Real Hypnosis Reviews

Experiencing Reality by Chris Cathey

2012-01-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

Title: Experiencing Reality: Perspectives from an Agent of Change
Author: Chris Cathey
Format: book
Source: sent to me for review from www.ExperiencingReality.com
Price: $15 at Amazon.com
Rating: Mixed

One of my favorite books is My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson by Sidney Rosen. Filled with easily accessible, short tales that Erickson told his students, relating events from his childhood, education, and work as a psychiatrist, it makes the perfect bathroom book, or the perfect tool to fill a few moments while you are waiting for your next client to arrive.

Chris Cathey's Experiencing Reality is perhaps best described as reminiscent of My Voice Will Go With You. The format and content are similar, short tales drawn from the author's childhood experiences playing soccer or camping, his training in the Marines, and his time working with troubled youth.

The stories are billed as metaphors, though the author leaves it to the reader to formulate what those metaphorical lessons may be, much the way that a change agent may operate with his clients. A few chapters—such as the one warning change agents against guru worship—fall short of metaphor, simply presenting straightforward advice. Others seem so obscure that the message is a bit hard to discern, though I suspect that may have been intentional. A few of the tales describe adaptations of Ericksonian methods, such as Cathey taking Erickson's approach to helping Olympic shot-putters and adapting it to helping a child overcome his fear of heights. (It is perhaps unfortunate that Cathey doesn't credit Erickson for this or any of the other methods he's clearly borrowing.)

All in all, I found a great deal to agree with in Experiencing Reality—especially the points about tailoring the work to the client, the value of kindness, and the need to avoid idolizing teachers. Indeed, I found little to disagree with. At the same time, I found very little that challenged me.

Of course, as an editor, I have to say that in a field with far too many poorly-punctuated self-published books, Experiencing Reality stands out for having very few typos and only a few sentences I had to re-read several times to decipher. Even so, it could have used one more pass from a copy-editor, if only to tighten up the punctuation.

The book is a quick and pleasant read, and because it consists of short, easily-digested chapters, it will probably take its place in my bathroom next to Rosen's work. While it might not change lives or revolutionize the coaching industry, Experiencing Reality certainly provides an illuminating diversion for anyone in the business of change. For someone just beginning that journey, there is a wealth of wisdom and advice.

Mainstreaming Your Practice with Michael Ellner

2011-07-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Title: Mainstreaming Your Practice
Author: Michael Ellner and Robert Aurbach
Format: two DVD set
Source: Anne King's Hypnosis Center (http://www.hypnosisclasses.com/products/video/video_mainstream.htm)
Price: $69 (see comments about a discount)
Rating: Good

Whenever someone on Hypnothoughts asks for advice in picking out teachers, my friend Richard Nongard always says one thing: Find a teacher who actually does the work. In other words, don't go with a trainer who does nothing but train; go with a teacher who actually works with clients on a regular basis. I think that's great advice.

And that's the beauty of the Mainstreaming Your Practice DVDs I recently viewed. Recorded live at a workshop held at Anne King's Hypnosis Center, this two-DVD set features boat-loads of wisdom from two hypnotists who have not only been there and done that, but are able to talk about in engaging ways. Michael Ellner has been in the business for decades, and Robert Aurbach brings his experience as "a recovering attorney" to the table, making for a dynamic workshop I wish I could have attended in person. But, hey, DVDs are the next best thing!

The main focus of the workshop was how to become involved in the Workers Compensation system, something Aurbach knows intimately. Indeed, it's fascinating, if a little discouraging, to hear him lay out all the hypnotic factors that go into convincing the Workers Comp recipient that nothing can help—which means that the first thing you have to overcome is learned helplessness. I appreciate that Aurbach doesn't sugar-coat how hard it is to break into getting Workers Comp referrals or how challenging the work can be; far too often, programs about marketing your hypnosis practice come off like get-rich-quick schemes. Not this time—Aurbach makes it clear that you're taking on a challenge, but he also emphasizes the potential hypnosis has for helping those who need it.

Both Ellner and Aurbach give brilliant insight into what to say to doctors, attorneys, and insurance adjusters to secure referrals. It's like having a phrase book full of magic words to get service in a foreign land. That's followed by a discussion of what sorts of attitudes are useful in helping those with chronic pain, your most typical Workers Comp client. Finally, both hypnotists share a variety of powerful techniques for addressing these problems. I won't give any spoilers here, but I have to say that I was amazed, both by the new-to-me techniques and the nuances on some of the tools that have been in my box quite a while. That section alone is worth far more than the bargain price of these DVDs!

Now, there are some flaws inherent in the product. Production values are quite low. The single camera rarely moves, and the opening music feels gloomy to me. There are no chapter divisions, making later review difficult. Worst of all, the audio quality was such that I had to turn up the volume quite high and occasionally rewind to catch details, especially when the window unit air conditioner in the classroom cycled on. I have to admit that the audio issues were bad enough that I initially stopped watching about 15 minutes in.

However I'm glad I decided to keep going, because the pearls of wisdom in these two DVDs are just plain wonderful. Even if Workers Compensation is not an area you are interested in working with, the video addresses other referral sources that can help mainstream your practice; and I don't see how any clinical hypnotist could fail to learn from the approaches and techniques presented.

In short, any aspiring or practicing hypnotist should order Mainstreaming Your Practice.

SuccessFit Trance-Formation

2011-06-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

Title: SuccessFit Trance-Formation Weight Loss
Author: Richard Nongard
Format: DVD, CD, and data disc
Source: http://www.subliminalscience.com/successfit-trance-formation-weight-loss-program.html
Price: $149.95
Rating: Good

Along with smoking cessation, weight loss programs are the bread-and-butter of most clinical hypnotists, and there's a wide variety of products out there. Nongard's SuccessFit program could easily get overlooked in the crowd, but certain features really make it stand out.

As you would expect, there are several recorded hypnosis sessions aimed at behavior change—four sessions in total, provided on two discs. I advise ripping them to MP3 and setting the sessions up as separate playlists. I made the mistake of putting all four in one playlist, figuring that I'd emerge at the end of the first one to shut off the player. Instead, I was in deep trance until the end of the third recorded session. Nongard knows his stuff, and his recordings are excellent. I'd love comment more on them, but in truth, I have amnesia for most of what he said . . .

One nice feature is that the first two hypnosis sessions each run only half an hour, and the second pair are ten minutes each. Many of my clients complain that they can't squeeze in an hour a day to listen to hypnosis CDs, so this is a great format when it comes to reinforcement.

The videos, and the approach presented within them, is what really makes the Successfit Program exceptional. The first disc is an educational video—not about hypnosis, but about nutrition. In it, Nongard relates the story of his own struggle with weight and poor health before laying out some excellent guidelines for what he calls "a high-nutrition lifestyle." Rather than imposing some untenable diet that may result in rapid but temporary weight loss, Nongard talks about how to really fuel your body. Rather than saying, "Don't eat these things that are bad for you," he says, "Here, eat these delicious things that will make your body feel great."

The second video takes that approach a step beyond most hypnotic weight programs—it's a cooking video. One problem, Nongard notes, is that many people don't know how to prepare nutrient-rich food so that it will be delicious. So, taking a page from the Food Network, Nongard dons a chef's hat and invites you into his kitchen, where he whips up delicious breakfasts, tasty protein-rich snacks, entrees worthy of fine restaurants, and even a vegan frozen treat that passes the kid test. I have to admit that my wife and I haven't made it all the way through that DVD yet; we stopped at the spring rolls with Asian peanut sauce so we could go to the kitchen and make our own. We'd meant it as an appetizer, but we were so stuffed on delicious, high-nutrition spring rolls that we never even got around to cooking anything else that night.

Supporting the video and audio discs is the data disc, which includes all the recipes from the cooking video as well as several cookbook recommendations. All of the hypnosis scripts used in the audio discs are also provided, along with a CEU exam for therapists and counselors who wish to use SuccessFit with their clients. There's a lot of value in that one box!

