Definitive Definition

In researching Ellie's Favorite Five, I end up spending a great amount of time on my fellow hypnotists web sites. It is a rather enjoyable occupation, if you ask me. I love exploring how we all define the hypnotic experience, so I thought periodically I would share some of these definitions with you.

This first one is not from a hypnosis site, actually. It is from The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dictionary of Medical Terms (I was there for other research needs).

Hypnosis:

A trance-like state in which a person becomes more aware and focused and is more open to suggestion.

I find this particularly interesting because of the usage of the word "trance-like." This is a historical (I actually mistyped that as hysterical, whoops) debate among those practicing hypnosis - is there such a thing as trance? I guess using the word "trance-like" allows room for either.

As always, your opinion is appreciated.

Click here to view my definition.

Ellie's Favorite Five - Let's Take A Vacation

Ellie needs a vacation. January has just plum tuckered her out, but alas there is no reprieve insight for awhile (well that's not right, there are a few road trips planned for a few weekends, but I want it now. LOL). So, to help me refuel my batteries and with hopes that this will help you as well, I decided to list my current favorite five vacation scripts. For those non-hypnotists who read this, I recommend Robert Hughes' By the Sea because it has almost everything one needs to have a full hypnosis experience, except a recorder.

Ellie's Favorite Five

Silvia Hartmann - Ice River. Reading like poetry, this visualization takes a winter scene and turns it into a mystical experience. Silvia refers to this experience as a "hypodream," differentiating it from regular hypnosis because it does not seek earthly results (weight loss, smoking cessation, and so on). It has a bit of New Age thrown in and seeks to help those interested with Lucid Dreaming and entering the psychic realms. It is a vacation from the ordinary.

Robert Hughes - Relaxation by the Sea. This is a fully encompassing script that is originally suggested for creating your own, personal hypnosis audio. It involves an induction, a countdown deepener, and even physical response. The imagery is gorgeous and very soothing.

Christine Davies - Holiday Stroll. This is a beautiful walk that one might take when staying at a hotel. It has lovely guided imagery of a garden and then a beach. This would require another induction and deepener or could be used for imagery work itself.

Wayne F. Perkins - A One Minute Vacation. Who cannot use a one minute vacation? This is a self-hypnosis relaxation exercise that allows the participant to choose the vacation or place of peace. It is very permissive.

Ron Stubbs - A Mental Vacation. I include this because it is extremely similar to Wayne Perkins' One Minute Vacation. There are only slight modifications. I am not sure which script came first, but it is a good example of either Universal Consciousness or influence. They are interesting in their slight differences.

The Far East of Here

Chicory coffee and Beignets - that is where my heart is this Fat Tuesday morning. While the rest of the States are geared up for Super Tuesday, I am not. I am sitting here, trying to get myself motivated to go vote and there is a certain detachment that has occurred within my being, almost like low-grade depression. It seems a waste to put Super Tuesday and Fat Tuesday on the same day. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Perhaps it is that I am still a bit bummed about missing Hypnoticon last weekend or the realization that I probably will not make it Vegas for Solid Gold either, too much going on to be able to get away, but I really think a change of perspective would be good about now. But not to addle you with my own half-empty thoughts today, I can pinpoint my issues.

I have a client I am working with who has a fabulous trip planned to the Far East (is that still PC or is the term out of favor?). In between the wonderful travel itinerary and exoticness of it all, there is a world of anxiety. The long flights to Hong Kong, not speaking the language, and even the different diet are conflicting with her desire to travel. So, we are working on all this - enjoying the release from having to be in control during the flight and using that time for therapeutic rest and healing. This along with suggestion work on concentration and retention for learning the language, as well as self-permission to eat only what appeals and not feel forced to eat anything she finds distasteful, all serve to give her more pleasure once there. However I suspect once she gets caught up in the trip itself, she will be fine. It is just the pre-jitters and some other inner issues that are adding to her guilt in going (leaving the children with the grandparents for the first time) and such.

So as I work on pulling a program together for her, I get this slight pang and longing to be the one going on this trip.

But, it's Fat Tuesday. I will have and eat my king cake, too.

Just a Monday

Well, it seems as though I did not accomplish very much on my list for last week. Perhaps planning so ahead is not the way to go on such a blog as this. It so easy to get caught up in the rapture of blogging, it is easy to forget that I still see clients. LOL. (I would never actually forget that). So suffice to say that we will continue the road of forms of hypnosis and the normal stuff, 10 Questions, Esoteric Saturday, and the Sunday Question. Whatever happens beyond that will be icing on the cake, though I am trying to get more regular with Ellie's Favorite Five. I am just about over the slight negativity from the last time I did it (odd response to linking to someone else). Yes, I am sensitive and as I do this for fun, it takes a little longer to recoup sometimes.

So, look for the new poll soon, and also we start The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain today on The Unwinding Path.

Happy Monday.

A Question of Approach

In the end, I did not go to Hypnoticon. But, from what I am hearing, everyone has had a great time. One thing they did, apparently, is scatter out through Atlanta and did street hypnosis, where they approached strangers and asked if they wanted a hypnotic experience. They then proceeded to provide the opportunity and hypnotize those interested. Though I suspect I would not have been so comfortable doing this, it is an interesting way to educate the public about hypnosis.

