Friday, August 31, 2007

A Longer Esoteric Saturday

I was thinking about Gloria's idea of starting our own hypnosis cartoon or something that showed a positive side to what we do. And as I was tripping around cyberspace, I watched a 20 minute video project called "The Scarlet Avenger." It is wonderfully camp, but done extremely well with the 1940s genre. Anyway there is the wonderful moment when the villain, "The Skull," tries to hypnotize the heroine. At first, I was about to sigh, roll my eyes and shake my head, but kept watching. I am so glad I did. I think they did a good job with showing certain elements of hypnosis. I will not say much more and let you decide for yourself.

So, sit back, relax...



If you have decided you are now a fan of the Scarlett Avenger or of filmmaker Scott C. Clements, you can stay up to date with him and his blog at scarletavenger.blogspot.com.

A Little Zen for the Day

My partner gets a daily quote of Zen sent to his email. Most of the time he shakes his head and hits "delete." Then sometimes, they suddenly ping into my email, such as this one.

He said after reading my comments on regression and seeing the "truth," this one was meant for me (and now you):

In your heart you already know


Perhaps sometimes, we need a hypnotist to help us see what the heart really says.

Hope you all have a great Friday.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Journaling

So, here is this blog that I share with you on a daily basis, and you probably have it figured out that I am a prolific journaler. Yes, I even have a private journal that not even you get to read. Sometimes I do share snippets from it, but that is the joy, it is completely up to my whim. It is definitely my own form of therapy, uncensored (un-spell-checked - you can just imagine).

I have kept a journal since I was 16. A few journals have gotten me in trouble because others have felt a need to pry into them, which if you have ever had that happen, feels like a violation of the soul. For a while I would stop writing journals because of this and find myself feeling like something was missing from my life. It was. My words, my conclusions, my thoughts, they had no outlet. So, hence another journal would be started.

Often I find myself suggesting to clients that they keep journals to track their habits, patterns, and stresses. Surprisingly, several have admitted that they used to keep journals but had had experiences like mine and did not feel like they could keep one without it being read. (Shame on you if you violate someone by reading his or her journal).

So, I have been searching for a solution and may have just found one with MyTherapyJournal.com. It is online and secure (and you know, if those who feel a need to read your journal hack the system, well, maybe you need to face some truth yourself). The trick is to not let any one know your password (but you can change it if someone figures it out). The big plus, though it does cost a bit to have a journal here, is that the information is stored outside of your location. It cannot be happened upon accidentally.

Additional factors I like about this program are that it automatically graphs information, so you can see progress (or patterns). There are two ways it does this. There are preset questions you answer in your journal entries or you can customize the questions for your specific needs. How you answer these will be recorded on the Progress Graph(sm). It also tracks your mood.

There are several other factors that make this attractive as well. There is a key word search for finding information quickly, so if you want to look back on a particular issue, you can easily find your past entries. And for the visually inclined, one can upload photos to it and email entries that can be shared.

In today's earlier post, we talked about the truth. It seems like this idea of a safe journal would really help one to understand personal truths, to plan out life accordingly, and see the growth process.


To visit MyTherapyJournal.com, please click here.


Here is an example of the Progress Graph(sm).

The Truth

Sometimes I wake up in the morning with a song running through my brain. Today it is something else; it it a phrase that keeps repeating itself.

The truth will set you free.
Very rarely do I have biblical quotes that haunt me, but today it is this one. I have no clue why it is there, but it is.

So, yes, the faithful cup of tea is in my hand, and I am pondering it.

I have been doing some regression work with clients, which is why I think this phrase is coming to mind. And being from the school of thought that believes that the client must come to his or her own conclusions, make their own connections for it to be helpful, there are times when I just have to clamp my mouth shut and sit on my hands. It takes everything not to jump up in the chair and say "don't you see it? It's right there in front of you." So, then I try to ask questions that will bring them to the point (without leading questions).

Well, luckily I do this because the other day when working with someone I know fairly well, this occurred. This person is trying to make some life changing decisions. With everything that he had said, I thought I knew the conclusion he was going to make. IT WAS SO OBVIOUS. But I kept my mouth shut and continued asking him questions about how the experience correlated to his present situation.

And shut me up, blow me down, what he came up with was so beyond my vision or awareness, I was dumbstruck. His answers were profoundly insightful. But it is the case as James Garfield once said:
The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.
And I think this is the crux of the matter. The truth is always there, but sometimes it is so hard to live by the knowledge, to live honestly. I suspect if we all lived honest lives, in that we live the way we really want too or should, life would probably cease to function, sort of like the impossible Utopian world idea.

To do what would set us free is to take a risk, to potentially give up the comfort zones we have created in mediocrity. And so then is it not fear that stops us in our tracks?

But I am ever optimistic (most days, though I have been a bit grumbly this week). I think if one learns "one's truth," it can take hold like a root, and growth happens, perhaps slow and imperceptible, but it is there doing its thing until something fabulous blossoms.

Now you have read my ramblings, feel free to do the same.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

And sometime I think about moving...

Maybe it is the full moon (or semi-full) or maybe it is just something within me that makes me restless, but every now and then I harbor a fantasy about moving. And I have done this, uprooted myself at various times and started fresh. It is completely invigorating. And yes, I even think of moving when I am perfectly content where I am. Perhaps I am an adventurer at heart. Perhaps that explains some of the hypnosis affinity, it is never the same day twice.

So sometimes, I curb the urge for new ground just by looking and thinking about where I would go. Realize I have thought about places from Boise, Idaho (which I really like by the way) to Madagascar. And thanks to our pal the ol' Internet, our connecting force, my imagination is given cart blanc.

You really should try this, just looking into the idea of moving. Sometimes I find getting wrapped up in the little details makes me lose interest pretty quickly. But sometimes not. And I do not mean looking at the glamorous "this is what I would like life to be" concept, but more in line with "this is my life now and how I would do it." This means considering total relocation, selling houses, finding a new place to live and work, all that fun stuff.

Now for this little project, I am all about easy. There are websites or portals that you can go to, such as the ones from National Relocation. This gives a definite idea of what it really means to relocate. they have it all, movers, agents, loan officers - works. If you would need to consider selling your home, that means finding out its value and that of the potential place of movement. You can find all this on their real estate section. And once you have a good idea about that, it is time to be realistic, not in desire, but in what you can afford. They have a mortgage section that explains what kinds of loans are available and you can get mortgage quotes (though I would not indulge in wasting some poor loan officer's time unless I was serious). And if you are really into the whole realistic fantasy (which I admit I tend to fall into this category...if one must categorize) you can consider the idea of snapping up foreclosures. Your dream house may be there, waiting for someone to not make their payments. If you look at the stats in a specific area that you are interested in, it is truly amazing what you will find. In all honesty though, I find foreclosures to be a sad idea, bad karma or something. Just because some one had some misfortune does not mean some one else should benefit by it. But this is my fantasy, feel free to do as you please.

Now once you have done this realistic fantasy thing, you may find yourself totally stressed, which may make the day to day where you are seem just a bit better, or perhaps if you are like me, you will see the wonderful potential of adventure out there just waiting to be had - if not in acquisition, in dreams. Then again, maybe you will be truly sparked into momentum and find yourself really going somewhere new.

Today, I made arrangements to move to Connecticut. Perhaps tomorrow I will consider Kansas. I hear Manhattan is nice.


Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Doctors, do you know about hypnosis?

I have given up the idea of sleeping...at least for tonight. Maybe it is true that as one gets older, one needs less sleep?

And so, while waiting for the kettle to wake up, I shall continue my diatribe about doctors.

Paul had some good advice yesterday about handling referrals.

After attending last year's NGH conference, it seemed to be stressed, particularly by the doctors, that we should let them know if we are working with one of their patients and give them a follow up. I totally respect this, as this is how they work with their medical peers. However, this leads to a few problems. Many of my clients say they mention to their doctors that they want to try hypnosis. Several have reported that the doctors often look at hypnosis as a crack-pot remedy (still?). Now to me this just speaks of an uneducated, over-worked-with seeing-the-pharmaceuticals or surgical instrument sales people. Sorry. Transparent enough, for you? Now for those of you doctors who do recommend concepts like hypnosis, good for you. You have my complete respect (and positive thoughts).

Now I do understand that doctors provide their own form of healing, which is why we go to them traditionally. Hypnosis may not even be on their radar, and that is fine as well (I cannot speak about all the minutia involving prescriptions). All that I am saying is that if your patient, my potential client, feels this might be a positive step in their wellness, do not just disregard it along with the snake oils. Rather than doing them a disservice and making them feel small for the suggestion, try looking into it as an option for your patient.

Well, shoot. My tea is ready and I am spent.

Ethics and Doctors

Ethics. What an interesting concept. As I sit with my faithful British Breakfast tea today I am thinking about ethics. Perhaps it is not really ethics but a question of them.

The concept is doctors and our relationship to or with them. I am fairly doctor friendly for the most part - respect what I do and I shall offer the same courtesy. I work with a couple who send me referrals and generally, I consider what I do complimentary to traditional medicine. It is not a substitute.

On my intake form, I ask about current illnesses and if the new client is seeing a counselor, psychologist, etc.

Here is the dilemma. I have several clients who come to me for various needs from addiction elimination to sexual issues. When I ask them about following up with their doctors, counselors, or psychologist, they often (more than not) ask me not to contact them. I always respect the wishes of my clients or I do not take them on in the case of certain mental conditions.

Now, I suspect the doctors and such would still want me to contact them, but as a patient, I have had things in the past that I felt were not any of my GP's business, so I respect my client's desires to do the same.

Any thoughts? And yes, this question is open to anyone at all - clients, doctors, quick browsers...

Monday, August 27, 2007

Organizations Continued

You may have noticed this week's poll ask about hypnosis organizations. I feel obligated to say the following:

This is not a complete list and I mean no disrespect to any organization left off.

Since no one answered yesterday's question, I had to go with the organizations that I was aware of and could think of this morning. So, if you want to mention an organization not listed in the poll, please feel free to list it in the comment section of this post. If anyone else belongs to organizations mentioned on the comments, feel free to give it a "here here."

Also, for those of you who answered last week's poll on consultations, a few of you mentioned "other." I am curious, what do you mean by "other"?

Supporting the blog lifestyle

Most mornings, here we sit, I with my coffee or tea and laptop, and you with, well whatever you drink. And you patiently read my words about my life and feelings about being a hypnotist. Ah, what a grand romance it is. Needless to say, I am completely committed to this relationship.

But...but...it is nice when this effort helps to pay the bills, or at least for the Internet and coffee habit I have. One such way that I am doing this is becoming involved with www.blogsvertise.com and the opportunity for you to do the same is there as well. You have my blessings and support to take advantage of this (if it keeps you coming back to have coffee with me). The way it works is that you register your blog (you have to have a blog) with them. If your blog is approved by www.blogsvertise.com, an administrator will assign you writing tasks to talk about a specific advertiser. You do not have to endorsement them, just talk about them in at least 60 to 100 words and include a minimum of three or more links. Payment is anywhere between $4 - $20 a post and is made to you through PayPal. In other words, start a blog, make sure you have a PayPal account and talk about things that you enjoy. It is that simple.

If you are interested, you might want to look at their FAQ.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

A Business Resource

We have talked about this before, but I figured I would continue talking about the actual business of being a professional hypnotist. Running your own business means setting your own schedule, being responsible for everything from keeping the toilets clean to marketing, and paying for the privilege of doing business. Sure, you can start out inexpensively (and I am always one to look at all the options because sometimes what you think will be inexpensive, turns out to be very costly).

Finance wise, I started out without a business loan, though I occasionally consider it with thoughts of expansion (hence what the driving force behind this posting). No, I took perhaps a more expensive route (see there it is…trying to do something inexpensively and it rears its ugly head to become finically exhaustive), I used credit cards. Please note that I am not giving advice here, just telling you the glib facts about the transparent hypnotist. It is also why words like APR have significant meaning for me. I thought it would be easier and less invasive than a loan.

The thing that saved me from insane debt was learning as much about finance as I could. When I realized how fast the credit card debt can go, it gained my full attention. I began reading fine print (with reading glasses on) and made sure I understood the concepts involved. I transfered some balances to cards with better rates and deals, and stuck to the plan for getting out of debt.

The other thing I did was find resources of information. One such resource is at 600.net. This site offers a fair amount of readable insight into various forms of finance and loans, including what to look for, hidden problems and warning signs.

So if you are thinking about starting a business, do research as many sources as you can. You may know all about depth levels, but do you know about interest rates?

A Question of Organizations

There are a few organizations for hypnotist out there. How does one ever decide which one's to join? And why join? What's the point?

There, that's it, the Sunday Question. Organizations - which ones do you have membership in and why? And if you do not belong to any, why?

If you have been reading this blog for a little while, you probably already know my affiliation with the National guild of Hypnotists. But why are my loyalties there? Well, when thinking about going professional, I talked to as many people as I could and looked into various associations. As I was barely starting out, I did not have a lot of money to spend on memberships so I chose one. That meant it had to be really inclusive. I chose the NGH because it represented several interests (performance, clinical, metaphysical, etc.), was well established with a large membership and time, offered certificated that is respected, and had decent prices on vendors with malpractice.

So that's mine, how about you?

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Warning: This Esoteric Saturay Could Be Offensive


One of my guilty pleasures is South Park. Now I have done it. I have ruined my my nice-girl-next-door image, haven't I? Oddly, at various times, I find myself referencing this show. Someone will be telling me something about New Age ideas or conspiracy theories, and South Park just seems to come to mind.

Anyway, they reran this episode this week. The Super Adventure's Club is probably one of their most offensive episodes dealing with almost unmentionable issues. This was the one the creators aired when Chef, the voice of Issac Hayes, was being written off the show (Hayes was offended by another episode making fun of Scientology, those poor put upon people).

If the pedophile notions expressed in the show do not offend you, then this part of the episode just might. It is yet another barb at hypnosis, where someone pulls out a spiral and tries to hypnotize the youngsters. It of course does not work, so I guess it really is not that much of a barb.

Esoteric enough for you?


Thursday, August 23, 2007

Memory

I am posting tonight because I am going out of town tomorrow and am leaving right around the time I normally have a cup of coffee with you. So, let's call this a nightcap (even if it is still kind of early).