Of course, there are a few flaws in the SuccessFit product. Perhaps most noticeable is that the author, having just acquired greenscreen technology, went overboard in using it. Thus the informational video is a bit strange to look at, marring an otherwise professional product. And though the content is golden, the camera work and editing were copper at best. Most shots are completely static, which can work for a YouTube clip, but gets old in a longer piece. Some background music might have enhanced the experience. Finally, Nongard needs to smile more at the camera; he's quite charming in person, so he needs to let that come through on the screen.

Also, shame on him for not introducing the lovely Asian woman who helped him demonstrate how to make spring rolls.

All that aside, my one other criticism is that both videos left me wanting more: more information about nutrition (expecially the mysterious and sinister-sounding 'obesogens') and more wonderful recipes. This product needs its own facebook page where users could continue the experience, expand knowledge, swap recipes, and recommend products. (My wife and I have already purchased a salad keeper and food processor as a result of watching SuccessFit.)

To wrap this up, I've never been excited about a weight loss product before now. I'd say a bit more, but there's a hummus and spinach wrap on a sprouted grain tortilla calling my name!

Full Disclosure: Richard Nongard is a friend and mentor to me, and he did provide me with a copy of SuccessFit gratis so that I might write this review. Or maybe so I could lose some weight. Whichever . . .

Instant and Rapid Inductions, Second Edition

2011-06-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Instant & Rapid Inductions, Second Edition
Author: Sean Michael Andrews
Format: 3-DVD Set
Source: www.worldsfastesthypnotist.com
Price: $149.95
Rating: Excellent

Most hypnosis instructional videos are do-it-yourself projects put out by independent entrepreneurs, and that considered, we're used to cutting the creators a little slack. After all, if you really wanted to attend a workshop on a topic near-and-dear to your heart, but you either couldn't get away or couldn't afford the tuition, travel, room, and board—well, then you might be willing to put up with an unedited video archive of the event, just to get the content. I've ploughed my way through some videos that were tough simply because the noisy window unit AC in the classroom kept cycling on and off, but I stuck with the because I knew the information would be worth the effort. I'm sure that those who sell hypnosis instruction videos are glad to have such a forgiving market.

And now, Sean Michael Andrews has gone and spoiled it with his latest DVD product, entitled "Sean Michael Andrews presents Instant and Rapid Inductions (Second Edition)." Talk about raising the bar.

This three DVD set, with a run-time just shy of three and a half hours, is the best-produced hypnosis video I've seen, due to vastly superior cinematography and editing. The first edition product was quite good, but the second edition proves that you can make a good thing better. Andrews intersperses footage from multiple workshops, many office sessions, and a variety of street hypnosis outings. He employs a professional camera operator and uses a lapel mic, resulting in interesting video and excellent audio.

Now, no matter how fancy the wrapping is, if a birthday present is a box of manure, it fails as a gift, yes? Well, let me assure my readers that Andrews not only provided the same high level of content his fans are used to, but in my opinion, stepped it up a notch. For one thing, the three discs are jam-packed with information on a wide variety of topics: inductions, pre-talk, suggestibility tests, deepeners, safety concerns, methods for eliciting phenomena (including positive and negative visual hallucination), and multiple approaches to awkward situations. Despite having viewed a number of Andrews' earlier videos and studied with quite a few different hypnotists, I picked up some new techniques and nuances. Andrews' clear teaching style and fun personality make this video a must-have for any aspiring hypnotist.

Full Disclosure: Though I've never met Sean in person, he and I are online friends. He sent me the videos in hopes that I would write a review.

Reprogram Your Subconscious by Gale Glassner Twersky

2011-03-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

Title: Reprogram Your Subconscious: How to Use Hypnosis to Get What You Really Want
Author: Gale Glassner Twersky
Format: Book (with bonus recording)
Source: given to me for review (http://galeglassnertwersky.com/hypnosis-book/book-reprogram-your-subconscious)
Price: $29.95
Rating: Good

If you're new to hypnosis and thinking about undertaking a program of self-hypnosis, then Reprogram Your Subconscious is a good place to start. The book is well organized and clearly written, free from the abundance of mechanical errors that seem to plague writing in our field.

Gale Glassner Twersky lays out how hypnosis works—or more accurately, her view of how it works, as no one can say with complete authority exactly how it works—and delves into the benefits one can expect. She also acknowledges the limitations of self-hypnosis and the need to consult a professional in certain cases. Especially helpful, she gives a number of useful tips on making your self-hypnosis more effective, including one of my favorites: giving credit to hypnosis when you succeed in making a change. The many case histories are especially illuminating and inspiring.

Twersky also spends some time talking about some of the synchronistic effects of pursuing a course of self-hypnosis. So if you're okay with a mind/body/spirit approach to hypnosis that will discuss auras, past life regression, subtle "energies," and muscle testing, then this book is a good fit for you. If your jury is out on those matters, then the author does a good job of preparing you to understand what may happen when you pursue a path of spiritual self-improvement.

One extra bonus to this book is that it comes with a free download of a basic hypnosis session. (The CD version is available for just shipping and handling.) The author actually encourages all of her clients to use the recording several times before a session, and she encourages the reader to use it several times before undertaking self-hypnosis.

I downloaded the recording, which did involve navigating some rather arcane pathways on the Internet, including having to enter two different login names and passwords. Eventually I did acquire the mp3 and use it; it's your basic relaxation recording with some emotional cleansing and other positive suggestions, as well as a trigger for re-inducing trance. Twersky uses her voice well, and the background music is good. I certainly felt wonderful after using it.

The many steps that the author puts the reader through to acquire the download give me the impression that she's very concerned about people pirating it. In truth, if I were she, I would just give it away for free. It might be counterintuitive, but that's actually good marketing.

While overall a good introduction to the subject, Reprogram Your Subconscious did have some traits I didn't care for. Rather than just saying "hypnosis," Twersky refers repeatedly to "Reprogramming Hypnosis/Reprogramming Self-Hypnosis," her own licensed term that proves rather unwieldy when repeated ad nauseam. Part of RH/RSH involves using a computer programming metaphor to explain and execute hypnosis. While I agree that the computer can be a useful metaphor for a hypnotist, Twersky uses it so much that I begin to worry readers will take it literally, or failing that, carry it too far. This is a hazard with any metaphor. Another problem with using one metaphor repeatedly is that it may not be the right metaphor for certain readers/clients; a good hypnotist needs to be able to examine and describe hypnosis through a number of different lenses.

My other criticism of the work is that in a book running 233 pages, 100 of it is back matter, consisting of several published articles, some scripts, instructions for downloading the mp3, an index, a subtitle index, a bibliography, and a largely pointless glossary. Do I really need the glossary to define "Soul Sisters," the name of the women's spirituality group Twersky participated in? What about "gigabytes," a term she uses once that really has no bearing on hypnosis? Why list the American Board of Hypnotherapy but not NGH, IHF, ACHE, or IMDHA?

Half of the back matter is an affirmation journal, 50 mostly blank pages. Taken with the glossary, it feels a bit like padding, a ploy which is unworthy of the rest of Twersky's work.

Despite its flaws, if you're looking for a path into the world of self-hypnosis, and you are comfortable with some "New Age" flavor in a technological metaphor, then you could do far worse than to let Gale Glassner Twersky be your guide.

[Update: After reading this review, the author has streamlined the process for downloading the supplemental mp3.]

Miraculous Healing with Neuro-Linguistic Hypnotherapy

2011-01-26T19:57:00.000-08:00

Title: Miraculous Healing with Neuro-Linguistic Hypnotherapy®
Author: Keith Livingston and Michael Bennett
Format: DVD, CD, and Manual
Source: http://www.hypnosis101.com/healing-trauma.htm
Price: $89.95
Rating: Good

A lot of times, to really study NLP, you're expected to shell out thousands of dollars for a lengthy training course. Keith Livingston, with his "Neuro-Linguistic Hypnotherapy ®," takes a different approach, extricating specific skills and patterns to present in individual mini-courses, some of which he offers for free on his website, hypnosis101.com.

