The Transparent Hypnotist

 

Photograph of Saint-Malo by steve.grosbois
 

Last night I sat down to do a little self-hypnosis. This week brings a lot of social events and if I think too hard about them, I tend to get a little nervous. A little dash of hypnosis goes along way and makes the events enjoyable.

I turned the lights down low, lit a candle, put on some Philip Glass (I find his music very trance inducing), sat down in my recliner, and closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath in, in a distracted way, I expected to smell the lavender scent of my candle. There was no scent. I opened my eyes to double check that I had lit it. Sure enough there was a little flame glowing steadily in the dimness of the room. Closing my eyes again, I took another deep breath and slowly exhaled through my nose - only no air escaped. My nasal passages seemed to be clogged. I had been going on high-speed for so much of the day, I had not even noticed that I was beginning to have an allergy reaction. Moments before beginning the self-hypnosis, I had cleaned out a cabinet that contained various linens that I had not used for a long-time (and that had also become a prime sleeping spot for the cat - had I really left it open long enough for her to discover it?). Hence allergies.

My normal reactions to such predicaments is to have a cup of tea with a teaspoon of honey, but alas, I had not been to the market in time to replace that last teaspoon. The honey jar sits neglected in emptiness. I also tend to use hypnosis to open up my nasal passages, but last night, I did something a little different.

As an official buzz agent, I was sent a bottle of Afrin(R) Pure Sea to try. It is a hydrating nasal rinse that uses sea water (from the Bay of Saint-Malo in France) that has been put through sterilizing filtration to remove anything harmful. Basically you use the rinse to clean out the nasal passages after you have been exposed to things like dust, mold, germs, smoke, irritants, pollutants, and yes, allergens. It is touted as a natural way to deal with these things that does not involve medication. As I am working on decreasing medication in my life, I thought it would be good to give this a try.

I have used it once a day for about a week (you can use it up to four times a day). I had not noticed much, other than it seemed to help eliminate some of my nose itchiness that happens because of the forced air of my environments (so very, very dry). But last night, as the allergy symptoms progressed, I decided to give Afrin(R) PureSea an opportunity to prove itself. I used it, composed myself and sat down in my recliner agin. I inhaled through my nose this time, and sure enough, I had clear passages. I was a little shocked. I expected a bit of relief, but not to be able to breath so well, so fast. I continued on, concentrating on my breathing, until I was in the wonderful state of hypnosis that allowed me to work on my original intention of being able to enjoy the upcoming social events.

Now I am a fan. But what about you? Care to try it? I was also given a bunch of $3 coupons to hand out. I will gladly share them with you, dear readers. Yes, I will send one to you, no strings attached. They are valid until June 30, 2009. If you are interested in trying Afrin(r) PureSea, just leave a comment with this post, sharing your allergy experiences (anything at all - complaints, things that provide you with relief - whatever). Make sure to include your email address, so I can contact you for your mailing address. I suspect this is a USA campaign, so I will have to put this codicil on that your address needs to be in the States. 

Art by Katiya Rhode

Quotes of the Week

“It’s not mind control,” Adams said, because hypnosis is a way of accessing the unconscious mind. It’s not a commonly used method, but he said it was effective – from an interview with sports counselor Morrie Adams in The Daily Iowan.

The Journal of Clinical Psychology reported that in a recent study weight loss subjects who utilized hypnosis as an adjunct to their weight loss programs experienced significantly more weight loss than the subjects who did not use hypnosis – from an article about hypnotist David Prudhomme’s upcoming hypnosis lectures (Port Clinton News Herald).

Hypnosis is an altered state of mind in which there is an increase in suggestibility. This state can be produced by oneself or by responding to the directions of a hypnotherapist - from dentist Stephen Dodd, who uses hypnosis in his practice (South Port Visitor).

When you are in this state, you can ask this (subconscious part of the mind) if certain ideas feel correct or if there is faulty logic about. In this calm state, one is not influenced by external influences including the conscious mind and can therefore make more honest objective decisions about issues – from an article by hypnotist Elizabeth LaDouceur on www.wawa-news.com.

The Bad as in Cool or Slightly Dodgy

Do I or do I not mention this particular item? Do I worry about offending half my audience or go ahead and mention a little piece of news that has pinged into my in box a few times. Ah, the temptation. As you can probably surmise, I am giving into and I am going to mention it. If you are feeling a bit prudish at the moment or are offended by talk of sex and the such, please skip over this. Erotic hypnosis is nothing new and it is not just for heterosexuals anymore. Meet Neil S. who now makes his living as a gay male erotic hypnotist. He was written about in the New York Observer. It is a fun story of one man finding his path and following his dreams. I wish Neil S. all the best.

