The Transparent Hypnotist

(Guest blogger:  Michael Raugh)

Friday night at the annual NGH convention is always show night.  Three stage hypnotists put on shows for the entertainment of the attendees and their guests.  This year the performers were Tommy Vee, Nadeen the self-styled “Queen of Hypnosis,” and Dan LaRosa.  Tommy Vee and Dan LaRosa were both well-known performers that I’d seen before, so my group (myself, Julie, and two of my sons) got tickets for Nadeen, the 8:30 show.

The show was interesting.  Nadeen was clearly nervous, as I think anyone would be with people like Dr. Dwight Damon and Jerry Valley in the audience along with some 450 other hypnotists and their guests.  Her format was something I’ve never seen done before:  a tribute show.  Nadeen borrowed routines from several famous stage performers past and present such as the late Ormond McGill, Tom Silver, and Jerry Valley (gutsy with Jerry in the audience), gave a short introduction to each discussing the original hypnotist, and then performed the routines in her own style with a nod to the originator.   I won’t say that the performance lived up to the “Queen of Hypnosis” tag but it was certainly one of the more memorable shows I’ve seen lately.

After being up late socializing it was hard to get moving for an 8am session on Saturday, but somehow I managed it.  And I was glad, because the session I’d chosen was Communicating Under Pressure by Faith Wood.  Faith has a smooth, dynamic style that is easy to listen to and a great sense of humor.  The session focused on communication skills when either you or the person you are seeking to communicate with is under emotional pressure.  Real-life examples and Faith’s style made this a very pleasant and informative hour — just what I needed to start the day.

Next I moved on to another session I picked because I know, like, and respect the presenter:  William Mitchell’s How to Make Posthypnotic Suggestions Stick.  William gave lots of practical advice backed up with examples from his practice, including a recorded interview with a smoking cessation client in which she talked about being surprised by the effects of some of the posthypnotic suggestions he’d given her.

After that came a two-hour paid seminar that I’d chosen from Scott McFall called Inductions of the Masters.  Scott comes off as something of a renegade and seems to enjoy it that way.  His style is to throw out a statement intended to challenge the audience’s beliefs (for example:  “People have all kinds of misconceptions about hypnosis.  Don’t mess with that — we spent hundreds of years creating them!”) and then back it up with evidence or experiential stories to prove his point.  It made for a fun and fascinating two hours, in which Scott called out specific qualities or statements of legendary hypnotists and discussed why they worked so well.

After a lunch break I had two more sessions to attend.  Wil Horton’s Inside Secrets of Elite Trainers contained insights into making more memorable, interesting training presentations and was well worth the time to attend.

The highlight of the day, though, was my last session:  Hypnotist, Hypnotize Thyself! with Gloria Constantas.  I have a lot of admiration for Gloria because she always challenges me to think differently and to really examine what I believe and why.  This session took the concepts from her Verbal Impact presentation that I’d attended in 2007 and advanced them a step farther into a discussion of how we as hypnotists can — and should — be helping ourselves through our own self-talk and the use of the basic principles of self-hypnosis.  It was a pleasure to be in Gloria’s audience again.

Tonight most of the attendees will be taking part in the formal banquet and awards presentation.  Not me; Julie and I are due for some together time.  I’ll do a wrap-up installment tomorrow when the conference is over.

<MR>

(Guest blogger: Michael Raugh)

Yes, it’s been a long dry spell at The Transparent Hypnotist.  Things have been quite busy, personally and professionally, for both Ellie and me.  Ellie was not able to make the NGH convention this year, so I thought I’d post a few reports while I’m here for the benefit of those who aren’t here.

This year’s theme is “Join the Leaders.”  I’ll have to ask some people who saw Dr. Damon’s keynote for highlights because I missed it.  (Why do they schedule it for 8am Friday, anyway?)   My session choices this year are a mixture of basic skills, marketing (a major weakness of mine), and things that either look like fun or feature presenters I admire and enjoy.

The day started with a session on Abreactions given by Marx Howell.  Marx’s field is forensic hypnosis rather than therapy, so his approach to the subject is quite different from what I’m used to seeing presented.  Often in therapy we seek to cause an abreaction as part of the process of resolving inner conflict; Marx works exclusively with victims and witnesses to violent crime, though, and as a result is more focused on protecting the client from that emotional trauma while eliciting information reliably.  He had a lot of good points on how to avoid an abreaction if that’s the goal.