Miraculous Healing is not one of those he presents for free, but it's well worth the price tag. This product, created in collaboration with Michael Bennett of Bennett/Stellar University, presents the Traumatic Injury Relief Pattern, an NLP pattern that uses elements of dissociation, mental rehearsal, the fast phobia cure, and eye accessing to end chronic suffering and anxiety brought about by traumatic events, especially accidents. It's based on the idea that after a traumatic event, the unconscious mind holds on to suffering as a way of warning us not to do certain things. I don't want to go into any more detail here, because it would be easy to outline the pattern clearly enough that anyone with a little NLP training could figure out how to do it.

The package, which includes a DVD, a CD, and a manual (all conveniently packed into one customized three ring binder with a disc-holder page for those of us who don't like scattering our instructional materials all over the place), explains and demonstrates the pattern thoroughly. I particularly love the way that this product employs three different media, so that you can get some instruction by watching, some by listening, and some by reading.

The DVD starts off with Livingston explaining the steps in the pattern, but the bulk of the video comes from a workshop with Michael Bennett. He starts off by demonstrating the pattern with a volunteer, a young woman who has suffered chronic headaches and pain in the three years since being in a car accident. By the end of her session, about thirty minutes long, she is pain-free. (Livingston mentions in the introduction that she remained pain-free.) The rest of the DVD is the Q & A session that followed the demonstration.

The CD is an interview between Livingston and Bennett, focussing on the additional NLP techniques Bennett used during the demonstration, including embedded suggestions, reframing, visualization, and future pacing.

The 15-page manual recaps the Traumatic Injury Relief Pattern on one convenient page and provides a handy diagram for some EMDR-like hand movements—both very useful. The remainder of the manual is a short course, with exercises, in a number of NLP techniques.

All-in-all, it's a very well-put-together product. While much of it is familiar to the student of NLP, it's always good to review and see it all put together in an effective way.

If I were to nitpick, I'd point out two things. First, Livingston recounts a legend that this pattern was developed by modeling a Peruvian shaman. For real? Why do we have to ascribe some legendary origin to this technique? The methods are good enough to stand on their own without the veneer of hocus-pocus. Second, the theme music on the CD, which replays on every track, gets old fast.

To wrap up, if you do medical support hypnosis or work with people suffering from past trauma, Miraculous Healing provides you with a great tool to put in your belt.

Best Practices of Dave Elman

2010-09-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Title: Best Practices of Dave Elman
Author: The Dave Elman Institute of Hypnosis (Donald Patterson and Colonel Larry Elman)
Format: 4-DVD set
Source: http://daveelmancollection.com/
Price: $179.95
Rating: Good

Let's face it—-live hypnosis trainings are just plain fun. I'd love to have the money to run around and train in person from all the best teachers and hypnotists out there. It's not a matter of doubting my own abilities—-I don't—-but simply that every workshop has some fascinating nuance.

And I'd love to travel back in time to train with such greats as Elman, Erickson, McGill, Esdaile, Braid, and Boyne. Who wouldn't?

Well, the next best thing to actually attending live training is watching a good video recorded at a live training. Of course, you don't get the chance to immediately practice or receive individual coaching, but for me the worst part is that you don't get to volunteer. In fact, when I was watching Don Patterson's Best Practices of Dave Elman videos, I was rather jealous of the volunteers and had to work hard to keep from trancing out every time there was a demonstration.

The product is a four DVD set—-really three with a Bonus Disk—-created by Don Patterson (also known as Sean Michael Andrews, the world's fastest URL registrant) along with Colonel Larry Elman, son of the famous Dave Elman. In addition to the seminar video, each disk starts with footage from an interview with the colonel—-interesting stuff, though the Windows Movie Maker old-timey film effect wears thin pretty quickly. That effect, along with a few audio drops, is really my only technical complaint about the product. Past experience has shown me that if the flaws were serious enough to warrant asking for replacements or refunds, Patterson would make sure I was satisfied; his integrity always comes through in his customer service.

While Patterson's previous videos with Colonel Elman focused just on the famous Elman Induction, this workshop really covered the gamut of techniques discussed in Elman's Hypnotherapy and in his classes, including waking hypnosis, pain management, techniques for children, how to induce and deepen trance, how to break the hypnotic seal, how to perform regression-to-cause hypnotherapy, how to handle a "hypnotic hangover," how to induce the Esdaile state, and how to bring people out when they appear "stuck" in the Esdaile state. The demonstration of the hypnotic seal and how to break it was particularly fun to watch, even though it saddens me that we have to address that issue in this day and age. The material on deepening and even the chance utilization of the airplane taking off were simply great.

If I have any complaints about the mostly excellent instruction, they are very slight: There's some unnecessary scorn expressed for Progressive Muscle Relaxation and for Ericksonian language. Likewise, there's an important element of the Elman Induction that Patterson, otherwise the best teacher of the induction around, always seems to leave out, and that's the use of expectancy. The induction is not merely a series of steps, but at every step, the hypnotist says, "This is what I'll do, and this is how you'll react," before he does the step. Also, I'd love it if the only time I heard the term "hypnotic coma" was in the sentences beginning, "The misnomer 'hypnotic coma,' properly termed the Esdaile state, refers to . . . " It's a misleading and inaccurate term we should do our best to stamp out.

Overall, though, there's a lot of great material covered, and the experience is enhanced by commentary from Larry Elman. It's fascinating to see him demonstrate an "antique" version of the Elman Induction and discuss the evolution of his father's techniques from stage to medical classroom. Likewise, I enjoyed hearing him credit his mother, an oft-overlooked figure in the male-dominated history of hypnosis, with the idea for the Esdaile technique.

On the other hand, there was a bit of a disconnect between Patterson's teaching and some of the colonel's comments. For example, on disk one, Patterson uses the word "push" when he tells a trancer to "push" the numbers out of her head. When a student copies Patterson's language, Larry Elman critiques her use of that word, suggesting it's not a good choice. Then later in the video, Patterson uses the term again; I suspect it's a part of the patter that he uses automatically. Mind you, I don't think it's that bad a usage, but it was interesting observing the tension there.

And that leads me to note another curious tension present in this training. By teaming up with the colonel, Patterson has bought the Elman franchise, in a manner of speaking, even going so far as to rename a portion of his business "The Dave Elman Institute of Hypnosis." (Founded 1949!) This is brilliant marketing, but at times I could see Patterson straining against the strictures of just teaching Elman's methods. He does comment that his out if a client doesn't lose the numbers is to go to one of his rapid inductions. At one point, Patterson demonstrates a twenty-second headache cure he learned from Norm Caldwell—-something totally outside of the Elman canon.

(As an aside, a transcript of that twenty-second technique would be awfully nice to have.)

All of this leads me to a more profound tension I see in the work of the Dave Elman Institute. Dave Elman's importance to hypnosis was not simply that he gave us some great techniques that we can pass along to other generations. His importance comes from his innovation, his willingness to adapt what he knew to a new setting, his ability to package hypnosis in a form that was useful to medical doctors, and his skill at letting hypnotic techniques evolve over time. Enshrining Elman's innovations seems to me counter to the spirit of his work. Like any great hypnotist, he produced ideas and methods that should be examined, learned, and then modified to become part of a hypnotist's repertoire.

Of course, this is what Patterson has done, and that's why I could detect a bit of struggling on his part to teach only Elman's methods. I doubt that any hypnotist today does things exactly as Elman did them, even though we are all influenced by his work. Perhaps Patterson should relax and accept that he can teach neo-Elmanian techniques while still honoring the great hypnotist.

So where does that leave us in regards to this product?

Despite a few mild reservations, I'm happy to recommend it. The videos are well made, thoroughly enjoyable, and very informative, definitely worth repeated watching and study. Hearing Colonel Elman's stories of his father is as close to time traveling back to one of Elman's classes in the fifties as we're going to get—and what hypnotist hasn't dreamed of doing that?

