The Transparent Hypnotist

Location: Superior, CO
Cyber Location: www.soundofyoursoul.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?

Well, I received my training from the Transpersonal Hypnotherapy Institute 11 years ago, but didn’t take the final written exam to become certified until several weeks ago. I didn’t initially take the training to be a therapist. I just wanted to explore how the unconscious mind works, but I had a spiritual awakening seven years ago triggered by the music of a famous rock band, wrote a book about my journey, and now I’m being drawn to work more with individuals and possibly start a practice. So, I guess I’d be considered a hobbyist on my way to becoming a part-time therapist.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnotism?

Because I explore my possible past lives with the band in my book, I Found All the Parts: Healing the Soul through Rock ‘n’ Roll, I’m most interested in past-life regression and how music impacts our emotions and memories. I would also like to possibly become certified in between-life regression popularized by Dr. Michael Newton and his books Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls. I’m also drawn to being a stage hypnotist, but that’s probably something I’d consider down the road when I get more experience.

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

Not interested in smoking cessation and weight loss right now.

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

I took hypno-birthing classes when pregnant with my second child eight years ago, but I didn’t easily go into a trance state. I tend to do visualizations more than anything else.

5. Describe your hypnotism office or work setting.

I’ve only worked with people I know, so it’s the recliners in my basement which so far everyone loves. I also play a CD from Hemi-Sync with binaural beats which supposedly helps induce Theta brainwaves.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

Get kids off to school, check emails and google alerts, write comments on blogs related to my book found via google alerts, go to appointments and come home by the time my daughters are back from school. When I have a regression session at my house, I try to make time to focus a bit before the appointment and get myself into a relaxed state.

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

I’m certified from the Transpersonal Hypnotherapy Institute in Colorado.

8. What is the most fabulous hypnotism technique you use or prefer?

I don’t have one yet. Wish I did!

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

Going through hypnotherapy training was absolutely terrifying for me. It brought up a tremendous amount of fear, and now I believe it was due to past-life issues. I learned that working with the unconscious is very powerful, and I now respect the incredible depths of wisdom, memories and healing each of us are capable of accessing through hypnosis.

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

Not really, because I’m just getting started. But I’ve enjoyed reading previous Q&A’s on this site from other hypnotists, and appreciate their taking the time to share what they’ve learned.

It has been on again off again with accessing the Internet and as late as I was with yesterday’s posting, I wrote this in hope that you read (or re-read) David’s post from yesterday.

And do come back tomorrow for the 10 questions. Rock and roll, baby. On Saturday we will have some esoteric thoughts from Terry with HypnoMedia.

Photograph by Pensiero (cc)

As I travel the back roads, lost sites, and in general follow my bliss, today seems like a supreme day to feature guest poster David Mason’s 10 Steps to Happiness. I hope you enjoy them!!!!

Not only have I awakened to sunlight streaming through the flaps of my tent, but also to the smell of coffee. My partner has brought me cup. Though we remained dry yesterday, nature kept us from being free and easy as she continually seemed miffed about something and seemed quite ready to unleash a torrential downpour.

I did get an email with some pertinent hypno world news, or news that applies directly to one of the participants on the Transparent Hypnotist. Kate Beaven-Marks has just received her certification to be an NGH instructor! In layman’s terms that means she can teach you how to be a hypnotist. I congratulate Kate for this achievement (and I am very proud of her as well). You go, girl!!!!

Being in the back country and with people waiting for me to put up this device (some of the hiking purist are really annoyed with me), I have a small request for my hypnotist readers out there. As I am not in a position to properly do the weekly hypno world news, would you please help me out. If you have news yourself or know of any that relates to hypnosis, would you leave a comment about it? Huge thanks!

And so I find myself engaged on a road trip. This may mean posts may be a little short and the schedule off a bit.

But in honor of Mum’s Day, here is a question to ponder: in what positive way has your mother influnced you?

We smile at one another before departing to wilds unknown and separate.

