The Transparent Hypnotist

Sherrie Lea - is she Marilyn Monroe?

Quotes of the Week

The minute I walked in for my appointment I started to relax–are hypnotherapists supposed to be so friendly? And what about those great black pumps–how could she be evil with such good taste? – about hypnotist Sheila Swenson in an article in The Norfolk Examiner.

In June and July of 2005, famous American medium Kevin Ryerson channeled the ancient Egyptian spirit of Ahtun-Re, known for its accurate readings, confirming that Sherrie Lea Laird is indeed the only true linear reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe - from a blog post in The Area Wide News by Bret Burquest about Sherrie Lea Laird, whom Dr. Adrian Finkelstein hypnotically regressed and discovered just may be Marilyn Monroe reincarnated.

Stone’s midnight act takes more from Vegas than vaudeville; he leaves the gloves, cape and watch back in hypnosis history – from an article about hypnotist Kevin Stone in The Los Angeles Times.

The Good

A headline in The MetroWest Daily News reads “Subconscious relief: Hypnosis gains acceptance as medical treatment.” I guess I will take the high road and be happy for such a positive headline. This article talks about the work of hypnotist Gina Orlando (phobias and stress), the Light Heart Center (motivation), and the Rev. Dr. C. Scot Giles (cancer work), all based in Illinois. There is one quote by Dr. Giles that is particularly of note (so pay attention, please):

What’s been found is that cancer cells have receptor sites for chemicals in the body associated with stress. They use those chemicals to fuel a process called angiogenesis (generation of blood vessels that aid growth of a tumor). The stress chemicals in your body are energizing the tumor cells and encouraging tumor proliferation. So by maintaining a state of low stress in the mind, you actually change the physiology of the body and starve the cancer cells of chemicals they need to grow. That seems to be why hypnotism is effective. While it doesn’t kill the cancer, it does inhibit its spread.

The Bad as in Cool

A few Monday’s ago, I mentioned that Mel B (former Spice Girl) was going to try hypnotism to help her with stage fright. She has opened in a new show in Vegas. Did it work? According to People Magazine, it did indeed.

The Ugly

More ugliness in theft department of life. Hypnosis is being touted as the mechanism of robbery in a recent jewelry heist in India. Mind you, it is not the fact that the thief told the clerk he was the owner and that there were several other suspicious incidents (such as security cameras not working), but it was the use of hypnotism that allowed the perpetrator to get the diamonds…(note the sarcastic glint in my writing). Source: The Times

This tardiness is terrible, but with good reason. I an trying out mobile blogging (with an iPod touch app.). It looks like this spring and summer promise grand hypnotism adventures and this is one way to stay connected, though it is slow going currently with one finger typing.

Best to keep this short for now, so here is the Sunday Question (this is more toward the blogging crowd): what do you do when you are going to be away from your blog for a period of time?

When I began this blog oh-so-long-ago, one of the first topics I covered was the idea of using hypnosis to remember alien abductions. It seems only appropriate that two years later, I should revisit the subject. Perhaps it deserves more than an Esoteric Saturday, but what has brought all this to mind is a new exhibit at the University of New Hamphire. SInce this post is more focus on the exhibit than hypnosis, I guess this category will work. The university now owns the Betty and Barney Hill Collection. For those not familiar with the Hills, they are the most famous alien abductees, the first to make their expereince public. To cut to the chase, they discovered missing hours from their life by using hypnotic regression. The collection includes papers, transcripts, the dress Betty was wearing when she was first abducted, and many fascinating things. 

To learn more about the exhibit, click here to read the UNH press release. 

If there is anyone out there who went to the opening and the forum, I would love to hear about it.

*photo is from the UNH Collection

Location: Danielsville, PA
Cyber Location: www.johnravencomedyhypnosis.com

1. Are you a full time hypnotist, a part-time hypnotist, a professional who incorporates hypnotism occasionally in your other practice, or are you a hobbyist?

Part-time, I have a number of different businesses.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnotism?

My specialty is comedy stage hypnosis.

3. Is there any form of hypnotism that you do not practice and why (i.e. entertainment, past-life regression, pain management)?

