children’s book Probuditi!, this movie gives it a much more sinister connotation. The brother, thinking he is a dog, wanders off into the cold winter.

Maybe this movie embraces the myth that a person will get “stuck” in hypnosis. Though with all the fragments, the time line is a little rough, but it seems as though the dog effect last a long time. Unless the child was inclined to want to be a dog, he would not have stayed “believing” he was a dog - especially since Tracey’s father was rather frustrated by the fact that his son only responded by barking. Maybe they were ineffectual parents, but I am quite sure, in most situations a parent would tell there daughter to bring the kid out of hypnosis.

Any thoughts?

As for this funky bit of film history - it is one of the few movies I wish I had not seen. I can appreciate the effect of the fragments, but only intellectually. I cannot embrace the hypnotic part. And as the character came to grips with the tragedy, I think less fragments might have been helpful. But then again, I am a hypnotist, not a critic.

Cyber Locations:
www.discoverthepower.net
www.richguzzi.com

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

I am a full time stage hypnotist.  I do about 300 - 400 shows a year and bring awareness about the helpful parts of hypnosis to the public through that medium.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

Most of my programs are geared to help people better themselves quick and efficiently.

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

I am always exploring new ways to use the most powerful tool in the universe.  I am open to trying anything that will give results safely and efficiently.

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

Yes.  I use it in a meditative way to bring things into my life that want. Much like manifesting power.

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

Being a stage hypnotist my office is where I am at the time.   I practice hypnosis every day wherever I am.  I am always trying out new inductions in my daily life as well as techniques to get the response that I am looking for.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

I am pretty much a walking reality show all day long.  It is not uncommon for me to hypnotize people in the restaurant I am eating at or the place that I am shopping and have a whole show going on minutes later.  It is great PR. and if I get to help somebody as well, all the better.  Plus I get to try out some new stuff.

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

I started by reading a book when I was a kid.  Later I trained at the National Guild of Hypnotist and got certified by the American Guild of Hypnosis in California.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

Like I said before, I am a stage hypnotist so I can do some pretty wild stuff that other hypnotherapist don’t do.  The setting is a lot harder and the conditions not ideal so you have to really be on the top of your game at all times.  I regularly put out people watching my show in seconds who are not even on stage.

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

I learn stuff every week.  The key is to remember and analyze as many scenarios as possible so you can use it to your advantage later on. I love studying the art of hypnosis and its effects.   I never have to go to work because I love what I do all day long.

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

For the clients I would say find a great hypnotist and have them teach you self-hypnosis. Once you can do that the keys to the universe are in your hands.  You can have whatever you decide to put effort into.

For the hypnotists out there.  I would have to say to learn as much as you can by practicing hypnosis every day as much as you can on as many people as you can.   That way you can learn how its effects can bring effective results quickly and easily.  Take notes and try out new stuff and see how that works remembering to always use caution.  Finally, Learn how to do a great stage hypnosis show from someone who really knows what they are doing. Stage hypnosis is a great way to bring awareness to a huge amount of people who would normally never give it a though as a form of helping them get what they want out of life.  Finally, don’t worry about what the competition is doing! Be the best you can be.  This is a profession that has everyone badmouthing everyone else instead of helping one another.  In the medical profession, if someone comes up with a new technique they show the rest of the medical profession how its done so we all can benefit from the new science. We need to do the same thing.

Photograph by Kent K. Barnes / kentkb

As you are sitting there reading this, maybe drinking something of worth (tea, coffee, what have you), think about your insurance for a moment. Are you happy with it?  Or are you a bit disgruntled like myself?  If you will remember (or not) last winter, I lost my health insurance for a few months. It got reinstated, though…but I can never have a claim that involves headaches or allergies.  Why?  Because those were two things that appeared without resolve on my records. And gosh forbid, the insurance company is just protecting their little ol’ selves from potential insurance fraud. Yeah.  Whatever.

