The Transparent Hypnotist

Well, it is an Esoteric Saturday here at the Transparent Hypnotist. I think I will use this space to say thank yous and to talk about a few blogs I really enjoy.

First, you will have noticed the above award. It was given to me by the lovely and most positive Leslie Smith from the blog Inner Sanctuary. I believe this is the first such award I have received from another blogger and I am actually completely flattered. So, thank you Leslie for the wonderful compliment.

Now, upon my choosing, I am to pass it along to ten other blogs.

MJG’s Rambling Thoughts - You have to like a blog that wishes you a “happy dulcimer day.” (MJG has also dropped his entrecard here everyday for three months).

Lofty Matters - A blog about this and that, but always interesting (and has dropped an entrecard here everyday for the past two months).

Hypno Blogs I Read:

Adam Eason’s Hypnosis Blog - A definite kindred spirit!

Debbie Lane’s Wisdom Hypnosis Blog - Debbie is a fabulous friend and hypnotist.

What’s On My Brain - Josh Hougton’s hypnosis blog. Josh is somewhat of a regular here, so of course I am a fan of his blog.

Blogs I Plain Out Enjoy:

Annie Spandex - If I were a blonde, I would want to dress just like Annie.

The Junk Drawer - A funny, funny lady.

In the Stream - Because Francis’ art and writing always makes me think.

Art Constellation - She breaks my heart and charms me at the same time. She is an amazing example of a survivor who uses her pain in a creative and through provoking way.

Origins: Room 237 - I love this blog. I love this blog!!! I LOVE THIS BLOG (do you get the message?)

Should any of these bloggers choose to accept this award from me and wish to pass it on, here are the rules:
1. Put the logo (the award) on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Link 10 other bloggers of whom you want to give this award to.

Photograph by cursedthing

Groggily sitting here, blank screen before me, I have the urge to just turn the computer off and go back to bed. I am in the last throes of this nasty Christmas present of a cold. But, before I do so, I checked through my collection of hypnotic esoterica. My heart began to beat a little faster, the fingers flexed in anticipation of sharing a wonderful new discovery. I clicked the links. I read and searched. My insatiable love for horror genre bubbled to the surface of used tissues and empty, dirty tea cups. Exorcismus. The word almost tripped pleasingly from the inner mind tongue, only for me to stumble slightly with the notion that it probably will be a foreign speaking film. No problem. How those wonderful the words read:

What goes on in Father Ellis’ hypnosis sessions? In order to find out, Suzy sets up a hidden camera in the room.

Oh the power of words. The enticement. But alas, I could find very little about the upcoming movie project beyond the Shock Till You Drop glimpse that originally caught my attention.

And now, I am tired again. I am going back to bed.

Terry O’Brien and I have been conversing about a television episode of NCIS and their portrayal of hypnosis. Sadly, I am very unqualified to discuss NCIS, but I guess that will not stop me from blogging about it I did spend a little time trying to find the episode in question and for those of you who watch the show, it was episode #17 during season five, called About Face.

The show deals with the idea that evidence, a passport,  was stolen directly under the nose of one of the investigators. He needs to remember more details about the passport, and as Terry said to me, “You know where this is going.”

Unlike another earlier episode where the show brought in a professional hypnotist character, this time, apparently, one of the main-stay characters, goth-chick and forensic investigator Abby did the regression. And also unlike the first episode where they had a professional hypnotist get results, Abby did not.

In thinking about this and feeling the little pangs of sharp misrepresentation beginning to insinuate themselves into my brain, a moment of clarity happened. No metal taste of misgiving, but a gift of tasty insight. There really was not a misrepresentation (at least in my hearing of the synopsis - tell me if I am wrong) of hypnosis. If one compares the two episodes, it provides a valuable contrast. In the first, a professional handled the hypnosis and it worked out. In the second, a hobbyist handled it. Now, I have no issue with hobbyist. Some of are incredibly gifted and have helped numerous people. But the truth is, there are so many people who go out, read a few books and think they are a full-fledged hypnotist. It takes practice and regression is a little tricky because you have to be sure not to create false memories. Also, I do not know the dynamics on the show, but I assume the person being regressed and Abby worked together. Who knows what sort of rapport that created. It would have been great if at the end of the show, they called back the original hypnotist to do a proper regression…ah well.