As I am about to walk out the door, my brother stops me, “Hey Ellie.” I turn back to look at him. He is standing there, holding up his hand, fingers splayed in the familiar V of the Vulcans. I laugh and give him back the signal. When we were younger and it was not the thing for older brothers to be seen fraternizing with younger sisters, my brother would always acknowledge me by that quick gesture. I would do the same (though probably at bit more enthusiastic than the nonchalant subtly my brother showed).

My nephew who is watching this looks back and forth between the two of us, suddenly intrigued that these adults have some odd code between them…or perhaps this is another bit of strangeness that come from being older than 30. It suddenly dawns on us that my nephew has no frame of awareness for what has transpired.

“It’s Vulcan,” my brother says to his son.

My nephew is even more puzzled and some old memories of geography lessons run through his mind, “Vulcan?”

My brother grins at me, “Why yes, it is Vulcan. It is from the greatest hypnotist of them all (save your aunt) - Mr. Spock.” I laugh and realize that I never thought of this myself. 

This memory I have shared with you is not very new, but has surfaced again with the release of Star Trek: Origins. I was hoping to see the movie last night, but alas, other obligations interfered. I am pleased and excited about the movie because it is keeping the Federation alive for current generations. There will be no more secret code between my brother and I, but at least my nephew in his young adulthood, will be privy to our symbology (if he choose to be).

But the memory has brought up the whole idea of Vulcan hypnosis. Granted it has been awhile since I explored the mental Vulcan landscape, so I have gone in search of references. And sure enough, there are a few. 

Did you know that Vulcans employ what is called the Art of Suggestion? Though it would seem to be more telepathic in nature, with suggestions being implanted by thought or finger direction, I think it qualifies (the induction is just a little different than using words). 

Self-hypnosis or meditation is also part of their way towards relaxation. They use this to lessen the functioning of the body, slowing down both body and mind. They do this through a self-induced trance. 

They also use self-hypnosis for fast healing. 

Ah, the mental discipline. An interesting vehicle of literary whimsey? I think not. I am not sure I agree with my brother that Spock was the greatest hypnotist ever, but I think some of this mental prowess added to his mystique, like those citations I just mentioned, are a reality in this here and now. There is a form of non-verbal hypnotism. Relaxation is a big part of the hypnotism experience (though not required). And there are several studies (especially in regards to cancer) that show that hypnosis creates faster healing in people who utilize it.

The Vulcans know their stuff (or at least the writers do). We can all take a page from their mental discipline training.

Sources:

• SupernOva - The World Directory of Star Trek
• The Vulcan Information Center

Location: Bracknell Forest, UK
Cyber Location: www.golf-hypnotist.com/blog

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?

I’m a full-time hypnotist focussing on building my golf psychology business. I just love applying hypnosis, NLP, EFT and other mind techniques to help my clients get the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from the wonderful game of golf.

In addition to the golf psychology, I practice with a wide range of clients as a clinical hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnotism?

I generally use a mixture of hypnosis and NLP techniques to match the emerging needs of my clients. In many cases I teach my clients to use basic self-hypnosis between sessions, as I believe that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. To that end, I’m also licensed to teach Adam Eason’s two-day Secrets of Self Hypnosis seminar.

Although interactive hypnosis sessions are my preferred working method, I also recognise that great value can be achieved using golf hypnosis recordings. I am currently developing a number of these recordings to accompany my forthcoming book. “The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf” and the first golf hypnosis audio recordings, “Your Own Virtual Caddy” is available free when you sign up for my Golf Hypnotist Ezine.

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

I’m not comfortable doing past life regression with clients as it’s an area I haven’t made up my mind about yet. If I’m not comfortable, then it wouldn’t be professional or congruent for me to do it with a client.

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

All the time! I believe trance is a powerful tool in my life and provides access to all my unconscious resources. I’m a firm believer that a good hypnotist leads the client into trance by going into trance first. I find that my unconscious mind comes up with the best and most appropriate techniques to help the client find the solution to their problems or desires.

