Since returning from Hypnoticon earlier this month the subject of
evangelism has been often in my mind. No, not in the religious sense;
I'm thinking more about the ways that people extend themselves to
promote an idea about which they are passionate.
What does that have to do with hypnosis? Regular readers of this blog
may recall the poll from two weeks back, 'Would You Let a Stranger that
You Just Met Hypnotize You on the Street?' That poll (to which the
overall response was a heaping 'No' with a side of 'Maybe/It Depends')
grew out of discussion, some on the blog and some off, about the
walkabout trance experience at Hypnoticon. I didn't participate in that
exercise because I felt uncomfortable walking up to strangers and
saying, "Hey, I'm a hypnotist -- can I hypnotize you right now?" What I
wrote to Ellie was that the idea made me feel like a hypnotic Jehovah's
Witness, metaphorically speaking, which led to the juxtaposition of
hypnosis and evangelism.
In a way, walkabout hypnosis exercises are a method of evangelizing --
that is, publicly promoting and advocating -- hypnosis. But for those
of us who aren't bold or outgoing enough to accost strangers in the
street, aren't there other ways of achieving the same end? Some
hypnotists take to radio and TV talk shows to talk up the benefits of
hypnosis; others participate in events such as World Hypnotism Day; some
volunteer their services at hospices, hospitals, and other places where
need is high and resources often low. I give a presentation on hypnosis
to the Psychology class at my childrens' high school every semester.
So my Sunday Question for you is: what do you do to evangelize for
hypnosis in your community?
-MR