After my earlier blog today, I started thinking more about potential types of volunteering that would probably be satisfying, such as helping abused people rebuild self-esteem, etc. But then I thought more about Alzheimer's patients. A couple I have known since I was a child both are both in the early stages of the disease. And what an amazingly helpless feeling I have about it. These are two brilliant people (as are a lot who suffer with this). However, their doctor seems interested to see what hypnosis could do for them. There may be potential for slowing it down or increasing memory capacity. I have read a few articles on the subject and someone out there feels that if you can motivate early suffers to increase their memory capacity by stimulating the idea of doing something fun (Sudoku has potential), it may give them some mental longevity. So, that is what I am currently pondering.

The more I have learned about Alzheimer's, the more I am convinced that there are things we can do to help those with it. For all those What the Bleep people out there, remember all the talk about neurons? Well, get to know them. The Alzheimer Foundation has a very good description of the disease and how it works. Our power little friends, the neurons, nerve cells, are part of the process. These neurons communicate with others to form networks (clicky bastards, aren't they). These networks take on job functions that help run our body and mind. The association relates these to the analogy of a factory that keeps us up an running, and like in the factory world, back up, system failures, and worse happen and communication breaks down. As the damage happens certain brain cells stop functioning and die, causing memory loss and eventual death. Scientists are still trying to learn where this process starts. I am hopeful.

A little outside the realm of actual hypnosis, there is another way to help the association on its quest for a cure. It is the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, which is the nation's largest fundraising

effort, along with raising awareness, for Alzheimer care, support and research (go hypnosis, go!). They are currently looking for team captains and I thought I would share this with you. If you have an office or influence at one (for the corporate level), you may want to consider being a team captain for a Memory Walk . Team captains can also be members of the community, organizing a group of friends to participate, and these can be people of all ages. They are recruiting now so that captains will have plenty of time to set-up their teams. The Walks take place in the Fall in over 600 communities, so there is bound to be one near you. And if you take the time to see what is needed to do this, it has all been organized nicely and sounds like you would get a fair amount of support from the association.

The past Walks, since 1989, have risen over $225 million dollars, and remember that includes research. Research may include hypnosis, so we may learn how to help these people even more.




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It is not cheap

Sometimes I really feel bad charging people for my services, even though for many it becomes like that credit card commercial - changing your habits - priceless.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, we all have to make a living, but sometimes I wish I did not.

This is pretty much how I felt when I began my practice. At the time, like many newbies, I was warned not to "do it" for free, otherwise I would not be taken seriously. The idea that a client has to invest something in the process is pretty important, they said.

I think this may very well be true. It is like any business. If you give it away, you can easily be taken advantage of and people will not value it. It is easy to forget this though, as we help people overcome "themselves." There can be impassioned moments of empathy and the idea of helping someone can be almost intoxicating.

But, probably like many of you, I have learned that what we do is a valuable service. I have done some volunteer work and for these clients, they are the ones who miss appointments without canceling or want you to be on their schedule. This is really odd, but I hear about this behavior a lot, even in other professions.

I also have a tendency to fall for the poverty routine. However, I have begun to pay attention to those who are the first to cry poverty. Notoriously they are the ones driving expensive cars, living in MacMansions, and sending their children to private schools. Of course they are poor, but they are poor from making expensive choices. The ones who are laid off or are in more dire straights have never cried poverty to me, interestingly enough.

I babble about this because I think there are those of you out there who have similar feelings, but you know, we are so worth the cost. We hear that a lot, especially in journal articles and conferences. It is one thing to hear it and another to experience it. It has taken me a few years, but everyone occasionally wants something for free. It should not be us.

And yes, I have a poverty client I am seeing today. He just got a brand new mini-Coop.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

The Past Comes Back

It is another busy day and I am still waiting for the coffee maker to finish its job. Thought I would get a little personal today. That's right, more transparency.

One of my clients from the past sent me an email and I thought I would share it with you:


Dear Ellie,

A lot has happened since I last saw you and I just wanted to thank you for sharing the gift of hypnosis with me. When I first came to you,as you know,I was feeling a bit down,a little stifled and trapped. When you worked with me on release processes and tapping into my creative mind, some how it unlocked the floodgates. If you are interested, I have two projects going on at the moment that embrace my visual and wordy side.

The first is an art-a-day project called Rosso Bella - A Study in Red. I hope you won't be too shocked, but its been a long time since I photographed something entirely "me." Fair warning, there is nudity on the site.

The second project is called Penny Potboiler. It is a serial potboiler about the misadventures of a graphic designer (couldn't make her a photographer, that would be a little too close. LOL).

Anyway, if you know anyone who would be interested in this, please pass it on. And I hope you enjoy the sites.

Best,
Anon


So, please checkout her sites, leave a comment or two and tell her you are a friend of mine. Interesting stuff.

Here are the links:
http://www.rossobella.com
http://pennypotboiler.blogspot.com

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Thoughts from Gloria on the NGH Conference

Last week we heard from Gloria Constantas during the discussion on verbal impact. She sent me a wonderful email about her NGH conference experience (from her blog) and has given me permission to share it with you.

The convention was wonderful. I'm so glad I get to do this at least once per year. I love the combination of education and socialization. So much talent, so little time! The speakers are still fantastic. I've been going 11 years now and I'm impressed every time I go. I get to meet new people and reconnect with others that I rarely get to see. Kevin Hogan greeted me warmly with a hug. The interview I did with him will be available as a podcast before the end of September. That's why I went to Gerry Kein's workshop on podcasting. That was very entertaining as well as informative. Dick Sutphen shared the secrets of brain washing with us in a seminar on Friday. I wasn't able to attend his seminar last year, as it was at the same time as mine (Creative Hypnosis). The most intriguing seminar I saw was called Neurovasculars and Hypnosis, presented by Laurie Barefoot. She was in my certified instructor class last year and had a presentation right after mine on Sunday. I had never heard of neurovascular points before, but I think I will begin to hear lots more about them. It was very interesting.
Unfortunately, I had to leave the convention early (before 1pm) in order to catch the only direct flight back to Tampa. I won't mention the airline, but I think I will make an effort to avoid this one next year. After clearing security, I went to my gate and boarded the plane. After a few minutes the captain announced there was a tiny problem. A half-hour later it was a major problem and we were allowed to leave the plane, as it would be over 3 hours before we could make repairs or get a different plane. Since I would not be home in time for dinner as I had planned, I decided to get dinner at a nice restaurant if I could find one. The food was good and I met someone who was interested in hypnosis who was waiting for the same flight.
It all turned out okay (I did get home safely and my luggage returned with me).
But If I didn't have to rush out before the end of the convention, I could have seen a workshop called $100K, the Easy Way, by another talented speaker, Keith MacLean. I heard it was amazing, so I'm going to purchase the CD. The good thing is that all the workshops are recorded, so at least I can find out what I missed.

Monday, August 20, 2007

The Other Side of Hypnosis - Business

Occasionally I get emails asking how one even begins to be a hypnotist in this day and age. And when you think about it, there is a lot to it. And here is the rough rundown:

  • Read, read, read, and read more about hypnosis.
  • Get to know what the options are - i.e. stage hypnotism, clinical hypnosis, fringe hypnosis (that would be the whole hypno-erotica stuff), etc.
  • Read more about these.
  • See a stage hypnotism show (heck, participate in one).
  • Try hypnosis (from the client side).
  • Research school options - do they offer certification in a reputable group? Does the school's mission statement jive with your desires?
  • Go to a reputable school (also be aware that some schools report to offer college degrees in this. Many are not legit. Make sure the school is accredited and that your degree is matriculated). However, there are plenty of wonderful schools out there that are not college based, but are well worth the money, time and effort.
  • Get certified. It will help in business when people understand that you have an organization behind you.
  • Practice, practice, practice.
  • Keep reading, reading, reading.
  • And begin the career path.
  • Seriously, I would consider adding malpractice insurance at this point.

