Author: HypnoBusters

Are there any books you’ve read and enjoyed on the subject of hypnosis/hypnotherapy?

Yes! The first book I read on hypnosis was well before I even began training as a clinical hypnotherapist. It was called ‘Uses And Abuses Of Hypnosis’ by Robert Temple. I found this book in a second hand book store, and rarely for me at the time, I managed to finish all the way through! It was a long time a go, but from what I remember the book argued for a more wide spread use of hypnosis for such things as pain control in surgery. However it did also warn about possible abuses of hypnosis as well.

I also have a few hypnosis scripts books that I occasionally like to leaf through, such as ‘Scripts And Strategies’ by Roger Allen. I plan on making my own scripts book in the not to distant future, as I have quite a personal collection I have built up over the years.

A lot of my reading now is online. I like to learn by talking to other hypnotherapists on social networks, and reading online journals. It feels ‘fresher’ and more relevant.

I’m about 40lbs overweight and would like to shed this load but at the same time I find myself feeling very unmotivated when it comes to starting a diet and exercise program? What would you recommend to give me the motivation to lose weight?

Don’t try and lose all the weight in one go. Thinking about losing 40lbs can be quite daunting. Instead aim to lose about 2lbs a week – that’s a far more manageable sounding goal. Do this for 20 weeks and you’ve reached your target.

The way to lose weight, and to keep it off is not to live some Spartan type of existence. Motivation rarely lasts long, and it’s not surprising. We do still need some quality of life even when we are trying to lose weight!

Find an exercise that you enjoy. Try different things, and stick with what clicks with you. Going to the gym is not for everyone, but many people enjoy playing badminton, tennis, or going swimming.

Control of food intake is more important than exercise. The very first piece of advice I would give is to avoid starving yourself. Again you will not stick to such a Spartan regime for long. Find things you can reduce in your diet. Aim to eliminate/reduce high fat and high callorie foods. You know what most of them are – chocolate, crisps (chips in the US), cake, fast food etc. Increase your consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables instead.

You may have some favourite foods that are high in fat and/or calories. With some thought you can modify them so that you are not totally missing out. If you like fried eggs for instance, try poaching them instead. Grill bacon instead of frying it. If you have a sweet tooth, try sucking on boiled sweets instead of eating chocolate. Boiled sweets will give you that ‘sweet fix’, but take a lot longer to eat.

Your life should not be one long story of pain and denial. Often setting one day a week where you can eat anything you like takes the pressure off. Over time many people begin to enjoy the healthy eating and they often indulge less and less over time on their ‘diet holiday’.

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How can I improve my ability to go “under hypnosis”?

Hire a great hypnotherapist like yours truly! Seriously though, I like the way you have formulated your question, as it shows you have some good insight into the workings of hypnotherapy. A hypnotherapist is a guide, and helps the subjects into a state of hypnosis. It is very much a skill on the part of the subject to allow themselves to go into this state of mind.

Like with most things, you improve the more you do it. So I would say that if you experience hypnosis a few times a week, you will definitely improve your abilities to go into a deeper trance. This may include listening to audios (you can listen to them many times if you wish), doing self hypnosis, or hiring a ‘live’ hypnotherapist.

Is there anything you don’t like or wish you could change about your profession as a hypnotherapist?

I don’t like some of the charlatans and occasional bad practice that gives the profession a bad name. It annoys me when you see hypnotherapists attempt to treat issues such as sexual abuse when they are clearly not trained to do so. They risk causing further damage to the patient. Often they are only motivated by trying to help the individual, but they would better help them by encouraging them to seek counseling from a counselor who is specifically trained in such matters.

It also annoys me when some hypnotherapists, usually the ones who produce audio sessions, claim to be able to cure cancer and such matters. This is giving false hope, and there is no evidence that hypnosis can do this.

There is also the very obvious misinformation about hypnosis that comes in the media. For instance Uri Geller recently claimed that he hypnotized Michael Jackson against his will, to find out if he was guilty of child abuse, and that MJ was not aware of this. It is not possible to hypnotise someone against their will, and a person is fully aware of what is happening whilst in a trance.

One last pet hate is when hypnotherapists offer audio sessions for very sensitive areas such as abuse and bereavement. I feel that these types of sessions should be left to ‘live’ hypnosis, as a person may become very upset during a session, and possibly further traumatised. There are a few very well known hypnotherapists around who seem to disagree with me on this, as they offer many such sessions, but I will not do, no matter how financially lucrative they appear to be.

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Derren Brown correctly predicted the UK national lottery numbers on Wednesday. He later explained that he did this either by using “the wisdom of crowds” or by fixing the draw. Do you think he really used one of these methods or was this more misdirection?