[Full disclosure: Patterson is a friend of mine, and he has sent me several videos for review. Nonetheless, I maintain that I am as objective as possible in reviewing his materials.]

The Phone Book by Zarro and Blum

2010-08-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

Title: The Phone Book: Breakthrough Neurolinguistic Phone Skills for Profit and Enlightenment
Author: Richard A. Zarro and Peter Blum
Format: book
Source: http://www.soundsforhealing.com/Products.html#phonebook or Amazon (link below)
Price: varies
Rating: Excellent

When I requested that author Peter Blum send a copy of his 1989 classic The Phone Book for review, he graciously agreed, but added a caveat, which I will paraphrase: The book was written 22 years ago, with an intent "to counterbalance the overly wordy, academic, and intellectualized works that were out at that time explaining NLP." The author, looking back at it, explains that some parts strike him as childish and possibly condescending, and he adds, a bit apologetically, that he hopes he has learned some humility since then.

Well, primed as I was to read a book I wouldn't like, I have to say that I detected none of that condescension or arrogance. It just goes to show that even a long-time NLPer like Blum is still his own worst critic, drawing up a map that is far more dire than the actual territory. There's a lesson in that for all of us, I think.

Anyway, on to the review:

Cleverly titled, The Phone Book is written in the form of a novel, wisely employing the Ericksonian technique of encapsulating information in a narrative format. Our hero, Bob O'Ryan, is a former liberal arts major turned struggling salesman who simply detests cold calling and virtually any other use of the telephone. By a stroke of luck, Bob meets John Deltone, a highly capable salesman and communication expert who takes Bob under his wing, helping him re-discover the magic of the telephone.

Admittedly, it's not the Great American Novel, but it is engaging enough to avoid the trap of being dry and academic. More importantly, it cuts to the quick, briefly but effectively teaching a number of basic NLP concepts: reframing, the meta model, submodalities, and anchoring peak performance, to name a few. One particularly good part of the book describes the three primary representational systems in catchy terms: the eye-phoner, the ear-phoner, and the feel-phoner. Each one even comes with a caricature, for the visual learners—um, I mean, eye-phoners—in the readership.

During a visit with an extremely Ericksonian hypnotist, the main character even learns to look at the phone as a metaphor for our spiritual connection to the Divine, thus tying sales and spirituality together in a neat package. (As an aside, I want to thank the authors for helping re-frame hypnosis in the public eye.)

Of course, one problem with presenting information in a narrative format is that it can be difficult to review, but the authors cleverly took that into account: Protagonist Bob O'Ryan keeps a set of "phone notes" that are conveniently shared at the end of each chapter. I find that placing the book near my toilet for a quick glance through a few phone notes is a great way to internalize the information.

(By the way, readers should know that mentioning that I keep a book in my bathroom is possibly the highest praise I can give it.)

Is there anything to complain about in The Phone Book? Perhaps it's a bit dated, considering how much communication technology, the book's central metaphor, has changed over the last 22 years. That said, the basic ideas still apply even with today's technology. I found myself using them to great effect in a business email just yesterday.

While The Phone Book may not contain much that is new to someone thoroughly steeped in NLP, it is definitely a work I would recommend to anyone new to the subject, and especially anyone going into sales. In fact, I did recommend it to my nephew for just that purpose.

Many thanks to my online friend Michael Ellner for recommending The Phone Book to me.

Inductions and Deepeners by Richard K. Nongard

2010-08-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Title: Inductions and Deepeners: Styles & Approaches for Effective Hypnosis
Author: Richard K. Nongard
Format: book
Source: www.amazon.com
Price: $22.45
Rating: mixed

Disclaimer: Richard Nongard is a friend of mine, and his magnanimous advice and encouragement has made him one of the hypnotists I truly admire. Of course, as a reviewer, I have to set that aside and approach every work I review with a critical eye. I feel that I have successfully done that in this case, and I hope my readers will agree that I am unbiased by the end of this review.

As I've stated other times, I'm a bit of an induction collector. There are thousands of varied ways to induce trance, and I love looking at as many as I can, partly so that I can take them apart and figure out what makes them tick. So when I was attending Nongard's two-day basic hypnosis course and he offered me a couple of books to review, I was delighted that Inductions and Deepeners was one of them.

As an aside, I should mention that I thought Nongard's basic course was excellent. It was aimed at counselors and other health-care professionals who need CEUs. In two days, he took them through the basics of intake, pretalk, induction, deepeners, suggestions, and returns, in addition to addressing safety and professionalism issues. The course was very well put-together. When discussing it with Nongard, he mentioned that many instructors want to impress their fellow hypnotists, so they teach lots of fancy inductions instead of serving their students with good, solid, simple inductions. He certainly does a good job in his course of providing counselors with exactly what they need to start helping their clients with hypnosis.

But back to the review at hand. When viewed as an adjunct or extension of Nongard's basic course, the book shines, serving well to expand on the induction and deepeners he teaches his basic students. The techniques are simple and easy to use, making this an ideal book for that niche: counselors who are going to learn enough about hypnosis to use it as a tool while counseling, but who are not necessarily interested in devoting their lives to being hypnotists.

That said, for a dedicated professional hypnotist, the book left me disappointed. All of the inductions are in pretty much the same vein: a combination of progressive muscle relaxation, eye fixation, and visualization. Now there's nothing wrong with those approaches, and I have to admit that they are probably the best ones for counselors and therapists to use. But in terms of a book on the art of induction, the range seems very narrow.

The same problem occurs with the deepeners. They're pretty much all variations of counting down and fractionation. Before I was done, I kept having the feeling that I'd read the same passage more than once. Even the addition of the "reverse hypnosis" script—in which the trancer keeps his or her eyes open while imagining going up—does not present a radical departure from the rest of the book, educational as it may be to the novice hypnotist.

I was similarly disappointed to find little discussion of why the techniques work. Again, this may be simply a matter of me not being the ideal reader for this work.

All in all, if I'm right about the intended audience and purpose of this book, then I can certainly recommend it to those who attend Nongard's basic and advanced training courses, or for therapists who want simple methods for incorporating hypnosis into their practices. Those readers will definitely benefit, and their money will be well spent.

Nicotine: The Drug that Never Was by Chris Holmes

2010-07-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Title: Nicotine: The Drug that Never Was (Volume I: The Biggest Medical Mistake of the 20th Century)
Author: Chris Holmes
Format: Book
Source: Amazon.com
Price: $36
Rating: Good

Most hypnotists work with smokers at some point, and even those that don't will still field a lot of questions about smoking cessation. I've found in my own practice that no matter what I advertise, I get smokers calling me to ask if I can make them quit. In short, the nature of cigarette smoking is something every hypnotist spends some time thinking about.

British hypnotherapist Chris Holmes spent so much time thinking about it that he wrote a book, in two volumes, about the subject. Not surprisingly, he finds grounds to disagree with a lot of what the establishment has told us about nicotine and cigarette smoking. While I can pick a number of nits with his book, overall I have to say that Holmes' views make good sense and are presented in an enjoyable format.

Nicotine: The Drug that Never Was (Volume I: The Biggest Medical Mistake of the 20th Century) presents a rollicking look at why hypnotherapy works when Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) doesn't. The title is slightly misleading—the book is as much about hypnosis as it is about nicotine. A glance at the cover of the book (all black with a skull and crossbones above the title) leads the reader to expect an investigative expose, rife with uncovered details of how nicotine came to be regarded as an addictive drug rather than a deadly poison.

If you are expecting an investigative work, the book falls short. Though some studies are noted, especially in the later chapters, Holmes' work is not primarily investigative. He does restate his arguments a number of times without presenting new evidence, a technique that reminds me a bit of simply repeating a suggestion enough times that the unconscious mind accepts it—a fine technique for hypnotherapy, but a little bit annoying in a book.