This is where it gets pretty tricky. I cannot speak about the steps to becoming a stage hypnotist (perhaps someone else can?). I suspect it means marketing, potentially finding representation, and running your business.

I have not a clue about the hypno-erotic field. I suspect that it means getting a website, marketing, advertising and running a business.

Now what I can speak to is for those wanting to open an office.With this, you will want to find a place to open your practice. Will your home work? I personally have gone the office route. I believe in keeping my home life and my work life a bit separated, and frankly, it makes me feel safer. There there is marketing, paperwork and remaining up-to-date with your skills.

Each point in this posting probably could stand a bit more explanation. I suspect you will see more appearing here. And for goodness sakes, you other hypnotist out there, feel free to jump in at any time.

Anyway, it has been interesting running a business. Sometimes I think it would be really helpful to have a business degree or two (general business, marketing, communications, accounting, any of those would be fairly helpful, I would think). But I do not have this type of degree and it has not stopped me.

There is a lot to it, but it is manageable. There are several options and business types out there such as self-proprietor, partnerships, various forms of corporations. You should choose one that best fits what you are doing. Be aware of all the legalities for each, as well as what the area you are practicing in requires. You may need a business licence. Be aware of IRS rules and taxation. Also, does your area have business restrictions. Maybe this should be at the beginning of this post. What does your state mandate for hypnosis? Do you need a degree of some sort, etc.? You can find out through most of the professional hypnosis organizations out there, though you may have to dig a bit if your local chapter is not up to snuff.

Get professional advice from sources like Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Administration.

There are also several resources out there that can help get it all together for you. Some types of businesses require filings and lawyers and all that good stuff. There are businesses out there that can help you with this process and make it much more tolerable, especially if you are looking to incorporate or form a limited liability corporation. Incparadise.com offers these services, as well as providing a virtual office and executive suites, which means you can use their offices, conference room, phone service and Internet, depending on which state you do business. These start at $45 a month. Considering what I pay for rent, utilities and business phone (the Internet cost for businesses where I am located is insane), this may be the way to go.

They say their most popular business ventures are their Nevada corporations. The next popular are Texas, Florida, and Arizona. They themselves are based in Las Vegas.

Just an idea or two that may help make life easier when starting out in business.

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Sunday, August 19, 2007

Consultations

Today's question is all about clinical hypnosis and the client processes. What I want to know is how you handle the first face to face encounter? Do you do a free consultation first to determine if a person will do well with you as the hypnotist or do you schedule a session and do it all there?

Normally, I tend not to do consultations unless some specifically ask for one. It has been my perspective that as long as you gain rapport and have several methods that you can use at a moments notice, all is well. I have begun to wonder if this is the right way to approach it. A few times, what I have run a cross is someone who "wants to see if they can be hypnotized" and that is really all they want - to experience hypnosis. Often, though, these also tend to be people with a preconceived notion of what they will experience (all that television hype) and when they are not turned in a remote-controlled zombie, they are disappointed, despite the pre-talk.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Thoughts on a Complimentarty Procedure and Hypnosis

She looks in the mirror. It hides nothing, revealing all. There is the skin-tight spandex hugging the body like a grape. Sometimes it conceals and pushes the body, accommodating a few weaknesses. But other than that, she might as well be standing in public naked. At times, she wishes there were no mirrors, at others she is grateful for a few moments of unadulterated grace that she see before her. These are fleeting, though. And then reality sets in, her reality, the one that says she is overweight, clumsy, unappealing to anyone other than the marketers for the candy companies. She sees the pounds in their gruesome honesty or so she thinks. Now the truth be told, she has lost a lot of weight, but more still needs to come off before she can even see a change.

This seems to be somewhat how several of my weight loss clients view themselves. In fact it is exactly (though in my words) how one client described her weight-issues. As hypnotist, very often we get the people who have tried just about everything and are feeling quite a bit desperate to loss the weight. Though intelligently we all know the weight is not going to just melt off (if only we could make that happen), there they sit in my chair hoping that hypnosis will be the answer. And for many it really seems to help. The problem, as I see it, is that it takes awhile. Most people seem to want to lose five pounds a week, not one.

So, I have begun to wonder, for some, if it would be good to combine something like lap band surgery with hypnosis. According to Journey Lite, a nationwide network of lap band surgical facilities and surgeons who specialize in this, lap band procedures reduce the stomach capacity and restrict the amount of food that can be consumed. It helps by giving clients a feeling of fullness with less food, staving off hunger. It is less invasive than other surgeries because it only requires a few tiny incisions. A micro-camera is inserted along with the lap band so that the surgeon can tell where to put it. The band is then fastened around the upper stomach to create new, smaller stomach pouch. Thus, less room to hold food.

Also, the surgery is reversible. The Journey Lite site offers more information on this as well as how to tell if someone should or should not consider being a candidate for this procedure, what to expect, and options for financing it (remember at a certain point, a client can deduct weight loss expenses from their taxes provided they have a physician who has recommended weight loss to improve health).

Hypnosis would go with this really well. It could help with the healing process, and the brain-shift from being over weight to accepting the weight loss. Hypnosis could help achieve the self-image that goes with the new body. It would also be beneficial in making the lifestyle changes involved - healthier eating, exercise, and the like.

Have any of you worked with clients who have undergone this procedure?


Click here for Ellie's Disclosure Policy.

The Esoteric Hypno T-shirt


Welcome to Saturday. Let's see...the poll on this blog is malfunctioning and I just found out the whole Mars being as large as the moon on Monday is a hoax. Granted it seemed impossible, but I was willing to believe (yes, Mulder on the X Files is a hero to me). Bummer!!!

So, rather than focusing on the negative, I went in search of something cool for today's esoteric post. What I found was a t-shirt with the above logo. Kind of fun. They even make the t-shirt in women's styling (we are not all rectangles, you know). Here is the esoteric part. One might think this would be marketed to hypnotists. From what I can tell, it is not. It is made by Hypnotic Designs, clothing for cyclist. I never really thought biking had much to do with hypnosis, but perhaps I should look a little deeper. Road hypnosis, perhaps? The clicking of the wheels in a steady rhythm?

Anyway, if you are interested, you can order them off their web site at www.hypnoticdesigns.com.

Friday, August 17, 2007

c(_)

Good morning! It is a strong coffee-type of day here. Perhaps I should develop a social networking site based on beverage consumption, sort of like the iratemyday.com concept, but you rate your day with what you are drinking. Hmmm. That could be a lot of fun. Too bad I am a hypnotist and not a web developer. So, if anyone is inspired by my beverage idea and wants to use it, please just let me know so I can play, too.

Well people, other than what I just wrote, I feel a bit spent from yesterday's blogging marathon. So, I guess I will hold off a bit before really posting anything of note. Unless inspiration hits (and a little more time opens up) I will see you tomorrow on Esoteric Saturday.