As I currently live in Morocco, I didn’t see Derren Brown predicting the lottery numbers, so it’s difficult for me to comment too much. What I do know is that Derren Brown is a showman and an illusionist, and an absolute master of misdirection, so he could have used one or more of a number of techniques to achieve this effect.

From ‘wisdom of crowds’, I think he is referring to the very real phenomenon of when a large amount of people attempt to predict something, and the results are averaged out. For example if you asked 1000 fairly informed people how many goals they thought a certain team would score in a season, then averaged the answers, they would often give an accurate prediction.

However this only works with predictions that can benefit from human judgment, and not pure luck. A well informed person can make a good educated guess at predicting a score in a sporting event, but not from a random event like a lottery draw. This would just be complete random guess work, and not draw on any crowd ‘wisdom’. So I don’t think this can be how he did it.

Fixing the draw would be absolutely criminal, and this cannot be how he did it. All those people who bought a ticket could claim they had been ripped off if they bought their ticket in a fixed draw. This would ruin the integrity of the lottery, and seriously damage its image, probably bringing it into disrepute. So this is not really an option.

Derren could have used a number of techniques to achieve this effect. He could have used camera trickery, or had some sleight of hand method to copy the numbers when they had been drawn. Not only is Derren a master magician, he is also a master of self publicity, and has succeeded in getting most of the internet talking about him ready for his latest series. Perhaps most of fun is in trying to guess how he did it, which is perhaps why he didn’t reveal his methods in his follow up show.

What are your opinions on past life regression and the use of hypnosis in this field?

I have been both a subject and a therapist in past life regressions. Whilst the experience seems quite real when a subject, this does not necessarily mean that we really do have past lives. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility, but I do know how creative the human mind can be when in a trance.

Past life regressions can be fun, and usually therapeutic in some way. When we distance ourselves from our past life self, we can bypass our critical conscious mind and do some good self learning. We can observe how our past selves behave, and can see from a different perspective clues to our behaviour. We can gain valuable insight into ourselves from this

So I would say that past life regressions can be interesting and fun, and can also provide therapeutic benefits, whether you believe in them or not.

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Do you offer any free samples of your work that I can try before I buy?

There are short free samples of every single session we have on this site. However if you want a longer session, then you can visit our HypnoBusters YouTube channel for a better taste of our work. These are only short sessions, about half the length of our normal sessions, but they do give you a fair taste of what to expect.

How can I test if I can be hypnotized or not?

Almost everyone can be hypnotized, and even if you have some initial difficulties, with a little bit of perseverance, you should soon get there. If you ever daydream or get lost in a film or book, then you are definitely hypnotizable. Here is an article where you can test your hypnotizability.

In my experience the type of people that struggle to go into a trance are those who have difficulty relaxing. However a good therapist should be able to adapt and help these people quickly and effectively. One good way to combat difficulties going into trance is to try hypnosis sessions later on in the evening when you are winding down and feeling a little tired.

On your bio it mentions you’re a musician. What instruments do you play and who are some of your musical influences?

In my early days as a live musician I played electric and acoustic guitar. I soon branched out and did some singing, and learned how to play the keyboard in order to help fill the sound out in some of the songs. I later joined a different band and played the bass guitar. I had a spell learning to play the harmonica, but it began to hurt my lips, so I gave up. I can also play the recorder badly!

For the electric guitar my biggest influences are Jimi Hendrix and Peter Green (from Fleetwood Mac). I love the bass guitar playing of Norman Watt-Roy from the Blockheads, and have had the pleasure of watching him play in my home town in Darwen England. I also like Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd, and everybody in Queen.

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Are there any specific types of people who cannot or should not be hypnotized?

Almost everyone can be hypnotised as it is a normal and natural state of mind. Both the young and the old are very capable of going into a hypnotic trance. Children for example respond well to hypnosis as they have such vivid imaginations, although younger children may have difficulties understanding and concentrating on the therapy. A good therapist can overcome these obstacles.

The most difficult subjects do not come from a particular demographic group. They are usually the ones who do not want change. The people who may have been coerced into therapy by family or friends usually respond poorly to hypnotherapy. However there is generally no problem with any other group of people.

The people who usually respond best to hypnotherapy are those with good imagination, and are committed to change.

Traditionally it has been thought that hypnotherapy should not be used with patients suffering from mental illnesses, even mild ones such as depression. However this view is being challenged and more and more hypnotherapists are beginning to successfully treat patients who suffer from such mental difficulties.

Can children be hypnotized?

