Hypnotized Each and Every Day

Drivers often experience highway hypnosis.  (Photo source: Wikipedia

“I have wondered what it would be like to be hypnotized, but it is kind of scary.” 

I get this all of the time when someone learns I’m a hypnotist.  My response to the person is always the same:  you actually experience hypnosis three or four times every day without even realizing it.

Hypnosis is a completely natural state of mind defined by focus, concentration, creativity and heightened suggestibility.  It’s where we go when we get lost in our thoughts or when we day dream.

Here are a few specific examples of how hypnosis permeates our every day:

--Have you ever been driving or riding in a car, ten minutes go by and you look around have no recollection of the route?  That is referred to as highway hypnosis.  

--Have you ever been watching a movie and something funny or scary happens on the screen and you react to it?  The entire entertainment industry is based on a form of hypnosis called the suspension of disbelief.

--And finally, have you ever heard a song or smelled something distinct and it brought back a memory?  That too is a form of hypnosis where your subconscious is reacting to an external stimulus.

A hypnotist’s job is to help a person take this skill they already have and direct it to achieve positive and meaningful outcomes.  There’s nothing scary about that!

Best Read Articles During the First Half of 2016

Every six months I take a content pause and revisit which of my articles have been the most popular with readers.  What you tell me by what you read helps me decide where to editorially take the Hypnotic Experience blog.

So…here they are…the four most popular articles during the initial half of 2016.  Each of these pieces attracted more than 1,000 readers.

Living in the Moment with Jade Holt

In this exclusive Q&A, Jade and I chat about our shared passion for positive energy and visualization, and the book she is writing about how people can realize success and well-being.

Dental Hygienist Talks Health, Wellness and Hypnosis

My interview with Shavonne Healy, an accomplished dental professional and rising star in the District of Columbia Dental Hygienists’ Association.   

RMHS’ Psychology Curriculum Comes Alive

During the past four years I have been fortunate to establish relationships with teachers at a number of prominent Washington, DC-area high schools.  I’m invited to campus each year as a guest speaker to give an informative and entertaining talk about hypnosis and power of visualization.

Here is a recap of my talks at Richard Montgomery High School (RMHS) in Rockville, MD to students in six Advanced Placement psychology classes. 

Subconscious Link Between Smoking and Gambling

A Washington Post article cites a 2014 report by Deutsche Bank that suggests a ban in Nevada could lead to a 7.5 percent decline in gaming revenue during the first year.  Here is the hypnosis angle.  Research organizations affiliated with the gaming industry suspect that smoking reinforces the trance-inducing rituals associated with gambling.

The Hypnotized Mind Explored

Unconscious or subconscious?  The hypnotized mind is explored in this article.  Photo is from my Hypnotic Experience show for the 30s/40s Group in Washington, DC.

When speaking to students in a classroom setting – either at the college or high school level – I’m often asked what is going on in the mind of someone who is hypnotized

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Does the person simply fall asleep?  How aware are they of their surroundings?  Why do they act on suggestions?

Included below is a link to an article published earlier this year by Science ABC that addresses those questions…and more.

It reinforces what I share with students during one of my talks:  hypnosis is a completely natural state of mind all about focus, concentration, creativity and enhanced suggestability.

What Happens to You When You Are Hypnotized?

By Rujuta Pradhan

Science ABC