I thought I'd hang around this site for a while but really can't be bothered wading through crap from this Mark weirdo. So, I'll just make my post...
I'm thinking practical training here rather than buying books and DVDs of which I am well stocked with many of the products that some of you guys sell here...
Any advice? I've trained with the great Jon Chase and ran out of friends to zap as it were, as predicted, quite a while back. The guys at headhacking seem to offer something I'm likely to go for anyway. But I think my interest lies someway between hypnotherapy and stage hypnosis inasmuch as I'm more interested in providing incredible and entertaining experiences for the participants rather than hypnotising people for the entertainment of a larger crowd. There's lots I can bring to the entertainment table with music and video experience. I wonder if there is anyone out there down an avenue like this?

I have not but wish you the best in your search.

"This Mark weirdo" is a highly talented and intelligent individual. His distinct Celtic sense of humour rubs people up the wrong way, but don't dismiss him so glibly.

Well Tony when that sense of humor (And that stretches the term to its limits.) gets in the way and becomes such a bother then he should just shut the heck up. It causes trouble and that is all he wants to do. People seeking information don't get any with that happening.

Correctamundo Mr Doyle. The guy could know the cure for cancer and the meaning if life and it would mean sweet FA from someone so limited in people skills. So, idiots aside, even potentially knowledgable ones, any advice from the people I do really admire and respect would be absolutely most welcome!

What you seek is sort of counter intuitive as far as hypnosis itself goes. It will not be an easy road. You will hear lots of "nope can't be done" sort of thing but don't listen. My advice would be to research research research the process. Then decide if you do or do not "believe" or what not. BUT then take that information and try to apply it to your specific situation and come up with something great. You know best what you are trying to accomplish. Just because it might not have been done before in no way means it can't be done.

Wow, Jonathan and Mark at the same time?

Cheers for your thoughts and advice Danny. Much appreciated. I have absolutely no doubt that where I want to go exists and is possible. But I can't believe my path is really so original! I have no interest to spend my days curing irrational phobias or implanting gastric bands to the nutritionally challenged. Nor do I aspire to seating Vegas drunks in a line, eating onions like apples. I find hypnosis not just fascinating AND entertaining, but also motivational to the point of life-changing. I don't see why it has to be so often bagged up as either correctional (therapy) or entertaining (stage) when the phenomenon can be naturally so self-entertaining, thought provoking and enriching. Considering that most of the planet has already bought into this sh!t without even knowing it, embracing it to the boundaries of wars and bloody murder (religion), I surely can't be the only hypnobhead to think that there's a positive life-enhancing edutainment middle ground that inspires without a need for cure, and motivates via entertainment greater than a vibrating chair or 2000 year old book of bullsh!t. Can I?

Megatalented, go ahead and reinvent the wheel if you like. But as long as you adopt the arrogant tone you can do it without my help. Most of us learn the basic skill before we begin thinking of pushing the boundaries, but good luck with the cart before the horse approach.

I wouldn't say I'm trying to reinvent the wheel, just want to go somewhere that makes more sense in my head than those two traditional routes that seemed to be pre-carved. It's not about pushing boundaries at all. I wouldn't call training with the respected guys on this forum and buying most of their products a cart-before-horse approach. I'd call it 'learning the basic skill', common sense, a contribution to the community, and at worst, a compliment. If my extremities of expression to make my point above came across as arrogant I apologise. Marmen, there's nobody more arrogant and rude than you round here from where I'm standing. But how infectious arrogance and rudeness can be - powerful thing, the mind, isn't it. Thanks for your contribution to my post though.

Ma-s-turbation is also "self-entertaining" and its usually takes place in persons head where it makes sense for them. If you want to create a new market or valuable use for anything not just hypnosis then its not really about what makes sense in your head its about what makes sense in the real world. that's where you need to look. It might be a good idea to spend some time in it.

As for Mark -- I like him but his same old trolling wind up has never changed in years...I wish he would give it up. He has some good stories to share.

Self-entertaining as in escapism, rather like losing yourself in a film or book, or thought provoking as to what can be achieved with the art. But glad you're so up on Mrs Palm. It's not about creating a new market, but enquiring if anyone has trodden this route before - customers paying for amazing experiences, whether entertaining, theatrical, inspiring or anything else - rather than paying to merely watch it, that's all. I'm not trying to reinvent anything. I'm not looking for patronising business lessons, just wondered if anyone out there had anything to share with this route. I thought this forum, being populated by some of the people who inspired me to get into hypnosis in the first place was a pretty real-world place to make such an enquiry. Thanks for your tip though. Danny your advice proves quite apt already, cheers.

Mega, the problem is you are asking if something that has never really been done, nor attempted as far as I know, can work. The only sensible answer is of course don't know. I like the idea if that helps, but I guess you know that. Other than that you'll get opinion and it would be silly indeed to base your decisions on the opinions of others who weren't Megatalented enough to think of the idea and go for it themselves.

Thanks for the great Jonathan Chase although I will also guess you are referring to girth more than anything else.

Thank you kindly for your input big man (girth if you like, but I wouldn't like to throw any stones from my glass house!). I do realise I'm going to get opinion, although it's advice on practical courses and/or info on anyone else with similar ideas I was originally requesting. But interesting to see how people take it for sure. I am quite surprised that where I'm looking at going is such a rare thing I have to say. I'll take all opinions and file them in the appropriate cabinets. To take the theatre of hypnosis as a basis for inspiration and fuse it with life-enhancing aspects of hypnotherapy, and be advised to spend time in the real world, is filed in a very special cabinet indeed. Thanks for all your contributions, I love them all.

Your idea is a vague notion at the moment. And I have heard it before. And have thought about it. Before it can go anywhere it needs to be developed into a proper goal or outcome. Otherwise it won't go anywhere.

I have been doing my version for years but applied to business people. But over time I cut out all the performance phenomena since it only got in the way of "incredible experience".