Ultimately, the work is aimed more at potential clients than at hypnotherapists. In one sense, it's an expanded pre-talk. It makes the argument that hypnosis is the best tool for smoking cessation, but it doesn't provide a working hypnotist with much specific information on how to do a good smoking session for a client. I'm not criticizing; I just want to be sure that my readers (mostly hypnotists) know what they're getting.

Before I discuss the numerous good points about Nicotine: The Drug that Never Was, I'd like to briefly address a few flaws.

First off, there are several contradictions in argument. The author claims that the success of NRT in clinical trials was the result of the widespread myth of nicotine addiction, yet he also claims that the myth arose alongside the use and marketing of NRT. That timeline doesn't work; if the myth is part of the marketing, then the myth couldn't have influenced the initial trials involving NRT. Similarly, he insists that smokers don't actually know the effects of nicotine, which may well be true. But he then argues that smokers in patch trials must have recognized the presence of nicotine, thus enhancing the placebo effect and invalidating the results. Either smokers know the effects of nicotine or they don't—you can't have it both ways.

That said, most of Holmes' arguments stand up to scrutiny. More on that later.

There are a few other points I didn't like, but only a few. For instance, in his explanation of hypnosis, the author is somewhat derisive of stage hypnotists, though he stops short of calling for total condemnation and legislation to ban performance hypnosis. As readers of my blog already know, I believe performance and clinical hypnotists can work together for mutual benefit. I don't believe in deriding one to bolster the other.

Likewise, Holmes' attacks on the accuracy of animal testing of NRT are marred by his rants on the immorality of the same, undermining his argument. Finally, he makes some unsubstantiated claims that NRT producers funded the trials of NRT, thus biasing the results. While that may be true, speculation without evidence again undermines the author's otherwise convincing arguments.

Those criticisms aside, the book is otherwise quite good. It is built around clear, simple, common-sense arguments about the nature of nicotine. For example, Holmes debunks the idea that smokers enjoy nicotine; if that were the case, he argues, teens would be sneaking nicotine gum to each other, and smokers on airplanes would gladly wear the patch so as to enjoy transatlantic flights. I'd give more examples, but I'm sure the author would like it if you read his book to learn more.

Holmes provides "Case Mysteries" as interludes between his chapters, and these are highly entertaining and illuminating. Filled with anecdotes about quirky clients and unusual cases, the interludes do a lot to spice up the book, especially for the hypnotists amongst the readers. One such interlude de-constructs the work of Allen Carr, a British smoking cessation guru. By the time Holmes is done with Carr, there is not much left; it's a great read that made me laugh out loud.

The book is self-published, but relatively free of the numerous typos and grammatical errors that plague many self-published tomes on hypnosis. The author might have benefitted a bit from working with a professional editor, if only to rein him in now and then. Holmes comments that his wife took on the job of telling him when to stop trying to be funny. While I do believe humor has great value, and I did guffaw a number of times while reading, there were other times when I wish that Mrs. Holmes had been more strenuous in her duties.

I especially enjoyed this book's discussion of hypnosis and the subconscious mind. Holmes compares talking to the conscious mind to effect change as being like trying to persuade the receptionist of a major corporation to make a company-wide policy decision. The subconscious, he explains, is truly the CEO. That's a brilliant comparison I now use with my own clients.

Overall, I can point out a number of minor flaws in Nicotine, but in the end, the arguments make sense. Just as importantly, they are presented in an entertaining and insightful way, making this book useful to hypnotists and those who would like to stop smoking. I'd like to check out Volume II when I get a chance.

Medical Meditation by Richard Nongard, Ph.D.

2010-07-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Title: Medical Meditation
Author: Richard Nongard, PhD
Format: Book
Source: www.subliminalscience.com
Price: $14.95
Rating: Excellent

[Full Disclosure: Richard Nongard is a friend of mine who has provided a great deal of advice and encouragement. He gave me a complimentary copy of Medical Meditation to review, fully aware that I might give it a bad review despite our friendship. So what follows is my unbiased opinion.]

Regular readers of my hypnosis reviews blog might wonder why I'm reviewing a book about meditation. Well, the reason is simple. As the author explains on page 3, meditation and self-hypnosis are sister arts; indeed, for his purposes, the terms are interchangeable. Kudos for calling a spade a spade.

At first glance, Medical Meditation might seem like a slim offering in the world of mind-body medicine. How much can an author teach in just 74 pages?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

Dr. Nongard has a talent for stripping a topic down to its barest essentials and then teaching it in simple baby steps, and that's exactly what he does in this volume that is conveniently light enough for even the weakest of invalids to hold.

Though the book lists a number of applications for medical meditation, the text mostly focusses on chronic pain, cancer recovery, and meditation for pre- and post-surgery. This makes sense, as these are the areas with which the author or close associates have first-hand knowledge. Though the work is aimed primarily at patients with no prior knowledge of mind-body medicine, it's a good read for hypnotists; I can envision building an entire series of workshops around these methods for my local cancer center.

The book carefully guides non-meditators through the steps of deep breathing, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and autogenic training, first with simple, brief exercises, and later with expansions on each. Along with a brief chapter on lifestyle changes for the chronically ill, these simple but powerful techniques make up the core of the book.

The instructions for basic autogenic training are especially exciting, as information on that topic is surprisingly rare. The author has also created a five-week autogenic course that is available on DVD; perhaps I will review that at some point.

Best of all, Dr. Nongard explains and teaches meditation in a way that is free from all metaphysical trappings—other than a brief statement that positive belief really does foster positive outcomes in ways that defy explanation—thus making meditation accessible to anyone who needs it, despite religious background. For those who fear that meditation is about chanting with gurus, living in communes, eating vegetarian, and seeking enlightenment, this book is a welcome breath of fresh air. A deep abdominal breath, at that.

Can I complain about the book? Not much. I do have a pet peeve for typos, and the text is mostly free of them. There is, however, one typo of a sort I see over and over in the writing of hypnotists. How many times have I seen the words "breath" and "breathe" mixed up? Usually it's "breath deeply." That error sets my teeth on edge.

Well, the good news is that the typo only appears once in Medical Meditation. The bad news is that it appears in a very prominent, all-bold section title. Ouch.

Otherwise, though, I really can't complain about Medical Meditation. It's a practical guide, light enough in the hand that even the bedridden can use it, and light enough on the wallet that anyone can afford to give it as a gift. I wouldn't be surprised if some doctors kept a stack to hand out one to every patient. There are even some affordable recordings available to support the exercises in the book.

All in all, a deceptively simple text—like the practice of "doing nothing" for a while each day, it has a value far beyond what is apparent at first glance. I'm tempted to give it to a friendly doctor, but I think I'll be keeping it for myself.

Inducing the Trance by Sean Michael Andrews

2010-03-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

Title: Inducing the Trance
Author: Sean Michael Andrews
Format: video
Source: Amazon
Price: $79.95
Rating: Good

More and more people are eager to learn hypnosis these days, and Sean Michael Andrews is meeting that need with high-quality, affordable video instruction.

In Inducing the Trance, Andrews explains and demonstrates fifteen different inductions as well as providing a few details about deepening, a simple approach to handling abreactions, and of course instructions on how to emerge someone from trance. As an added bonus for the male viewers, he manages to have an attractive woman on the screen at all times, proving either that he's a marketing genius or that hypnosis really does enhance a man's charisma.

Though designed primarily for the aspiring hypnotists, this video is enjoyable and even informative for the more seasoned practitioner. Even though I've been studying and using hypnosis for years, I found some of Sean's subtler tips to be quite valuable, and I think that a new hypnotist could certainly learn volumes from this concise but well-made video.

The range of material is impressive. Besides some of the instant inductions Sean Michael Andrews is famous for, he also demonstrates how to do a progressive muscle relaxation induction, an ambiguous touch induction, and the cockroach-on-the-bar induction—he even demonstrates the stereotypical watch-swinging induction that is used so rarely today. Each induction is clearly explained and demonstrated. When necessary, Andrews stops the demo recording to provide commentary or plays the demonstration in slow motion to point out tiny but important details. The man makes learning easy!