Any thoughts from people who have seen the show? Anything you want to add, Terry?

Maybe they should be called Pink Butterfly or Fluffy Slippers. Yes, I believe either of those would do nicely (and thank you, very much). Those would be more fitting for a death-metal band name (a French death metal band at that), much better than “Hypnosis.” But, I will continue on those thoughts in just a moment.

Before you think I have gotten all willy and am unleashing the total redheaded, head-banger in my soul, rest assured I have not. I must admit this particular genre of music is not one in which I am well versed, nor do I think it will stem an interest (okay, I like a little metal now and then…but, not so much death metal). This particular band in question pinged into my inbox under hypnosis related news. So, I thought - why not give them a listen. As I cannot make out the lyrics, maybe it is the repetition of sound or something ties in with the hypnosis link (I am out on a limb here). Again, maybe Fluffy Bunny would work, too?

I am giving them a link here for their myspace page. I did not try an embedded video for fear that it would run on its own once your page loaded. I know this is not for everyone. The two songs on the play list are The Day We Failed and Dead is the Sun (have they been reading Jung’s symbolism for the Black Sun?). Does not sound much like my concept of hypnosis…However, I do like their graphics.

Maybe Psycho Slippers would be another name option?

Now that there are turkey sandwiches in the making and Black Friday’s malay is over (let’s say a prayer for the gentleman who was trampled to death at a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, NY), we can look forward to Cyber Monday. Personally, I managed to avoid the darkness of Black Friday, its blatant commercialism and materialism (though I understand that good deal is a good deal), and am now indulging in my own cup of capitalism.

I have spent the early morning playing with CEIVA’s Sit on Santa’s Lap Experience. Basically it is a kitsch sort of thing, selling CEIVA’s digital frames, which are pretty interesting in themselves. They offer a picture plan so that people can send images to the frame (family and friends) no matter where in the world they live. Pretty unique. The Experience is also advertising their Got a Wish Sweeepstakes. You can upload your photo (I used my avatar from a past Esoteric Saturday) and the premise is that you get to sit on Santa’s lap (supposing that you did such things when you were a child) and tell him your Christmas wish. But it makes a nice technological switch because basically your picture shows up in a frame at Santa’s workshop and he discovers your you wish by looking it up in a book. At the end of the Experience, you have an opportunity to win your wish - or rather $500. For several days, leading up to Christmas, Santa will pick a name daily and award the prize to that person.

So, the question is - what is the Transparent Hypnotist’s Christmas Wish? Sure I can go all out and wish for a new video system for the office or how about those chairs by Martha Stewart, but that seems so selfish for some reason. It is all always “me, me, me, me, me.” Yuck. So, I could wish for the overachievement and cliche of world peace (good luck with that, Santa). Okay, as you can read, I have given this a bit of a thought.

Here is my Christmas Wish. It is still a bit self-serving, but it also fills that philanthropic need I have just now. My Christmas Wish is to help women who have suffered from years of abuse, gain some self-esteem and make positive changes in their life. This is a cause very near and dear to me. And perhaps, with a bit of Santa help in the form of $500, I could embark on a not-for-profit venture to work with those in battered women shelters here locally. This way, as a hypnotist, I can pay for the fundamentals needed in beginning such a campaign.

There, that’s my esoteric Christmas wish. What is yours?

Photograph by cosmonautirussi

Since Christmas seems earlier than normal this year, I will continue to reference it today. Still in keeping with our Esoteric Saturday theme, let’s have a quick look at a holiday play called Sorry, Wrong Chimney. I came across this because Picayune On Stage (Mississippi) is doing a current production of it. Written by Jack Sharkey and Leo W. Sears, its hilarity as a play involves hypnosis antics. The plot seems to be based on the idea that our main character secretly moonlights as Santa Claus so that he can buy his new wife a totally fabulous gift for Christmas. Now bring in their neighbor, a psychiatrist with a handy-dandy knack for hypnosis and you get an idea where this probably goes. It is one thing to pretend to be Santa Claus. It is totally another to believe you are the noble Father Christmas.