I do not do “dirty” adult-oriented hypnosis.

4. Do you use self-hypnosis regularly in your life? If so, how?
 
Yes.  I have used hypnosis to loose weight and have used it to wean myself off my my asthma inhaler.

5. Describe your hypnotism office or work setting.
 
I am the vagabond hypnotist. I perform hypnotherapy in the client’s home or office. My stage comedy shows differ in venue.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.
 
Get up.  Work out.  Work on other jobs.  Workout. Dinner. Check email.  Send out promo material. Update Social Networking Sites. Post/respond to advertisements. Make phone calls. Work on iPhone applications.  Watch TV. Go to bed.

7. Where did you get your training in hypnotism and are you certified by any organization?

I received training from Stage Hypnosis Center, Paradox Hypnosis and a number of private seminars.  I am certified as a hypnotherapist and as a stage hypnotist.  I continue to learn in any way I can, be it DVDs, live classes and seminars, or even the HypnoSummit.

8. What is the most fabulous hypnotism technique you use or prefer?
 
The most fabulous technique I use is the one that gets the client I’m working with into trance. Sometimes it’s glamorous, sometimes it isn’t.

9. What was the worse moment you ever experienced in a hypnotism setting that ended up being a valuable learning experience?

I did a show in a small town and only a had a handful of volunteers and only one person went into trance.  I ended up putting on a one hour show.

10. Do you have any words of advice to potential clients or other hypnotists that you would like to share? 

Hypnosis is the easy part.  The hard part is getting clients.  If you’re starting out - or even if you’ve been in business for a while - invest in a good marketing program, and possibly a virtual assistant.  Without marketing, you’re client list will grow much more slowly.

Photograph by linh.ngân

 I am going to take three puffs on this cigarette. With the first puff your eyes are going to get tired, the second puff you’re going to want to close your eyes, but wait until the third puff, at which time close them – from Dave Elman during a teaching session (pre-1967).

Well, I could not really let this week go by without providing you with a few more hammers, screwdrivers, and saws for the old hypnosis tool box. As Ramone reminded us last Friday in his answer to the most fabulous technique that he uses, we must consider the work of hypnotist Dave Elman. Elman is a magic work among hypnotists because he pioneered inductions or ways to help clients access a state of hypnosis.

I am having some trouble actually finding a link to a pure Elman script (I have them in my records, but I must respect the copyright on them). Instead, I though it would be useful to bring back Ellie’s Favorite Five and share with you some decent adaptations of the Elman inductions.

1. David Mason, a transparent hypnotist guest blogger and 10 Question alumni member, has a delightful and concise version of a multi-stage trance induction.
2. Howard Hamilton’s Two Finger Elman Induction (on Joseph Bennett’s web site).
3. Donald Robertson’s Elman Induction.
4. Zali Segal’s The Modified 7 Steps Dave Elman Induction.
5. James Ramey’s Subconscious Override and Complete Anesthesia (I cannot find where I found it, but I read that this induction is based on an Elman). This is a PDF file, by the way.

*Elman quotation from daveelman.com.

 
Photograph by a.drian

For all those who inquired about my accident yesterday (my quick trip down the stairs), thank you for your well wishes! I am a bit sore today, but doing quite fine. Yet, I did go to the doctor yesterday (I grow old, I grow old). But this is where my story grows complex.

A year or so ago, I ran into complications with having health insurance and found myself without such for a bit of time. Since that particular little nuisance, I have had an interesting time (as in the fortune cookie saying “May you live in interesting times”) with doctors. I had one who was so completely intrigued with the idea that I am a hypnotist that she forgot I was the patient. Another stopped taking my insurance. 

Alas, I found myself recently without doctors. Who would have thought such a thing possible? They are everywhere. Buildings are full of them. Surely there would be a doctor out there that would be perfect for me? In a recent post, I applauded a woman who came back for extraordinary odds, partially because she picked the right medical team (yes, yes, yes, hypnotism was a part of it). I thought she was brilliant. I had no idea how hard a task that really was. Since I marveled at her genius, I though I would take a cue from her and be selective in my physician care.

