Can anyone give me some feedback on this?

ummm well lets see um I recently got hypnotized for the first time around christmas. It was a stage show and part of my works holiday party. Thought it might be fun, but didn't know if it would work on me b/c I have a moderate to severe hearing loss. (Have had that since I was born). The acousitics in the room were HORRILBE and the tist used a microphone which ALWAYS makes it harder for me to hear LOL, plus I made the mistake of not telling the tist about my hearing loss. Anyways, ummm heres what I remember. Okay, so the tist tells us to look at him and he's gonna count to three, don't remember him counting to three but next thing I know I'm "stuck" in this hunched over position, eyes moving back and forth REALLY fast, feel very very realaxed and can't move but don't want to either. And to make matters worse I must've been drooling cuz my shirt was wet, lol and when I noticed that I stopped of course:) Umm, could not hear ANY of the commands so I just sat there. He came by and shook my hand and said something, (I'm assuming it was some kind of deepening technique.) and then I was even more realaxed and "stuck". Ummm, still didn't respond to any command cuz I couldn't hear his voice, and then came the hard part. Waking me up LOL. Poor guy, I felt soo bad for him. I remember feeling his hands on me, shaking me, trying to wake me up,and he must have been talking but I still couldn't hear him. The only thing I heard him say was this "You are starting to freak me out, you need to wake up!" Well that made me feel bad, so I really tried hard to wake up and I did, but I felt SOO confused. Like I was in a tunnel, everything was far away, had to concentrate really hard to understand what he was saying, and I felt like I had ADD. He helped me stand up and tried to tell me to go sit down in the audience. When i stood up I almost lost my balance b/c my legs were really heavy and wobbly. It took me a little bit to register what he was saying eventhough I was "alert somewhat". He finally pointed to the stairs and then to the audience and I finally understood lol. Then I just wanted to leave b/c the whole experience scared the shit outta me, one of my friends in the audience noticed how confused I was and she helped me. LOL. so that was my first time.

So yeah, not really sure what happened there? How did I even go under, when I couldn't even hear him? I've asked a few people and they gave me some insight, but I would like a more extended explaination. Perferably in medical terms as I understand that better.

Thanks for reading, and hope to hear some information soon.

Sincerely,
Stacey

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Permalink Reply by Scott Sandland on April 22, 2008 at 8:46pm

Hey Stacey,
Sounds like you are a very good hypnotic subject. What you experienced isn't incredibly uncommon, and when the stage hypnotists get done talking about their inusrance regulations I'm sure many of them will tell you that they have seen this kind of thing before.

People might throw out the term 'ultra-depth' but If you are looking for medical explanations of what you experienced, look in to Dr. James Esdaille and the esdaille state (or as some people call it, the esdaille coma). He was a british surgeon practicing in India about 150 years ago who performed many surgeries by helping people achieve the state you found. It has been well documented since then many times by numerous practitioners and I assure you is totally safe. I have intentionally helped people achieve that state, and actually teach pain control students how to get clients there for extreme situations.

Dave Elman, in his book titled 'Hypnotherapy' explains the state very succinctly. It is very common for people in that state to have varying degrees of the "sysmptoms" or "indicators" you mentioned.

Stage hypnotists run into this more frequently than clinical types because in our private practices we don't tend to ask our clients for as much demonstrative response. In any good stage training (and in a comprehensive clinical education) they explain this state in detail and what to do when it is encountered.

Based on what you wrote it has no indication of anything to be worried about. You just got a lot of a good thing and it was more than you expected.

Feel free to post a follow up question. We will see who else chimes in on this,
Scott Sandland

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Permalink Reply by Lee Darrow on June 10, 2008 at 8:22am

Stacey, you went into hypnosis primarily because you expected to, you wanted to and because you, on some level, probably needed to.

The fact that the hypnotist had a problem bringing you out of trance and said what he said indicates to me a possible lack of training or, at least experience on his part (unless he said it in a joking way, of course) which isn't real good for building the confidence of the audience with regards to his abilities and skills as a hypnotist, in my opinion.

If you would like, in light of your other request, we could take this offline and discuss it further.

Lee Darrow, C.H.
www.stagehypnosissafetyclass.com

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Permalink Reply by Brian David Phillips on June 10, 2008 at 5:33pm

I was going to say what Lee said but he said it first.

You wanted to be hypnotized, you expected to go into hypnosis, you were able to follow the rudimentary concepts with or without hearing what he said (I've worked with an interpreter many times and on one occasion she was distracted by a venue emergency and I just kept on going through my bit without noticing that she was no longer feeding back the Chinese to the client and lo and behold the client still went nicely into trance).