I also use self-hypnosis as a tool to help me through many difficult situations and to get the best out of some of the better ones. I just count to seven and I’m there… thanks Adam.

5. Describe your hypnotism office or work setting.

As a golf hypnotist, I work wherever it’s most appropriate to the clients needs. This can include playing golf with the client, working with them during a practice round, on the putting green, on the driving range or in a quiet corner of a golf clubhouse. I also work from consulting rooms, at the client’s home or on the telephone.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

Currently, I’m a one-man band, so I do everything from hypnosis, which I like, through writing blogs, newsletters, books and making recordings, which I sort of like, to running the business side which I like least. The good thing is that I like them all to some degree, the difficulty is striking the balance.

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

I first got interested in NLP as a means of becoming more consistent in the most important areas of my life: my family interactions, my golf performance and my work – in that order! I did my NLP Practitioner and Hypnotic Practitioner training with Richard Bandler and Paul McKenna. As I got more interested in helping other people with these wonderful tools, I completed my NLP Master Practitioner certification with the same team.

Even with all the NLP training, I didn’t feel that I had the full complement of skills to work with clients and found the solution in the Hypnotherapy Diploma Course run by Adam Eason, the world renowned hypnotherapist, trainer and best-selling author.

8. What is the most fabulous hypnotism technique you use or prefer?

Now this is a difficult one. I think that the hypnosis technique that works best for the client in front of me is the most fabulous technique of the moment and I don’t consciously know why I chose it.

If you really pushed me, I’d have to go for a combination of the “As If “ or “Pretend” Frame with a bit of timeline work. I get the client to vividly imagine what their desired future would be like, then get them travel back down their timeline to the present time unconsciously remembering how they achieved their imagined future. I don’t want their conscious mind to remember, otherwise it’ll say, “I could never do that.” This has helped clients achieve unbelievable results.

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

One of my Diploma Course case study clients wanted me to help him become a non-smoker and I spent hours preparing a lengthy hypnosis script that I proceeded to read to him. Half way through I realised that I had written the script on the assumption he had started smoking as a teenager when in fact he started in his mid 20’s to help him focus on his studies. I had to dump the script and trust my unconscious to get me through. It did, it worked and I haven’t used a script since.

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

The most important thing for any client is to find a hypnotist you feel comfortable with and can trust. I’d also recommend avoiding hypnotists that use prepared scripts for their work or start out saying they know just what you need. These people are unlikely to have the flexibility to help you to get to the root of your issue quickly and easily.

I’m still learning so much about hypnosis that I’m hesitant to advise other hypnotists. However, the key thing would be to lead your client into hypnosis and let your unconscious guide you.

Photograph by Joel Mann (cc)

Let’s see, this week my blog has been “cracked” (or hacked if you must). The headaches have returned (but do settle down after a fashion). And I awoke this morning, put the loose Earl Grey green tea in it’s little pouch, poured in the hot water right before the boil and sat down to read email. I have been awake for at least a half an hour, and just now it has dawned upon me that something is missing – my teaspoon of honey. I have been drinking my first cup of tea with a teaspoon of local honey for at least the last six months, but today I totally forgot to put it in? I apparently need a vacation.

So bear with me as I do a little self-hypnosis with this post and indulge in my vacation game - where I plan a trip and do it mentally in my mind. Join me if you will. I cannot think of a better mental travel companion than you!

Our destination is Kissimmee, Florida (I have never been) and we leave right now, for what better time to take a trip to Florida. The temperature should be most pleasant (I like it hot). We travel by plane (I think). This is one of those rare journeys where everything goes smoothly at the airport, with the airline, and soon we are sitting back in a reclined positions. Maybe you even put on your ear phones and listen to a guided meditation for the short journey. I do. 