P.S.
Wondering what c(_) is or have you figured it out?

Thursday, August 16, 2007

More Positive Power of Words

Yes, I know I have been going crazy with posting today, but apparently I have a lot say. Today has been my sit-at-the-computer-and-enjoy-the-cyber-world day.

A topic we have touched on a bit this week is the verbal impact of words. It reminded me when I referred to Michael as a "subject" about a conversation we had a few months back (see "Verbal Impact"). We had discussed getting rid of the term "subject" (see "Throwing Out A Few Words"), which is why I mentioned all that. But today, I was also researching drug treatment plans and addiction counseling. I came across Stone Hawk, a facility offering those types of things. They do not refer to clients as "patients," but as "students" because they feel that these clients are learning a new way to live. Once the students "graduate," they are done. Finished. No need for weekly meetings or sponsors; they are considered fully recovered. Stone Hawk's drug treatment is apparently in the 70% success rate with their philosophies and teachings.

Talk about positive belief structures. I would be more apt to recommend clients to a program such as this rather than to a regular 12 step because it is closer to what we do as hypnotists. We deal with the problem, rather than drawing it out (painfully) so that clients can move on with their lives. Also, no drugs are used in the recovery process (for us or Stone Hawk). They choose to utilize natural detoxification. In looking at their program more carefully, it is a Narconon program, which was the brain child of L. Ron Hubbard, at least partially. Do not groan so loudly, please. Yes, he may have been the founder of Scientology, a photographer, a science fiction author, but he was also a hypnotist and had a great interest in health issues. I go through periods when I think he was a complete genius (even if I am not a Scientologist), but I am still on the cusp of my learning curve about him.

So when you put it all together, a positive program based in ridding clients of their drug and alcohol demons without using crutches or substitution, it makes total sense that someone of our ilk would be in the creation of such a program. The program does not treat clients as having a disease, but helps them learn how to function better in life. Also, this site offers a library of articles related to drug and alcohol (from their perspective) and a decent glossary of drug information (if you have a client coming to you for such things, its is always good to know more about what they have ingested).

And back to the point about the power of words. Hmmm. This is another example of the power of positive wording. Not "patients," but "students." Maybe this would be a great way to think of our clients?

Okay, I am now posting this and turning off the computer and heading to bed. Good night.

The True Trance

Just ran across this quote about what a trance is, as well as what happens to the hypnotist when trancing with a client. I think it is wonderful!

"...trance is not a state of being asleep, unconscious, or 'under'...Trance is a state of hypersuggestibility...If the suggestions are designed to focus attention, it will then tend to be focused on a designated object or mode of experiencing or thinking. And, of course, in a trance one can be more in touch than usual with that we call the Unconscious Mind. In fact, Erickson's last definition of hypnosis was that hypnosis is the evocation and utilization of unconscious leanings.

Hypnosis can make possible intense communication between people, communication on more levels than usual. Many have had the experience, when in trance while working therapeutically, of responding to our patient's mood and thoughts even before they were verbalized. it seemed like mind reading, but undoubtedly it came from increased sensitivity and increased recollection of past patterns of thinking, as well as increased awareness of minimal sensory and bodily clues."


This is from Sidney Rosen's "One Thousand Induction Techniques and Their Application to Therapy and Thinking" from Ericksonian Methods.

All You Ever Wanted to Know About APR

Yes, I am back in research mode today.

Living in this time of flux, many clients come to me who have been laid-off, are going to be laid-off, are in financial crisis or feel over-whelmed with the price of survival. They often want help in dealing with anxiety, increase self-esteem, are trying to find what they really want to do with the rest of their lives, or want to change spending habits. The later is what is on my mind currently.

As you may well be aware, I try to provide clients with resources from reputable sources as a stepping stone after the hypnosis expereince. If you have clients (or know anyone) who are being laid off or have debt problems, suggesting they see a credit counselor may not be a bad idea, or at least giving them counseling resources such as articles, tips, etc. Care One Credit Counseling offers some advice in debt management you may want to check out as well as an insightful article on credit card terms and conditions that explains various credit card "traps" in which we all may likely to succumb. It explains in human terms (for people who have little financial schooling background) how the Annual Percentage Rate works, such as the tempting 0% APR offers that seem to always be arriving in our post boxes. One might think that one can charge away on these cards and have no interest build up, but probably not. If one looks carefully, this is usually for balance transfers. If one has an outstanding balance on another card, transferring it to a 0% APR card might be helpful. I have had a few clients come in with horror stories about this sort of thing, when had they understood more about the credit card, a lot of misery could have been avoided.

So, if this ever comes up for you, please feel free to share this resource.

Verbal Impact

Since Michael was kind enough to give me an excellent update on his experience at the NGH conference (I am not kidding, Michael, it feels as if I had been there myself), as well as his permission to blog it, I thought you would enjoy this as well. Pretty interesting stuff and much for us to think about.


Something really interesting happened Sunday morning at a session called "Verbal Impact". The basic premise was that the old saw about sticks and stones is wrong, that words can really hurt. I've always believed that words themselves are neutral -- that the power they have is the power we give them when we hear them rather than anything intrinsic to the word itself -- so I wasn't fully buying the premise, but I know the presenter, Gloria Constantas, so I went to sit in the front row and offer her a friendly face and moral support. Very early on she needed a volunteer and she picked me for a quick demonstration.

Gloria had me hold my arm out to the side and instructed me to resist when she pressed down on it. No problem. She had the audience start calling out, "You're weak!" and, not too surprisingly (it was 8:00am on Sunday, and I was still a little hypnopompic), she was able to push my arm down quite easily. Having the crowd call out, "You're strong!" reversed the affect and I had no trouble resisting Gloria.

Here's where it gets really strange (or belief-challenging for me). Gloria gave me a folded piece of paper and had me hold it against my chest over the heart. I had no idea what was on the paper if anything. With the audience silent she did the arm test again and my arm was weak. She took that back, unfolded it, and revealed that it contained one word: FEAR. We repeated the test with a different piece of paper, and this time my arm resisted. The word? LOVE.

Being something of a pragmatist, I can easily imagine my subconscious assuming that the second paper would be designed to produce the opposite effect from the first and responding accordingly. But I had no way of knowing, consciously or not, what was on that first piece of paper. At most my inner mind had a 50/50 chance of guessing based on the pattern of the verbal test -- and that would be a deduction, a function of the conscious mind rather than the subconscious. Or maybe because Gloria knew, I was really responding to unconscious signals from her or from her confidence in what the result would be? Very interesting ... but it still leaves open the possibility that the word alone, without my knowing what it was, had power. That was spooky.
It is funny, I have never really believed that "words can never hurt me." Being a sensitive type, I have spent much time trying not to hurt over someone else's "words" to me and try to be careful about the "words" I use to communicate. And I think it is probably the "words" that attract me to hypnosis and their ability to help someone change their mind. But, this experience that Michael had blows me away, and not just the whole word being used but not shared. The whole thing about his arm and the movements related to positive and negative words is astounding. I had head of a similar experiment where audience members were asked to think negative thoughts about the subject (as this is in experiment terms, I think it is fine usage of the word "subject"). He was asked to hold out as arm and try to resist the experimenter's pushing it down, as Michael did. The arm went down quickly. Then the audience was asked to think positive thoughts about the subject, and the arm stayed strong against physical resistance. Powerful, indeed.