Next up was Marilyn Gordon’s session on Hypnosis And The Internet.  I have to say this was a disappointment to me.  Marilyn is very well known and respected within NGH, but it became painfully obvious early on that she was presenting on a topic that she barely understands herself.  Gloria Constantas was sitting with me in that session and got to see me wince repeatedly as Marilyn tossed out inaccurate web terminology and asserted that “right-brained” people have a hard time understanding tech.  I would attend another Marilyn Gordon seminar without hesitation, but not if the topic is in any way related to technology.

Next came play time:  Joann Abrahamsen’s session called Gimmicks, Gizmos and Gadgets.  Several years ago I took a similar session, then given by Laura Amoroso, and it was so much fun that I wanted to see Joann’s take on it.  She brought out a suitcase full of various toys and demonstrated how they can be used as induction props.  Several were simply novel eye fixation objects, including a plastic ‘magic wand’ with a flashing pink star at the tip and an hourglass.  Joann also demonstrated an auditory induction using a pair of Chinese singing balls and a kinesthetic induction using a pair of soft, squishy stress balls.  It was a nice way to close out the morning.

After lunch I have Joann Abrahamsen again for a three-hour paid workshop all about inductions.  Admittedly this falls squarely under “fun” on my selection criteria, but every hypnotist knows that while we may have a couple of go-to inductions that we tend to use the most it’s always good to experiment with more.  A hypnotist who knows, and can confidently use, a wide range of induction techniques is more versatile and therefore better prepared for that eventual client who just needs something a bit different for the best experience.

More as it happens.

<MR>

As I write this it’s just a touch under two months until the annual National Guild of Hypnotists Convention.

I spent some time recently looking over the convention catalog, which is posted on the convention page of the NGH website.  A few of the one-hour seminars caught my attention and I thought, in the absence of a Friday 10 Questions, I’d draw some attention to them for the benefit of those who plan to attent (or who are maybe trying to decide).

• Marx Howell will be doing a lecture on regression techniques with an eye toward avoiding traumatic abreactions.  Marx’s experience with forensic hypnosis (using hypnosis with crime victims) makes him an expert on that and I know from past seminars that Marx is an outstanding presenter, so I’m looking forward to this.
• Joann Abrahamsen is on the schedule with her annual “Gimmicks, Gizmos and Gadgets” presentation.  I love this seminar!  Every year Joann shares the latest in toys and gadgets she’s discovered that, whether intentionally or not, can be used very effectively as hypnosis props.
• Bernard Yam will be exploring the scientific side of hypnotism, discussing FMRI technology and its implications to how we view … well, everything.  I attended his seminars last year and enjoyed them both.
• My favorite presenter of all time, Gloria Constantas, presents “Hypnotist, Hypnotize Thyself!” about using hypnosis on ourselves.  This will be an absolute must see.
• These two really surprised me:  Philip Holder is holding a seminar Friday called “Put the Pizzazz Back In Your Sex Life” in which, according to the blurb, he will discuss using hypnosis to help with better and more satisfying sex.  Then on Sunday, Sharon Stidham presents “Not Tonight — I Love You, But I Have a Headache — Zen & The Art Of Middle Aged Sex” which pretty much says it all right there. Anything remotely about sex has been taboo with NGH for years, so I hope there is a strong turnout for these.

Mind you, those are just a few picks that jumped out at me from approaching two hundred possibilities.  There was also the usual contingent of things that strike me, at least up front, as of dubious value or credibility.  Hypnosis to cure allergies?  There are seminars on past life regression, on whether or not to believe in PLR, and now there’s one on “Lives Between Lives” — which seems to say that there are lifes in between the past lives!  I’m a pragmatist when it comes to that sort of thing, but I’m sure they will be well attended.

And of course it wouldn’t be an NGH convention if there wasn’t also a collection of old stand-bys:  morning yoga and chi kung, seminars on how to conduct seminars, and of course “How To Prepare A Winning Convention Proposal.”

Since I’ll probably be busy this weekend and may not get a Sunday Question posted, let’s close with one:  Are you planning to attend the NGH Convention in August?  What seminars do you plan to attend?

<MR>

Photograph by spotrick

A few weeks ago, I was looking over the National Guild of Hypnotists’ Code of Ethics (yes, we most certainly have one) and their terminology guide. It has been a long while since I became certified, created my Client Bill of Rights, and actually gave any of it much thought. In writing a paper about hypnotism, I decided to peruse the proper terminology guide again. I have become very lax about something and I fear it may have created some confusion, especially regarding the 10 Questions. There are two words that I think many of us tend to use (or not) interchangeably – hypnosis and hypnotism. They actually are not the same thing or synonyms, if you will. I think the NGH sums it up nicely, so I will quote directly from them:

Many practitioners casually refer to their profession as “hypnosis” and this is improper. “Hypnosis” is the state the client is in when he or she has been “hypnotized” by a “hypnotist” practicing “hypnotism.” 