Instead of happily choosing from a vast number of potential candidates, I rather felt like I ran the gauntlet. I checked my insurance provider list. I did internet searches on each potential primary care physician. I made notes about what I found (one was a soccer mom on the side, one was thinking about going into politics, one was a Christian, one was criticized for being a woman-hater) and found the potential list narrowed. Then I called the few remaining names on the list. 

As it turns out, finding a doctor is not as simple as doing some basic homework, making a call, determining if said doctor is seeing new clients, and making an appointment. Instead, I was asked a million questions by a seemingly dispassionate voice at the other end of the phone connection. They would take my health information, consult with the doctor and the rest of the staff, and decide if I was a good fit for them. Mind you, this is without actually seeing my medical history or meeting me. Good grief. 

Now granted, as a hypnotist, there have been clients that I have referred to other hypnotists, councilors, doctors, or clergy. I did this usually after actually meeting with the client, discussing their expectations, hope for outcomes, and basic mental health information. I do know my limits. I have also passed on a client or two who I had issues developing proper rapport (I make a terrible dominatrix). But with each of the clients I passed on, I hated to do it. They had come to me for help, and I passed. But ultimately, my passing was their gain, I believe. They received the help they really needed, not just something to sooth my ego.

But this doctor thing, now this seems strange to me. I understand passing a client on to a specialist, but ultimately, I am in good health. I would not be a lot of trouble and what this reeks of to me (call me paranoid) is insurance ugliness. With times the way they are, maybe they only take clients that will be more profitable (i.e. - has more issues than a bruised tail bone). Maybe I do not fit into a demographic. And here is the thing…I discovered this morning that I have been rejected by one of the doctors. They do not feel they can accommodate me at this time. No reason, just a recorded computer message.

Has anyone else had similar doctor issues?

Did I find a doctor? Yes. I found a new practice that had opened within the year. The doctor has a history of being an emergency room physician. She agreed to see me straight out and is very compassionate, is not intimidated by holistic medicine, and makes me feel welcome as her patient. 

Photograph by ian boyd

If you could have heard the sound track of my life this morning, it would have been described as the following:

The Ellie Blunt Morning of April 14, 2009 Orchestration Notes
The silence of pre-dawn is subtly intruded upon by a few notes of the flute (imitating a bird song). Clarinets, oboes, and a few violins very softly begin to play in a grave tempo. Slowly an accelerando occurs, moving the timing to largo and then an adagio. Our protagonist (the transparent hypnotist) is slowly becoming conscious as the sun rises. Then there is the discord of sound created by a violin, emulating the sound of a hungry cat trying to wake up her mistress. As the protagonist begins to rise the tempo perks up to allegretto, and as she gets out of bed and puts on her robe, the true tempo – allegro – comes to fruition. Here all the instruments are engaged in an upbeat sound using major cords. The rhythm gallantly follows her footsteps down the stairs, staccato-like. Then all the magnificent sounds of harmony fall into quick discord, as the protagonist, yet again falls down her stairs. The once happy sounds end with a cacophony of noise that eventually melds into a dirge. The refrain is heard in the minor scale. She slowly drags herself through the morning ritual of feeding the cat, finding coffee, and sits down her at laptop. The movement ends in the minor key.

So, dear readers, I hope you will forgive me for not having anything inspirational to say at the moment. The day must go on, but all my intellectual thoughts about what to write here, fell away as I slid down the stairs, and felt the aches and pains of such an action.

Now I must slowly (and carefully) work my way back up the stairs to put on professional clothes, reconsider my heels (in favor of my comfy Merrells), find some aspirin, and ascertain if I need to go to the (gasp and sigh with a touch of “oh no”) doctor.

*For those music aficionados out there, I apologize for any misusage of terminology. Alas, this is why I am a hypnotist and not a musician.

Photograph by Big Grey Mare

Quotes of the Week

You’ve got to make a choice: How do you really, really want to live your life? And what are you living your life for – quote from East Bridgewater, MA hypnotist Larry Quemere in an article on enterprisenews.com.