The Why Don’t You Give It Another Shot Section

Here is one for Debbie Lane (Hiccup Queen extraordinaire). Christopher Sands, a British musician, has been suffering from hiccups for over two years. The article on www.metro.co.uk about him reports that he has tried everything from surgery to hypnosis and nothing has eased his issue. Maybe he should try another hypnotist or at least go back to the one he saw for more work. Sometimes it takes more than one session or hypno method.

Photography by sandcastlematt

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. That is the sound of one rice cake being devoured.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. That is the word that runs through my mind as I do my Nautilus-based crunches.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. That is the sound of time, clunking and lurching along as continue all of my goals…especially the one in which I am removing excess fat and flab and turning it into healthy, toned-muscle.

On my other blog theunwindingpath.com, I occasionally write about the my experiences of loosing weight. When I first realized I had gained so much, the pounds silently creeping onto my body, I was truly appalled. The incessant whine of pants feeling too tight, odd gaps in anything that buttoned, and the realization that my food choices were not as wonderful as they could be, grew so loud and cumbersome that I had to face reality - I had let something go. Me. Me who is into yoga, vegetables, and hiking. Me. The hypnotist who makes some of her living helping other people lose weight. Other people, not me, are the ones who need help. 

But alas, my vanity has faced itself in the mirror and seen the truth. Now that I am here, I am actually a bit grateful for the overall experience. It is one thing to preach a healthy diet and exercise; it is truly another to go through the process one preaches. It has given me a new appreciation for the challenges of being thin in a world where going to a happy hour means sitting at home or in the office and typing away to one’s social networks. But on the other hand, it has been interesting to read about so many other people’s weight-influenced quests. It feels like support and any sort of support is a good thing. 

I noticed another blogger Dena of Sungrl Loves to Shop has a second blog and like mine other one, hers is going to be about her weight-loss journey. She wrote about it in her post entitled Big Changes. On this other blog, she plans to do weekly weigh-ins and will offer ideas for making the process of losing poundage more appealing. The big thing that she has to offer is camaraderie (which is something I could personally use). So, if you have been keeping up with my journey or are such a journeyer yourself, please stop by Dena’s blogs and cheer her on as well.

Knowing others who are fellow travelers can be a definite morale booster. Weight loss is such a mental thing. My own personal discovery with is that the more positive I am about it, as well as the more honest I am with myself, the easier it is. It is all a mindset. Self-hypnosis has helped me keep with the lifestyle changes I am in the process of creating, so it has been a big part of my successes. But I know that everyone’s philosophies are different. So let us begin a dialogue about it this Sunday.

If you are currently working on weight loss, have lost weight, or are maintaining your weight, what do you feel is the key ingredient for your personal success?

 
Photograph from Fringe NZ - Canadian actors D’Arcy Smith and Andrea Tutt star in the comic tale, Kreskinned.

Recently in select theatres, the movie The Great Buck Howard opened. Has anyone had a chance to see it yet? It looks hopeless for me to view it on the large screen (unless I make it a hallmark of a trip).  Alas, I am destine to wait for the DVD release, sit here, drink my Earl Grey green tea, and find something else esoteric to discuss this gloomy Saturday morning.

Kreskin is a good topic as Buck Howard is that sort of character, seems like a fine substitute. Hmmm. I cannot quite get my mind wrapped around the idea of spending an hour or two finding links and such about that most fascinating man, so lets step back and look at the fringe. Literally. 

At the recent Wellington Fringe Festival, the Homeless Moose Theatre Company presented a play by Michael Healy called Kreskinned - The Natural Canadian Date Drug. On the Fringe site, the teaser reads:

A comedy asking the important question, what if you could hypnotize your partner into forgetting every time you’ve done something wrong?

In answer to their question: OMG, why did I not think of that? LOL. I suspect the main problem would be knowing exactly when you do something wrong.

Basically (and from just what I have read about the play without seeing it or reading the script), this play is about two people who are more or less set-up by a mutual friend. They are given tickets to a hypnosis show and both volunteer to be hypnotized. Both are given silly (probably cliche) activities that are triggered by specific words. The hypnotist does not remove the trigger words. Yes, you see it coming, do you not? After the show and on a real date, the female protagonist discovers her date’s word. A side effect of the triggered word is that he forgets everything that happens once the word triggers his response. Apparently she finds great relationship potential in this and uses it to her advantage…then he apparently discovers her trigger word.

Hmmmm….

Well anyway, it sounds entertaining. Possible? Maybe.

