5 Most Requested Positive Outcomes from Hypnosis

At the conclusion of a performance of my “Hypnotic Experience” show I encourage attendees to approach me with questions or to discuss positive outcomes they hope to achieve in their life.

In many instances, these post-show discussions lead to the scheduling of a one-on-one hypnosis session.  It’s in this environment that I can tailor the hypnotic induction and visualization to a person’s specific goals, empowering them to pursue meaningful change.

Here is a list of the five most common things requests I receive from individuals seeking positive outcomes with hypnosis:

5.  Athletic performance improvement, either in a team or individual setting.  I’ve worked with a number of college and high-school aged athletes helping them maximize their talent and training.  Here’s a post that overviews a session with a field hockey player who wanted to excel at the next level of competition.   

4.  A higher level of focus on the job or in the classroom.  Here is a link to a session write-up about a person seeking career concentration:

“I Can’t Be Hypnotized,” She Thought.  Or Could She?

3.  Self-confidence in career and personal relationships.  This blog post details my experience with a sales professional who needed help rising above prospect objections.

  

2.  Stress management and mitigation.  An individual session I hosted this past weekend was with a woman who faces several critically important life decisions during the next few months.  The mounting stress had become unbearable. 

1.  More restful and better sleep.  This is by far the most often requested desire from hypnosis.  Whether it is insomnia, nightmares or irregular sleep patterns, the simple goal of achieving a good night’s rest is paramount for many. 

Hypnosis empowers a person to make positive change.  (Photo source:  Siena.edu)

A Very Musical Hypnotic Experience

A few weeks back I was fortunate to connect with the organizer of one of the largest and most popular social Meetup groups in the Washington, DC area. 

It was the perfect time for us to talk as he sought to diversify the types of events he was hosting for members and I was interested in performing the more entertainment-oriented version of my “Hypnotic Experience” show.  With spring and summer approaching, there are typically a myriad of opportunities to appear at community festivals, fundraisers and college/high school events.

My performance this past Friday in Washington, DC’s Chinatown area was a wonderful experience and a big time success.

--The audience was exceptional!  Nearly 60 young professionals interested in learning more about hypnosis as a tool for emotional and physical health, well-being and balance.

--The upscale venue and time (Friday evening) made for a festive environment.  As such, my goal was to strike an appropriate balance between entertaining and educational in putting on “Hypnotic Experience.”

--I had a dozen volunteers, most of whom achieved some level of hypnosis.  There were a few who went deep enough in to trance to comfortably act on more complex suggestions, including one participant who was in the audience.

--The highlight of the performance was when I suggested to the volunteers they were to compete for a $10,000 prize in an American Idol competition.  Only two people acted on the suggestion and serenaded the audience with their favorite song, yet they both have amazing, professional quality voices.

I used this as an opportunity to reinforce the understanding that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.  The fact that both women have a beautiful voice led them to be comfortable to embrace the suggestion.

You can learn more about Friday’s event and read comments from the attendees at this link.  

Why Millennials are Part of the Stress Generation

The Huffington Post’s Arianna Huffington makes a compelling case to rebrand “Millennials” as “Generation Stress.”

In an article published earlier this week, Huffington cites the results from a recent survey entitled “Stress in America” that found people ages 18 to mid-30s are more anxious, strung out and tense than older generations – Generation X, Boomers and Matures.

This stress is having big-time impact on the health and wellness of Millennials.  In the survey, 44 percent of Millennials reported irritability and anger as a result of their stress, and nearly 20 percent said they’ve been diagnosed with depression.

I have written frequently on this blog about individuals who have sought out hypnosis as a tool to help them better manage stress and reduce its negative outcomes.  For instance, there is the woman who grinds her teeth, as well as the person who suffers from nightmares.

Simply put, stress is negative energy the body will shed – whether we like it or not.  I always encourage people to take ownership of stress mitigation through the use of hypnosis, meditation, yoga, physical exercise, etc.

Whatever works for you…go for it.  The stress ownership process is empowering, which, of course, further reduces anxiety.

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

Are you a Millennial interested in learning more about hypnosis and its use in stress relief and relaxation?  Check out my “Hypnotic Experience” show this evening (Friday, February 22) in Washington, DC.  The event is hosted by the 20s and 30s Going Out Group.

You can learn more about the event and see photos of people who have registered to attend at this link.  Act quickly though because there are only four spots left.

