The Hollywood Nightmare

So here I was the other day in a heated discussion about Stage Hypnosis affecting our credibility as therapists and shaking my head.
I know my history well and I am very proud of what I do for a living.

Well saying that, late last night I am in my hotel done with shows for the evening when I turned the TV on.. The MENTALIST was on and I have enjoyed the show so I started watching... Well it seems I caught the last half because here is a gal hypnotizing everyone (cops as well) The main character said she was only 1 of maybe 3 in the world who could hypnotize a cop and she was making people try to kill themselves.

Hollywood has called me before to consult and ask me to do things on TV.. Many times I have said no do to the fact that what they wanted to do was unethical or unreasonable...

I do not believe that Stage Hypnosis will affect your credibility as a Hypnotherapist. However I do believe that Hollywood can truly cause a nightmare.

We as stage Hypnotists have done a considerable amount to keep this industry alive yet Hollywood comes in behind us and takes license of unbelievable proportions.

When Hollywood does stuff like this I believe it effects us stage hypnotists as well.

So the question is. How do we deal with the influence of Hollywood?

Having taught Hypnosis at the college level I would instruct my students on how to deal with someone who was skeptical of what we do. On stage I do it every night...

Still this is nuts...

What are your thoughts?

Justin James

www.thehypnosiscompany.com

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Permalink Reply by Justin James on June 5, 2009 at 9:58am

Oh they saved it in the end however she had cops pointing guns at each other and attempting to through other cast members off a roof thinking they were throwing them in a pool.
Justin...

It was last nights episode.. it may be available online... This show has had a few hypnotic routines before.. most quite good...

Conrad Cook said:

Before I tell you my thoughts, Justin, I'd like to draw you out a little on this thing you saw.

Was this woman successful in getting people to kill themselves? What happened?

Was what she was doing just shocking, or actually wrong?

Conrad.

ps - My first reaction is to want to call the woman's agent and ask for a statement on her prior subject's recent apparent suicide, ask whether her hypnosis could be the cause, and what the appearance of her name in the victim's suicide note might mean. Or better yet, organize an interview with her and ask her on camera. But I'm tempermental that way.

C.

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Permalink Reply by Doreen Cohanim C.Ht on June 5, 2009 at 10:00am

Hi Justin,

My thoughts is, Oh No, It's BAD and they are really going to ruin all stage hypnotist and hypnotherapist Image.
Not much to do, This is Hollywood, they want to sell fear, sex, action, comedy, drama, and people should be intelligent enough to know the difference between a hypnotherapist who act bizarre in movies and normal hypnotist out in the world, who are for good fun entertainment or self healing.

Cab you stop Hollywood? NO
I Also beleive that Hollywood does use great story's with hypnotist and hypnotherapist who help with healing.

And this is my thoughts.

Respectfully, Doreen Cohanim C.Ht

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Permalink Reply by Justin James on June 5, 2009 at 10:29am

To answer your question Conrad I think what she was doing was not only wrong but paints us (Hypnotists) in a evil light. To that effect when booking shows or sessions I that this material can effect all of our businesses negatively.

Justin...

Conrad Cook said:

But you haven't answered the question. In your judgement, was what she was doing just sensationalist, or was it wrong?

C.

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Permalink Reply by ASUCENA ENRIQUEZ on June 5, 2009 at 10:38am

In my opinion she did wrong! That makes us look like we don't have ethics nor integrity, Hollywood is a big influence and it does affect us because of some uninformed person that has some type of influence can ruin in min. work of years and years. A lot of people do belive what they see on TV, simply because they get hipnotized when watching TV. Maybe there is nothing we can do about it, but it is a pain...I think I frased it right...I'm still working on my english! Anybody out there writes spanish?

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Permalink Reply by Doreen Cohanim C.Ht on June 5, 2009 at 10:47am

It's Hollywood my dear... It's all about making money.. GOOD OR BAD....