Children can be hypnotized just as successfully as adults, sometimes better than adults, because they have such vivid imaginations and are more likely to have faith in the therapy. Sometimes a hypnotherapist must tailor a session to the child, and treat the child in a different way to an adult. A good hypnotherapist will make sure that the child can understand the suggestions for example. Obviously the younger the child, the less complicated the language must be. They may also tailor the therapy around something that the child understands and is interested in, such as a cartoon character or a particular toy. There can also sometimes be issues with a childs’ lower levels of concentration, which must be taken into consideration. They may for example not wish to keep their eyes closed for the whole session. This is fine because the strength of a child’s imagination can easily allow them to vividly imagine without closing their eyes.

A study with children has recently been completed at the University of North Carolina and Duke University Medical Center using hypnosis CD’s. 30 children aged between 6 and 15 years old took part in the study, half of which used the CDs daily for eight weeks and the rest received traditional medical treatment.

The study showed a success for hypnotherapy. 73.3% of those that used the CDs reporting that abdominal pain was reduced by half or more by the end of the treatment, compared with just 26.7% in the standard care group. See the BBC report here for more details http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8299719.stm.

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Will a hypnosis session work if listened to while asleep? I use them in bed and often find myself falling asleep halfway through.

Personally I find that listening to hypnosis sessions is best for me late at night, sometimes in bed. I am more relaxed, less fidgety, and go into a deeper and more relaxing trance. Although our mind cannot absorb suggestions when in deep sleep, it can when in light sleep. So there is usually no problem with falling asleep part way through a hypnosis session. We usually fall into a very light sleep at first, unless you have been severely sleep deprived, so there is usually no problem with this whatsoever.

What are your feelings on conversation hypnosis?

For those that are unaware of conversational hypnosis, I’ll clarify. Conversationalist hypnosis is where a person slips in suggestions within apparently normal speech in order to bypass the critical conscious mind. For example a person might say “You might be wondering BUY NOW why I am talking to you…”, when attempting to sell their wares. Your conscious mind may only hear the sentence “You might be wondering BY NOW why I am talking to you…”, whereas your unconscious mind may fix on the message “BUY NOW”. Whilst this is fairly harmless as it will only help sway a person to buy, there are more sinister attempts to use conversational hypnosis. There are many products available on the internet which claim will make you irresistible to the opposite sex when you use their conversational hypnosis techniques. This is both unrealistic and morally not right. Thankfully it is not possible to use conversational hypnosis to MAKE someone like you. It can help sway a situation a little but that is all. This is just as well because the moral implications of the situation if it was possible to be irresistible with these techniques are very disturbing to say the least.

Thankfully it is nowhere near as powerful as some make out. It can be used to augment therapy, but I rarely use it. I would rather my patients knew what suggestions I was giving them, just on the off chance that they were not agreeable to them. They can then very easily reject the suggestions if they want to. Why would I want to hide the suggestions I give in therapy?

Can the use of hypnosis cause any negative side-effects?

In short no. No side effects have ever been proven. And because of this, hypnosis is a wonderful tool for avoiding negative side effects of other treatments. For example many people have successfully used hypnosis for pain relief, allowing them to use fewer painkillers, which therefore reduce the chances of side-effects.

Captain Kirk or Captain Picard?

Captain Kirk every time. He…uses…hypnotic pauses…whenever he speaks!

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Are there any forums or communities on the internet that are good for talking about hypnotherapy?

There are a few communities dedicated solely to hypnotherapy. HypnoThoughts is the biggest of the bunch, with around 5000 member at the time of writing. There is also Tranced Out, and HypnoSpace.

If you go on Facebook then there are many groups you can join which are devoted to hypnosis and from there you can find friends who share an interest in hypnosis. To get you started you can join the HypnoBusters fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/HypnoBusters-Hypnosis

How long before I can expect hypnotic suggestions to take root in my unconscious mind?

A hypnotic suggestion can be absorbed and acted upon immediately, but it is strengthened with regular repetition. This is one of the main advantages of recorded sessions – you can listen to them over and over again whereas a ‘live’ session would only be listened to once, unless you keep rehiring them.

Does hypnosis always work for everybody?

Hypnosis does not always work for everybody all the time. Almost everyone goes into trance and enjoys a good positive experience. However the therapy is not 100% effective to everyone all the time. The biggest reason for this is when a patient unconsciously resists the suggestions.

You may have heard me talk before about how a hypnotherapist cannot make you do things. It is very easy to reject a suggestion if you really want to. If for example I suggest to you to quit smoking whilst you are in trance, you may decide to reject this. Why would someone who paid good money for a therapeutic session do that? It is usually those people who were not really ready for the change that reject the suggestions. They may be frightened, not ready, or simply don’t want to make the change. Commonly a person who has been coerced into therapy by well meaning but pushy friends or family reject the suggestions. That is why you must decide for yourself that you really want the change before commencing hypnotherapy.

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I’m interested in learning stage hypnosis. Do you perform shows? If you do where/how did you learn?

