Since we’re recounting some of the recent discussion on the Hypnosis Technique Exchange, the subject of hypnosis and sex came up and led to some rather heated exchanges.
Ok….but none of what you said here has anything to do with my points…the points were not debating if she enjoys hypno sex, regular sex, or whatever sex…the fact that someone is doing some ‘hypno sex’ PERIOD rather it is agreed between the two or not is what I am talking about….
Wow. Okay, obviously, we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this point as I believe that something as powerful as hypnosis is very appropriate for enhancing relationships and improving intimacy between consenting adults. I believe that just as folks have the right to use hypnosis to improve their golf game they should have the right to use it to improve their sexual lives. Yes, there are certain aspects of the hypno-sex community that I find distasteful and would never be involved with (see the group archives for plenty of threads on the subject) but that’s very different from saying NO ONE should ever do it in any context.
Certainly, hypnosex is appropriate for some therapeutic contexts. I’ve used it.
It can also be very pleasurable (feel free to sign up for my next "couples hypnosis" workshop if you’re not sure what it really is or can be).
There are indeed some folks who do it poorly or who do indeed practice in a way that is not consensual or the like . . . rather than closing them off from legitimate discussion, I advocate open discussion (within a Safe, Sane, and Consensual) framework and giving them skills and techniques that empower them to do it correctly and well and safely.
BTW, while some of the big organizations of professional hypnotists would agree with you that recreational hypnosex is "bad" you will find that a number of their major players do so secretly in the closet as it were (heck, Ormond McGill wrote one of the first mass produced books on how to seduce girls with hypnosis, sold in the back of pulp magazines in the 1950’s). I know more than a few "respected" NGH members (since you mention their convention) who have fetish hypnosis sites under assumed names. Of course, HMI’s John Kappas would disagree with your take as he did a LOT of work toward teaching couples how to enhance their relationships through consensual mutual lovers hypnosis. Naturally, there are folks who are indeed afraid of sex or who only want their brand of hypnosis to be the one anyone can undertake (certainly, there are plenty of licensed professionals who do NOT believe something as powerful as hypnosis should be used by anyone who is not their peer – a very dear friend of mine is an ex- chair of the Louisiana Psychological Association’s Ethics Committee and he tells me one of the things that really turned his stomach back in the day was when a doctor whas brought before the ethics board for unethical practice because he taught his nurses how to perform hypnosis inductions for pain control in the emergency room (following the bylaws of the time, the board ruled that he was guilty of unethical behavior).
Personally, I like sex and I like hypnosis and the two great tastes go great together. I also enjoy hypnosis entertainment and I enjoy erotic entertainment and the two great tastes go great together . . . for me. If it’s not to your tastes then give it a miss but don’t jump on someone else’s case for doing something that they keep safe, sane, consensual, as their own private interests.
Ethics are very relative . . . as is morality . . . and so we are guided by legality and personal choice. I ascribe to the twin concepts of "and hurt none, do what you will" and "keep it Safe, Sane, and Consensual" and allow others to make their own choices.
If YOU wish to learn more about erotic hypnosis as your free choice, then check out the materials here as well as the discussions on the exchange and be sure to check out my products and courses on the subject on my webpages http://www.BrianDavidPhillips.com where you will find a wealth of information as well.
All the best,
Brian
Brian David Phillips, PhD, CH [phillips@nccu.edu.tw]Certified Hypnotherapist
President, Society of Experiential Trance
Associate Professor, NCCU, Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.BrianDavidPhillips.com