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Permalink Reply by Bruce Taylor on June 5, 2009 at 11:21am

I would think that this type of show portraying hypnotists as you stated is not doing us any good. I also see Hollywood using doctors and others in a way that is probably not doing them any good either. Is it hurting our business? I do not know because I am doing a good business however I am only part time. I guess it is up to us to continue to educate as much as possible to get the correct image out there for all to see. Maybe more of us can participate in World Hypnosis Day.

Question: Justin, do you see or think that your business is suffering because of this type of Hollywood elaberation?

Bruce Taylor

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Permalink Reply by Roy Hunter on June 5, 2009 at 7:00pm

Over the decades of the 20th Century, Hollywood has hurt the public image of hypnosis FAR more than helping it.

Nonetheless, we need to realize that STAGE HYPNOSIS kept interest in hypnosis alive during times when hypnosis might have otherwise died.

While I've seen many stage hypnosis shows over the years that offended me, I also must state publicly that I believe strongly in ethical stage hypnosis as a way of both educating and entertaining. In my professional opinion, there should always be a place for ethical stage hypnosis.

Roy Hunter, M.S., FAPHP
www.royhunter.com

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Johnston on June 5, 2009 at 7:55pm

I'm not sure, but I think you might be under the misapprehension that this was a real event, like on a reality show. The show in question is a fiction show, not based on real events. Actors playing every part. The female character learned hypnosis and NLP informally from a Tony Robbins-like mentor. The male lead used to be a fake psychic but is now a consultant for the police and uses hypnosis (mostly in a covert way; does a lot of Derren Brown-like handshakes with water bottles and such) and his powers of observation and deduction to solve murders.

The woman was not successful in making anyone commit murder, but was able to use her skills to frame someone else for the murder she committed, attack but not kill a coworker, etc. For example, she had a guy drag what he thought was a bag of russet potatoes to the cops "as a gift." It was really a bag with a body in it.

Joshua

Conrad Cook said:

follow-up:

I'll put it this way: I believe it's illegal to tell someone to kill themselves. I want to say it's covered under the part of the law that talks about death threats. In this sense, her being a hypnotist doesn't really enter into it. If what you saw really bothers you, Justin, and you honestly think it was wrong, you might call the FBI and ask for their opinion on it.

C.

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Permalink Reply by Justin James on June 5, 2009 at 8:16pm

OK guys let me clarify this... Personally I know it was a show.. I do 300 shows a year.. I have worked with production studios on a few different shows the last few years .

Now there had been another discussion which I believe has been deleted discussing whether or not Stage hypnosis adversely effects a hypnotherapists ability to gain clients...
My stand on the matter was not at all.. In fact I had worked with Roy Hunter and Michael Gershman many years ago and we taught new clinicians how to deal with objections brought about by seeing a stage show..

However and this is the point I was wanting to discuss.. I believe that in some ways it is Hollywood that has the largest and most detrimental impact upon us as an industry whether it was the show the mentalist, Mythbusters, Ren & Stimpy, many other cartoons.. Hell futurerama has the Hypnotoad.

The real question is how do you handle these objections...

Now since I do this full time I have my methodology's however these questions keep popping up.. So I felt it was a good topic for discussion.

Justin

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Permalink Reply by Pattie Freeman CH.t, MST on June 5, 2009 at 8:54pm

I agree with all of you Hollywood does the evil of hypnosis I have HS Kids asking me while I am doing the pretalk is this like "The Office" and the "Mentalist"..You just have to inform them that Hollywood is just that Glitz and Glamour...a world of fantasy....

Just my thoughts...

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Permalink Reply by chris john on June 6, 2009 at 12:01am

Unfortunately, its nothing new.
It doesnt just affect stage hypnotist's, but hypnotists in general.
Whether its street,stage or in an office.

I remember the idea of hypnosis for mind control (for committing crime)
in the original 70's spiderman movie.

Its tv, and theres nowt we can do, its all about ratings.
It would just be nice if they got it right once in a while though.