Hypnosis

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Permalink Reply by Susan French on July 17, 2008 at 9:26am

Try at your own risk. I went to school with a gentleman who had hypno'd his wife (a long time ago, too) and tried to get her to do some sexual things or be more sexual or something like that. She bolted out of trance majorly PO'd and still hadn't forgiven him 20 years later.

Serves him right too...lol.

Susan

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Permalink Reply by Matthew on July 17, 2008 at 11:34am

What would be the best way to hypnotize her? She wants to be hypnotized and says she feels relaxed but she doesn't really do anything.

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Permalink Reply by light sleeper on July 17, 2008 at 12:09pm

Perhaps, she has already hypnotized you ... And that's why you are married!

Just some thoughts ...........

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Permalink Reply by Synapse on July 17, 2008 at 12:16pm

There are lots of subtle nuances to hypnosis. Watching DVDs and reading scripts, although helpful doesn't magically make you a hypnotist. Hypnosis and the ability to go into a hypnotic state as a client is built upon trust and expectation, amongst other things. Your wife knows this and it is difficult for her to get around this perception of you (This is common among many hypnotists and their close family/friends, at least in the beginning). With all the will in the world, she will always see you as her husband. She knows you intimately and this can cause barriers where hypnosis is concerned.

Learning hypnotism from written material and videos is a bit like learning to drive from them. How can you anticipate other cars on the road from a book? How fast does 30mph feel? How do you learn the sequence of gear-shifting and the clutch in a 'stick shift'/manual car?

Then there's the signs to look out for when your client goes into trance and using deepening techniques and words of encouragement. Scripts won't teach you that.

The best advice I can give you is to seek out a practice group in your area, (these are often run by volunteers for little or no cost) or better yet, get some formal training.

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Permalink Reply by Darlene Collette on July 17, 2008 at 12:29pm

I agree with Synapse, if it were as simple as reading a book to learn the skills of hypnosis properly and ethically, why would we gain training to be certified.

If a friend of yours read a book on skydiving, would you be ready to jump out of a plane with them?

It is like saying that hypnosis is just the art of speaking the right words.... and this we all know is not the whole picture... professionalism, care for the client and proper ethics separates the truely gifted hypnotist from those that are merely parlour game performers.

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Permalink Reply by Susan French on July 17, 2008 at 1:25pm

True Darlene, and you make a good point. However, in my journey of learning this art and skill, I find that I have to use reading to fill in the blanks of the trainings. Practice, of course, is essential but so is having the deepest understanding of what we're doing.

Susan

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Permalink Reply by Celeste Hackett, CH on July 17, 2008 at 1:23pm

Hello,

It's easy to get someone into hypnosis. All they have to do is follow your instructions and be of normal intelligence. But, have you learned real hypnosis that really works or relaxation masquerading as hypnotism? Hypnosis is not relaxation. Certain phenomena are observable.

If you don't know what to look for then you may never know if she was in hypnosis or just relaxed. Also she can be very agitated and nervous and be in hypnosis. So good training is crucial. I suggest 5-PATH training. To me, it's just awesome!. There's too much to it go go into in one writing, but you can order the DVDs or find a live instructor. Worth every penny.

Celeste Hackett

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Permalink Reply by Paula Saxon Nongard on July 17, 2008 at 1:49pm

I would suggest that 1) hypnotizing your wife or a close friend is not always the best choice, but I understand that when you're just starting they may seem like the only choices, until you gain a little more confidence to step out a little further.

And 2) what are your 'expectations' of the hypnotic process? What do you expect to happen (her to do) once you say the magic induction words? Perhaps you ARE actually putting her in a light trance, but are not following through with a deepening effect or any suggestions, or perhaps you're expecting some profound change or incident to happen that is unreasonable for the suggestions you've given.

Have you, yourself, been hypnotized? The more you understand the complete process by experiencing it yourself, the better you will be able to judge the effectiveness and responsiveness of someone else.

If you haven't been, I would recommend that you visit Richard Nongard's page on hypnothoughts, and play the first video in the middle column - Try Hypnosis Now.

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by Darlene Collette on July 17, 2008 at 4:50pm

Good suggestion Paula,
A picture is worth 1000 words and a video is even better. I agree that the more you can learn, read and experience with hypnosis, the better you are prepared to practice the skill.

Matthew, may I also suggest that you contact the National Guild of Hypnotists to get a list of certified hypnotists in your area. Many of us provide information sessions at a nominal or free basis to education the public on hypnosis. This might be a good opportunity to gain more understanding and ask questions in person.

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Permalink Reply by John Cerbone - The Trance-Master on July 17, 2008 at 6:19pm

If she's Hypnotized, and comes back and nothing happened (trust me, it's happened to mist of us at least once), a more experienced Hypnotist, will use convincers, your wristwatch, the funniest she's ever seen. Your tie, my World's Funniest Red Pen, I could go on and on. You can prove it through other means, a laugh or an itch someplace with a key word. So much of clinical Hypnosis owes it's present, to Stage Hypnotists of the past, the suggestibility / Concentration tests, with convincers, etc.
It does blow my mind when some clinicians look down their noses at stage shows, a lot of what they are using came from there.
Yes, there are lots of NGH Instructors here, I am one of them, and also there are lots of other groups, and even Clubs and Local Chapter meetings, books and DVD's..
As I said in a post last night, there is no state of trying, just doing, no failure, just success or learning, no problems, only challenges, rise up, and keep on going for it.

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Permalink Reply by Matthew on July 18, 2008 at 8:55am

Now what would be the best test to use to see if she is really hypnotized. She says that she feels relaxed. But when I tell her to do something like raise her arm, she doesn't respond. What would be the best way of doing it?

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Permalink Reply by Reg Blackwood - The Quicknotist on July 18, 2008 at 10:53am

Ok. I might be misinterpreting here, but don't be so concerned about asking her how she feels. You're likely making her critical faculty kick in and "break" trance rather than bypassing that critical faculty.

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