Book and DVD Review

Monsters and Magical Sticks: Or, There's No Such Thing As Hypnosis by Steven Heller. very funny and enlightening.

Yeah i second that; but i wouldnt read it again.

I have that ebook but havn't read it, whats it about?

I'm half way through it. I'd say it's a perspective and approach to hypnotherapy.

This book breaks new ground in being written at the 'popular' level, meaning it can be read easily by most people.
http://www.lulu.com/content/734787
The transhumanist movement is very interested in the concept. One chapter deals lightly with the latest MRI research showing that hypnosis actually occurs due to changes in brain function, and these show up quite clearly, proving that hypnosis is real and not imaginary as thought by some people.
I'm not sure that everyone will be rushing out to get their kids augmented, especially as the cost is enormous. Transhumanists report, however, that some youngsters who have done the course have shown remarkable abilities in athletic, sporting, and scholastic achievements.
It shouldn't be a surprise to those of us who have done hypnotherapy for years that sooner or later it would be used to boost natural abilities.

Wungulai

Hypnosis should not be taken lightly

I don't think any of the books mentioned above discuss ethics in depth. Surely ethics are something that should be considered seperately from the particular therapy you use. Or is hypnosis a special case? If so why do you think that?

Is there no circumstance where hypnosis should be taken lightly?

If so, why not?

What ethics do you deem as the most important for hypnotists to consider?

Ant

Anthony Jacquin wrote:Is there no circumstance where hypnosis should be taken lightly?

I take hypnosis very lightly, too lightly some would say.

We persue altered states of mind through drink and/or drugs that have costs, both monetary and otherwise. We then do things that we later justify by blaming the drink and/or drugs. Regardless of the costs, we continue to persue these states of mind, accepting the things we do while under their influence.

Hypnosis is a free way of achieving similar - I have a mate who likes to be hypnotised when he's drunk. I've given him toothache, got him trashed on hypnotic cannabis and cocaine and turned him homosexual (which was even more impressive when you consider he's extremely homophobic). He was not aware of what any of the suggestions would be before I zapped him.

I should point out that I'm a 'good person' (TM). However, there are numerous bad people out there hypnotising women into bed and old people into buying insurance. As usual, it's only the ones who admit to using hypnosis that get told to be ethical; all the others are just smooth talkers or genius sales-people and are applauded for the lengths that their particular communications can get them.

So, I can hypnotise drunk people; now I need to experiment with stoned people and stupid people.

Kev

Derren Brown - Tricks of the Mind.

Do you want step-by-step quides through Hypnosis and Magic? Yes? Then look somewhere else. This book is something I recommend if you want a deeper understanding.

The Hypnosis and Suggestibility section presents very good arguments for the non-state view of Hypnosis, and explains a lot of 'hypnotic phonemenon' while at the same time presenting situations where, perhaps, the non-state view isn't matched.

Also it effectively challenges the cult-like followings of NLP and Ericksonian therapy quite well, as well as a lot of Psuedo-science etc.

This book is not about learning how to do something as much as learning why, and leaving the how to you for figuring out. However, in the process this helps you learn and develop more.

I highly recommend this book to anyone intrested in Magic, and/or Hypnosis and Suggestibility.

Oh, and kevsheldrake, he does discuss stage hypnosis ethics

TheDarkJay wrote:Derren Brown - Tricks of the Mind.

<SNIP>

Oh, and kevsheldrake, he does discuss stage hypnosis ethics

Cheers. When I get my copy back I'll reread.

Kev

I have a question about hypnosis books. I decided if I was going to give hypnosis a try, to get a good base of reading materials, and go for it. So I bought a dozen or so books, some NLP, some eriksonian approaches, a stage hypnosis book by Ormond McGill, wordweaving, etc. A fair few books.

Now, the problem I have, is some of the books seem to contradict eachother (a 'creative scripts' one only does vague, non-specific inductions & deepeners, while others do a more direct approach, telling the person what is happening, rather than hinting and leaving it to them to figure).

Is there a 'right' or 'wrong' way about it? I'm guessing they all work in their own way, if you put it forward right, but which method is the most effective?

Are there any 'hypnotist bibles' type books out there, which are a must, and are a solid base to work from?

Good question.

I expect if you have a dozen books including McGill you already have most of the 'bibles'. Like most bibles what is best in practice varies considerably from what the bible suggests.

Although McGills book contains a long introduction on what it is to be the hypnotist and do hypnosis most of the techniques are rapid and diret. This is because the book is principally about stage hypnosis. I suspect many of the more recent books you have that have NLP in the title are principally about 'ericksonian' methods of hypnosis. Although Erickson used plenty of rapid, direct and impromptu hypnosis techniques he is most remembered and written about with rference to his indirect, permissive often metaphorical methods.

Both work fine if the hypnotist works well. I was originally taught an ericksonian approach to hypnotising. The stage style passed me by, in truth it seemed too simple. At that point McGills Encyclopedia didn;t ha that mch value to me. Then I started to use a more rapid and direct approach I found it perfectly workable in any situation not just performances. Then the book was really worth something.

So you should ask yourself what do you want to do with hypnosis in practical day to day life, work and play. Then you can narrow down your bible.

My advice is firstly go and get some good quality training in the kind of hypnosis you would like to do by someone who can do it.

Failing that, revisit McGills section on waking hypnosis. Master those exercises and then learn the word 'sleep'.

Anthony

I waffled and forgot to tell you my bibles. In no particular order

Tranceformations - Bandler and Grinder

Training Trances - Overdorf

Patterns 1 - Bandler and Grinder

Hypnotherapy Scripts - Havens

Mind-Body Therapy: Methods of Ideodynamic Healing in Hypnosis - Rossi

Deeper and Deeper - Chase

Enc' of Stage Hypnosis - McGill

Elman, Hypnotherapy should really be on there too, but I just do not work like him. Of those for rapid and direct stuff go for Training Trances, Deeper and Deeper. For Ericksonian stylee go to Patterns one and hypno scripts. Tranceformations and Training Trances completely parallel each other but training trances is presented as it happened in a training environment.

Anthony

Yep; to be honest the days where i'm confident enough to be over-direct... i.e lots of shouting 'sleep' etc. i seem to get the best responses.. i need to maintain the attitude that this is how to approach a participant.