>>>>It is wrong to think just because you've read a dozen books and done some online research and maybe even seen a couple of hypnosis shows that you are qualified to start doing hypnosis or any other professions, talent or skill. <<<<

How can anyone new on here think otherwise when there are so many cheap products thrown at them on the threads! the implied suggestion that not only is it ok but its desirable to have ago without training...

Having said that I hypnotised my first person at the age of 12. I did it from the emsley joke catalogue that sold a five page booklet on how to hypnotise someone. I did a progressive relaxation induction then some suggestions for body catalepsy.

Which worked like a dream. The only problem was that the suggestions to remove it didn't work. To make matters worse I was doing this with a couple of friends on a stair landing. My friend panicked and started to cry. He asked me to phone his parents. Before we could do anything a neighbour started to come up the stair. Being a responsable 12 year old me and my other friend ran further up the stairs.And left our friend lying spread eagle in the landing.

My neighbour stepped over him to get into her house. He just looked up embarressed. She just went inside never asked any questions! We went back down stil couldn't get him out of the cataleptic state. So we stood him up and tried to edge him down the stairway like a solid cabinate. I had a belt with a sharp buckel which scratched him. That seemed to bring him out of the catalepsy. After that he was ok.

The point is the weirdest things can happen. And if you have no experience they could lead to some really embarressing if not dangerous situations.

I some times labour the point. But the reality is that hypnosis shouldn't be promoted as a thing to play around with. Not without training. Yeah I went down that road as a young kid and did some silly things that could've went seriously wrong. Back in these days it was more difficult to get the material. Now its rediculous how easy it is.

Then as a responsable 18 year old you will see the wisdom of getting training so that your subjects are as safe as possible in your hands?

Its ok I don't really believe or expect you to think that. Especially on here.

John,

Although I have never directly said that, I now say the opposite since my biggest hypno scare. Toward the end of my show someones husband came up on stage and said his wife had gone into it. I assumed she was someone who has taken an exit from stage earlier and told him I would be with her. My show finished two minutes later. I went over to the lady. She had not been on stage, had not even taken part in the audience exercises. During the show she had not laughed and toward the end her eyes were closing apparently. Her friends thought she must be bored and tired. When I did my wake up on stage she slumped forward 'asleep'. I sat next to her and told her I was talking to her and repeated my wake up. She did not move or show a flicker of interest. I took hold of her hands, got a little more commanding repeated my wake up again, nothing not a flicker of interest. That was quite scary she seemed unreachable. I reached a little deeper into my wake up methods and eventually she woke up but as soon as I spoke would slip back in. It took some to fully rouse her and she was pretty shaken and had to leave. I know some old schoolers will say she was showing off or wanted attention but I can assure you she was not having fun.

It turned out her husband had been to three shows before and every time someone in the audience had gone into hypnosis. He had told her this just before the show started

I think it is important to remember as you have said that words have power. With hypnosis the expectations your audience has is often based on hearsay, other peoples words have power too. I was aware that collateral hypno was a real phenomena and was prepared for it but I must say it was still something of a surprise when she did not respond to me.

I am not suggesting you drop the suggestion about collateral hypnosis, just wanted to make you aware that in a large dark room it can be tough to manage.

Best regards,

Anthony

Simply tell people "if someone DOES go into trance, please point them out to me so we can bring them up on stage". Problem gone.

Yup that will do it.

Ant

That's incredible... Have to keep that in mind at all times...

Thanks Ant...

Anthony makes a very good point and I would like to comment on it a bit more.

Most people think that an induction starts when you begin giving the formal induction. This is not true. The induction actually begins when you first communicate with the person. If you present any doubts about yourself, your training, your ability to lead them into trance--in obvious or subtle ways--it can have an effect on the success of the induction.

This is something you would probably learn at an in-person training.

BTW, I agree with you: I think 18 is a perfect age to learn anything you want.

But let me tell you something. You know that old saying, "practice makes perfect?" It's not true. Practice makes habits. If you practice something wrong, you'll get into the habit of doing it wrong, and then breaking the habit becomes more difficult.

The truth is: only perfect practice makes perfect. That's why musicians don't practice an entire piece over and over when they are first learning it. Instead, they break it down into sections and go over it until they can play it perfectly. Then they put the whole thing together, returning to troublesome sections as needed.

That's why I strongly encourage you to find a way to get real, in-person training. The books can add to what you learn in the training.

"You know that old saying, 'practice makes perfect?' It's not true. Practice makes habits. If you practice something wrong, you'll get into the habit of doing it wrong, and then breaking the habit becomes more difficult. The truth is: only perfect practice makes perfect." I agree with dmkraig 100%.