Anyway, if you are in Mississippi and get a chance to see a performance of this or have seen it else where, please feel free to leave comments. Otherwise, you can read the Picayune Item review or glance over the script.

Happy early holiday thoughts!

Get a Voki now!
For those who read this blog regularly, you already know that one of my passions is video gaming. There is something truly wonderful about being in a two-dimensional environment and submersing yourself in it. Sure it is escapism, but one could do worse.

So, I have decided to try to present myself in 2D and am trying out avatars. This is the first one. The voice is deeper then mine, but it is a start. Maybe in 2D, the voice deepens? I thought it would be fun to do a short primer on hypnosis with it, but it would only allow me to say as much as what it currently says.

The day, buzzy with thoughts of football (American) and all hurry, hurry, I still seem to have enough time to shake my head in bafflement at a new television show called I know What You Did Last Friday. Yeah sure, I am all “show people that hypnosis is not scary,” but I have never been too keen on using it as a tool to embarrass people. However, I am jumping a head of myself.

Here is the premise:

The contestants are hypnotized for a day. They are apparently given wacky suggestions and do crazy things. Then at the end of the day, they are given suggestions to forget those antics. A few days later, at the television studio in front of an audience that consist of friends, family, and strangers, they are quizzed about their hypnotic adventures. If the questions, backed up by video footage, are answered correctly they may win up to £30,000.

Here is what I suspect the producers of the show are gaming on when it comes to audience interest:

Footage from their day under hypnosis is shown during the programme prompting embarrassing but funny moments.

Call my boring, call me a party-pooper, but I just cannot get excited about this show. It would be interesting to see if they eliminate contestants who are not susceptible to the hypnotist’s suggestions or is that done pre-airing? And if the suggestions are so accepted by the contestant, the amnesia thing should fit like a T. Is the funniness due to people not remembering and having the footage of their actions played in front of them (and God and Country)? (Sorry Anthony Jacquin, the hypnotist involved, my qualms are not about your ability as a hypnotist).

I do not know if any station has picked this up (if you do,let me know), but if you are curious visit the production company site at www.eyeworks.tv. I would love to know your thoughts.

Photography by vk-red

With a heavy heart I say goodbye to October…how I will miss the craziness of last minute party preparation and toasting in All Hallows’ Day. The disco has left town and my yoga studio is back to the tranquil setting it was before this month (okay, truth is - I kept my mirror ball). How empty the place feels. The echos are now my company. No more excuses to put off my exercise practice. No more boxes in the way, partners on ladders, or trips to be used as a reason to be sedentary.

So, in the esoteric hypnosis realm, today, I use this space as another breather, getting ready to get back to a normal routine. I am also using this as a page mark to let you know that I am getting back to The Unwinding Path, my experimental blog and beginning a new experiment - apple fasting. Yes, you read that correctly, but you will have to visit the site to understand it better.

Though I did not mention it yet over there, I am going to add a self-hypnosis component. Three days of eating nothing but apples is not really a long time, but apples being on my marginally acceptable food list means it is a bit of a challenge. Therefore I am planning to do a series of scripts to help me through it. For those who are able and want to do this with me, I will either post the scripts, do audios, or email them…we will have to see how the next couple of days go time wise.

Welcome November.

Is anyone else feeling the effects of this roller coaster we call weather? Burr and shiver! But the coffee feels particularly nice. I am even hoping to go in search of a corn maze today!!! I love those things.

Last night my partner was looking for new games to play on the Xbox (he was inspired by Jack’s comment from yesterday’s post). What he found, though old news, is still worthy of an Esoteric Saturday. This is totally wonderful and one of the most fun uses of hypnosis I have come across in the media. When Xbox launched its game The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, it was targeted at a very youthful audience (pre-teens). The Official Xbox Magazine wanted the game to be reviewed by someone from that age group but alas, good journalist with great gaming skills are a bit hard to come by for that age group.

Yes, here is the interesting part - Buena Vista games had the Deputy Editor of the magazine, Mark Robins, regressed back to age ten. Then he was able to experience the game through the eyes of the intended market. Mark Howe was the hypnotist who did the session.

I cannot seem to find a copy of the review, but from all indications, this little PR stunt was successful.

Source: www.gwn.com