There are nonverbal inductions. Words are not actually needed to go into hypnosis (although they certainly help and some form of communication would be necessary for therapeutic suggestions). I have used text only in some cases and I know folks who have worked with sign language inductions.

Congratulations . . . you're a wonderful trance subject and should find yourself being able to use hypnosis for all sorts of great things.

I also agree with Lee that what the hypnotist said to you when you were having obvious difficulties coming up from trance was completely inappropriate. There are some very simple strategies and shaking the trance partner while saying something that could cause panic is not one of those strategies. If he could not emerge you, he could very easily have asked the crowd if anyone knew you - a friend could perhaps have let him in on the hearing loss issue, assuming they knew.

Another thing that I found very odd and an indicator that your hypnotist was not performing safely was that he just points you to the stairs while you're wobbly. That is a big NO NO NO! He should have escorted you to and down the stairs or had spotters to take care of you or - and this is BETTER - he should have made very very certain you were fully emerged and taken care of before dismissing you. Depending upon the context, he may have assumed you were drunk or the like and so didn't realize you were still loopy from trance . . . although I suspect this is not the case given what he said about you freaking him out and the emerging.

In any case, at least you now know you're a wonderful trance subject and can use it in ways that are more productive . . . and . . . with a hypnotist that KNOWS your hearing difficulties, in entertaining and recreational ways as well.

All the best,
Brian

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Permalink Reply by Synapse on June 10, 2008 at 5:52pm

Stacey, you're a very special person. There's only a small percentage of the population that can spontaneously go into an Esdaille trance, and even fewer who do it on their first attempt! Lucky you!

:o)

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Permalink Reply by Lee Darrow on June 11, 2008 at 8:08am

Thanks for the kind words, Brian - and for your support, unspoken though it was, for the safety efforts that I have been pushing for ALL stage hypnotists. It is precisely because of situations like Stacey's that my first class on stage safety evolved, several years ago.

Sloppy work leads to poor impressions and less-than-happy memories of trances in some people and that is NOT the goal of a stage hypnosis show... or, at least, it shouldn't be, in my professional opinion, I'm sure you agree.

Again, thanks for your supportive and kind words to Stacey as well as those regarding my comments.

They are greatly appreciated.

Lee Darrow, C.H.
www.stagehypnosissafetyclass.com

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Houghton on June 12, 2008 at 10:42am

As Scott, Lee and Brian have said before your experiences we're not weird or abnormal. Even though it freaked you out a little at least you discovered you are a great hypnotic subject. I agree that the hypnotist should have never said what he said or have sent you away in the condition you where in.

I actually talked to someone about 4 months ago who experienced pretty much the same thing as you. I was at a local fair here in Columbus, Georgia and they had a stage hypnosis act. I never heard of the guy, but still as a hypnotist I always enjoy a good stage hypnosis show. Well a woman on stage would not emerge either. It was almost 5 min until the hypnotist started to get very nervous. He had asked if anyone in the audience knew the girl, but she was there by herself.

I had a good idea about what was happening to her so I moved to the front row and explained to the stage hypnotist I was also a hypnotist and I may be able to help him out. He was pretty scared by this point and people in the audience we're starting to talk. I just walked up to the girl on state and informed her of the situation. I then gave the patter I learned from Gerald Kein considering the coma state or as I like to call it the Esdaille State.

Within a couple of moments she opened her eyes. I then gave her some waking hypnosis that she would feel great, be able to walk in balance and things of this nature. The hypnotist decided to end his show early due to this issue, but I talked with her for a few moments after. She had said she heard him talking to her, but she was at a place that just felt so wonderful. She told me she had recently been laid off from work and her husband had recently divorced her. She said with everything going on in her life she had discovered a place where none of it mattered. Her exact words we're " It was a place where I could just be"

I could have not said it any better myself. She explained she felt the same way you did and even felt a little off balance when emerging. She thanked me for the help and I explained the whole situation. She said the only thing that freaked her out was the hypnotist "crying" I never heard him cry, but if I was a person on stage and the hypnotist started crying I would be freaked out too. She said while it was a little strange she should just didn't care anymore. So even in the confusion of what happened. This girl discovered some stuff about herself.

LOL, Btw, the hypnotist who I helped never even thanked me and when I went to talk to him he didn't want to talk. His exacts words to me where. I had it all under control, she would have came out eventually. I was shocked, but I guess not everyone is thankful for help. So in closing, look back at your experience and realize it was just yourself discovering another part of yourself in so many words. Please don't let this hypnotist give you a negetive impression of hypnosis.