Hypnosis as a Tool for Relaxation and Healthy Balance

Last week I co-hosted an event with DC Global Adventurers about the use of hypnosis as a tool to improve health, well-being, self-confidence and happiness with life.  You can read my impressions of the session with nearly 30 exceptional professionals at this link.

In speaking with attendees prior to and after the hypnotic induction, there were a couple of common areas of interest when it comes to harnessing the power of positive visualization, including:

--Better manage work and family-related stress
--More peaceful and deeper sleep at night
--Higher level of energy and focus on the job
--Overall self-esteem and confidence

It's with these outcomes in mind that I share this excellent article published by the New York Times entitled "Relax!  You'll Be More Productive."  The author -- Tony Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project -- explores why we perform better in our career and in athletic competition when we maintain healthy balance.

Schwartz does not mention hypnosis in the article, yet I have found the healing and soothing affects of hypnosis empower individuals to meet (and even exceed) their performance expectations.

Included below are two choice quotes I have pulled from the article. 


--In a study of nearly 400 employees, published last year, researchers found that sleeping too little — defined as less than six hours each night — was one of the best predictors of on-the-job burn-out. A recent Harvard study estimated that sleep deprivation costs American companies $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity. 

 --Our bodies regularly tell us to take a break, but we often override these signals and instead stoke ourselves up with caffeine, sugar and our own emergency reserves — the stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol.

They look relaxed, right?  A group of student volunteers at one of my hypnosis shows..

More Hypnosis with DC Global Adventurers - Mostly Positive with an Unexpected Twist

Let’s start this blog post with a Nejla Routsong love-fest.

Who is Nejla?  She is the founder and lead organizer of DC Global Adventurers, a social Meetup group that I’ve established a partnership with to co-host a series of events about self-hypnosis.

DC Global Adventurers now exceeds 1,600 members because of Nejla’s commitment to organize unique activities that contribute to physical and emotional well-being.  Hiking, snowboarding, meditation, yoga, hip hop dance, cultural celebrations…it’s all on the agenda.

Plus, the group earns its “global” name by offering once-in-a-lifetime trips to exotic locations like Thailand.

This evening nearly 30 professionals gathered in Chevy Chase, Maryland for a DC Global Adventurers Meetup entitled “Self Hypnosis for Love.”  I’ve included below my observations and thoughts about the event, comparing it to a group session I hosted with Nejla in January.   You can also find a few photos from the event at this link.

1.  Larger and more diverse set of attendees.  Attendance this evening was 2X the number in January.  I attribute that to Nejla’s promotion of the event, the 500+ new members who have joined DC Global Adventurers in the past month and the mostly positive reviews I received after last month’s session.

The group this evening was more balanced in terms of gender, as compared to January which was 13 females and a lone male.  There was also a more diverse mix of demographics and cultural backgrounds, which is representative of the Washington, DC community.

2.  More intimate pre-talk.  As I have written on this blog, the most important part of my “Hypnotic Experience” performance is the pre-talk.  I clear up mis-perceptions about hypnosis, discuss its benefits and set expectations for what is to come.

This evening I extended the length of the pre-talk to incorporate a few more personal anecdotes about my life.  I addressed the role my subconscious mind played in an ill-fated decision to pick a fight while in college, as well as a challenging time in my marriage.

Hypnosis is an intimate experience and, as I have come to learn, a group session with a collection of relative strangers can be intimidating.  My goal was to demonstrate my own vulnerabilities to establish a connection and comfort with the participants.

3.  Changed up the hypnotic induction.  I changed up the lead-in to the hypnotic induction and asked the attendees to close their eyes more quickly.  I still took them through an initial focus exercise, yet wanted to remove the visual stimuli that results from a group setting.

With nearly 30 people in the room, there was a mix of responsiveness to the hypnotic induction.  Just as I expected, I had a handful of attendees who dropped deeply into trance, a few who bounced in and out, and a couple who achieved only a light stage of hypnosis.

After bringing the group out of hypnosis to discuss their experience, I had a few attendees ask me to fire up the wireless microphone I bring to performances.  It was needed for clarity as I soften my voice during the induction and suggestion process.

4.  Positive outcomes.  I relied primarily on my “go to” positive visualizations for self confidence and stress management.  I did introduce a new scenario that focuses on meaningful change, yet (admittedly) need to work on language and flow.  My delivery was a bit clunky.

The reaction I received from the attendees was overwhelmingly positive.  I define what a person should consider a successful initial experience with hypnosis (i.e. refreshed, relaxed, positive and interested in trying it on their own), and that seemed to be achieved.

