Recent discussions at the Hypnosis Technique Exchange regarding waking suggestion for pain control has led into some interesting tangents on the nature of trance, the experience of hypnosis, and whether or not hypnosis is about control or manipulation or free will. Those who regularly read my writing, know that I don’t define hypnosis in the…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Hypnosis . . . nature of the beastie . . .
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Hypnotic Seals
by Brian David Phillips •
A bit of a discussion on hypnotic seals . . . hypnotic seals, where a hypnotist gives a suggestion that then seals the client from ever being hypnotized again either by anyone other than the original hypnotist or by persons who don’t fit the hypnotist’s criteria, are unethical . . . well, in my very…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Boob Enhancer
by Brian David Phillips •
Shiny Shiny reports on the Boob Enhancer which is a small device with an LCD that evidently massages and “relaxes” one’s breasts by improving circulation. While this sounds a bit more plausible then the nefarious boob cellphone ring and it is most certainly a lot better than the idiot mother-daughter breast surgery packages, there are…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
of watchdogs and community . . . a toy poodle is not a pitbull
by Brian David Phillips •
Reposting this from the omniblog . . . recently on Omnigrads, a member posted that she has lost interest in discussing or sharing cases or advanced hypnosis healing technques in the group in large part as there are members who are only there to be nosy watchdogs for this or that organization who have no…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Imagine a world . . .
. . . oh, sorry, imagination not allowed . . .
. . . gay sex syllabus sparks inquiry
by Brian David Phillips •
Close your eyes and . . . imagine . . . imagine a world where things are a bit different than they are in the here and the now . . . imagine yourself working and living and socializing in a world where there are homosexuals everywhere . . . of, course, there are straights…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Finessing Suggestibility Testing
by Brian David Phillips •
A few more comments on Leveraging Suggestibility Tests into Hypnosis from the Hypnosis Technique Exchange. A correspondent hypnotist in Africa asks how I handle things if I use the "finger magnet" suggestibility test which relies more on a physiological response than on pure suggestion, especially if a client notices the effect and says so, as…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Leveraging Suggestibility Tests into Hypnosis
by Brian David Phillips •
A quick response to a query in the Hypnosis Technique Exchange where a gentleman asked me about a client he had for hypnosis with whom he had a pretalk and then went on with a suggestibility test with a pendulum in which the pendulum did not move at all . . . , so our…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Hypnotized Flies
by Brian David Phillips •
In my hypnosis workshop, we have recently been talking about the claims by some folks that they can hypnotize animals . . . my contention is that the techniques demonstrated are mostly autonomic responses that should not be equated to hypnosis in humans . . . well . . . in response, one of the…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Training . . .
. . . how to know if a trainer is appropriate for you
by Brian David Phillips •
A bit on how to know if your hypnosis trainer is appropriate for you. As to training, ask about specific trainers and do searches for comments about the person that are not just testimony on that person’s site. Watch for promotional material that seems to be filled more with hyperbole and promotion than with actual…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
National Guild of Hypnotists . . . resignation . . .
. . . finally free, no more of that
by Brian David Phillips •
Most of the folks who read this blog don’t know or don’t care . . . but for those who do . . . Due to personality, values, and belief conflicts that show no signs of being resolved . . . I have finally officially resigned from the National Guild of Hypnotists. I am no…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
the “pull my finger” hypnotic induction . . .
. . . Repatterning, Repetition, Unconscious Installation
by Brian David Phillips •
Being playful at the Hypnosis Technique Exchange, I was feeling impish on the Marknosis list where it was recently asked if repeated viewings of the Richard Bandler Neruohypnotic Repatterning seminar videos might help strengthen the acceptance of the skills that are “unconsciouslly installed” within the stories during the lecture . . . Well, I suppose…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Hypnoblogs . . .
. . . shakeup . . .
by Brian David Phillips •
Regular visitors will notice that the Hypnoblogs blogroll in the righthand column of this blog has shrunk a bit. As the list was beginning to get a little on the unwieldy side, I have deleted a number of entries. With a few exceptions, I have removed blogs that are not regularly updated or that have…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
It’s All in Your Head . . . and your body . . .