Location: Shanghai
Cyber Location: http://psychotherapy-shanghai.com

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

Full time.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

Analytical hypnotherapy (allied to IAPH).

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

Through IAPH ethical guidelines we are not allowed to use hypnosis for anything other than clinical/therapeutic purposes.

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

I do in the sense that I meditate once/twice daily.

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

Very beautiful two office plus reception suite in downtown Shanghai. Personal office is light and airy with a Barcelona leather couch, lots of books and plenty of cushions!!!

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

Early rise… green tea/snacks and meditation… e-mails etc. then first patient/s around 8:00 am usually an early lunch followed by writing/reading for any projects/seminars I am working on… may finish as late as 9:20 pm.

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

Of course… originally medically trained at St.Bartholomew’s Medical School affiliated and trained by Cambridge UK based IAPH by Rob Kelly.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

Too many to mention but always try and ally to patient’s dominant sense modality… very breathing orientated.

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

Guess we all have difficult moments clinically… many more than we would perhaps care to admit… the most important thing is to be absolutely honest with oneself and then through the medium of personal analysis (mandated through IAPH) understand what is moving in one’s own unconscious mind.

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

You can… you just have to believe it.

Photograph by Don Fulano

Enter To Win 10 Day All Inclusive Costa Rica Tour

Some would say that the tree of life is a coffee tree. It grows, spreeding its branches full of coffee berries like fingers seductively tempting one to indulge in something sensual. I am tempted, seduced, and today I worship at this tree of life. I beg it to distill its caffeinated magic into my heart and soul and awaken me out of this grogginess. 

It is still deciding if I am worthy or perhaps it is testing me (it knows I swing between my worship habits - sometimes - often even - I pray to the great Tea Gods for my morning reverie). 

Currently I am trying not to rush around, but rather act in a calm and peaceful manner as I get ready to participate in a health expo this weekend. The printer is cranking away, eventually producing new proofs of my material that I will have for hand outs. I wish I had some marvelous thing that would attract attention my way, but I fear my true creativity is as blocked as my wakefulness. By the way, I would be glad for any suggestions anyone might have for creating a fun and meaningful booth. 

And as I am affecting this pseudo calm, my mind continually wanders back to the coffee tree. You know, I have never actually seen one and at this very moment, I would really like to have that experience. Right now, I would like to know the journey that this substance of life embarks upon before it becomes manna. I would like to be in Costa Rica. Have I mentioned I am getting the itch to travel, again? 

So how am I really spending my time, as the printers do their thing and I await for the caffeine to kick me up a notch? I am looking at a 10 day tour to Costa Rica from Caravan Tour, which includes experiencing coffee’s birth and finish. Sure, the tour provides a lot more than just coffee, coffee, coffee, but coffee would be good. 

I would offer to take you with me if I were to win one of their monthly prizes of a 10 day tour (like I promised if I won a trip to Sea World, which I did not win), but there are only two tickets. I feel my partner would need to go with me for that. Instead, I will actually pass on the goodwill and let you try for a chance as well.

Enter To Win 10 Day All Inclusive Costa Rica Tour

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door - from Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven

That line (along with the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells) runs through my mind whenever someone refers to hypnotism techniques that involve tapping. For just a moment, I am not so far removed from that Victorian poet. I can almost feel the black wool of life upon my skin. I can see sitting with pen in hand, the tapping, the knocking of my subconscious mind wanting audience in the form of black bird symbolism.

And then I am drawn to the present as my hand brushes against the heat of my tea cup, and my hands, once tapping upon the keyboard come to rest. The Poe scenario suddenly seems most appropriate for discussing the use of tapping in hypnosis. Last Friday in answering her 10 questions, Rebecca Lauer mentioned using a form of tapping as one of her favorite techniques. She also tied this in with some Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) - the Godiva Chocolate Pattern.

Let us look at the NLP portion first. Basically this allows you to reframe or rethink something you find unpleasant and replace the unpleasant parts with something more pleasant. In this, things you normally put off or do not enjoy can be rethought of as more pleasant. It is like Mary Poppins would say, “A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.” The sugar replaces the unpleasantness of the medication. The new way of thinking helps what was unpleasant seem more more positive.

The video at the beginning of this post explains the Godiva Chocolate Pattern (or if you are more into cut and dry and want the formula, visit icmspak.com). The video is by hypnotist Shlomo Vaknin.