Arriving at the airport, again things are calm, our baggage arrives with us, and there is a car waiting to take us to our hotel, the Mona Lisa Suite Hotel in Orlando. I chose this because it might be a little more adult friendly (quiet, calm, peaceful, all those lovely relaxing words).  I also chose it because I simply must spend a little time at SeaWorld and riding the Manta (in my mental vacation, the ride is open) and I think this is relatively close. We relax poolside for awhile to lose our traveler weariness. 

More toward the afternoon, we head out for Silver Springs in Ocala, where we go in search of the infamous “white alligator.” The truth is, we  are really there to just settle back and enjoy a peaceful ride in a glass bottomed boat. Natural meditation.

The next day finds us at the Bok Tower Gardens on Iron Mountain. It is home to 250 acres of gardens (did I mention you should have brought comfortable walking shoes - oh right, just imagine a pair for yourself). We meander through nature’s splendor and before we know it the day has passed in it languid trance-like way.

Manta, manta, manta, chants my inner mantra when morning arrives again. And just like that we are at the gates of SeaWorld. We are in awe at the many aquariums, relax with sea life and finally, there it is - the coaster of my current dreams. There is no line, no screaming children, just pure intensity and joy with the freedom of release only coasters can provide.

On the last day of our holiday, we drive to the beach in a classic convertible. I leave that detail to you (choosing the car and such, I mean). The beach is marvelous, the sun warm and relaxing (yes, we have loads of sunscreen), the sand exfoliating, and we return from our mental journey a tad bit wind kissed, but feeling the better for it.

If you have enjoyed this mental break with me, you should know that you can make it a reality. Kissimmee is giving away several vacation packages similar to what I described during our mental break. The last drawing will be on June 1, so visit my sponsor, enter their sweepstakes and maybe you will win the actual holiday.

Photograph by unrelaxeddad(cc)

The morning greeted me harshly. Cat yowled a little too loudly, eye felt scratchy from allergies, and the headaches have returned. Yes, I know, I know, the latter means I am probably not handling my stress as well as I should and so I am working on relieving it. After I finish writing this, I will take my own advice and work on a little self-hypnosis to relieve the pressure.

With all that and an already empty coffee pot, I am thinking about the word snarky. Do I feel snarky or perhaps frowsy? Do I feel the effects of someone else’s snarkiness (leaving me with an empty coffee pot and no refill)? Is it because I am visiting a topic today that some might view as snarky?

The topic? Embedded commands in hypnotism. Jake Shannon mentioned this technique in his answers to the 10 Questions, so I though it would be something else to add to the tool box. Jake – I am not saying you are snarky in the least (unless you want me to ;)), but embedded commands, at least in my mind, are often the black sheep in the NLP world. These are the hidden words in a sentence that make you want to do something you might not normally think about doing. They are often used in sales to influence you to buy something you might not otherwise buy.

However, in the hypnotic realm, they can be especially powerful and helpful. Embedded commands are instructions that bypass the conscious mind and go straight to the subconscious. The interesting thing is to utilize the commands, the person you are trying to influence does not have to be induced into a state of hypnosis. It is used conversationally.

How does it work and how do you use it?

• First, think of something you would like someone else to do (I want you to relax now).

• Make that into a command statement (Relax now).

• Now create a statement that includes those words. The words do not have to be together in the sentence, though I believe they must be chronological (if someone knows otherwise, please let me know) (It would be so nice to relax just about now).  Notice how the words relax now are embedded in that statement.

• Here is where the art of embedding commands comes into play. The command is all in the phrasing of the seemingly innocuous statement (It would be so nice to relax just about now). Whether you lower your voice or make a gesture, when the words “relax” and “now” are spoken, they should feature the same voice tonality or expression. This tonality or expression is different than the rest of the sounds in the sentence. Both words are emphasized. The art is the subtly - how naturally you can pull off the sentence without raising someone else’s conscious awareness to the commands.

Let’s just go with this for now. There is more, but I will save that for part two.

I must go and relax and will leave you with this for now.

Sources:

• Hypnotic Embedded Commands - How They Work
• Using Conversational Hypnosis
• Embedded Commands in Hypnosis