. . . the mind-body connection
by Brian David Phillips •
Renée Stephens shares a wonderful anecdote that demonstrates very powerfully, the mind body connection and how our thoughts (conscious and unconscious) truly create who and what we physically are . . . if it’s all in your head, can it also be in your body? . . . well worth reading. I also liked the…
Experiential Trance, Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Hypnosis . . . and all the world’s a stage
by Brian David Phillips •
Seth-Deborah Roth has discovered Hypnosis and the Stage as recently had an experience being dog trainer for a production of The Wizard of Oz (her dog played Toto) and when discussing stage fright with the actors and how hypnosis can be wonderful for helping folks access inner resources to move beyond it, she was bemused…
** Special Student Series, Celebrity Hypnosis, Hypnosis in the News, Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest, Hypnosis: Entertainment, Stage, and Performance, Trance-Acting: Actors, Directors, Dancers, and Musical Performers
Stage Fright . . . trancework
by Brian David Phillips •
Lyn Gardner writes in the Guardian Unlimited that not all right on the night. The piece discusses stage fright and how some actors have overcome it . . . of particular interest is Daryl Hannah’s success with hypnosis in overcoming her own stage anxiety. While the article does not intend to, it over simplifies some…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
The Garbage Can . . .
. . . stress, pain, relief through guided imagery
by Brian David Phillips •
I’ve had a couple questions about "the garbage can" process and this dovetails into a post at the HypNetwork from a hypnotist who has discovered he has an illness and is sticking to a positive imagery program in addition to other treatments. My discussion . . . A lot of folks have chimed in with…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
The Loose Screw Awards
by Brian David Phillips •
Psychology Today presents the Loose Screw Awards . . . principles or ideas in psychology that have been demonstrated to be wrong or muddled but which are still quite popularly used among therapists and practitioners. Not sure I agree with the list . . . there are a couple things I would have put on…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Unmotivated Hypnosis Clients . . .
. . . there is no magick wand
by Brian David Phillips •
After trying every trick she can think of, Renée Stephens has found her answer to the question “How much we can help someone without motivation?.” Her answer . . . After trying my darndest, and pulling out all sorts of fancy techniques, I have concluded that there is a base level of motivation that the…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Hypnosis Training Courses and Competence
by Brian David Phillips •
At the Hypnosis Technique Exchange, the issue of the relationship of hypnosis course length and competence has been raised. The original author voiced is concern that five day courses in hypnosis may not be enough to really prepare folks to face the public while those of seven years or more as in psychotherapy may be…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Further Discussion of Compounding Suggestions . . .
. . . behind the curtain . . .
by Brian David Phillips •
I’ve had a few more questions about my View on Compounding Suggestions thrown this eay and so I’d like to clarify and further muddle the waters a bit . . . these are more thoughts on compounding hypnotic suggestions. The quotes are from random discussion, sorry that the attributions have migrated. I’ve just checked and…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Dangerous Hypnosis?
. . . Dangerous Misconceptions about Hypnosis
by Brian David Phillips •
Dangerous Hypnosis or Dangerous Misconceptions about Hypnosis? More afoot at the Hypnosis Technique Exchange. A bit of the one and less of the other but the damage gets done nonetheless. In HypnoMasterMind there was a recent post about an account of a woman who says as a child she witnessed a stage hypnosis show in…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Yo! Gah!
by Brian David Phillips •
Jerry Bruntz . . . Yo! Gah! . . . my best friend does Yoga and watching this I just figured this is how he must do it. “I am a Tree!” and “Someday, buddy, it’s going to be a good day . . . it’s not gay because it’s my own mouth.” Yep, that’s…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
Can’t Find the Feelings . . .
. . . fear and regression hypnotic techniques . . .
. . . . . . and dealing with resistance . . .
by Brian David Phillips •
I just got back to Taipei from a Spring Break trip with my family so I’ve a ton of email to get through but some thoughts on the Omnigrads post regarding can’t find the fear . . . take what you can and ditch the rest . . . this discussion is intended for experienced…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
A View on Compounding Suggestions
by Brian David Phillips •
A discussion on the definition of compounding as related to hypnotic suggestion has me thinking a bit on how I approach the subject. Some folks who haven’t had direct instruction on the effect, think of it as repeating a suggestion in order to strengthen it (often in long monotonous fashion). Others will reference Gil Boyne…
Hypnosis, Trance, Meditation, and The Rest
When the Therapist Over-Empathizes . . .
. . . of detachment in therapeutic relationships
by Brian David Phillips •
In an interesting discussion on empathy, identification, and symptom transfer . . . one of the discussion participants made the statement that one of the challenges when hypnotizing others is for the hypnotist to make certain he doesn’t hypnotize himself into accepting the suggestions or transferring the client’s problems to himself. Thanks for posting this…