Do I have any complaints about Inducing the Trance? A few--none serious, but worth noting as this is a review after all.

Despite the overall high production values, I found the volume to be uneven. I had to adjust it several times during the viewing. Andrews is rather dismissive of progressive muscle relaxation--not surprising for someone who bills himself as "The World's Fastest Hypnotist"--which I feel has a place in the hypnotic repertoire. (Admittedly, its proper place is not quite as prominent as many hypnotists have made it in the past.) He classifies the Bandler Handshake Interrupt as a confusion induction rather than as a pattern-interrupt. While that's not entirely a misnomer, as pattern-interruption is a sub-category of confusion, I feel the two categories are more useful if kept discrete.

Perhaps my biggest disappointment is that Andrews turns the Elman 3-Handshake Induction into a pattern-interrupt and shock induction. Of course, in practice, there's nothing wrong with that, but it misses the point. Elman taught that induction to illustrate the power of pure expectancy to his students. Andrews does his own students a disservice when he fails to pass on that lesson.

Despite the minor nits I've picked here, I still have to say that a learning hypnotist can hardly go wrong with this video. If you're considering a present for the new hypnotist in your life, this is the one to get. If you're more experienced, you can still pick up some great pointers and expand your repertoire by watching this video from a master.

Reality is Plastic by Anthony Jacquin

2010-03-03T10:55:00.001-08:00

Title: Reality is Plastic
Author: Anthony Jacquin
Format: book and video
Source: www.vegasstagehypnosis.com (video no longer available)
Price: $69 ($39.95 for book only)
Rating: Good

Reality is Plastic is a book with a companion video (sold separately). Taken together, the two present a great introduction to "impromptu hypnosis"—Jacquin's more accurate term for what is often called "street hypnosis" or "speed trance."

The video is a particularly engaging piece of instruction. Apparently recognizing that high production values were out of his reach, Jacquin has made the video artfully low-budget: oddly lit, black and white, with static-filled transitions, as though it were created in a post-apocalyptic underground bunker. As he leans a little too close to the camera, I almost expect Jacquin to say, "I am John Connor, and if you are watching this, you are the resistance."

Instead, he opens the video with something equally as striking, showing his natural performer's flair for the dramatic:

"I am Anthony Jacquin, and I am The Hypnotist." He then leans forward almost menacingly, getting right up to that camera. "And that's the first thing you've got to learn."

Indeed, the most important lesson in the book is about taking on the persona of The Hypnotist. (Jacquin capitalizes the term every time for emphasis.) It's clear watching him that The Hypnotist is a persona he takes on, and takes on perfectly. In fact, he's so wry and unsmiling that his occasional humor is powerfully hilarious.

Unlike some authoritarian hypnotists who have bought into their own hype, Jacquin seems to simply recognize the benefits of using public expectation about hypnosis by stepping into the role of The Hypnotist. But like any good actor, he makes the role his, adapting it to suit his purposes.

In fact, it could be argued that by utilizing the popular conception of hypnosis, Jacquin's authoritarian moments are Ericksonian in origin. I try not to think about that too much; it makes me dizzy.

All paradoxes aside, it is a joy to see a book about hypnosis that cites Elman and McGill as readily as it cites Erickson and Rossi, and I have to say that Jacquin's style easily synthesizes the two different approaches to hypnosis. His interactions shift from permissive to authoritarian so subtly that there's no clear dividing line.

The book contains quite a bit of explanation that's not present in the videos, but even so it is relatively light on theory. This is nuts-and-bolts, working-class hypnotism. Jacquin's chapter on definitions of hypnosis touches on history while not getting bogged down repeating the same information we've seen in many other texts. Ultimately, the point of that chapter is that effectiveness is more important than theory. Though I would have liked a bit more explication of principles—for instance, Jacquin never points out the fractionation inherent to the structure of his interactions—I have to agree with his overall point: Theories come and go, so results matter more.

The real meat of both the book and the video consists of several "set pieces," a small number of inductions, and a few applications for entertainment and therapy. The "set pieces" are what others would call suggestibility tests, convincers, waking hypnosis, or even "hypno-tricks." While they are time-honored methods, Jacquin's brilliant execution of them is well worth studying.

The several inductions Jacquin presents were mostly new to me, which is refreshing. There are only a few, but Jacquin urges his readers to learn a small number of inductions and learn them well. His purpose is to warn new hypnotists not to waste their lives in a quest for what I call "The One True Induction"—the mythical induction that outstrips all others and works perfectly in every situation. While I agree that mistake is best avoided, I'm personally a bit of an induction collector; I believe that the more inductions you explore, the better your understanding of the principles behind them.

Then again, Jacquin does a great job of summing up an important principle that underlies all inductions: "An induction technique is a vehicle for your confidence, your persona, your intent to hypnotize."

To conclude, while I could argue here and there about minor theoretical points, there's no argument at all with Jacquin's clear and utilitarian presentation of the material. His prose is fluent and easy to grasp, even if a proofreader might have helped in a few spots. Though the language is very British at times, I had no problem sorting it out as an American reader.

I could complain that the video lacks footage of some of the more spectacular stunts described in the book, but I suspect there is a copyright issue at the heart of that.

Most surprising to me is that Jacquin changed my view of authoritarian techniques. Even his use of the term "subject" doesn't bother me the way it usually does. When Jacquin says it, he sounds not like he's a scientist referring to a lab rat, but more like a feudal lord referring to someone under his benevolent influence. He made me realize that taking charge is not all bad—so long as you don't believe your own advertising.

All in all, a very good product.

Post Script: After reading this review, Jacquin sent me a PDF entitled Reality is Plastic: Reloaded. It's fifty pages of additional material, new tips, clarifications, and trouble-shooting. And it's free to owners of Reality is Plastic, making the book an even better investment.

The Dave Elman Induction by H.L. Elman and D.H.Patterson

2009-12-05T12:19:00.000-08:00

Title: The Dave Elman Induction
Author: H.L. Elman and D.H. Patterson
Format: 2 DVD set
Source: Amazon
Price: $99.95
Rating: Excellent

Even after reading (and loving) Dave Elman's classic book, Hypnotherapy, I was never a big fan of the famous Elman induction. I tried it a few times while in training, but I never seemed to get the results Elman claimed it could produce--so I moved on to other inductions that were more my style and produced (for me) great results.

So I was curious when Sean Michael Andrews (aka Donald Patterson) announced that he was making a video entirely about the Elman induction. When I saw that it came in a package deal with an interview of Dave Elman's son, I decided to take the plunge. If nothing else, the interview would be worth the price, as it would surely shed some insight into the work of one of the most important hypnotists of the 20th Century.

Well, I was not disappointed by the interview; it's absolutely fascinating. Hearing firsthand anecdotes about Elman's life and experiences as a hypnotist, performer, and trainer is a wonderful opportunity. The account of how Elman taught his son is simply delightful, a real pleasure to watch. There are some slightly odd moments in the cinematography of the interview that make me wonder if there was a technical glitch—but these are minor and fall short of detracting significantly.

Well, I liked the interview, but I was extremely impressed with the instructional video. Patterson's teaching style is excellent, and for once, here is a hypnosis video with high production values. After watching the video once, I found that the menu made it easy to zip right to the parts I needed to review.

After only a little study of the video, I find that I'm now getting great results with an induction I had previously had trouble wrapping my head around. I now see why it's such a favorite, and it's quickly becoming one of mine.

The section on deepeners should not be overlooked. Since I've never been fond of methods that involve a lot of counting, the one-to-fifteen fractionation method was never a favorite. But after watching this video, I'm finding myself using that method more and more.

Patterson really thought this product through. It's details like the insert with a copy of the induction script that show you that this video is a labor of love, a fitting tribute to a hypnotist who changed the world.