Rebecca took the pattern a little bit farther by adding in the concept of tapping. Tapping is literally tapping. The hypnotist taps on one part of the client’s body (the wrist in Rebecca’s example). This is done to anchor positive or negative feeling to that point in the body. Then another area is chosen (the shoulder), again anchoring another feeling to that spot. Whenever the hypnotist taps on one spot, the idea is that the feelings associated with that area are felt. When the hypnotist stops tapping, the feelings go away. Then there maybe some future-pacing (having the client imagine a time in the future). The hypnotist taps on the spot with the issues, and then taps on the spot with the positive associations asking the client to imagine in the future that the issue feels like the positive association. Then the tapping between the spots goes a little quicker until the client feels the issue is resolved or replaced totally by the positive association.

I first became aware of the tapping idea through articles written by Don Mottin in The Journal of Hypnotism. I have not actually ever used a tapping technique, so, if anyone has anything to offer on this, please share your thoughts. Otherwise, to learn more, I would suggest looking into Don. He has a web site at www.donmottin.com.

This maybe ringing other bells for some of you out there as well. Sounds a bit like the Emotional Freedom techniques, does it not? Guess what we will be discussing in the near future.

Photograph by 23am.com

I am walking through a shallow and gently flowing river. The coolness of the water is pleasant, soothing. The tide gently caress my lower legs and the contrast of the warm afternoon sun shining upon my upper body is compared to the water is completely relaxing. I walk on rocks, smoothed by tides and time, until I reach the center of the river. There in the dazzling sun light is a large rock, big enough for me to stretch out upon. I put my hiking boots down upon it, and settle myself onto the rock. I keep one leg dangling down into the coolness of the water.

This is a place I go often in my reveries during self-hypnosis. It is a place of sanctuary and healing. But it is also a real place (actually it is several places). As the weather grows warmer, the old Ellie-itch is starting to nag. I am alive! I am so ready to go for a good, long hike. A little nature, a few friends, no technical toys (except for modern hiking gear). Yes!

Sigh. But, I am torn. I need to visit some of my relatives again. This is a more difficult prospect because like hiking and camping, it means going to a technological dead zone. Unlike camping, I feel a terrible disconnect from my life when I am there. Internet is sparse. Telephone lines sound of static, not to mention that mobile phone service is also a bit absent). And it is hard to look at these time as a vacation because my family’s daily chores are exhausting (not to mention the cramming of stuff I have to do in advance to be able to travel there).

So, there is a ritual that also happens before I go. It is a standard conversation.

“Did you get cable yet?” I ask my aunt on one of the rare occasions that I can hear her through the static.

“Ellie, I wish you would stop asking me that. You know we would have to have the yard dug up to put in the cables. That is too much yard and it would take to long to landscape it. We are old, Ellie. That is the sort of thing we do not want to do with the time we have left.”

Right. Then I usually counter with if you had cable, you would have faster internet and we could stay more in touch that way. Sometimes my aunt actually humors me with, “that would be nice, wouldn’t it?” I am pretty sure she loathes the dial up they have now and rarely use.

“What about satellite?” I ask working to release the frustration from my voice without her noticing.

“Too expensive, luv. Your uncle and I live on a budget, don’t you know.” And all my thoughts of fast internet, of blogging while out of town, of keeping up with the business, feeling in touch with the world (they could watch BBC America, too) fade into a muddy, irksome puddle. Then the puddle ripples.

“What if it were cheaper than cable? What if it meant not destroying your yard? What if it meant clear pictures on the tele, no pixelated screens (okay, I describe pixelated to her) that your friends at the senior center complain about? Then would you consider it?”

This time around my ritual has changed, though. This time with the Dish Network new pricing of $9.99 a month, I have printed out the material. Beside me sits an envelope addressed to my uncle (oh yeah, I know, I KNOW he is the one who will make the final decision). The information will go into that envelope, as will a long, penned letter explaining it all to him (oh and how are you?). I must remember to tell him that occasionally there is a pay-per-view option for watching cricket. He would like that.

Will they give into my ritual? I do not know. But for now, it gives me hope. It may not be as relaxing as my rock in the middle of the river, but it would be nice to feel connected to the rest of the living world when I indulge in my family obligations.

Photograph by Pwaully73

Quotes of the Week

“That’s really the magic, to quit analyzing what was already happening and put your mind in a place where you’re imagining the solution instead of debating what already happened” - from hypnotist Scott McFall in an interview on www.kxmc.com .

“With respect to change, it’s (hypnosis) sort of like replacing a broken record and getting a new one that works” – from Will Lam about his experience with hypnotist Luke Chao in the article Success through hypnosis on www.theeyeopener.com.

