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dmkraig Inner circle 1949 Posts |
This DVD is a version of what was formerly a 2-videotape set that originally came out in 1995. I obtained a copy used, but I have seen this selling for as much as $250.
As is typical of DVDs of this type, some of the production values are horrendous. The type is pixelated and extremely low quality, so don't expect a Hollywood extravaganza. I have the extreme good fortune of having met Mr. Webster several times. He is unique in that he is a prolific writer of books for the New Age market, yet is also a well-known performer of mentalism, as well as an author of books on mentalism, which is a branch of magic that imitates psychic abilities and New Age phenomena. Don't look for Mr. Webster's magic/mentalism books at amazon.com or B&N--you'll only find them at specialized stores and websites for members of the magic trade. Frankly, I can think of nobody better to do a hypnosis show than Mr. Webster. He comes off as a friendly "everyman," making him extremely likable. This is perfect of stage hypnosis. He also understands that the goal of a stage hypnotists should be (IMO) to give your "actors" center stage and let them entertain. Some hypnotists are constantly repeating suggestions (as if they fear the suggestions didn't take) and stand center stage, getting all of the attention. Mr. Webster gets out of the way and is up front only enough to maintain control, provide continuity, and give suggestions. The DVD consists of two parts. The first part is the simple, one very static camera recording of a show. Here you can see exactly what he does and how he gets out of the way. This is very good and I wish all stage hypnotists could see this. I do have to make a criticism, though, that applies to this recorded show by Mr. Webster as well as to numerous other recordings of shows that I have seen. It seems like many of the stage hypnotists who have produced recorded shows brag about how they've done hundreds or thousands of shows. So why is it that you inevitable pick the absolute most boring show, were people are loathe to participate, to share with people interested in learning hypnosis? If you're doing so many shows, why not pick a great one where there is lots of activity by the actors and the audience is filled with laughter and applause? Yes, unfortunately this is not a great show (it lasts, mercifully, only about 45 minutes). Getting volunteers is like pulling hen's teeth. Some of the people don't go under easily and others, perhaps because they are too deep, just set there in a stupor. So if you're thinking of getting this DVD just to see a great show, I would suggest you pass. Luckily, it's only half of the DVD. The second half consists of Mr. Webster sitting in a chair and describing what he does. It's labeled as "The Real Work." Unfortunately, I don't think Mr. Webster is clear in his mind who he wants as the audience for this recording. If it is to give advice to professionals, there's too much basic information. If it is to teach stage hypnosis to beginners, there's just not enough information given in this part of the recording, which lasts under an hour. For beginners, it can be frustratingly vague. He explains that by looking in their eyes, he can tell if a person is hypnotized. Unfortunately, he doesn't tell what to look for. He says he's going to give a list of books for resources. That list is never given. The show demonstrates some mentalism effects he uses for warm up, but he never tells you how you can obtain them. However, there are some absolutely excellent ideas that a person with some training in stage hypnosis could incorporate into his or her act. There's advice on how to tell if someone is faking trance. There's positive reinforcement. There are personal stories that reveal problems he's faced and how he handled it. There is an interesting induction, why it might be more valuable to use a progressive relaxation induction in some situations, a great tip from Ormand McGill, and a way to use a lean test to make a very effective induction. Out of more than 1.5 hours of recorded material, I'd say there's a good 20 minutes worth of usable material for beginners and 10 minutes worth for experienced professionals. For me, that makes this DVD worthwhile. No, I don't think it's worth $250, but for $20, to increase a professional's knowledge or to complement an in-person training (he even advises getting real training on the DVD) for a beginner, I think this would be very useful. I would give this a C+/B- grade. |
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