Josh

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Permalink Reply by Lee Darrow on June 12, 2008 at 11:09am

NOW does everyone understand WHY I am teaching the stage hypnosis safety class this Saturday in Chicago?

It's people like the stage hypnotist in Josh's example who have me greatly concerned for the future of our profession. The "weekend wonders" who go through a two or three day "Master Class" and come out of it thinking that they have somehow been magically-transformed "Master Stage Hypnotists" give me the screaming meemies!

No one can "master" ANYTHING during the course of a weekend, especially nothing so complex as stage hypnosis!

And yes, for those who will say that my safety course is only four hours long, I know that. But I am not professing that anyone who comes OUT of that class will have mastered anything, either. All that I can hope for is that anyone taking the class will be able to grasp the FUNDAMENTALS of THINKING SAFETY when they are on stage, lecturing or demonstrating.

And that's the point of the class - to raise awareness of the simple things (as well as a few not-so-simple things) that can cause problems during, before and after a show.

But I don't say that anyone will become a "Master" of ANYTHING.

To me, for anyone to make such a claim, including Milton Erickson, Ormond McGill or Pat Collins, is to commit false advertising.

That's my professional opinion and I'm sticking to it - with 41 years of stage experience and TWO insurance licenses to back it up - which is more than anyone ELSE teaching safety out there happens to have. Not to mention that I was the FIRST to do so.

Lee Darrow, C.H.
www.stagehypnosissafetyclass.com

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Houghton on June 12, 2008 at 11:21am

Hey Lee,

As always its good to get your input on things. I can only imagine what would have happened if I wasn't in the audience. God has a strange way of working ;)

As you know Lee I'm a big supporter of what you are doing. I build my practice around the idea of credibility, professionlism and safety. I for one want us as a profession to always move forward and never backward. I personally think that every course even a induction workshop should include discussions on safety and proper training.

I have been blessed to be trained by some great teachers that always stressed safety and issues such as abreactions and such. Yet, I have also been to trainings where the teachers had no idea what a abreaction was! The first sign you just wasted your money :) Some hypnotist have to realize as well that safety isn't a subject all on it's own. It is combined within every part of hypnosis. Everything from the induction, suggestion formation, guided imagery, different levels of hypnosis and such.

As I stated I did my best to reach out to the stage hypnotist, but some people just continue on the path they are on. So I think it's highly important that we just continue to educate the public the best we can. Plus, it's not just for our sake, but the sake of our profession.

www.whatsonmybrain.com

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Permalink Reply by Lee Darrow on June 12, 2008 at 11:36pm

Joshua, THANK YOU!

You, obviously, "get it."

When I teach safety on stage, I teach not just for those hypnotists who do night club and party shows, but also for people who do lecture-demonstrations of hypnosis as well. Many of THEM do NOT realize that THEY are ON STAGE as well and that their malpractice insurance, in all probability will NOT cover them during their presentation!

And I cover everything from the pre-show advertising and promotional aspects of things, through the opening talk, getting people on and off stage safely and even talk about the physical properties of the stage itself, not to mention things like abreactions and open-ended (anybody can trigger it) post-hypnotic suggestions, which I absolutely hate from a safety standpoint.

I cover a lot more, as well, obviously and you, my friend, understand the concept of safety as being more than just knowing how to handle a slip-and-fall on stage or someone who decides that they want to stay in trance.

Your training speaks well of your teachers and even better of you as you, unlike some people I have run in to, recently, know how to APPLY it, effectively!

Bravo, sir. Bravo!

Lee Darrow, C.H.
www.stagehypnosissafetyclass.com

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Permalink Reply by StressQT24 on July 8, 2008 at 8:43am

Wow thank you for all your replies everyone :) This is the best explaination I have ever gotten of what happened. And I am glad I was able to spark a discussion amongst the group :) Might I mention I did feel REALLY bad about not waking up right away, so me being an internet junkie (I just looked up the tist's email using his first and last name, acutally got his old "umm hypnotist school" email address and I emailed him an apology and I asked if he could possibly explain what happened. I emailed him twice and then he blocked me w/ no reply soo yeah.) Hence why I'm pretty sure I managed to piss him off. (And actually my husband was on stage w/ me but he woke up in the middle of the show, and while the tist was trying to wake me Aaron was outside smoking. Thanks for your help hon. And this was a work holiday party, all my coworkers who knew me were there, hello?? Why didn't any of them pipe up an say hey her hearing sucks! lol oh well.)
Also, another question: are "professional victims" (you know people who try to wreck hovac on stage shows) common at stage shows? B/c I'm guessing he thought I was one or something, but I assure you I am not. So thank you everyone for all your answers, I really appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Stacey