Originally, I was angry.  Then I realized my headaches are pretty much just related to my hormonal cycles (yeah, that is on my health records as well and has been for over a year), so they are controllable without medical attention (beyond what little I had before). So…that left allergies. Heck.  Maybe this is a blessing in terrible disguise? Twenty years of allergy shots did nothing for me. Then while in college a new allergist put me on pills. This has been good, until the company stopped making the pills….so…here I am.

Well, I have maintained my allergies very well with some self-hypnosis.  Whenever I feel like they are about to blossom in the form of a red and runny nose, I take a deep breath, count myself down and I open up to the allergy.  I do not try to fight it. I do not try to deny it. Instead, I try to soften it and let the moment pass. And this has been working really well…until recently. I am thinking of going to another hypnotist to tackle this one.

I know this is not the Sunday Question, but have any of you out there had success working with allergies through hypnosis?

It was one of those nights I do not actually remember sleeping. Yet, a half a pot of coffee later, I feel fairly awake. How about you?

I am looking at my pile of snail mail and I noticed a friend of mine sent me a postcard for an event she is hosting at her office. The postcard itself is quite lovely, glossy card-stock with the image of a painting on it (she is having an art show). The back side, of course, has all her information. It is pretty snazzy and it looks expensive.

She and I have discussed her postcards before. This is not the first time she has sent me something like this. They arrive fairly frequently. I have once heard that such mailings are usually tossed aside and show little return for the effort. But in talking to her, I asked what this sort of marketing does for her business. She says it usually brings about a 15% return. Now granted I do not know the marketing statistics, but I suspect this might be pretty good. So, then I asked her what she feels is the key to her success with such promotions. Her answer was two-fold.

To have a good return on a mailing, it all depends on the content. Is the item something you might want to look at - good design, not too much text, and good quality paper (especially in terms of post cards)? If so, it is probably a winner. I admit I asked about the cost of producing such a thing. Seems like that would entail hiring a designer (gotta do it right) and spending a lot on actual production.

“No, indeed,” was her response. Apparently she actually uses vistaprint.com for her mailings. She utilizes their coupons and splurges on graphic design. She uploads her image onto their site, gets an electronic proof back and there you have it - Postcards done cheap (and well). For a little extra, they will even handle mailing it for you.

Interesting idea. I know when I wrote about vistaprint.com before, a few of you mentioned that you use them and have had good luck (as have I). So, if this has inspired you to give such a mailing a go, the coupon code for 50 Free Oversized Postcards is PC50. (P.S. - the image above is one of their free designs…I just liked it).

Photograph by ziggy fresh

The email began with words of skepticism (one might even say a healthy dose of it) about hypnosis. Nothing new there. Then sender went on to make me a proposition - she wanted a one hour session to help her be a better tennis player. Her proposition was that she was willing to pay me half my normal rates to work with her on this.

When I mentioned this causally to my partner, he laughed. Did she think she was a celebrity tennis player and could get such favors? Hmmm…seems like celebrities could afford to pay my normal session rate.

“Ellie,” he said, “Answer that email like a doctor would.”

“How’s that, luv?” I asked.

And of course, his explanation made perfect sense. Be formal. Give the normal answers about how hypnosis works, how I practice it, and then state my standard fee. Smart. Also, he reminded me, unless it is a returning customer, my appointments are rarely under an hour and a half. I usually go as long as I need to get it done. And this person is already a skeptic. Usually, it takes a little while longer to work on rapport (maybe more so for me as the hypnotist) in such cases.

Needless to say, I have yet to hear back and I am actually okay with that. If you went to a surgeon, would you expect to declare the time it would take and offer half the normal rates? Would you do it with you dentist, you personal trainer, or your lawyer? Would a store sell you a pair of jeans for half price randomly? Probably not. And if you do such things (I do know people who live for the haggle), are you truly getting what it is that you seek? It makes me wonder if people short cut her, and if she is actually okay with it?