“If you can conceive it in your mind and believe it in your heart you will achieve it in your life. The mind and the body don’t know the difference between imagination and reality; therefore if you can imagine it, then the body will start to respond to achieve it” – from hypnotist Brad Clark in the article Brad Clark to Pave the Way for Positive Lifestyle Changes on www.lvc.edu.

“I want to avoid any of ‘Oh, God, why did you make me do that?’ I want it to be ‘Oh, that was a good time’ – from hypnotist Chris Cady in Volunteers sleep through this show in the Sacramento Bee.

He feels that “rather than laugh at people, the audience should be laughing along with them” from the article HPTA brings hypnotist to town Saturday about hypnotist Steve Wronker on www.wickedlocal.com/hopkinton.

The Good

Photojournalist Alison Wright is an amazing woman and not just because she survived an accident that would have ended in death for most of us. It is how she survived and got her life back together that is so amazing. She was in Laos and was involved in a terrible bus accident. As the location was far removed from even the most basic medical facilities, it became a matter of mind over body for Allison to survive. You see, she was experienced in the art of meditation. She used that to keep her calm through the process and to keep herself from going into shock. When she finally did make it back to western medicine areas, she rejected doctors who told her she would no longer be able to be a photojournalist. Instead she put together a team of people who believed in her full recovery including not just traditional doctors, but also alternative healers such as hypnotist, acupuncturist and so on. This is one smart lady and we all can take a note from her pages (I will let you come up with what that is). You can read her story at petergreenberg.com.

The Bad as in Real Cool!

This is kind of fun, especially if you are an arts and crafts sort. Several weeks ago, I did an affirmation process developed by David Mason and blogged about it on The Unwinding Path. Maybe you quietly did it with me (I can hope). Anyway, one of the results of that process is that you end up with several strips of paper floating around your house. The question is what to do with those paper affirmation. Janice Taylor on her blog at Lady of Weight Loss has provided a creative solution. It involves an Altoid tin to make an affirmation holder. Very clever!

Just a reminder that the movie The Great Buck Howard opens on Friday. We talked about this a few weeks ago as well. It is about a Kreskin-like entertainer, portrayed by John Malkovich, who begins a come back. I am still looking for anyone who lives in an area where it will be released to write about it (hypnotist or not). The New York Time’s Stephen Holden reviewed it. You can read his words here.

Photograph by It’sGreg

With every tissue that I eventually wad up and toss into the garbage; with every eye drop that pings coolly into my eye and eventually runs down my cheek like a tear; with every sneeze; with every dollop of lotion I use to sooth my chapped nose, I think about my childhood allergist. Actually, I am totally exaggerating here, mostly it is with every eye drop that I think about him. I think about the the various torturous testing regimes I was put through. I think about seventeen years of hours spent in doctors offices waiting for and receiving allergy shots. I think about the hard ball that always seemed to painfully form at the injection site. And then I think of my university professor who was totally grossed out by the fact that during his early morning courses, I perpetually had a runny nose.

These were not my salad days - they were my allergy days. When I became of age to make my own medical decisions, I stopped going to this particular doctor. I had come to loath his existence. He was condescending, insensitive and utterly useless. In fact, I gave up on all allergists because of my years of negative experience with this particular one. Then a few years after I had given up but was still suffered (suddenly having allergic skin reactions when anyone touched me), my internist suggested I see a new allergist in town, who apparently was a little less traditional but was getting great results.

I went to see him (I was desperate). I was pretty sure I would discount his advice. Shots were out of the question (my personal choice). But he did not come close to suggesting shots. Instead he put me on a pill regimen and changed some things in my diet. Miraculously so many of the symptoms I described earlier in this post disappeared and for the first time in my life, I felt relief.

I share this story with you in regard to a comment from my friend Nancy over at the Raging Bear blog left during a recent discussion. Her comment was about having experienced hypnosis in the past and finding it scary. I am glad she shared this with me, but it brought to mind my allergy experiences. This is not the first time I have come across comments like Nancy’s or even comments like “Someone tried to hypnotize me and they could not do it. I cannot be hypnotized.”

Here is the thing - all hypnotists are different and your results are going to be different with each one your try. There are hypnotists out there with whom I find no useful results and there are others who have helped me to realize amazing things within myself (easing an asthma bout, headache relief, working through social nervousness and more). It is very much like my allergists experience. One was completely useless. The other seemed like a miracle worker.

My Sunday question is: have you ever sought professional help (be it medical, psychological, hypnosis, counseling, or any type at all) only to find that the said professional was not particularly helpful (or you had a negative experience with them)? If so what did you do? Did you go to another professional or did you discount the profession all together? And why?