In fact, I have a group of attendees who expressed interest in a one-on-one session.  That’s when I can tailor the process and approach to their specific outcomes.

5.  An unexpected twist.  One DC Global Adventurer member came away from this introduction to hypnosis feeling sluggish with a bit of nausea.

I have had this reaction from show participants in the past and it’s often associated with someone who experiences motion sickness.  The deepening process of the hypnotic induction is motion-based (i.e. go 20x deeper every time I suggest “sleep”).

I spent a few minutes with this participant in follow-up to the event.  I brought the person back into hypnosis, tested the level of suggestion acceptance and then shared a few visualizations to promote physical stability (i.e. lying comfortably on the ground under a tree).

The environment wasn’t ideal though, so the outcome was only moderately successful.

Nejla and I are already in discussion about co-hosting another appropriately themed event on self-hypnosis in March.  Stay tuned in to this blog post as I’ll update it as soon as the event is announced.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE:  FEBRUARY 14

I raised the issue of the participant who felt nausea to an online community of hypnotists I am a member of called Hypnothoughts.  I thought this insight from a hypnotist named Sean Michael Andrews was particularly helpful:

Sounds to me like a "hypnotic hangover." Sometimes people will emerge with a headache or feeling of nausea or sometimes just feel "fuzzy." Re-hypnotize and emerge with suggestions of vitality and energy and all sorts of good feelings.

I used to get this in about 5% of subjects, but since I emerge with lots of health suggestions, this never happens anymore.

Hypnotic Expectations for Health and Well Being

Pre-talk sets expectations about hypnosis.  New Year's Eve show at Capital Hilton.

I spend a fair amount of time in front of an audience.

Professionally, I run a social media marketing consultancy and am often invited to present at industry conferences and corporate events about digital communications.  During the past few weeks my speaking schedule has taken me from Orlando to Vancouver.

On occasion I also take a stab at stand-up comedy, typically at community festivals and fundraisers in the Washington, DC area.

And finally, there is my “Hypnotic Experience” show that focuses on the emotional and physical empowerment achieved through positive visualization and hypnosis.  I have an exciting set of performances lined up this month and in March.

Regardless of the topic or venue, I have come to understand a successful performance or presentation is  influenced by a single critical attribute:  audience expectations.

In my demonstration and teaching of hypnosis for well-being, the pre-talk is the most important component of a performance.  I define hypnosis.  I set aside the myriad of inaccurate perceptions.  And I hint at what's to come during the show.

The daunting challenge I face is the promise or prediction about the outcomes for a participant who gives hypnosis a try.  Yes...it can have rapid and meaningful impact that inspires a person to achieve positive change (i.e. stress management, more confidence and self-esteem, better sleep, injury recovery, more focus on the job, etc.).

More typical though is for the introduction to hypnosis to leave a person refreshed and relaxed, yet without a sustained impression.  Long-term change comes from the daily practice of self-hypnosis, which is something I teach in every session.

A single work-out at a gym doesn't produce ripped and toned muscles.  A single lap around the track isn't adequate preparation for a marathon.

It's the same with hypnosis.  It takes an ongoing commitment to truly realize the life shaping benefits. 

Big Visual Miss from I Am Modern

Inaccurate perceptions about hypnosis run wild.

Mind control…magic…Voodoo…mental trickier…I have heard it all.  It’s why I invest time prior to any performance or individual session on a pre-talk.  My goals are to establish a level of interest and comfort in the hypnotic process, and how it is a tool to help with emotional and physical well-being.

Yet, it’s hard to dispel the myths, especially when I unintentionally contribute to them.

A few months back I was asked by an editor at I Am Modern magazine to write an article about the benefits of hypnosis for their February 2013 “Health” issue.  She had heard about my “Hypnotic Experience” show after a performance I gave in November in partnership with Professionals in the City.

The resulting article published this past week has been well received.  In fact, I have already received a couple of inquiries from readers who are interested in learning more about the practice of hypnosis.

So, how what’s bad about the story? 

Check out the illustration the editors selected to accompany the article.  It plays to this nonsense stereotype that a hypnotist is a tuxedo clothed illusionist who yields magical powers of mind control.

Yuck!  This disastrous visual selection crushes the message of my article.

I encourage you to read the article, yet focus on the words.  And then read this piece entitled “Hypnosis Myths…Solved.”   It does a wonderful job of clearly explaining what hypnosis is and why it’s such a wonderfully powerful tool for positive change. 

The February issue of I Am Modern magazine includes my article on hypnosis.