If anyone else would like to share conference experiences, I would love to hear from you as well. If you do not want to post them to the blog, email me at ellie.blunt@gmail.com.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The Giggle

In yesterday's sermon about hypnosis as religion, another topic of interest was brought forward. The giggle.

In an email from Michael, who is just now back from the NGH conference, he wrote the following poignant words:

On clients who giggle: This came up a couple of times in various sessions over the weekend. Consensus is that giggling is often a sign that the client is not ready to go into hypnosis yet -- either they have a fear/discomfort/uncertainty that hasn't been addressed yet or there is something else the waking client needs to discuss -- so you might want to stop and do some more pre-talk. Sometimes they're just a little self-conscious, in which case you can usually get past it by weaving something like this into your induction: "And because hypnosis is such a pleasurable state you may even catch yourself giggling a little here and there, and that's okay; it's just a sign of your mind releasing tension and can allow you to drift even deeper into relaxation."

This is wonderful advice and I thought it would be helpful, especially to those of you who are new to this or even those of you who are clients (or thinking about becoming clients). My very first paid client was a giggler. It was someone I had known a long time before that and it was a little disheartening. I had been told that clients might feel like laughing and to just tell them it was okay to laugh and get it out of their system. Hence to say that took quite a while but eventually the giggling stopped. The above approach is easier to work with and makes a lot of sense.

So thanks, Michael!

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Hypnosis as Religion

Hypnosis as religion. This thought went through my mind during a recent session and it occurred to me that hypnosis and the belief in hypnosis can be really similar to religion. For those of us “believers,” it is a powerful concept, one that transcends reality. It can make possible all sorts of things and transform one’s reality. That is just how it is. And we proselytize about it or perhaps we are more subtle and carry it within, a faith that shines outwards.

Our archangels and saints are people like Erickson (perhaps Gabriel or St. Joan), Mesmer (perhaps the Archangel Michael), and Orman McGill (perhaps Mother Theresa). We read and study it. We utilize it in our daily life. And it brings us together.

This occurred to me while I was dealing with a resistive client, who informed me that he has the urge to giggle whenever thinking about being hypnotized. And so, I found myself listening to my internal dialog as he was saying this and I realized how foreign his point of view was from mine. Why, he was a non-believer. How was that possible? How could he not see how value of this tool?

And then I remembered back to my school days, when I was just a wee pup. I had a friend whose parents were devote Christians. How incensed I was even at that young age, when they told me time and again the only way I could save myself from the torments of Hell was to see their way, see their light.

Never would I have believed myself to have anything in common with these people (and I am sure you see the irony of my comparing hypnosis to religion), but apparently I really do. I have my “way,” I have seen the light. And though I do not condemn others to Hell for not believing in the power of hypnosis, I see how easy it is to get immersed in belief and wonder why everyone else does not see your religion as you do.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Meteors, NGH, Copper Braclets and Catching-up

Good morning. Notice no exclamation point. Too little sleep and no Earl Grey and I have an insane craving for a cup happening at this very moment.

Morning came easily, but coherency is not. Did any one else stay awake trying to watch the Perseid meteor shower? If so, what did you think? This was the first year I actively tried to watch it. What I saw was a succession of what looked like shooting stars, but usually several minutes apart. Interestingly enough, before I gave into sleep, I suppose I was in that wonderful light hypnotic state. So, when a bright meteor hit the atmosphere, it was just like the momentary jarring of sound during a hypnotic session, the type used for deepening a trance. Has anyone used visuals for this sort of thing before to help deepen the level of hypnosis?

So, here I am, with little sleep, but my ever present loyalty to this blog habit dictates that I try to write something readable.

Yes, I am still hung up on the NGH Conference, as you can tell from this weeks poll. Paul and I discussed it at the end of last week and he mentioned another conference happening in February. So, if you go to other conventions or conferences, please feel free to mention them here.

And a while back, I mentioned I was trying a copper bracelet with magnets to see if it could help lessen my head aches. I still do not know if it has helped this as I have changed allergy medication, increased meditation, and there has been a season change. However, it does seem to be helping my wrist. I still notice that when I do wear it and spend the day on the computer, my wrist feels nimble. When I do not wear it and work long hours on the computer, it starts to feel stiff and sore.

Oh, and we are in the process of scheduling a time for me to try paintball.

There, I think I have caught up a few lose ends. Hope everyone's week is starting out well.


Sunday, August 12, 2007

An NGH Question

Good morning all! I am back among the cyber-living today, hoping you all are doing well. For those leaving Marlborough, Mass., I hope your travels are safe and uncomplicated (especially for those flying to other destinations).

So, the Sunday question this week is all about the NGH conference. For those who have experienced this year's or for those who have attended in the past, what was the most valuable thing (tip or tool or idea) that you learned at the conference?

I have to answer this based on last years, but I think the most valuable thing I experienced (and there was much), was the method behind Robert Otto's confusion technique (induction). I have dissected that induction for a while and the more I think about it, the more brilliant it becomes. I know he makes a living based on that practice, so if you get a chance to experience any of his workshops or recordings, they are worth the money.

Friday, August 10, 2007

A Resource in the Sea of Dreams

Well folks, I may not be able to make a post on Esoteric Saturday this week. At the moment it looks like I will be away from computer access tomorrow. I suspect I may miss it more than you. LOL.

I often do self-appointed research projects for various clients. Some times a little push toward their goals lets them know that someone is paying attention to their dreams, and they can take or leave the information (often web sites or local businesses or organizations). So, I guess I will just pass along the latest.

Often people seek my services during times of big change or to begin the process (obviously). They come for one thing and it may turn out to be the catalysis for other changes. Changing jobs is a big one I often see. And then there are the people who dream of starting a business or opening a restaurant. The problem is, where does one get the capital for this type of venture? Many seem to get stuck on concepts like getting a business loan (which can be daunting) and have no idea where to begin. I often recommend local Chambers of Commerces or The Small Business Administration.

But here is a potential resource or at least a starting place. It is a company called ARF (Advance Restaurant Finance, LLC). They offer restaurant finance help, as well as short term loans for merchants in the U.S. Their target clients are small to medium sized merchants. Based in California, they have been in business since 2001. Though I have not used them personally, they seem pretty straight forward. An concept that they mention is a tip that the interest paid on a business loan is tax deductible, which further lowers the net effective rate of the loan. If you are wondering what I just said, better to hear it from an expert in finance, but it sounds like it is good news for those starting small businesses. And gosh knows, as a small business owner myself, we need all the help we can get.

It appears that their loans are short term and flexible. This is really handy if you run a seasonal-based business (like the ice-cream parlor one of my clients is starting) and need some extra capital to get you through the lean months.

So, its just an idea to let you know what is out there.

Click here for Ellie's Disclosure Policy

I am a Sinner - a story of lost rapport

When I had my not-so-great Tuesday, I wrote several things down after my client left and thought I would share some of it with you, granted it has been spruced up.

I am a sinner, I must confess. No, I do not mean in the biblical sense, but in professionalism. And I even had the perfect excuse. I over slept.