From now on I plan to be better about the usage of these words. And I am also changing the wording of the 10 Questions, even though the premise of each will remain the same. They are as follow:

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?

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnotism?

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

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

5. Describe your hypnotism office or work setting.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

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

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

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

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

Also, I would also like to take moment and again remind my readers that I do very little editing of the 10 Questions, preferring to keep the tone, the phrasing, and the words unique to each participant. Please note that if I am given permission to use the answers exactly as received, I make no changes, even when words are left out or the grammar is wrong.

Source – The National Guild of Hypnotists’ Code of Ethics

Photograph by viewsnortheast

While I sit here, waiting for a few pages to continue loading in FireFox, I realize I am truly grateful for the invention of high-speed internet and fast laptops. How I have begun to to take those two things for granted. Yet sitting here on my friend’s computer, I take away the gratitude for those two things as I pause, not of my own accord but the computer’s.

This means that the Monday Hypno Happenings from the past week is something beyond my patience today, so I do offer my apologies. But instead of whining, I will continue babbling. World Hypnotism Day was yesterday. It sounded like Debbie Lane had a fantastic day! Terry O’Brien is thinking ahead to next year (yuck to the yard work yesterday). And it was nice to hear from Tom Nicoli (the chairman of the event)!

Interestingly enough yesterday, I did have an opportunity to educate a friend about hypnosis, though it all went a bit, well unpleasant. My friend asked me about the idea of using hypnosis to deal with her phobia of going to the dentist. She had a dentist she was really happy going to who used laughing gas to relax her, but alas, her company switched to an insurance this dentist did not accept. No dentist on the list offered laughing gas, so she was trying to find a solution. We discussed a few options that could help her (client-centered hypnosis where one deals with understanding the subconscious cause and traditional hypnosis that is mostly suggestion work). We discussed how she could find a hypnotist and what she might want to look for during her search (I am very sad to say the NGH referral network did not work. No one ever responded to her email - I write this last sentence in hopes that someone there will read this and do something).

During this time, her boyfriend was listening to the conversation. He also asked a lot of questions, but his total fear in my genre of work came flashing to the surface like a summer heat storm. I patiently answered the questions, hoping to quell some of his lightening scared responses. But it is interesting (in a most frustrating way) when people refuse to open their mental ears and succumb to mindless debate. He debated all the myths as though they were true and he had experience with it. When asked if he had ever been to a hypnotist or had researched it, the answer was an emphatic “no,” but he had seen stuff about it on television. I realized quite rapidly that he was only interested in coercing her into not using hypnosis. He suggested she use other relaxation drugs instead (they work for him).

In the end, it was really one of the saddest moments I have had in my career. Here was an interested person who could have really benefited from hypnosis. I am pretty sure she will not use hypnosis so that she can maintain the peace in her household. I can understand that (you have to do what you can to find and keep peace). But I am troubled by the boyfriend’s response. It leaves me feeling a bit queasy.

But I too will move on. Everything in its time and place. I write this as a request. Look at your relationships. If you find yourself in the process of trying to stop someone from doing something they want to do because your own issues get in the way, just back away. Take a breathe. Feel free to state your opinion to the other person, but do not hinder them for selfish or silly reasons (like your own fear). Ask yourself what is going on with you and why? Use the moment to move forward in your own evolution.

Though Spring is the traditional time for cleaning and renewing, I find myself more and more preoccupied with thoughts of retooling.  Some of those thoughts are focused on my practice, such as my recent decision to begin accepting credit cards.  Others involve doing a ground-up redesign of that vital current-day marketing tool, my website.

I blame Scot Giles.  The presentation he gave at this summer’s NGH Convention on how he uses technology in his practice riled up my inner geek.  Rev. Giles describes his method as an ideal micropractice — meaning he uses technology as much as possible so that he can avoid hiring staff and spending his time on things other than working with clients, resulting in lower fees for the clients and more effective use of his time.  In addition to learning about Rev. Giles himself, his practice, and his background, clients who visit his website can also book and change appointments (including viewing what times are free on his calendar), fill out his intake form, download his Client Bill of Rights and other interesting and important documents, even obtain some free sample MP3 sessions.

By comparison, my site is a series of fairly plain HTML pages that I maintain using a copy of Dreamweaver so old that it still bears the Macromedia name and logos.  I do have a few downloadable files including a couple of MP3s, but nothing near the level of service and sophistication that Rev. Giles shows to the world.  Which, considering that in the day job that pays my bills I happen to be a pretty serious IT geek, is starting to bother me a bit.  Hence the urge to retool.