I hate giving a purely glowing review, but I'm afraid I have to. I'm finding it hard to complain about anything in this product. In short, this DVD set should be on every hypnotist's shelf.

Modern Hypnosis: Theory and Practice

2009-11-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Title: Modern Hypnosis: Theory and Practice
Author: Masud Ansari
Format: book
Source: gift
Price: free
Rating: mixed

Modern Hypnosis gets the prize for the least aptly named book I've read in a long time.

Well, perhaps that's unfair. The book is about hypnosis, but there is little in this self-published tome that can be regarded as modern in its approach.

Though originally published in the nineties, this book's obligatory chapter on the history of hypnosis ends before 1960, as though there have been no significant developments in hypnosis since that time. Furthermore, the chapter closes with the American Medical Association and its British counterpart approving the use of medical hypnosis. Unfortunately, the chapter fails to mention that both organizations have since reversed that decision, a regrettable fact that is nonetheless significant, especially when we consider rumors that some hypnotists have landed in hot water for claiming AMA approval on their websites.

Of course, something very significant in hypnosis history did happen in the 1950s: Dave Elman published his famous book and trained thousands of doctors and dentists in the use of his methods. But Ansari neglects to mention Elman anywhere in his book. I'll get to my suspicions as to why that is in a moment.

There are other aspects of this book that strike the modern reader as outdated. The author persists in using academic terms such as "subject" and "susceptible," a practice that is fading outside of academia for good reason. The connotation of these words implies that hypnosis is something a hypnotist does to a passive "subject," whose ability to enter trance is characterized as "susceptibility," the same word we use to denote a weak immune system.

The description of hypnosis as though it were a disease dovetails nicely with the misconception that some people are immune to hypnosis, that is, "insusceptible." I find that the hypnosis community falls into three opinion groups on this topic. There is the academic group, who arrived at this notion through a series of clinical trials that fail to consider the artistic and individual nature of trance induction. There is the group who take the attitude that everyone can enter hypnosis, and it's up to the hypnotist to facilitate that. And there is the group of hypnotists who hide behind their failure to find the right induction with the claim that "the subject is not hypnotizable." Rather than problem-solve or admit that they are not all-powerful and all-knowing, they simply claim that the deed can't be done. All in all, it's a top-down view of hypnosis that is neither accurate nor useful.

In keeping with this approach, the author presents considerable information on the various depth testing scales that academics have devised. To his credit, Ansari does admit that some authors question the utility and accuracy of depth scales.

Another early chapter in the book describes the conditions necessary for hypnosis. The author then advises the reader on how to arrange an office, what color to paint the walls, what kind of sounds to have, and so on. While I agree that I much prefer to do a session in my carefully arranged office, it's ridiculous to suppose that those conditions are necessary. I've done powerful change work in settings that were perfectly the opposite of what Ansari says are necessary—noisy, hot, uncomfortable, and full of distractions. My client was even wearing a corset, which Ansari recommends should be loosened prior to induction. (When I read that sentence, I immediately checked to see in what century the book was written.)

The chapter on induction starts with eye fixation and then discusses a number of the standard inductions of the first half of the twentieth century. Not surprisingly, there is no mention of Elman. A brief but scornful section on rapid inductions repeats all of the worst stereotypes of stage hypnotists and discusses the old "cut-off-the-blood-to-the-neck" hypno-trick as being representative of rapid induction methods. It's ironic that Ansari writes with disdain about the theatrics of stage hypnotists, yet later advocates casually cutting or burning a client's hand in order to test anesthesia. Who's showboating now?

Overall, I get the impression that the author is doing his best to fit in with the academic hypnotists. This group is characterized by their disdain for stage hypnotists, their reliance on antiseptic terms such as "subject," their complete refusal to acknowledge the value of Elman's work, and their insistence that hypnosis should only be practiced by members of their degreed brotherhood. I call this group the "priest hypnotists" because they call people like me "lay hypnotists." (More on this in another post.)

Ansari claims doctoral degrees in hypnosis and psychology, but a little investigation has shown that the degrees are not from accredited institutions—in other words, from a legal and academic standpoint, they are fake. The author might be an extremely skilled and knowledgeable hypnotist, but when it comes to the academy, Ansari is a wannabe.

Modern Hypnosis: Theory and Practice is not entirely without utility. Any examination of hypnosis through another's eyes may shed light for the reader, and a studious hypnotist may find a nugget of gold even in a trash heap of worn-out information. It was possibly worth the price I paid for it--but then again, I got it for free.

Psychic Development for Beginners

2009-11-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

Title: Psychic Development for Beginners
Author: William W. Hewitt
Format: book
Source: Half-Price Books
Price: $8.60 (Amazon)
Rating: Good

Psychic Development for Beginners might not initally sound like a hypnosis book, but don't let its title fool you. A follow-up to Hewitt's Hypnosis for Beginners, this book applies self-hypnosis techniques to developing psychic ability. Like Hewitt's hypnosis book, it follows a simple, easy-to-read format, and it is strewn with a wealth of charming and illuminating anecdotes that are perhaps the book's greatest strength. Fortunately, it avoids the cumbersome filing system and tendency to talk-down to the reader that marred Hewitt's work on hypnosis.

In truth, this book has better instructions on developing self-hypnosis than many others I've read. Hewitt calls it "going to your basic psychic level," which is another way of saying "going into a light trance." One of his first exercises involves a self-induction visualization that concludes with a post-hypnotic trigger for returning to that level any time the reader counts down from three to one. That on its own is worth the price of the book.

(I typically tell my self-hypnosis students to choose a trigger that appeals to them, and I think Hewitt's method could have been improved by such an option.)

Interestingly, Hewitt repeats the balloon-releasing deepener from his hypnosis book, only this time he admits that it relates to the chakras. Another technique I gleaned from this book involves visualizing a conversation with a person you are having difficulty with; I've found that it works for clients in hypnosis as well as it works for me in self-hypnosis.

The book boasts of 44 psychic exercises—self-hypnosis exercises really, some of which don't have much to do with being psychic but are nonetheless useful. So far, I have only pursued a few of them, but the book offers years of development in a concise, easy-to-use format.

Hypnosis for Beginners

2009-11-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

Title: Hypnosis for Beginners
Author: William W. Hewitt
Format: Book
Source: Half-Price Books
Price: $9.32 (Amazon)
Rating: poor

Hypnosis for Beginners was the first how-to book on hypnosis I read, and to this day, I have a love/hate relationship with it.

One of the things I love about this book is that the author's personality shines through in his writing; for the most part, Hewitt comes off as a kind, warm, caring individual who is looking back on a long career in hypnosis and offering what advice he can. Perhaps my favorite portions of the book are the anecdotes he relates about interesting, amusing, and sometimes astounding experiences he had as a hypnotist. These stories, such as one that involves helping a young woman recover from sexual assault or one that involves using self-hypnosis to perform near-miraculous healing, can be extremely inspiring to the aspiring hypnotist. Similarly, the author works to impart an ethical sense to his reader, arguing against exorbitant fees and stating that he maintains a strict rule of no more than six sessions for any one issue. He also describes with considerable revulsion an electric shock machine, intended for aversion therapy, he inherited when he took over another hypnotist's office; in fact, he refused to sign for it and insisted it be removed before he would move in.

Another fine quality of this book is that the initial chapter lays out the bare basics of how to be a hypnotist, from how to set up an office to what tone of voice to use, in simple terms, thus living up to its title. It does not delve into complicated definitions of hypnosis or explore debate about what is actually happening during hypnosis. This book keeps it simple.

Besides the introduction and the anecdotes, most of the book consists of scripts, and that is its biggest downfall in my opinion. Though the scripts are carefully organized into subsections called 'routines,' which the author advises keeping on 4 x 6-inch note cards for easy organization, this filing system is overly laborious and makes for onerous reading. Even worse, most of the suggestions, deepeners and even the inductions are ninety to one-hundred percent direct suggestion. Complex issues such as weight loss are handled by handing the client a strict diet and hypnotizing him or her to follow it; in one case, the author used hypnosis to make a client repulsed by her favorite snack food, so that she actually gagged when trying to eat it. When compared to other methods I've encountered, Hewitt's seem antiquated, overly simplistic, and in some cases cruel.

