I'm a Funny Hypnotist "Dude"

A BIG thanks to the AP psychology teachers at Paint Branch High School in Silver Spring, Maryland for hosting me this past week as a guest speaker.  I donate my time to speak on campus at Montgomery County high schools as part of the psychology and health curriculums. 

My presentation is an exploration of hypnosis and its most popular applications for students (i.e stress management, academic success, and athletic performance.)  I pepper my talk with fun and engaging anecdotes, as well as a few jokes.  Some of the jokes play well with a high school audience.  While others not so much.

Here is a nice Email I received from one of the Paint Branch psychology teachers after my visit.

 

Thank you so much for coming to Paint Branch and sharing with our students.  It is definitely a highlight of the school year!  I hope the afternoon classes were as awed as the morning classes.

My students were buzzing this morning with excitement over their experiences.  These were their quotes:

 

    "Please tell that dude that his jokes were really funny"

    " I was so relaxed, especially after my hands were glued together"

    " He reminded me of Adam Sandler"

          " He thinks we didn't think he was funny, but really we did. We are just too nonchalant to show it"

Anyhow, we loved it. Thank you again.

Contributing to a Wellness-Palooza

In addition to the time I volunteer to speak on campus with college and high school psychology students about hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness, I also donate my services to perform at wellness-themed events.  I personally get a lot of fulfillment from sharing with people a tool to help them mitigate and manage stress.

Here is a nice note I received from a guidance counselor at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland after my appearance earlier this month at the school's "Wellness-Palooza."

 

We can’t thank you enough for your willingness to be ready, available, unimaginably flexible, positive, genuine and so generous helping us to promote wellness and care for our students and faculty.  Hypnotic Experience has been a great draw each time we offer wellness opportunities. The kids arrive curious and nervous; they leave so filled up with lasting goodness.  Your partnership and contributions are so valuable to us.

 

"Lights Out" Hypnosis at Quince Orchard High School

For nearly ten years I have donated my time to speak on campus at Montgomery County high schools about hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness or as a tool for stress management. Although there is typically a high level of interest in the topic, speaking to students at this age in a classroom environment presents interesting challenges. 

I thought I had seen, experienced, and worked through most everything. That is until yesterday! I had the opportunity and privilege to visit Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where I spoke with students enrolled in health classes. 

The final class of the day had a wonderful group of volunteers, many of whom achieved a deep level of hypnosis. To gently bring my volunteers out of the hypnotic state, I count up slowly from one to three, snap my fingers, and say the words “back in the room.” 

Just as I reached the number three and snapped my fingers, the electricity in the entire school building failed and the classroom was plunged into darkness. The teacher and I were stunned and (thankfully) my volunteers emerged from hypnosis feeling positive and energized. A few moments later the power restored to the building, the lights came on, and I was left with yet another fun anecdote to share.

I have included below a video of my hypnosis induction from a presentation at Clarksburg High School, another Montgomery County school.

 

 

 

 

Hypnosis and Mindfulness Intersect in Stress Mitigation

A new study organized by Baylor University has found that "mindful hypnotherapy" delivers a high level of stress mitigation and relief.

In this summary article about the study, Gary Elkins, Ph.D., director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor, explains:

"Combining mindfulness and hypnotherapy in a single session is a novel intervention that may be equal to or better than existing treatments, with the advantage of being more time-effective, less daunting and easier to use.  This could be a valuable option for treating anxiety and stress reduction."

As pandemic related stress levels continue to soar, I anticipate there will be continued evaluation of techniques and approaches that can be easily employed to improve health and wellness.

One Writer's 3-Step Approach for Stress Management

Hypnosis is a tool that can help a person more effectively manage stress and the unwanted behaviors that can result.  (Photo source:  Healthline)

The health and wellness version of my Hypnotic Experience show is popular at corporate events and retreats, as well as on campus at high schools as part of the health education curriculum.  The application of hypnosis that draws the most interest is its use as a tool to manage stress and the unwanted behaviors associated with it (i.e. grinding teeth, restless sleep, etc.).

Here is a link an interesting article that explores stress management.  The writer offers a three-step process that allows a person to take better control of how they manage the challenges of life.


This is the Best Way You Can Overcome Stress
by LaRae Quy
SmartBrief

Stress is the response of the body to a demand for change. Stress is unavoidable and, in moderate doses, it’s very healthy. It gets our butts in gear and helps us perform better. Athletes and musicians understand that stress helps them perform at optimal levels.  But not everyone copes with stress in the same way. Some people perform well under pressure and continue to excel at their job. Others collapse into a puddle.