When Martin Bremmer of rural Venango established his hypnotherapy practice in January of this year, he thought he’d be standing alone in a field of corn, so to speak, about accepting hypnosis. He has since found out that a lot of people are receptive of its use – from an article about Venango, NE hypnotist Martin Bremmer in The Imperial Republican.

The Good

• The Bristol Zoo in Ireland is helping people to overcome their fears of spiders. That is right, they offer a class with a hypnotist Mary Ison. How awesome is that? (www.herald.ie)

• Yes, there is another slightly smarmy article titled “Look into my eyes.” This on is on the Times Online and starts out with suppositions that hypnotism may have a bad rap and such, but do note that I have put this article under The Good category. It actually offers a nice run down of how hypnotism can be very helpful and cites three hypnotists who work in specialized areas. These include addiction work, sexual issues, infertility (all discussed by hypnotist Georgia Foster), weigh loss (Susan Hepburn – Lily Allen’s hypnotist), and financial anxiety (Paul Cullingworth).

The Ugly

Ah, the corruption just reeks!

“[Deleted] stated that he had constantly used hypnotism as a means of inducing young girls to engage in sexual intercourse with him.” According to this revealing government document, the person mentioned here was the instructor in a secret CIA mind control training program back in 1951 – from a series by Fred Burks published in the Examiner.com. The hypnotic suggestion used was that she was to believe that the instructor was her husband and she desired intercourse with him.

• Is Frederick Freeman innocent? According to an article in the Detroit Metro TImes, he got a bum deal in his case. Everything that could be wrong with the case, is wrong. From one witness who testified “under hypnosis” (when several alibi witness testified otherwise), to a lawyer who had cocaine issues, to a snitch in the jail house who was paid by prosecutors to say Freeman confessed to the murder in Port Huron. Good grief.

• Jurors in Turkey are now debating about a legal case involving hypnosis. Though Turkish law prohibits testimony gained from hypnotic techniques, for some reason the juror is still considering the information and whether it is admissible or not. This is not the ugly part (I kind of like that it is an issue). The ugly part is that the case itself is an utter mess, but it is the hypnosis part that rings the alarm bells. Let me quote:
  

  The petition also says that Balta was interrogated by Gürol Doğan, who identified himself as a retired lieutenant commander, and that the interrogator used medication and hypnosis to drug him and psychological pressure to extract statements from him.

  What? Medication? Psychological pressure? And here is the oddist thing of all - the testimony this man gave under the influence of not only hypnosis, but medication and psychological pressure, this testimony he has no problem with. Instead, when he was later hypnotized (and just hypnotized), this is the problem. Ummm. Is no one else concerned about the medication or psychological pressure? (www.todayszaman.com)

Now to Leave you with Something Positive from our 10 Question Alumni

Debbie Lane is back in the news. News station WTSP feature an articled about her smoking cessation program.

Eástre by Jacques Reich

Happy whatever-day-you-are-celebrating. 

Maybe your day began at the crack of dawn with Easter Baskets, dyed eggs, sunrise services, dinner contemplations, thoughts of family and breakfast, religious rituals, or communing with nature. Whether you call today Easter, Passover (or part of it), Ēostre,  Ôstarâ, Pascha, Uskrs, or just another day, I hope the hours find you peaceful.

My coffee cup is almost empty, the hot cross buns are on the rise (I know, they are more of a Good Friday thing, but it is my own tradition to have them on Easter), and my stomach is growling in anticipation. My dinner plans include a cavalcade of green beans, sweet potatoes and ham. All the accouterments of making the meal lay in wait on my counter top. Originally I expected a friend or two to join us, but they are all going to be with their families (I am glad they have families that are close by). So,I am going on ahead with my plans and my partner, along with the cat will enjoy a large feast in the early evening. Weather allowing I plan to go to my local park, sit by its babbling stream and meditate on all things that I feel gratitude toward. I will also meditate on that which seemed more of a hardship lately and try to be grateful for the lessons learned. These are my traditions for the day.

Today’s question is: what are your personal traditions for today?

Last Saturday HypnoMedia shared this video with us in a comment. I could not help but embed the video this week. What fun. Since this blog is read by an international audience, if any of you know the English translation for the words, please share them with us (or Terry, if you have found them let us know).