As I look around, though, most of the hypnotists’ sites that I find are much closer to mine in terms of functionality than to Rev. Giles’s.  Mostly static pages describing the hypnotist’s approach, answering common questions and misconceptions, discussing the various applications of hypnosis.  A few include a Client Bill of Rights (something NGH strongly encourages) and a form for sending email to the hypnotist.  A number of them offer CDs or downloadable recordings, either as free samples or with a shopping cart system for accepting payments.  Which leads to my Sunday Question for you all …

How do you use technology — particularly with regard to your website, but also in the office — to help manage and promote your practice?

<MR>

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!

Here I am again, back home with my cup of tea and you. My morning has been spent actually reading my own blog. Since I have been gone Gary Noble, Steve Williams, Terry O’Brien, Adrian Tannock, Caere Dunn, John Weir, and Michael Raugh have all been kind enough to share their stories and thoughts here at the Transparent Hypnotist. Thank you all so much!!!

As you probably notice, there are no 10 Questions today. I am at that stage again where I need to corral some new hypnotists to participate. If you would like to answer the ten questions and be featured on a Friday (or know someone that might like to do this), please email me at ellie.blunt@gmail.com. For those who are concerned about how I might edit your answers, I do very minimal editing - mostly spelling and punctuation correction if it is glaring. I prefer to publish these posts in your words and expression (plus I hate being edited and I know I am not alone in this).

Also, many of you have asked is I would be going to the NGH conference coming up shortly. Sadly, I am not. No, I am not holding a grudge because the organization has refused to answer my questions about blacklisting hypnotists, but because life interrupted my schedule. I had an opportunity to commune with nature (my recent trip) and some dear friends for a week. It was a choice between that or the conference (as well as a week I have planned in September to study with my own mentor), expense wise. So, alas, I will think of you all having a great time up there in New England and I will spend that weekend on a local hike. I hope those of you going will consider writing a post about your experiences there for this blog. Michael did an excellent one for us last year.

See you tomorrow.

We are off to running start today.  Are you? Anyway, still wanted you to know that I am here (even if you won’t take part in the weekly poll…). Thought I would just let you know that I sent a general email to the National Guild of Hypnotists asking them for their point of view on the whole erotic hypnosis issue.  I asked if they were black balling people who speak at other hypnosis conferences and why?  I think it would be great if they would respond, though they seem slow in doing so.  I know they are getting ready for a conference, but this little correspondence should only take a few moments. So, NGH leaders…if you are reading this, please respond!

Sitting before me is the bill to renew my NGH (National Guild of Hypnotists) membership. For those of you who are not familiar with this, it is the association of choice for many hypnotists and it grants certification to those in this noble profession. When becoming a hypnotist, I chose my educational path based on NGH standards. I have always been a poster child for them.

However, after reading Michael’s Sunday Question and learning of the NGH’s issues with certain forms of hypnosis, I now take pause in returning those membership dues. It sounds as though the NGH has chosen various types of hypnosis and does not sanction them (erotic hypnosis and who-know-what else). Now as you may or may not know (based on emails I have received requesting it), I do not engage in the erotic arts at this point in my life. Frankly, I have nothing against it and I really see nothing wrong with it; its just not my choice of occupation or hobby. However, I question the NGH about their fascists sounding ideas when they threaten to ban reputable hypnotist who are willing to speak about non-traditional hypnosis at conferences other than the NGH ones. It would be one thing if the NGH was like some of the psychology hypnosis organizations, but they are not. They have embraced clinical hypnotists as well as hypnosis performers. I also have nothing against theatric hypnosis and if done well I believe it helps our cause, but really - I do not think erotic hypnosis is that far a cry from all of it. It too could advance the cause (in spite of the BDSM control stuff- no hypnotist is ever truly in control of another person - we are not puppet masters).

So, though I did not answer Michael’s question, I guess I am in this post. If I wanted to spend the money and join another organization other than the NGH, by gosh, I would do it. Hell or high water, I think it is wrong of the NGH to ban decent hypnotists just because they do things a bit untraditional. As long as the hypnotist in question plays by the NGH ethics and standards, I do not see the problem. There are many hypnotists out there who do several things like hypnosis shows and clinical hypnosis, teaching hypnosis and clinical hypnosis, and on and on. Why not be a day time clinical hypnotist and a femmedom hypnotists as night? I think it is very short sided of the NGH to have a bias against a certain portion of the field. If one of those hypnotists in question, breaks the code of ethics, well then indeed I agree that there be consequences, but if they don’t…

So, NGH - want to reconsider renewing my membership now?