Good Read in Soul2Work: Fear as a Root Cause of Stress

Through this blog I like to share articles I come across that offer insight and guidance on how to achieve a healthy and productive lifestyle.

I have included below a link to a good one from Scott Mabry on stress management in a professional setting.  He appropriately identifies that the root cause of stress is often fear, and then offers a methodology to for a busy professional to find focus and balance.

The Power of Creating and Holding Space

Soul2Work Blog    

Teens Talk Hypnosis Part II: The Good, the Bad and the “Interested”

For the past five years I have had the good fortune of being part of the health curriculum at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland.   

Nikki Marafatsos, the health educator, has developed a unique approach that incorporates a group of guest speakers to share with students different viewpoints related to stress management and overall wellness.

My entertaining talk introduces hypnosis, and its applications for stress and confidence.  I then perform a basic hypnotic induction for volunteers. 

Mrs. Marafatsos solicits feedback from her students about my talk and demonstration, which she then shares with me.  The comments are thoughtful, insightful and (brutally) candid.  It’s exactly what one would expect from a group of high performing teenagers.

Three years ago I published a blog post entitled Teens Talk Hypnosis:  The Good, the Bad and the Boring.  It continues to be one of the most popular articles on this Web site. 

I thought the time was right to once again share feedback from Whitman’s health students.  There is a lot of good…some bad…and (interestingly) a high level of interest in learning the practice of self-hypnosis.

The Good

I enjoyed the experience.  It opened doors for me to manage stress and I even used the strategy last night when going to sleep.

The guest speaker was very interesting.  It was very weird to get hypnotized, but afterwards I did feel very good.  I think this is a good to tool to se while playing sports or trying to sleep.

I enjoyed the presentation!  It was a really interesting way to combat stress.  Thinking about the active mind versus the unconscious mind is new to me.  I definitely want to use hypnosis or meditation in a daily routine.

I really loved the presentation and it actually worked!  Really cool!

He is a cool guy.  I was very attentive to what he had to say.  The hypnosis seemed to actually work on me.  I feel pretty weird.  Overall, it was a great experience.

It gave me a lot of new techniques to help with not only stress, but also sports.

He was very good and informative.  It was interesting to see how strong the mind is.

He is super cool!  I think that hypnosis is something that actually helps to relax and was kind of fun to watch.

Yesterday, I actually was able to sleep well, and have a productive day.  While being hypnotized, I felt stress free.

The Bad

He was very entertaining and uplifting, but he talked a lot and sometimes too fast.

He seemed to talk a lot and was kind of funny.  He could have explained what he did the volunteers after.

It was a good presentation, but he could have talked more quietly.

It was interesting, but kind of creepy.  It could be useful maybe, but I am not sure ow to do it on my own.

I thought the presentation was interesting, but he talked way too much.

The techniques he used seemed legit and helpful.  He could improve on his jokes.

The class was calm.  The presentation was alright, but I didn’t really like the speaker.  I don’t really see how it calming it can be if you are being screamed at by a speaker.

The Interested

It was interesting, but I wish I remembered how to do it to myself.

I liked his soothing voice, but I won’t be able to do it to myself.

It was good except he did not tell us how to do it so we can repeat it or gain something from it.

He didn’t involve everyone and he didn’t teach us how to help manage stress ourselves.

I really enjoyed it.  I didn’t learn how to self hypnotize though.

Great speaker and good presentation.  Curious to know how to do it yourself.

The feedback I would give is explain more how we can employ similar techniques without a hypnotist.

Stressed at Work? You're Not Alone.

A recent survey from payroll company Paychex validated something most of us have long suspected – work stresses us out.

Deadlines, weekend requirements, missed family time, dysfunctional relationships with co-workers…it all adds up to 80 percent of respondents feeling overwhelmed.  And that’s not good for our physical and mental health, and overall wellness.

How do we combat stress?

This article published in Forbes magazine offers up some excellent suggestions.  Of most interest to me is the recommendation to “find your inner Buddha.”

Guided meditation, visualization and…yes…self hypnosis…are all wonderful ways to more effectively manage job-related stress. 

Read more about stress management on this blog at the following links:

Research Finds Job Stress Can be a Killer

Self Hypnosis for Stress Mitigation and Empowerment

Why Millennials are Part of the Stress Generation

My Call for Stress Busting

Work Related Stress Costs Business $300B Annually

Yes...you read that headline correctly.  It's a "B" for billion.

