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Siloh Ferris 0 Posts |
Hello,
I signed up here looking for a community to enliven and motivate my (solitary) study of hypnotism. However, as I lurk, I wonder if this is the community I'm looking for. I'm not interested in these as a professional entertainer, though. I'm more interested in it as a hobbyist performer (free volunteer gigs and for those I know, maybe an occasional trip to the city to busk for thrill and practice) and as someone hugely interested in coercive persuasion at large, as in the psychology or sociology of suggestibility. I'm particularly interested in the theory behind hypnotism (as entertainment) and the linguistic/rhetorical devices employed by hypnosis to implant suggestions or to lower the critical factor. It seems like hypnotherapist forums may be more receptive to the reasons behind my interest (i.e. not interested in professional stage hypnosis), but frankly the hypnosis crowd here seems SO much more knowledgable. Frankly the hypnotherapist forums come off as very self-helpy and a bit amateur so far as I look for the right community. I'm wondering if I would be welcome here knowing where the level of my interest lies professionally? I do hope to incorporate some hypnosis theory into my professional career, but that career happens to be in language, rhetoric, composition, and social theory, and it would not enter my formal research in more than an anecdotal way I imagine. I hope someone here can point me nicely in the right direction. It's been lovely just to observe the dialogue that goes on in the hypnosis section. |
Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
Welcome Siloh Ferris,
There are many amateurs here but the focus is on Entertainment. It would seem that you are inclined to Entertain. If the focus is primarily on interpersonal manipulation I suppose the same methods would work but you'd have to make the call. I gotta say I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of people getting really good at controlling others in this way. I'm hoping it is mostly hype. LOL -Mary Mowder |
Siloh Ferris 0 Posts |
I thought I'd go back and clarify a bit since I realize the above makes me sound like either a collector of secrets or a hypnotherapist candidate, neither of which I'm interested in. I'm also casually interested in close-up magic, mentalism, and spiritualism, but I don't really think I have the proper persona to be a stage hypnotist unless it's in the capacity of being a medium. I'm a slight young woman and it seems most stage hypnotists and magicians in general are male and are typically out of my peer range. Maybe it's something I could develop more confidence and interest in for the future, but for now I have enough trouble simply finding subjects who are willing to let me practice on them. If I really have a knack for what I study and can find subjects to properly practice with, I'd be interested in performing as a community service for institutions like assisted living communities or youth clubs etc. I just don't think I have a strong enough presence physically or enough authority in terms of my age and appearance to be thinking about doing it professionally.
However a lot of my passion does stem from my fascination with programs like LGATs and other institutions that rely on the effects of coercive persuasion techniques, and that's the background to my budding interest in the art of hypnosis. I'm a bit insecure even mentioning a casual interest in the other magic skills because I'm aware a lot of the members here are seasoned professionals and may feel my interest is cavalier since I'm just a hobbyist. I hope that clears up my intentions/interest a bit. I'm just a fledgling enthusiast looking for some inspiration and advice. |
Siloh Ferris 0 Posts |
Quote:
On Jun 18, 2014, Mary Mowder wrote: I don't want to con people under the veil of being a legitimate guru, or a sales coach, or a human potential leader. I imagine if I'm messing with someone's mind I'll be wearing stockings and a tie and hat or something. If I'm going to be a charlatan entertainer, it won't be under the guise of something else at least! That said, all those things I don't want to be are simply FASCINATING to me because of their deployment of suggestions and trance states, pacing, etc. If I had to really plot it out, the idea of hypnosis got me into studying groups which use coercive persuasion, which then years on leads me back here to an interest in hypnosis (among other skills that largely rely on suggestibility and suspension of belief). Also mixed in with my love of such groups is my love of sociological studies exploring social suggestibility and such. I don't want to get in trouble with the forum rules saying the actual quote, but some of you may know what I'm referencing when I say I'm with Anton LaVey and his notion of the difference between his church and others and their respective relationships with showmanship, and that's how I approach my interest ethically in coercive persuasion tactics. |
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