Yep, and so it happened, the one day I let my hair down, I got caught in my sin. And that was my sin –letting my hair down. I ran late the other morning. Rather than doing full make-up, putting in the contacts, ironing my dress, putting on stockings and fishing the heels out from under the bed (from kicking them off the night before), I merely brushed my hair, powdered my face, found my glasses in the blur of the world, and dressed in capris and a turtleneck. Now I did not quite go for flip-flops, but did go for comfortable slip ons. Okay, and I admit, I have waited too long between manicures.

Well, I thought it was professional enough, at least it was not the ripped jeans I wore the night before or the t-shirt (featuring Marlyn Mansion). And I did brush my hair. I was wrong. I think it all made me look much too casual. Though I tell perspective clients to come to the appointment in their most comfortable clothes, I guess it does not apply to me.

And, I think I was judged by this new client. I think I lost rapport and the session did not go as well as it could have. Perhaps this is more about me than the poor client, though. It may have been my own self-image that caused the barrier. I had over slept and my allergies were going to town, so did not feel my best going into it

Moral to the story – there is no excuse for relaxing on the professionalism. A wise person once said, “it is at the times you do not feel like throwing a party, that you need to clean yourself up, put on a smile, and throw a party.” I think that is exactly right.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

A Little Sadness

Yes, a little sadness. Not a huge sadness, but one that is tempering my morning. Last year at this time, I was on a plane to Marlborough, Mass. for the NGH Conference. It was the day the airlines implemented the "no liquid" rule. It was crazy.

This year, it is just another day. No conference for me (sniff).

So, for all of you lucky dogs who get to attend, have a double super time (double 'cause someone needs to do it for me). For those flying in, I hope it is smooth going. I cannot wait to hear all about it.

Is there anyone left who isn't going?

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

The Negative and the Positive

Wow. Last night was my 101th post on this blog. How quickly time flies. Wish you were all here to celebrate, oh, but wait, you are. Mimosas for all (I wish, but it is a work day after all).

If you read my post from last night, you will then be aware that yesterday was not a stellar day for me. But now that morning has come yet again, the light illuminates much. I believe that life does imitate art. As I was cleaning out my files, I found some old negatives from past advertising I had done. What a wonderful thing. Out of every negative a positive can be made. Hence life. Hence this blog.

As humans, I think we are fairly loath to talk about failures - so I will not. Rather I will talk about a tough session and the positive aspects about it. It has been a while since I have worked with a resistant client, so I fear the theme for the next few days will be tainted with this subject. In fact, this one had to be the most resistive person I have ever worked with in my career. For the first time in a long while, I came home exhausted from it. I know, poor me.

But rather than wallowing in misery, even as it was happening, I realized the session was not a failure. The client still made many connections that hopefully will prove helpful. The rationalization and censor processes were still full on, but it did ebb enough to let some moments of discovery happen.

For those of you who believe in the Laws of Attraction and the more New Agey stuff out there, I am a believer, too (for those of you who are not, feel free to skip this paragraph, though I think it may be the apex of this post). Here is what I really believe. I believe that those who come to me for help, have been sent to me for a reason. Yes, I know, they want me to hypnotize them, but it more than that. They are there because there is something I can offer them, help them learn, and there is probably something I am suppose to learn from them. Yesterday is probably more of the latter. I learned why it is good to have many options available in one's personal tool box (why one must learn how to work with analytical, permissive, authoritative, resistant options). It is also good to learn how to combine them. I learned that my intuition is worth listening, too. It was dead on. And I learned sometimes it is good to just let things be. You cannot force someone to be somewhere that they are not. At some point it really is all up to them. And that is okay.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

The Horror of It All

It has been a very, VERY long day - and not a particularly fabulous one at that, but I am sure that you will read more about all that on upcoming posts. For now, I just want to kick off my shoes, may be have a soothing cup of herbal tea (and jeez, I have to cut my fingernails for the tap, tap, tap, clicking sounds are really annoying), and de-stress here for a few moments.

You know, (you do not, of course) that one of the first things I ever thought about being hypnotized for was to handle horror movies better. No, I do not have a horror movie phobia, but my amygdala is fairly certain, that though most are fiction, I think they could be true. Intelligence wise, I know this is not the case, but after seeing a horror movie, it is perhaps possible that my house is haunted, there is a psycho in the back seat of my car, the person I sat next to on the underground is a ghost, or any such combination. I thought it might be nice to be hypnotized to believe that these are just movie's, not Ellie Blunt's life.

However, even with this, I LOVE horror movies. I grew up with Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, and Jason what's-his-name. I know them as well as I know the Pythagorean theorem from geometry.

Now I discover, I have new problem in my life.

Rob Zombie.

More to the point, Rob Zombie's Halloween the movie. I just saw the teaser for it (see below). Oh, it calls to me, so seductive, so sweet. Why, it is my old childhood friend, returned to give me another chapter of sleepless nights. And GOD the temptation is huge. But I have some time, just enough to see a good hypnotist or to resist it. It is being released on August 31.

I am not sure you could say the original, John Carpenter's Halloween or any of its seven sequels are among my favorite horror movies. I am not so good when it comes to picking favorites, but I think it was the first horror movie I ever saw and one that influenced my lust for the genre. It also premeditated many a nightmare (so perhaps it accomplished its scary goal). So maybe I should just say it is my favorite and I have enjoyed watching Jamie Lee Curtis deal with her movie brother. The sequel where she continued her original role was particularly touching for a horror movie.

So, here is this new one, the ninth Halloween. It has been called a remake, but it seems from the trailers to talk a lot more about the Michale's time in the institution (after killing his mother). Rather than using a stunt man to play the role, Zombie cast an actor (well, wrestler-turned-actor) Taylor Mane (without the mask, he looks pretty reasonable in your grunge-rocker sort of way - yes, it is the long hair). So, I hope the director (no stranger to the horror genre) is able to bring out some human psyche that we have not seen in the past. If anyone can create a compelling villain, Rob Zombie is probably your man. He has a twisted- down-the-rabbit-hole (not the movie, but our old friend Alice's stomping ground) sanity way about his directing style. He shows more than just gore (though I am sure it will be a fairly large factor). He will probably show something else. The human. The monster. The human monster.

Okay, there. That is better. That was a nice divergence from a bad day. Oh, and if you are curious about this new Halloween the movie, I have included a trailer from YouTube.com. Know any good hypnotist I could see for my little problem? LOL.





The Funny Thing About Scripts

Perhaps scripts is not the correct word. Notes, maybe.

When I get a new client, as they make the appointment, I immediately start jotting notes and putting together potential ideas (I suspect most of us work this way). And then I go to my other client notes and look at what I did in the past for similar situations. Most of the time it becomes a search for metaphors that were helpful in the past or stories to embed. Once found, these are inevitably tossed out and new ones come to mind. It is as though the voice of my intuition says, "No, that will never do for this client." Then new ideas come to mind, and most of the time they are a lot more fitting.

With that in mind, it seems like scripts become obscure directly after they are written. There are some that are truly brilliant and may do well most of the time, but it really makes me queasy when I see courses out there that are nothing more than teaching students how to use an index to find the right script.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Is it Monday Already?

How did that happen? I was just posting Sir Elton, so it seems.

Well, it is Monday and a bit hurried at that. Hopefully yours is more sane?