Despite the flaws in the scripts, I did find a few gold nuggets in the mud; several techniques I gleaned from his book have proved useful. One of the best involves the client visualizing a beach on which important affirmations are slowly written in the sand by the client. Another is a deepener in which the client releases balloons one at a time. (The balloons are in the colors of the chakras, though the author does not admit to this in the book.)

The scripts and techniques are not the only archaic part of the book. Though published in 1997, this text reflects the author's experiences dating from the 1970s to his retirement in 1992, so all technology described was nearly out-of-date even at the time of publication. He advocates the use of cassette tapes and apparently has never heard of the Internet or even a personal computer. His section on what to charge is similarly dated, though his admonitions against greed are timeless and admirable. Interestingly, he does advise the hypnotist to insist on payment in advance.

Perhaps the greatest flaw in this book is a flaw of omission. While the author briefly dispels a number of the common hypnosis myths, he fails to mention that many people remember their first session in its entirety, and that the subject typically remains aware throughout the process. These may seem like basic concepts to an experienced hypnotist, but to someone who has only this book to work with, who is following the author's instructions to the letter, omitting this information can make success feel like failure. In my case, it may have set back my study of hypnosis by several years.

All in all, the book was probably worth the bargain price I paid at the used book store. The simple introduction to hypnosis is concise if incomplete. The practical instructions are generally out-of-date, but the inspiring anecdotes make up for it. I'm not sure I would recommend this book to a new hypnotist, at least not without several caveats. Considering the low price of the book, the fact that it is published by Llewellyn, and the frequency with which it keeps turning up at used book stores, I suspect it may befuddle new hypnotists for years to come.

The Worst is Over

2009-11-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

Title: The Worst is Over
Author: Judith Acosta and Judith Simon Prager
Format: Book
Source: Half-Price Books
Price: $4.84 (Amazon)
Rating: Good

The Worst is Over is a critical text on "verbal first aid," the application of hypnotic and NLP techniques to emergency and other medical situations. Aimed primarily at medical personnel but applicable to people in all walks of life, this book first explores the mind-body connection and then gives protocols for handling various situations. At all times, the book is grounded in practical advice; it emphasizes that verbal first aid and treatment go hand-in-hand with physical treatment.

In addition to exact protocols, the book lays out a sequence which is useful for any hypnotist to know: gain rapport, extend the contract, and give therapeutic suggestions. Because people in emergency situations are already in an altered, highly suggestible state, this simple format does not require knowledge of inductions or deepeners. For the same reasons, it's important for medical personnel to be aware of the dangers of saying the wrong thing in critical moments, and the book does an excellent job of preparing the reader to say the right thing. The methods in this book are worth internalizing, so that the reader can use them even in a highly stressful situation. Just remembering the title can be key in helping any trauma victim move past a disaster and into the healing zone.

Although the book is all about techniques which are employed in hypnosis, the authors avoid using the "H-word" for most of the opening chapters, and then mention it only lightly. One suspects that the authors get better reception from medical personnel by not coming right out and using the word "hypnosis"; it's a sad truth that even with decades of clinical research, hypnosis still struggles with a negative reputation in some quarters.

After addressing emergency situations, the authors go on to show how to apply similar techniques to pain management, chronic conditions, emotional disturbance, suicide attempts, and even grief counseling. (For this reason, a minister friend of mine was quite intrigued by the book; he instantly recognized its applications in pastoral care.) A final section gives valuable advice on using the techniques on oneself, recognizing that a caregiver needs internal mechanisms for dealing with the stress helping others. Again, though not aimed specifically at hypnotists, the recommendations of this section are valuable to anyone who practices therapeutic hypnosis.

Considering how affordable paperback editions of this book are, there's no reason every hypnotist shouldn't have it on the shelf.

Monsters and Magical Sticks: There's No Such Thing as Hypnosis?

2009-11-14T21:57:00.000-08:00

Title: Monsters and Magical Sticks: There's No Such Thing as Hypnosis
Author: Steven Heller and Terry Steele
Format: Book
Source: Amazon.com
Price: $12.89
Rating: Excellent

Despite being nicknamed "The Wizard," the late Steven Heller presents his ideas and observations based on a lifetime of innovative hypnosis in an extremely down-to-earth, clear, concise fashion. The somewhat facetious subtitle—There's No Such Thing as Hypnosis—is drawn from one of the many anecdotes he uses to illustrate his methods; in this particular case, a Pavlovian psychology professor scoffed at a hypnosis experiment Heller proposed, exclaiming, "That will never work because there's no such thing as hypnosis!"

Early on in the book, Heller addresses this question and explains that if people define hypnosis according to the prevalent but fiction-based stereotypes, then there is indeed no such thing as hypnosis. However, he goes on to make the argument that real hypnosis—in the form of what he dubs "hypnotic transactions"—is ubiquitous. Indeed, he puts forth the argument that all learning and most behavior follow a hypnotic pattern. He illustrates how useful it is for a therapist to analyze behavior in this way to facilitate change.

As a side note, the introduction to the book, provided by one of my favorite authors, the late Robert Anton Wilson, presents the ubiquity of hypnosis beautifully. That introduction alone was worth the price of the book.

With an approach similar but parallel to Erickson's, Heller uses numerous teaching stories to convey his message, and the title comes from one of them. In it, he relates that his young son was plagued with a fear of nighttime monsters. Rather than spend countless hours trying to reason with his son or discount the boy's fears, Heller went to the hardware store and bought materials to make a "magical monster-repelling stick." He then taught his son a "magical" ritual for banishing the monsters, which the boy performed for a few nights in a row. Within the week, the son returned the stick, saying he no longer needed it. Heller's point with this story is that addressing irrational, unconscious behavior with rational, conscious therapy is largely a waste of time.

Heller presents a number of fascinating methods in this book. I've decided to extract and summarize several of them for my own use, including techniques for clients "too tense to relax," a method for anchoring a calm response, and a fascinating technique involving two contradictory anchors that cancel each other out.

Written at an easy to understand level but chock full of profound observations and effective techniques, Monsters and Magical Sticks has much to offer anyone from the neophyte to the master hypnotist.

What This Blog is All About

2009-11-14T21:37:00.000-08:00

When I first started studying hypnosis several years ago, I found that simply searching for knowledge on the Internet yielded a huge volume of information, mostly ads for different products, books, and training programs.

I soon began to suspect that a large amount of what was offered was terrible, but I was sure there had to be something worthwhile out there as well. As a neophyte, I had no idea what was good and what wasn't.

Most "review" sites weren't much help. There are, for example, several advertisements masquerading as hypnosis review blogs here on blogspot. They're easy to spot because they have only one entry, pushing only one product.

So I've started this blog to review books, DVDs, CDs, workshops, and other hypnosis education materials. I'll tell you where to get them, roughly what they cost, and how I acquired my copies. If I received a free copy or otherwise have a connection to the author/seller, I'll disclose that. And I'll tell you what I think about them, even when it ain't pretty (and sometimes, it ain't!)

I don't sell any of these products, and I don't get a kickback if any of them do sell.

You might ask how can I be unbiased in reviewing something I receive for free. Wouldn't I owe someone a good review if they gave me a free copy of their book? Not at all, and here's why:

If a book is good, and I say it's good, then I'm not failing in my duty to give an honest review, even if I received the book for free.

If a book is terrible, and I have to suffer through reading it, then the author has given me nothing of value, so I'd have no incentive to write a favorable review. Got it?

Now, if you are someone who sells hypnosis books, CDs, DVDs, training, tools, and so on, and you'd like me to publish an honest review of your materials, just drop me a line at HarmonyHypnotist AT gmail DOT com.