I do not perform any stage hypnosis shows, so I can’t tell you where I learnt this, plus you haven’t told me where you are from! I am not aware of any stage hypnosis schools. I think most learn by getting to know and being mentored by other stage hypnotists, watching them many times, and by attending seminars and short courses that are occasionally offered by stage hypnotists. There are also many books available on the subject of stage hypnosis.

I do know some experienced stage hypnotists who do offer online courses, which you may want to have a look at. Whilst it’s probably not as good as learning ‘in the flesh’ in class, some online courses will provide you with a lot of information to get you going. If you put this into practice with friends and family, and watch as many stage hypnosis shows as you can, then you can develop this knowledge. Here are two reputable stage hypnotists that offer distance learning stage hypnosis courses.

Richard Nonguard has several stage hypnosis programmes available at http://www.subliminalscience.com/

Nathan Thomas has a distance learning course at http://hypnosis-training.com/

Whilst I haven’t personally taken any of these courses, I know these are stage hypnotists with good reputations, and they are regular participants to many of the hypnosis social networks we have discussed above. As they are part of many networks, this should help reassure you that they are both honest and professional, which indeed I have found them to be at all times.

I really enjoyed your article on Paul McKenna. Do you plan to write anymore personality profiles on other famous hypnotherapists or self improvement experts?

I’m glad you enjoyed it. I have just recently finished an article on the great Napoleon Hill, which, in my humble opinion, is well worth a read if you are not already familiar with him, or even if you are for that matter. There is some very useful personal development material within the article, a great video, and links to some of his best books.

These type of articles on such influential people do seem popular so I will probably do some more. Perhaps I will have a look at people such as Milton Erikson, James Braid, and Franz Mesmer. Please send in any suggestions of people you think I should cover.

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What is creative visualization? Is it the same as hypnosis or is there a difference?

Creative visualisation is using your imagination to visualise the fulfilment of a particular goal. Once a goal is visualised vividly enough, the subconscious mind will strive to achieve this goal by influencing the decisions and choices that you make. Creative visualisation is one technique amongst many that hypnotherapists use for therapeutic purposes. In the 1920’s Napoleon Hill advocated the use of this technique to attract wealth – literally by visualising already having it. This technique is still advocated by many self help authors, and it forms the basis for the ‘law of attraction’, and a major part of Rhonda Byrne’s bestselling book and film ‘The Secret’.

Are there any situations or reasons why someone shouldn’t be hypnotized?

People who do not want to be hypnotized should not treated. Sometimes a person may be pushed too much by a well meaning friend or family member to undergo a particular therapy. The problem is that if they don’t want to be treated, then their minds can easily reject all the suggestions that are given. You can only treat someone who wants to be treated. Any attempt to force it is a waste of everyone’s time. So if for example someone came to me for smoking cessation because their wife made them, I would probably turn them away and ask them to return if or when they decided for themselves that they wanted this treatment.

It is commonly thought that hypnotherapists should not treat people who are suffering from mental illnesses. However there is no research or indeed adequate explanations ever given as to why this is the case. This old ‘sacred cow’ seems to be slowly eroding, and more and more therapists are beginning to treat patients who suffer from various mental illnesses, particularly depression. As far as I am aware, no problems have been reported.

I would however stop at treating people for serious traumatic problems, such as sexual abuse. This is because I believe it takes special specific training for a therapist to deal with such matters, and any therapy given without adequate training may be ineffective and a waste of everyone’s time, and could even risk further traumatising the patient.

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Do you teach workshops on hypnosis or self hypnosis?

I have in the past, but haven’t done for some time. I often teach some of my patients self hypnosis at the end of a course of treatment, so that they can better look after themselves without being too dependant on a therapist.

Are there any questions I can ask a hypnotherapist to make sure they are competent and qualified?

Probably the best thing you can ask them is where they were trained. If in doubt you can even ask to see their qualifications. It is also a good idea to check the validity of their training. You could do an internet search on the body or school that taught them to make sure they are known and credible. As a general rule, I would personally avoid hypnotherapists that trained purely on distance learning courses. A competent and well trained hypnotherapist should learn both theory and practically, which can only really be done in live learning situations.
Why do some hypnotists use a swinging watch or pendulum?

Not that many hypnotherapists use swinging watches but some still do. The reason is to gain eye fatigue, so that the subject will comfortably close their eyes, and feel relaxed very quickly as they will not want to open their eyes. Hypnotherapists these days tend to use different methods to achieve the same thing, such as asking a subject to stare at a moving spiral or a spot on the ceiling. Some hypnotherapists and particularly stage hypnotists still use a swinging watch in order to fulfil the expectation of the subject, as people sometimes expect this, and may feel that they cannot be hypnotized without it.

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