So here is the Sunday question:


If you are a hypnotist would you consider doing street hypnosis and be comfortable doing so, and if so, why or why not?

For those non-hypnotists, if you were approached by a stranger on the street, would you consent to try hypnosis and if so why or why not?

*Entrecard users - 50 entrecredits for my favorite response.

Esoteric Probuditi!

Since our past Esoteric Saturday's were a bit heavy, thought we would hit today with something a little more fun. A children's book. That's right folks, hypnosis has made it into the picture book world for children with Probuditi! Written and illustrated by Caldecott winner Chris Van Allsburg, this is an interesting little foray into our favorite subject.

Not to spoil it for you (it is a super, quick read), it is about a little boy who gets it into his head to hypnotize his pesky, little sister and mayhem ensues. At first, my feathers were ruffled because it seemed to embrace one of the awful myths about hypnosis, but the end shows that it might not be as it seems. It is a subtle ending and it's rather charming. Point taken.

Interestingly enough, when you read the reviews for it in Amazon, no one really mentions the hypnosis angle (which is a major theme). Instead people take the racial topic, which I personally think has nothing to do with the book. But people will read into what they want, I guess. However, last year it was voted one of the 25 best children's books by Time Magazine.

Anyway, if you have read this, let me know your thoughts.

10 Questions with Paul Knight

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin


Cyber Location: www.hypnotistpaulknight.com






1. Are you a full time hypnotist, part-time or hobbyist?

Full-time. It sure beats working for a living!

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

I do it all. Therapy, entertainment and recreational. I decided long ago not to specialize. I think that has made me a better hypnotist since all the skills tend to overlap.

3. Is there any type of hypnosis you do not do? Why?

Very little. I do not work with alcohol or drug abuse due to regulations in my home state (Wisconsin). There are some clients I have learned I do not work well with. An example is a couple where one spouse wants me to hypnotize the other to find out if the other spouse has been cheating. There are some things that ethically and morally I will not do. Those items fall mostly on the recreational side of hypnosis.

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

Not too much any more. I'm perfect and don't need it. (Yeah. Right.) I used self-hypnosis for so long and for so many things that my mind now bypasses the hypnosis part and makes the changes directly (or not).

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

I make house calls, so its wherever I am working. For stage shows, again, wherever I am. No specific setting. That keeps things interesting.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

There is no genuinely "typical day". It varies by day of the week and time of the year, if I have a client or am doing a show. Here is approximately an average day: If I am not traveling or have an early client, I tend to get up around 8 - 9 a.m., have a long breakfast then work for a few hours on paperwork, phone calls or whatever needs to be done. I frequently have afternoon clients, so I see them. If not, I lovebicycling, so if the weather is adequate, I go out for a 1-2 hour ride or as long as time permits. I usually have clients or a show in the early evening, so I go there. I tend to get home between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. depending on what I was doing. Then I may do a little bit more work, relax or just go to bed. If I am traveling for a show, then the day is usually spent on driving to the show and back. On those days Imay not get home until 3 or 4 a.m. or later. I am on the road about 90 days per year.

7. Where did you get your training in hypnosis and are you certified?

I am certified. I was originally trained by Gil Boyne and the Hypnosis Training Institute of Los Angeles. I have taken continuing training ever since and have been trained by too many people to mention (or remember). I was also an instructor for a time. Due to state regulations, I am not doing that right now. My stage hypnosis training was from the late, great Ormund McGill. He was every bit as good as his reputation says. My personal favorite instructor who is still offering classes on a regular basis is Gerald Kein of Omni Hypnosis in Florida.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

I don't know if it is the most fabulous, but I like rapid inductions. During a show I frequently use the hand clasp test and convert it into a rapid induction. Instantaneous hypnosis can be fun in the right setting.

9. Worse moment ever in a hypnosis setting that ended up being a
valuable learning experience.

I learned that when suggested she is getting warm, a teenage girl can remove her sweater, t-shirt and sports bra in a single one second maneuver, at which point I also learned a hypnotist can leap across a 50' stage in a single bound.

That may not be my worst moment, but it is one of the more potentially-disastrous-turned-humorous ones. Most of my bad moments have come on stage when something unexpected happens. Bad moments are pretty rare in therapy because there are less distractions and more warning if something ugly is about to happen.

10. Any words of advice to potential clients or other hypnotist.

To clients: Choose your hypnotist carefully. Check out several of them and decide who you are most comfortable with. Don't let letters after the name fool you. Many certified hypnotists are much better at their craft than PhDs. For stage entertainers, check references and watch (or at least skim) a full show. Every hypnotist's highlight DVD is fantastic. But a full show, even though it is their best show, can give you a lot more information about their quality.

To hypnotists: Never stop learning. Always try new things. If you are just beginning, study everything. You never know what you might need when. If you think you will only do stage hypnosis, study hypnotherapy as well (and vice versa). The skills overlap wonderfully. If you are established, challenge yourself. Try new things. Learn new skills every chance you have.