You have probably seen this week's poll. Still playing off the theme from this past weekend and yesterday. We sort of touched on this as a Sunday Question awhile ago with favorite inductions. This is under the realm of preferred prop, etc. to use during hypnosis (perhaps not just the induction). If you prefer multiple items or something not mentioned (or even want to go into depth more), feel free to post those under the comments on this posting.

And, if you are not a hypnotist, but a client of one and want to answer as to which you have enjoyed the most, well, that counts, too.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Embracing the Stereotype - The Sunday Question

My partner likes to say that there is a reason for stereotypes. Normally, I am the type of gal who prefers to defy such societal constraints (in the most adult way possible of course). But today I feel like embracing the stereotype.

Friday's conversation with Paul inspired today's question:

What would the ultimate prop be (look like, function, etc.) for a prop induction, such as watch or pendulum or what have you and why?

Personally, I rather like the little glow in the dark star I have placed on the wall of a dark corner of the office. It does not require any eye-hand-coordination from me and allows me to give my full attention to the client.

Last year at the NGH conference I attended a very cool seminar on gizmos for inductions (Lee, I think you went to that as well and the hypnotist who presents it is a friend of yours?). She had some great toys and I noticed it is on the schedule this year, so if you have not experienced it, you should check it out.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Esoteric Teenage Years

There is the greatest song ever written. Yep, one that has stayed with me since high school and one that never, ever grows old. Surely you have one of these? The one that when you hear it creates an almost unmentionable ache.

And quoting it for years (and butterflies are free), I wonder how much of this song has influenced my life, especially the hypnosis part...what I think my subconscious mind heard - hypnotize me, sweet freedom. The dark side of Ellie Blunt.




Many thanks to the person who posted this on youtube.com.

Here are the lyrics to Elton John's Someone Saved My Life Tonight:

When I think of those east end lights, muggy nights
The curtains drawn in the little room downstairs
Prima donna lord you really should have been there
Sitting like a princess perched in her electric chair
And its one more beer and I don't hear you anymore
We've all gone crazy lately
My friends out there rolling round the basement floor

And someone saved my life tonight sugar bear
You almost had your hooks in me didn't you dear
You nearly had me roped and tied
Altar-bound, hypnotized
Sweet freedom whispered in my ear
You're a butterfly
And butterflies are free to fly
Fly away, high away, bye bye

I never realised the passing hours of evening showers
A slip noose hanging in my darkest dreams
I'm strangled by your haunted social scene
Just a pawn out-played by a dominating queen
Its four o'clock in the morning
Damn it listen to me good
I'm sleeping with myself tonight
Saved in time, thank God my musics still alive

And I would have walked head on into the deep end of the river
Clinging to your stocks and bonds
Paying your h.p. demands forever
They're coming in the morning with a truck to take me home
Someone saved my life tonight, someone saved my life tonight
Someone saved my life tonight, someone saved my life tonight
Someone saved my life tonight
So save your strength and run the field you play alone

Friday, August 3, 2007

Another Snippett

It was good to hear that Paul is still getting the old, "do you use a pocket watch?" question when he tells people of his interest in hypnosis.

I thought of another type of comment I have gotten a few times upon telling people about my involvement with hypnosis.

"That's very interesting. I already quit smoking so I don't really have a need for any hypnosis, but that's very interesting."

This is a fun response because it says so much. It says that they at least heard what you said. It says they know just a little about hypnosis. It says either you are coming off with a marketing pitch in your introductions (which I suppose is quite possible) or that that is how they network: looking for that balance of what can I do for you, what can you do for me. I suspect the answer is how that comment is delivered. It may also say, I would like to hear more or change the subject please. Gosh but I love social communication.

But, no matter what, it is still a great opening for, "Ah, true enough, but there is so much more that hypnosis is used for these days."

That keeps the dialogue flowing and voilà, instant education opportunity.

Perhaps this is arcane subject matter for me to bring up, but there was a time when such comments would end the conversation with me (I can be a little slow on the uptake), but I have gotten it enough that I finally understand it could make for an interesting conversation.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Conversation Snippets

The other night I dined with a few friends, and a few would-be friends (I had just met them). And as we had not met before, one inevitably asked what I do for a living (yes, I am in the states currently). So, I told them. One thought it was pretty cool. And then there was the biological studies major, who informed me he had spent some time studying hypnosis in a psychology class. They had dedicated something like eight hours (I think it may have been six, but I feel generous today) to discussion, theory, and perhaps practice? He told me in that reverent-I-am-in-college-so-I-know way, that the class came to the conclusion that hypnosis only works if you believe in it. Whenever I hear that I cannot help but think of Peter Pan and "clap your hands if you believe in fairies." And then he dismissed the subject and we were on to quantum psychics.

Now in reading that last paragraph you may think I am being condescending to college students, so let me get this straight. Having enough degrees myself, I find college students charming with fresh optimism (and gosh I hope they all keep it) and often self-confidence. When they are new to the world like that they show a wonderful worldliness of experience (their own or that surmised). I say all this is a fond reminiscent way.

This is where I really find people's reactions to hypnosis interesting. As a practitioner, it is so much a part of my life, perhaps I take it for granted. It is there when I need it for self-work, and it is there when clients need it, and seek it. But I find people who are not enmeshed in it a nice break from reality, especially the ones who know just enough to have a conversation.

Then dinner conversation continued on to topics such as future plans, curing cancer, and just as abruptly as changing the subject from hypnosis to quantum psychics, the conversation turned to say-I-think-they-have-bread-pudding-for-dessert.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

The Widget

Okay, this is just so cool, I have to say something.

Yesterday I added the widget from iratemyday.com to monitor my moods. Today, I updated it, but at first it did not appear to change on my blog. I was a bit bummed. But when I checked a moment ago, indeed it did change to show my mood.

Fun, fun, fun.

The Command

Still on a parenting kick, as I have a few clients I am working with in this genre (coincident? Universal consciousness? After I posted about childing-birthing hypno, a client just came to me to help her lessen anxiety about an upcoming adoption). In finding resources to send her way, I stumbled across an interview on the New Millennium Series (I think they are not very recent) with Charles Thomas Cayce, a child psychologist.

During this interview on raising children intuitively, he mentioned a story about his own daughter. She was (is?) a teenager who had some insomnia issues. So Dr. Cayce created a suggestion tape for her to listen to at night so she would sleep better. It worked and it sounds like the issues have gone away.

It is all good up to this point. He suggest other parent try this route - remembering that this is not hypnosis. WHAT? The tape part is all good, but why is it not hypnosis? He goes on to explain this. It is not hypnosis because when giving the suggestions, you as the parent, do not use commands or a commanding voice. You give gentle suggestions.

Ummm.

So therefore, is the definition for hypnosis something to the effect of: Hypnosis is a command issued to another during a relaxed state?

It is interesting to hear what the psychology world thinks about hypnosis. The odd notions that are batted about and then you have people like Dr. Eimer and Dr. Peterson who utilize it in their practices in a very positive way, very worthy of a hurrah from those who only practice it.

Perhaps I am not being fair to Dr. Cayce. He is the grandson of Edgar Cayce. If you ever look at any of the Cayce Readings of which Edgar Cayce gave when in a state of hypnosis, his conductor (nice word) used commanding language. And I am not judging Dr. Cayce's utilization of hypnosis. I suspect if he does use it in his practice, he's probably brilliant. His use of suggestion with his daughter is a wonderful story, but a rose by any other name is still a rose.