An Educator Tries Hypnosis -- And Loves It!

“Today I was hypnotized at school and it was freaking awesome!!! No, I didn’t do anything silly, but I got out of my comfort zone (you know I am a control freak) and it worked!!”

This quote is from a high school psychology teacher who invited me into the classroom this month to speak with her students about hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness.  After listening to my talk and watching a hypnotic induction I use that employs guided meditation, she decided to give it a try.  Her reaction is wonderful!

The “control freak” comment is of particular interest as I do hear this from time-to-time from people who don’t believe they can achieve a state of hypnosis. 

All of hypnosis is self-hypnosis.  I just serve as the guide.  Rather than a loss of control, it’s all about achieving a higher level of control and confidence.  A person must be open to it.  

You can find more testimonials from event organizers, educators and people who have tried hypnosis on my Web site at this link.

Running to Hypnosis for Peak Performance

Fall is marathon season on the east coast. 

 

Cooler temperatures and lower humidity provide a much needed reprieve from sweltering summer days.  Runners take to the streets in Washington, DC for the Marine Corps Marathon and New York City for a historic race that snakes through five boroughs.

Distance running weighs heavily on the body and the mind.  Perseverance is paramount, and many competitors have discovered the practice of self-hypnosis for confidence, physical well-being and injury recovery.

I’ve performed my Hypnotic Experience show at the Marine Corps Marathon’s Pep Rally with visualizations that focus on strength and positive energy.

I also recently came across this tutorial in Runner’s World magazine that provides a nice overview of self-hypnosis for both the serious and social racer.

How Self-Hypnosis Could Help Improve Your Running (February 2018)

Teens Talk Hypnosis Part III: The Good, the Bad and the "Unfunny"

For the past few years the health educator at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, MD has solicited feedback from her students after I visit her classroom to talk about hypnosis as a tool for health, wellness and confidence.   

She is kind enough to share this candid feedback with me, which is helpful as I am constantly and evaluating the content and delivery style of my talk.

Here are link to past articles I’ve published on this blog with student feedback:

Teens Talk Hypnosis – the Good, the Bad and the “Boring” (February 2015)

Teens Talk Hypnosis Part II – the Good, the Bad and the “Interested” (March 2018)

I’ve included below a selection of direct comments from high school students after my most recent on-campus talk in September.  As always, it is an interesting mix of the good, the bad and the “unfunny.”

The Good

The class went by very fast.  I was entertained.  The jokes were funny and the things I learned about hypnosis were interesting.

It was so cool!  Great ways to think about stress management.  The balloon and sand bucket trick was amazing!  I went home and showed it to my family.  Overall, a great class and performance.  I wish he could come again!

It was nice being hypnotized.  It helped me feel more relaxed.

I really liked him.  I can use the information he shared about hypnosis and stress management because it is relevant to my life.

Loved it!  I was super in to the hypnosis.  It would have been even better if the introduction was shorter and the hypnosis was a bit longer.

It was fun and I learned a lot about controlling stress.

I liked the hypnosis presentation because I am into mindfulness and practicing relaxation.  I’ve done meditations with music playing and that usually helps me get more relaxed.

I wasn’t expecting the hypnosis to work, but I fell asleep immediately and it was a really cool experience.

The Bad

He had pretty good jokes, yet it felt weird when I was participating.

The guest speaker had a positive attitude, but after being hypnotized I felt dizzy.

I thought it was scary and kind of creepy.

Hypnosis was very strange and felt like I mostly just zoned out.

The hypnosis made me tired.

I don’t know how people actually experience hypnosis.  For me, nothing changed the whole time and I felt the same way afterwards.

I did not feel comfortable with him whispering because I didn’t expect it.

The Unfunny

It was engaging and entertaining, yet parts of his talk felt too scripted.

I thought the guest speaker was nice and positive.  Some of his jokes were funny, though some were not.  I liked his energy and thought the hypnosis was cool.

Overall, I enjoyed the performance, but some of the jokes fell a little flat.