The results of a survey conducted by Eastern Kentucky University on the impact of work related stress on employee health and productivity are staggering.  Here are the primary culprits:

-Workload:  46 percent
-Personnel Issues:  28 percent
-Juggling Work/Life Balance:  20 percent
-Job Security:  6 percent

I initially wrote about the issue of stress in the workplace in April 2013 when discussing how CEOs are improving performance via meditation, hypnosis and other tools and tactics.  When you consider the results of this new survey, it's apparent the positive impact from a corporate stress reduction initiative would extend well beyond the executive suite.

Image Source:  EHS Today

3 Snapshots of Hypnosis in Action

I enjoy all aspects of a Hypnotic Experience performance gone right – the engaged audience, interested volunteers and an appreciative event organizer.

Perhaps most rewarding for me though is the one-on-one conversations I often have after a show with individuals who become interested in how to incorporate self-hypnosis into their life.  It’s all about empowerment for health, wellness and exceptional living.

Last week I had the pleasure to meet individually with three women who I have met at either a show or in some other social environment.  Each has a specific challenge they sought to address through the practice of hypnosis and positive visualization.

Here’s a snapshot of each:

Focused Professional

About

An intelligent, dynamic person who works in a highly skilled career environment, often defined by pressure situations.

Goal

Reduce anxiety and improve performance when giving a presentation in front of a significant number of colleagues and/or peers.

Visualization

Focus on a moment of personal and/or professional accomplishment and subconsciously attach the feeling of strength and confidence to a power word.

Mother To Be

About

A newly expectant mother in a loving relationship with one son.

Goal

Become a non-smoker without the use of the patch or other type of nicotine based solution.

Visualization

Healing waters to wash away the desire to smoke, subconsciously replacing it with feelings of connection to family.

Pulled in Many Directions

About

A finance executive and single mother of three children all under the age of 10.

Goal

Stress management and patience to facilitate more productive interactions with children.

Visualization

Subconsciously connect the face (or thoughts) of her children with a sense of love, comfort and serenity.  

Volunteers at a Hypnotic Experience show with a focus on visualization for health and wellness.

Apparent Tie Between Acupuncture and Stress Management

Research points to the positive influence acupuncture has on stress mitigation.  (Photo: Heal by Hands blog)

 

The intimate tie between the health of our mind and wellness of our body is recognized by the medical community, yet still poorly understood. 

That’s why ongoing research and analysis into alternative approaches on stress management is so important.  I have written extensively about the use of meditation, visualization and hypnosis as tools for exceptional living.

A new study by researchers at Stanford University explores what (if any) impact acupuncture has on a person’s ability to manage and mitigate stress.  A summary of the findings can be found at this link.

The conclusion is encouraging, although it is apparent much more study and research needs to be conducted in this area.

“Some patients' HRV increased over weeks to months during the course of acupuncture treatment for hypertension as evidenced by a decrease in their LF/HF ratio. This would indicate a relative decrease in their physiologic stress.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In early October I am scheduled to talk about the practice of self-hypnosis for health, stress management and exceptional living at a corporate wellness event sponsored by the Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Facilities Management.

Personal Stress Management Plan for Health and Wellness

Wisdom found in a fortune cookie.  Positive visualization is a powerful tool for health, wellness and exceptional living.

Stress is a scrooge.  It is negative energy that can limit our body’s ability to self-regulate, optimize performance and maintain health. 

 

It's for this reason it is so important for each of us to find and develop a personal stress mitigation plan.  You may like intense and competitive activities such as kick-boxing, basketball or weight lifting.  Or you might prefer more mindful oriented endeavors like yoga, meditation and knitting.

The activities are up to you…just discover something that works and stick with it.

In the years I have performed Hypnotic Experience, I have had a myriad of people approach me after a show to inquire about self-hypnosis as a tool for stress management.  They’re often at a point of total frustration resulting from stress-induced phobias and other destructive behavior.

Insomnia…teeth grinding…skin picking…nightmares…panic attacks…I’ve heard it all.  My advice is always the same:  visit a medical professional to make sure stress is truly the culprit.  And, if it is, consider giving self-hypnosis a try as part of a personal stress plan.

Recently, I came across two articles that I reminded me how devastating stress can be on a person’s wellness.  Each of these stories relay extreme measures taken to alleviate the symptom.

Yet, the root cause still remains.  Rather than taking on the symptom, make personal stress management the goal.  The body will most likely take care of the rest in a positive and productive way.

  

What Does Determination Sound Like?  Could It Be the Noise of Grinding Teeth?

Washington Post

Need Some Shut Eye?  Try a Spritz of Melatonin

Businessweek