Hypnotic Experience in the TerpZone

This past weekend I wrapped up a super fun high school after prom season by entertaining at an event hosted by Northwood High School’s PTSA.  The venue was awesome – TerpZone in the Student Union on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park.

I’m a Maryland graduate and had not been in the Student Union for more than 20 years.  It was wonderful to be on campus and I privilege to contribute to an event that provides a safe (and fun) environment for students.

In fact, this year I entertained at after prom events hosted by 10 schools in Montgomery County.  I’ve included below a few photos from TerpZone. 

It is easy to host my Hypnotic Experience show at an after prom event.  I just need a place to set-up and access to a few chairs for volunteers.  I take care of the rest.

TerpZon features bowling, billiards and other activities.

This display in the Student Union is awesome.  It tracks major moments in the history of the university.

How Credible are Hypnosis Videos Uploaded to YouTube?

Have you ever seen a hypnosis show?  Perhaps it was on a cruise ship?  How about at a county fair?

This is how I engage with volunteers at a high school after prom or all night graduation party.  Rather than performing a traditional stage show, my “Hypnotic Experience” is a series of mini-shows or demonstrations that last about 20 minutes each. 

This approach fits better with the flow of the event as it doesn’t require the kids to gather in a single location for a show.  Plus, it allows more kids to try hypnosis as part of their celebration of prom or graduation.

This gets me back to my introductory remarks.  The answers: 1) Yes…most kids have seen hypnosis performed; yet 2) not at a county fair or on a cruise ship.  Rather, they’ve watched or even tried hypnosis from a video on YouTube.

How credible are these YouTube videos that demonstrate hypnosis?

I have watched my share of them to study the hypnotic induction techniques employed by others.  I’ve noted the visualization language, and evaluated the rhythm or cadence of delivery.  I have considered the suggestions used as convincers.

Here are my thoughts on how to evaluate the quality of a YouTube hypnosis video:

1. Consider the source.  Was the induction created by a hypnotherapist or experienced entertainer?  The more the uploader shares about their background and its credibility, the more trustworthy the induction.

2. Read the comments before trying the induction.  Have users expressed or shared positive remarks after trying the hypnosis video?  Or, are the comments vague or (worse) critical?  What if there are no comments at all?  You’ll want to steer clear of an induction that lacks validation from the user community.

3. Try the induction with a friend there for support – even if the video seems to check out.  With an experienced hypnotist in a comfortable environment, an induction is as safe and fun as day dreaming.  However, like most things in life, trust is absolutely essential.  Social media content posted by someone you don’t know lacks that trust.

Do your due diligence, evaluate and, if you still want to try a hypnosis induction on YouTube, have a friend or family member there to watch.

More Than Four Walls

Each year I have the opportunity to visit nearly 20 high schools in the Washington, DC area. 

I guest speak at psychology and health classes in Montgomery County to introduce hypnosis as a tool for confidence and stress management.  I also entertain at after prom and all night graduation parties hosted by Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSA) in both Montgomery and Fairfax Counties.

It’s through this interaction with teachers, parents and students that I have come to appreciate: 1) the culture at each school is somewhat unique; yet 2) the commitment to foster a learning and growth environment is absolutely consistent.  As a father of three sons I find this comforting.

My experience last week provides an example of everything right with schools in this region.  I spent two days on campus at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland to speak with psychology students about hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness.  The kids were engaged and inquisitive with many eager to try a basic hypnotic induction.

After my talk, the teacher who hosted me and I chatted with a couple of students about their hypnotic experience.  The conversation shifted to other areas of their life, such as college selection, peer interaction, etc.  I was so impressed with the kids’ maturity, as well as their focus on living productive and caring lives.

Early Sunday morning found me on-site to entertain for the after prom at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland.  This is a unique public school as the student body combines kids who live in the neighborhoods with those who travel a great distance for the science and math magnet program.

During my nearly four hours at the after prom more than 75 kids gave hypnosis a try.  It was a lot of fun and I had a myriad of parents who were there to chaperone express their appreciation for my participation.  I also had the pleasure of meeting Blair’s principal.

What is the take-away?

The educational mission of a school is important, and there is a lot of pressure on administrators, teachers and parents to make good on the promise.  I’ve found that schools are much more than four walls.  They truly provide a community for students to thrive.  And that is what is happening!

And finally, I wanted to share “thank you” notes I received from two Good Counsel students who attended a couple of my talks on campus.  Each student volunteered for hypnosis several times.

I wanted to thank you for coming to our school and especially for hypnotizing me (3 times)!  The whole experience has been enlightening and extremely helpful.  Thank you for helping me to become more confident in both my studies and my athletics…I know that if you can convince me of my worth that I can (and have) convinced myself.

Thank you for making time for my psychology class.  It makes me want to continue to learn about psychology and learn about myself as well.              

Great Read on Mindfulness for Employee Wellness and Productivity

Here is a link to an interesting and informative article about the practice of mindfulness by organizations that seek to improve employee health, wellness and productivity.  The article is authored by two consultants from the Boston Consulting Group and cites mindfulness programs from innovative companies like SAP, Aetna and Bosch.

How Companies Can Instill Mindfulness

A Story of Tweens and Hypnosis

This past weekend I had the privilege of performing my Hypnotic Experience show at a birthday party for an 11-year-old.  Rather than accepting gifts, the birthday girl asked her family, friends and guests to make a donation to KaBOOM!, a charitable group that constructs playgrounds in underserved communities.  She raised more than $600 for this wonderful organization.  

Admittedly, I was a bit apprehensive about this show because the tween age group is atypical for me.  Most of my entertaining is for high school and college aged students, as well as young professionals and adults.  

Would the kids demonstrate the level of focus required for hypnosis?  How would the content of my pre-talk resonate with tweens?  How would parents react to a hypnotist?  These were questions I considered as I prepared for the show.

I elected to stick with my standard approach with some minor content adjustments, based on what I believed would resonate with tweens.  The party came together well and, based on the feedback I have received from the hosts, the Hypnotic Experience was a success.

Here are a few of my thoughts:

--Kids this age are just starting to develop the attention span that makes a 45 minute to an hour hypnosis show fun.  I made the right call to streamline the pre-talk content by cutting down on a couple of the anecdotes related to applications of hypnosis.

--Similar to older kids, tweens absolutely have an interest in hypnosis.  Rather than the health and wellness, academic or athletic benefits, it’s more of a natural curiosity.

--Nearly every kid in attendance volunteered to try hypnosis, which presented some challenges for me.  Of the 25 or so kids who participated, my guess is a handful truly reached a state of hypnosis with heightened suggestibility.

--Thankfully, the birthday girl was one of the kids hypnotized which allowed me to use a basic suggestion to demonstrate her creativity.  Her friends truly enjoyed that.

While I plan to stick with my performance niche, I do anticipate having the chance to introduce hypnosis to tweens when I perform this summer at the Arlington County Fair and Burke Centre Festival.  

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